WE EXIST TO GROW HEALTHY
CHILDREN
,
PARENTS
, AND THE
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THEM.
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ELC of NW Florida Friends -
The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida is pleased to open registration for our winter workshop (LITTLE ENGINES THAT CAN: A Self-Regulation Workshop) to be held on Saturday, February 3, from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., at Gulf Coast State College’s Panama City Campus. The workshop fee is $10 per person. You must register online (including payment) in advance of the workshop. You can sign in starting at 8:00 a.m. on February 3, and the workshop will start promptly at 8:30 a.m.
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Our presenter is Ingrid M. Kanics of Kanics Inclusive Services, LLC. Ingrid is an occupational therapist who has built a career and a business consulting in inclusive design and inclusive play. Ingrid will englighten and engage participants using tools from the Alert Program®. Prepare yourself for a workshop full of helpful information and hands-on opportunities. Every participant will receive an Alert Program® manual, and each contracted School Readiness program will receive a sensory kit. There are limited seats, so please register as soon as possible to secure your spot!
If you have questions or need additional information, please call 850-747-5400. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, February 3!
In your service,
Lynne
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February Reimbursement Reminders
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There are no board-approved holidays in January. If you were closed Monday, January 1, and/or Monday, January 15, please mark "N" on your Attendance Certifications for those days. Reimbursement documentation is due by close of business on the third business day.
Please be sure all uploaded Reimbursement documents are final when you upload to the
Coalition Document Exchange
. Please notify Coalition staff via
redline@elcnwf.org
of any documentation loaded after the initial submission. Include specific explanations of corrections made to initially loaded paperwork so that Reimbursement staff know a) new documents have been loaded and b) specifically what changes have been made. (This only refers to changes made prior to the third business day, per contract. Any changes made after close of business on the third day must be entered via the
Child Care Payment Adjustment Form
.)
Also, all supporting documentation (including doctors' notes, Rilya Wilson documentation, etc.) must be uploaded along with the Attendance Certifications. Any documentation not submitted with the Attendance Certifications will need to be sent as an adjustment via the
Child Care Payment Adjustment Form
. If you have questions about this request, please submit it to
redline@elcnwf.org
.
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Have you considered offering the VPK Summer 2018 Program?
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If you are planning to offer the VPK Summer 2018 Program, the Coalition needs written confirmation of intent to contract. The public school districts are required to provide the VPK Summer 2018 Program.
Please submit via fax or email a simple summary which provides the following information:
- Written notification of intent to participate in the VPK Summer 2018 Program
- Information regarding the point of contact (including the phone number, email address, and fax number)
- For public school districts: Please identify the location currently anticipated for the VPK Summer 2018 Program.
This information will be used to create the VPK Summer 2018 Provider Profile which will be available to parents as they obtain their Certificates of Eligibility (COEs) online through the OEL Family Portal. A response is required prior to February 7, 2018.
Please submit your notice of intent to contract for the VPK Summer 2018 Program to:
Michelle Shadoan, Provider Contracts and Reimbursement Team Lead
Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc.
703 W. 15th Street, Suite A
Panama City, Florida 32401
Phone: 850-747-5400, Ext 139
Facsimile: 850-747-5450
A snapshot calendar of which days/hours your program will run, including the potential start and end dates, should be submitted by April 15 so that the Coalition can begin distributing information to parents who inquire at our offices.
NOTE
: A deadline for submission of VPK applications and required documents has not been established at this time.
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If you were affected by any winter storm closures throughout Northwest Florida, please review the following attached information. For School Readiness, please reference
Rule 6M-4.501: Reimbursement During Emergency Closures. All VPK providers can click on the link below for relevant instructions.
For all programs, remember to email
redline@elcnwf.org to notify the Coalition of school closures. This email should be send by close of business on the day of closure.
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VPK Readiness Rate Information
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The 2016-17 VPK Provider Readiness Rate process has started. Letters were mailed out to every provider (via US Mail) from the Florida Department of Education on Monday, January 8, 2018. You can access the VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate website here:
https://vpk.fldoe.org.
Once logged in, each provider should complete the following:
- Child Verification: Review the online list of children who attended your program last year, and ensure that the data are accurate. If you find an error, you may correct names, gender, or date of birth for the children who attended your 2016-17 VPK program.
- Hours Attended: Review the hours attended for the children in your program. You can make changes to hours of attendance only when the change results in the hours of attendance being greater or less than 70 percent of the program hours. For school year programs (540 hours), 70 percent is 378 hours of attendance. For summer programs (300 hours), 70 percent is 210 hours of attendance. All changes to the hours of attendance require Coalition approval.
- Filing a Dispute: A provider wishing to file a dispute may do so during this period. (See below for the specific dispute period.) Disputes can be filed for one of the following reasons: number of children served, number of children screened, number of children meeting substantial completion, or number of children included in the calculation or for a change of ownership. Providers may also use the dispute function to securely share information about unmatched children if the provider has knowledge of where children were screened on the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener.
Click here for a step-by-step guide to the process of login/registration and completion of the VPK Provider verification/dispute process.
PROJECTED 2016-17 VPK READINESS RATE TIMELINE
(
Dates shown are target dates and subject to change.)
- January 8 through February 2, 2018 – Provider verification/dispute period
- February 5 through February 18, 2018 – Coalition approval period
- Late March 2018 – Preliminary readiness rates posted
- Late May 2018 – Final readiness rates posted
Acknowledgement of low performing (probationary) status is due within 21 days of posting the final 2016-17 VPK Readiness Rates. If you did not provide the VPK program last year (2016 - 2017), you do not need to participate in this process.
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Performance Funding Project Reminders (Benchmark 1 Approaching)
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Many Performance Funding Project (PFP) participants are taking part in the Making the Most of Classroom Interactions (MMCI) training each week. Please make sure each participant is on time, and make sure participants have MMCI books each time they attend training.
The first benchmark ends on January 31, 2018. It is important to submit your benchmark deliverables prior to the deadline date. Any deliverables denied and requiring correction can be re-uploaded prior to the deadline date if uploaded in advance. If you submit or resubmit a deliverable after the deadline, you will receive a delinquent noticed from the Florida Office of Early Learning.
MMCI certificates are due for each instructor/director during the first benchmark reporting period. Participants who are attending the Preschool MMCI training should submit a certificate with a minimum of 2 hours completion. Participants who are attending the Infant/Toddler MMCI training should submit a certificate with a minimum of 4 hours completion.
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Eligibility: Termination Process Information
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During the January Face-to-Face Meeting, several questions were asked regarding the process for termination of services. Please
click here information from the Coalition's Family Services Team. If you have questions, please email
redline@elcnwf.org.
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Important TSG Checkpoint Reminder: January 30, 2018
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The Winter Checkpoint period (when TSGs are due) is January 30, 2018. If you need assistance, please send an email to
redline@elcnwf.org.
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Early Childhood Math Training (Online)
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Preschoolers are natural mathematicians! They stack blocks, sort materials at clean-up time, and make many comparisons throughout the day. Math instruction for early learners is not about memorizing a set of rules and concepts. Young children must have various opportunities to make sense of their world, form logical connections, and discuss their thoughts and findings. To accomplish this task, early childhood professionals must have a firm grasp on early mathematical concepts and how to present them in meaningful and developmentally appropriate ways.
To sign up for the online "Mathematical Thinking for Early Learners" course,
click here. Once you have logged into the DCF's Child Care Training System,
- Choose "Instructor Led or Online Courses Enroll/Unenroll" from the "Main Menu."
- Choose the "Online Course Enroll" tab.
- In the drop down menu under the label "Select a Training Area," choose "In-Service."
- On the fourth page of options, look for "Mathematical Thinking for Early Learners (MATH)."
(
Reference: Florida Office of Early Learning)
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Training: Social + Emotional Development for Preschool Children
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Click here
to learn more about the two courses offered through the office of Early Learning for Social and Emotional Development for Preschool Children.
Click here to register for these courses. Use the instructions above (in the "Early Childhood Math Training (Online)" article) to find these courses on the
DCF Child Care Training System site.
If you need more information or help signing up for these courses, please email
redline@elcnwf.org.
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Click here to review information from the Florida Office of Early Learning about VPK Learning Circles.
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Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! 2018
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Attached please find updated information about Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! 2018. The books have been selected, so make plans to share these stories in your program.
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Children's Week "Hanging of the Hands"
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Children's Week will be January 21-26, 2018, and it will share the week with
Celebrate Literacy Week Florida. (Look above for updated information about Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! 2018.)
So much beautiful hand art has been created throughout contracted provider programs, and we were pleased to mail nearly 1,500 pieces of hand art to Tallahassee. If you visit
our Facebook page, follow the shared Children's Week link to view the video from January 21 when hand art was hung in Tallahassee. We saw lots of Northwest Florida artwork in the video, so be sure to check it out!
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Above: Northwest Florida Hand Art Currently Hanging in the Capitol Rotunda, 2018
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Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida | Phone: 850.747.5400 | Fax: 850.747.5450 |
WWW.ELCNWF.ORG
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Sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida and the State of Florida, Office of Early Learning
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