WEEKLY COALITION BLAST | JULY 26, 2017
WE EXIST TO GROW HEALTHY CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM.

Lynne's Message 
Dear Providers - 


The deadline for 2017/2018 Performance Funding Project (PFP) applications has been extended! You have until midnight July 30 to apply on OEL's PFP page. If you participated in PFP during a previous year, you can use the directions to log in in by entering your unique User ID and Password. If you have not previously participated in PFP but are interested in applying this year, use the blue "Provider Registration" button on the bottom of OEL's PFP page to register. If you still have questions about PFP, use the resources included below to learn more or email redline@elcnwf.org.


In your service, 


Lynne

Is Your Program Interested in Being a Rotary Read Aloud Site?

We will attend the Downtown Panama City's Rotary Meeting on August 15th to share the successes from the 2016/2017 school year and encourage new Rotarians to sign up for the 2017/2018 school year. If you would like to become a partnering program, please email us today using the "Email the Redline!" button below. We are looking forward to hearing from you.

VPK Providers: Is Your VPK Contract Complete and Ready To Go?

At this time, we have 79 paper contracts submitted, and only 53 are complete.

 

You must build your VPK Classroom in the NEW OEL Provider Portal prior to school start if you have not already done so. At this time, only 50 Providers have submitted their VPK Classroom information in the NEW OEL Provider Portal.


The most common mistakes are not assigning all Lead, Aide, and Substitute Instructors on the VPK Classroom page and failing to upload the documentation that the Lead Instructor has viewed the DVD (or taken the class) on “How to Administer the VPK Assessment."

 

Please click below for important tips to ensure that your program is ready for the 2017/2018 program year.

August Face-to-Face Meeting Location Change

The August Face-to-Face Meeting will be located at the Panama City Coalition Office at 703 W. 15th Street in Suite A. The fourth business day of August falls on Friday, August 4. You can find directions and a link to a Google map on our website here. We will see you at 9:00 a.m. in Panama City!

Read Aloud Posters and Activities 

There are some fabulous resources here on the Downloads page for Read Aloud. Included here are informational posters, bookmarks, and ideas for summer activities. These resources help remind parents and caregivers how important it is to read to children.   

July 2017 Parents' Pages + #1stDayVPK Information

You are invited to be a part of a statewide social media campaign: My First Day of VPK. This campaign will help promote Florida’s VPK Education Program. My First Day of VPK will highlight the start of the new school year and offer families of 4-year-old children helpful tips as they begin their new adventure into preschool. Since VPK programs start on different days around the state, the campaign will begin in August and run through the beginning of September of the 2017/2018 school year. To help make the day memorable, there are two My First Day of VPK signs for children to hold when families take start-of-school photos. Then, families can use this special hashtag (#1stDayVPK) when posting their child’s pictures on social media sites. OEL will feature #1stDayVPK-tagged pictures on their social media pages throughout the campaign. Your local Coalition will feature these images as well, so make sure you tag us, too!  (We are @elcnwf on Instagram and Facebook.) Below you will find other resources and can download the sign using the links for OEL and your location Coalition. Help us spread the word and invite families in your Coalition, school district, or region to be part of the fun.


OEL developed a Facebook frame to use with your #1stDayVPK pictures. Directions for the Facebook frame are below or on the #1stDayVPK pages for your Coalition and OEL. You can also check out our Facebook page here or by clicking on the Facebook icon below.


(Also included below is OEL's July 2017 edition of Parents' Pages.)

Emergency Coalition Phone Number

Any program needing to reach the Coalition during an emergency scenario should call Joe Seabrook at 850-774-7928. 

Proposed Rules and Notices (Upcoming OEL Workshops & Hearings)

Visit OEL’s “Statewide Initiatives” page here to view the rules with proposed changes. Rule names and language is located on the left side; opportunities for live workshops and webinars are located to the right. If you are interested in signing up for a workshop webinar, click on the link provided to visit the registration page for the webinar you choose. Below are the following rules with changes being considered.


  • Rule 6M-4.700, Child Performance Standards
  • Rule 6M-8.602, Performance Standards for Children Participating in the VPK Education Program
  • Rule 6M-8.605, VPK Staff Development Plan for Programs on Probation (POPs)

While on this page, look at the top for the header called “Upcoming OEL Workshops & Hearings.” Click on the link at the top of the page (Sign up to be notified when there is an upcoming workshop or hearing.) to sign up for email alerts about upcoming changes in rules.

Increase in School Readiness Funding - 2017/2018

During July’s Face-to-Face Meeting, providers asked for amount increased for School Readiness funding to be distributed throughout the state for the 2017/2018 fiscal year. OEL’s Executive Director Rodney MacKinnon shared with us during the June Face-to-Face Meeting that $25 million of additional funding was allocated to School Readiness for this fiscal year. While this money will be distributed throughout the state, this is a win for School Readiness!

Vroom UPDATE

Vroom, an initiative of the Bezos Family Foundation that focuses on early learning, is an app designed to help parents and caregivers unlock their child’s learning potential through helpful brain-building tips.

Last year, Florida’s Office of Early Learning received a grant to provide free Vroom resources to families across the state through early learning coalitions. This year, the Bezos Family Foundation is including Florida as one of several states that will be a part of a new pilot project.


Parents of children from birth to 5 can now receive tips via a weekly text by signing up at https://sms.joinvroom.org/florida or by texting Ready to 48258. Spanish language texts are also available by texting Listo to 48258.

Yearly Provider Updates for CCR&R

It is time for all providers to submit provider updates! If you have had any changes to your program or contact information, now is the time to let us know. Please sign into the OEL Provider Portal. Review all of the tabs in the dashboard, and check/change your information. Next, please sign and resubmit. This should all be completed by July 30th. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Samantha Stump at samantha.stump@elcnwf.org or call her at 850-747-5400 Ext. 124.   

Events in Holmes & Washington Counties

Below you will find links to meeting dates for the "Bosom Buddies" Breastfeeding Support Groups in both Holmes and Washington Counties. Please share these fliers with your staff and families.


Bosom Buddies, Holmes County 

Bosom Buddies, Washington County


If you are interested in taking the HealthierUS School Challenge, use the attached flier to learn more about the requirements and incentives (including cash up to $2,000 and state/national recognition). If you are promoting nutritious meals, physical activity, and nutrition education in your center, this is a terrific opportunity. (This opportunity is only available for school sites that include K-12 programs.)

Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida | Phone: 850.747.5400 | Fax: 850.747.5450 | www.elcnwf.org
Sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida and the State of Florida, Office of Early Learning