 | Kate Bono
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President's Corner OCAEYC is at your service!
My name is Kate Bono, and I am the new president of OCAEYC. I am also an associate professor and chair of the Department of Child and Adolescent Studies at California State University, Fullerton. Throughout the eight years that I have served on the OCAEYC Board of Directors, I have loved the opportunity to support early childhood educators. In both roles, I hope that the work that I do will help others to make a powerful and positive impact on the lives of children and families. I know that this is possible!
We are here to serve you, the early childhood educators of Orange County! We know how dedicated you are to improving the lives of children and their families and how hard you work every day to make that happen. We want to support your work through professional development events, networking opportunities, and awards and scholarships. The OCAEYC board has many fantastic things planned for you in 2015! Here are just a few:
- Professional Development Workshops that are FREE for OCAEYC members. Upcoming workshops include these (locations TBD):
- Developmentally Appropriate Practice for Pre-K, TK, and Teachers, on March 7
- Developmentally Appropriate Practice for Infant-Toddler Teachers on April 11
- Member Meet-ups
- Newsletters to keep you up-to-date on OCAEYC and the ECE profession
- Spring Recognition event to honor those who have made an impact in early childhood education in Orange County
If you are not already an OCAEYC member, join us today! You can find out how under the "Get Involved" tab on our website, ocaeyc.com.
Looking forward to seeing you soon at one of our events!
Kate
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 Member Benefits 3 Meet-ups Planned
OCAEYC members, let's get together to learn, play, and network! Join us for our upcoming 2015 "Member Meet-ups" to get to know other early childhood professionals. Be sure to wear your OCAEYC member polo shirt, our newest member benefit, to all local, state, and national AEYC events. To order your OCAEYC polo, contact Chantal Lamourelle at [email protected].
Here are the details for the three Member Meet-ups, hosted by Jenn Kinkel, Chantal Lamourelle, and Rebecca Engram. Sites are to be determined, so watch your email in-box for more details:
- 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 28-"Building Community in the ECE Environment through Tolerance." We will view and discuss the film "Starting Small" by Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
- 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 15-"Teaching Beyond the Classroom." Come and discover opportunities for teaching beyond the early childhood classroom and how emerging leaders can share their knowledge and experiences. Learn about advocacy/leadership activities.
- 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 30-"Screen-free Week." Find out about the efforts of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood to reclaim childhood from corporate marketers.
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Professional Development
for TK Educators
OCAEYC embraces the mission of our national organization: to promote high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8. To fulfill this mission, we offer professional development workshops not only for preschool educators, but also for those teaching transitional kindergarten (TK).
Offered across the state, transitional kindergarten (TK) is an educational
opportunity for children who will be 5 years old between September and December. Previously, these children would have entered kindergarten, but California's change in the kindergarten-entry age has left them without this early access to public education.
TK and the change in kindergarten-entry age address a longstanding need in California: Our children have started kindergarten at a younger age than those most other states, and they often lacked the maturity, social development, and early academic skills required to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. At the same time, kindergarten has become far more academic than in the past, and is now similar to what first grade used to be.
The youngest children in a kindergarten class may struggle academically, emotionally, and/or socially. Some may not know how to listen or follow a structured class schedule. Providing the gift of time, TK ensures that children have these foundational skills for success, and serves as a bridge between preschool and kindergarten that gives students a head start toward future academic success. For resources and more information about transitional kindergarten, visit the TKCalifornia
website.
In response to interviews and surveys of TK teachers, OCAEYC offered, "The TK Classroom: Learn ing to Play or Playing to Learn?" on October 15, 2014. The workshop focused on understanding developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) and brain-based learning, tools for intentional play that engages children in their learning. Participants had the opportunity to discuss research on how young children learn and develop and to engage in experiential, active learning. Participants received strategies to support hands-on involvement and significant experiences for all children.
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Collaborative Conference Draws More than 500 Participants!
Whit Hayslip, former Los Angeles Unified School District assistant superintendent for early childhood education, delivered an inspiring keynote address to more than 500 early childhood professionals who gathered for the 2014 QualityStart OC Collaborative Conference on November 22, 2014 at the Disneyland Hotel.
The focus of this year's conference was "Inclusive Practices: Meeting the Needs of All Learners." Sessions included diverse topics such as creating high quality learning environments for all children, communicating with families, helping children thrive through the use of gratitude, and  understanding the California Foundations and Framework of Social-Emotional Development. Special tracks were featured for directors and transitional kindergarten (TK) teachers. Participants enjoyed a wonderful lunch, and many won prizes through opportunity drawings.
The Quality Start OC Conference was a collaborative effort of OCAEYC, the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, Children's Home Society of California, Orange County Head Start, Brandman University, Help Me Grow, Orange Couty Department of Education, the County of Orange, the Child Care and Development Planning Council, the OC TK Network, and the CA Preschool Instructional Network. A special thanks goes to Anne Broussard for representing OCAEYC in this collaboration.
OCAEYC members receive a discount to attend this great conference. If you were not able to attend this year, be sure not to miss it next time!
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Changes at NAEYC!
NAEYC has a new Strategic Mission and Direction. CLICK HERE to take a look! |
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About Us
The Orange County Association for the Education of Young Children (OCAEYC) is a local affiliate of California AEYC and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. As a member, you join with thousands of other early childhood education professionals and advocates for young children.
Member benefits include free or discounted professional development opportunities, resources, networking, opportunities to serve your professional, not to mention friendships! We are proud to be your ECE professional membership organization. Please let us know how we can best serve you! |
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 | Krista Murphy
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OCAEYC Supports
Krista Murphy
for NAEYC Board
OCAEYC proudly supports Krista Murphy's candidacy for the NAEYC Governing Board at Large! Krista is the coordinator of the Early Childhood Instructional Programs at the Orange County Department of Education and chairs OCAEYC's Professional Development Committee. Krista is a tremendous asset to OCAEYC, has been influenced both California and national efforts in support of increased educational levels for ECE professionals, and has articulated the critical importance of the first five years of life to elected officials, parents, and the general public.
Members receive an electronic ballot for all NAEYC leadership positions and have until March to vote.
Click here to view Krista's written candidacy statement and her video. |
Sow Seeds of Understanding: Volunteer with Peace Camp
Held each August at Irvine Regional Park, Orange County Peace Camp is an alternative summer day camp experience that fosters peace, justice, and environmental awareness through an anti-bias curriculum. Last year's theme was "Tale's of Peace: Inspiring Change in Your World," which allowed campers to explore their individual experiences, skills, and qualities that can have a positive influence in the world.
Activities included simple icebreakers, cooperative games, skill-building, and collaborative fun. One activity last year was a Resource Project in which campers were separated into groups, each with a specific resource (water, textiles, food, and so on) and with the task of obtaining every other resource. Many strategies the campers employed brought conflict, but eventually they were able to negotiate and collaborate with one another. Campers and staff learned first hand that peace is an action, and therefore, our actions reflect what kind of activists we are in the face of conflict.
As a decades-long supporter of Orange County Peace Camp, OCAEYC helps provide a richer experience for campers and more tools for the youth leaders. For more information or to apply as a Peace Camp volunteer, visit www.ocpeacecamp.com.
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OCAEYC Sponsors
TK Open House
More than 120 guests gathered to hear featured speakers at the first Transitional Kindergarten Open House, including professors from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), representatives from Early Edge, and other educators and early education leaders. The exciting and informative event at the Disneyland Hotel on November 21, 2014 was sponsored by OCAEYC in collaboration with the Orange County Transitional Kindergarten Network, Orange County Department of Education, CSUF, and Lakeshore Learning Materials, and preceded the QualityStart OC Collaborated Conference the following day.
Hallie Yopp-Sowick, PhD, from CSUF inspired the audience regarding their role and impact as educators and the benefits and value of TK for young children. Araceli Sandoval-Gonzalez, director of school and community engagement at Early Edge, gave an overview of the latest legislation for TK and answered questions.
Valuable resources available for TK teachers and administrators were presented, including online CSUF TK Modules, California Department of Education Resources and References, OC TK Professional Development, and others. Some lucky teachers were the recipients of teaching resources from Lakeshore, which also provided everyone with a set of standards-based center signs for their classrooms and a reusable bag. OCDE provided all guests with a hard copy of the Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Guide, and photos, curricula materials, report cards, and favorite resources from several districts' TK programs were on display.
For more information about the Orange County Transitional Kindergarten Network, contact Shelia Arnold at [email protected]
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Find OCAEYC on the Web
The OCAEYC website has a new home! Our webpage has moved to a new domain name: www.ocaeyc.com. Visit us often to find out what your professional organization is doing for early learning educators in Orange County. |
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Don't Be Left Out ... Renew Your OCAEYC Membership!
OCAEYC members receive FREE or lower-cost registration to professional development workshops and have opportunities to apply for awards and grants! Don't be left out! Take the time now to renew your membership so there is no interruption of your benefits.
Have you forgotten your Membership ID? You can find it on the mailing label of your NAEYC Teaching Young Children or Young Children journal. If you've misplaced your journal, then simply contact staff at [email protected] or (916) 486-7750 and someone will look it up for you.
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