The 2016/2017 VPK Program year is getting close to having only 10 percent remaining. If you provide the VPK Program at your site, make sure there is still at least 10 percent (54 hours) or more left in the VPK Program before taking any new COEs from parents. If you have questions or concerns, please email redline@elcnwf.org.

The Coalition is requesting Written Confirmation of Intent to Contract for the 2017  Summer VPK Program. The public school districts are required to provide the 2017 Summer VPK Program. Please submit via fax or e-mail a simple summary which provides the following information:  

• Written Notification of Intent to participate in the 2017 Summer VPK Program
  
• Information regarding the Point of Contact which includes the Phone Number, E-Mail Address information, and a Fax Number
  
• For school districts, please identify the location currently anticipated for the 2017 Summer VPK Program.

This information will be used to create the 2017 Summer VPK Provider Profile which will be available to parents as they obtain their Certificates of Eligibility (COEs) online through the OEL Parent Portal. A response is required prior to April 13, 2017.

Please submit your Notice of Intent to Contract for the 2017 Summer VPK Program to:
 
Michelle Shadoan, Provider Support Specialist
Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc.
703 W. 15th Street, Suite A
Panama City, Florida 32401
Phone: 850-747-5400  Ext 139
E-Mail: michelle.shadoan@elcnwf.org

A snapshot “Calendar” of which days/hours your program will run, including the potential start and end dates, would be appreciated by April 13 so that we may begin distributing information to parents who come to our offices to inquire.

A deadline for submission of the applications and required documents has not been established at this time. We will still require paperwork to register the program until the electronic system can be tested. You will complete the OEL-VPK 10 to register the classroom, the OEL-VPK 11A to set the classroom instructors, and the OEL-VPK-11B to set the class schedule. Additional documents include the VPK Prepayment Option Form and Classroom Capacity Form. All required forms and supporting documentation are required to be submitted prior to contract approval. (Copies of previously submitted paperwork will not be made.)

Now that spring is here and the weather is warming up, children want to go outside more often to play. There are many benefits of outdoor play time such as physical exercise, exploration of environment, and opportunities to make new friendships with peers. By teaching our children their name, address, and phone number, we can better equip them if they get lost or need help. Below is a link to a few tips on how to teach your child their name and address and who to go to in case of an emergency. 

The City of Panama City will be holding their Kids Fishing Workshop on Saturday, May 6,  on the Life Management Center main campus at Peace Pond. Attached is the official flier which contains details about this event. Please print the flier and share with anyone who is interested. If someone has further questions, please have them call Panama City Leisure Services at 872-3199.

Encourage your families to attend Healthy Start's "World's Greatest Come-'n-Go Baby Shower" on Thursday, May 4, at First United Methodist Church. This FREE event will start at 4:30 p.m. and conclude at 7:00 p.m., and will include games, door prizes, refreshments, and entertainment. If you know someone who is pregnant or who has delivered a baby within the last 6 months, they are welcome to attend.  Please click on the button below a printable version, or come by our office in Panama City to pick up printed fliers.

"Many toddlers and young children bite. Developmentally, most toddlers don’t have enough words to express how they are feeling. They primarily rely on sounds and actions to communicate what they are thinking and feeling. Biting is one of the ways toddlers express their needs, desires, or feelings. While biting might be very frustrating, your child is not biting purposefully annoy you or hurt anyone."

Follow this link to Vanderbilt University's "Responding to Your Child's Bite" toolkit developed at The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning.

Please follow the link in the button below for the April 2017 edition of "Parents' Pages." Included in this edition are articles about "Meltdowns and Tantrums," Safe Kids Day, Social Development for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children, and ideas for celebrating the Week of the Young Child. Checklists and safety tips for parents and educators supplement each of this month's articles.

NEMOURS CHILDREN’S HEALTH SYSTEM
SAVE THE DATE!

Tuesday, April 25, 2017
1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.
 
Join Nemours Children’s Health System in partnership with the Florida Department of Health in a conversation around screen time.  Join us this month for our third webinar as we explore best practices of screen time for early care and education programs.  Our guest speaker, Yolanda “Linda” Reid Chassiakos, MD, FAAP, FACP is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA; and the Director and Medical Chief of Staff of the Klotz Student Health Center at California State University Northridge.  Dr. Chassiaskos is a member of the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media, and the Lead Author of the AAP Technical Report, Children and Adolescents and Digital Media.  This webinar participants will:

• Learn about the types of digital media in today’s environment
  
• Learn about the risks and benefits of digital media in young children
  
• Learn about the impact of digital media on children’s development and learning
  
• Learn about the updated recommendations for digital media use from the American Academy of Pediatrics
• Learn about the AAP Family Media Use Plan Tool

Who Should Participate?

The webinar will benefit all types of early care and education program providers, including center-based programs, family child care homes, directors, managers, and staff members.  Please log-in with other colleagues in your program where possible.

Please register HERE. 

In April, we will provide three of the required VPK courses for programs on probation. All the courses will be held at the Marianna Coalition office (4636 Hwy 90, Suite P., Marianna, Florida 32446). To register for the courses listed below, visit the DCF Child Care Training Website and enter the appropriate course number. 

• “How to Administer the VPK Assessment” (Course ID: 7338)

            April 17, 2017 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

• “VPK Assessment Instructional Implications” (Course ID: 7339)

           April 24, 2017 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

• “Integrating the Standards: Phonological Implications” (Course ID: 7340)

           April 27, 2017 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.