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a monthly e-newsletter for Delaware's early childhood and school age programs
 


MARCH 2017


You're here for Delaware's children and families. 
We're here for YOU! 
Children's Book Week, Celebrate with us!
May 1st - 5th, 2017!!!
DIEEC is celebrating Children's Book Week by sending readers to early childhood programs to read a book to the children, and then donate the book to the children's library!  Over 50 programs have signed up already, so don't delay, sign up today! 
Safe Infant Sleep: Click for Resources
Safe to SleepĀ® Campaign,
Dept of Health and Human Services



Support the Importance of Early Childhood!
Join Advocacy Day May 10th!
Click the flyer for details on how you can get involved!
Growing Up with more than One Language
Tips to Support Learning
Recent research underscores the importance of supporting both the language(s) of home and the language of school (usually English) for young children who are growing up with multiple languages. Here are two tip sheets with ideas for how to support the language development of these young children: 


Family & Large Family Child Care Providers!
The Office of Child Care Licensing has announced the   Delaware Regulations for Family and Large Family Child Care programs.  They have been combined and become effective January 1, 2017 for new licensees and July 1, 2017 for those already licensed.
Don't delay, training on the new regulations is only available until the end of this month!   Click here  for information on training to learn more!
March Raffle Contest
Kids say the darndest things!
The winner of our February Raffle Contest is  Project Village,  Indian River School District!  We asked for ways to successfully engage families and here's what they had to say:

Project Village (ECAP) in Selbyville partners with the Southern Delaware School of the Arts for their Family Math and Science Night. Each grade Pre-k through 8th grade has a table with math games as well as a display of what their children learned in science. This is a fun event because preschool children and their families feel connected with the K-8 schools. They get to interact and meet kindergarten children and teachers. 

To enter to win a collection of children's books in this month's raffle contest send us responses from some of the children in your program to either of the two questions:
  • What's your favorite story book to read and why?
  • Who is your favorite super hero or book character and why?
Be sure to include the child's first name and age with the entry.  Good luck!

Spring Resource Fairs:  Connect with Agencies, Services and Supports for You!
Free to all licensed child care providers!
Click to enlarge the flyers:

 

Free Resource Fairs offer connections with:
  • Business and Administration:  Payroll services, employee management, banking and finance information and resources
  • Qualifications and Professional Development: DIEEC PD specialists offering support with individual and facility PD planning, T.E.A.C.H. and Career Advisement (DAEYC and Del First)
  • Family and Community Partnerships: Resources to support families, library resources, community agencies offering services to support your program
  • Learning Environment & Curriculum:  Ways to address challenging behavior, curriculum and assessment support, table topics on creating multi-age environments, health, play and more!
Register today, or call 302-831-7354!  Raffle prizes, give-aways, free resources and more!

Don't Miss This!!!
Spring Assessment Series!
The DIEEC PD Department is providing a new series of assessment training in each county:
  • Advanced Assessment for Administrators:  Data Driven Decision Making
  • Advanced Assessment for Teachers:  Purposeful Planning
  • Child Assessment for Administrators:  Polishing the Lens
  • Child Assessment for Teachers:  The Power of Practice 
Check the training schedule for Kent, New Castle and Sussex Counties and register today!

Program Spotlight Tadpole Academy
Building a Team and Creating a Community
Our January Raffle winner, Tadpole Academy responded to the question ' what are your program resolutions for 2017'? They responded:
  • Creating a renewed and shared vision for our team of what quality early childhood education looks like,
  • Improving our quarterly staff in-service to make the trainings/topics more relevant and meaningful to our teachers, and
  • Spending more time in the classrooms working 1-on-1 with our teachers.

Crystal and Liz (pictured) shared that creating a vision together strengthened their staff as a team and gave the team ownership of their program goals. The program has signed up to participate in Foundations of Curriculum series offered by DIEEC PD to continue towards a shared vision and shared goals.  

 

They select topics for their quarterly in-service meetings based on conversations during staff meetings and observations in the classrooms. They also meet one on one with each teacher to learn about their individual professional goals and discuss classroom observations to develop...click here to continue

 

Child Care Daily:  News You Can Use
Early Childhood Resources Galore!

Library Learning Crates & The Resource Room
Delaware offers a wide variety of resources to support early childhood education!  Here are two resources (one is statewide and the other is in the city of Wilmington) that you may not be aware of! 

The New Castle County Libraries have expanded their early learning literacy crates to include six crates with topics/materials in Spanish. But they aren't just for New Castle, anyone who has a library card can use the online library catalog to order available materials that will be sent to the library closest to your program.  Topics in English include science, literacy, math, cooking, colors, etc.  Topics available in Spanish include alphabet, history, animals, and more.  These early learning literacy crates provide fresh early childhood materials for your program, at no cost to you!

In the city of Wilmington, located at Warner Elementary School is the Resource Room.  The Resource Room offers child care providers:
  • Professional development
  • A lending library that includes resources, teaching tools and toys
  • TECE 1 & 2 scholarships
  • Mentoring
  • Career advisement and more!
The Resource Room is sponsored by the Wilmington Early Care and Education Council and the Program Coordinator is Victoria Clymer-Mills. You can reach her by phone 302- 304-5017 or email.  Contact her today to learn about the services and support available!
Capacity Grant:  Request by April 10th!!!
Funding for Programs in Delaware Stars
The Capacity Grant, managed by Children & Families First, is intended to provide resources to build the quality of early learning programs. The next deadline to submit an application for a Capacity Grant is April 10, 2017.  

Supplemental funding will also be available to expand or enhance the nutritional and/or physical activity for children in early learning programs. This supplemental funding is provided in collaboration with the Division of Public Health. Contact the Capacity Grant Program Manager, Andrea Prettyman by email or call 302-389-7268. 

Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood
Delaware Stars for Early Success
Professional Development Department
Main (302) 831-3239 | Fax (302) 831-4223
Visit PD at www.dieecpd.org
Visit DE Stars  at: www.delawarestars.udel.edu


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