SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK'S JOB OPENINGS
 IN EARLY ED ON LONG ISLAND

Large group of happy kids, boys and girls playing with blocks in kindergarten class constructing simple houses
PRE-K UPDATE
APRIL 3, 2019
Here's the latest news from The Long Island Pre-K Initiative, your source for  expert training and useful resources:  www.nassauboces.org/pre-k

Are you ready for Music Monday and Tasty Tuesday? It's time for Week of the Young Child
Every April the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) sponsors a celebration of young learners with daily themes and activities.This year they're asking you to "Step It Up" and spread the word about the importance of high-
quality early learning and the critical role early childhood educators play in a child's development and learning.

Next Monday, April 8, starts the five-day Week of the Young Child (WOYC). Resources for each themed day are provided on NAEYC's website, such as a guide to getting started with making and tinkering for Work Together Wednesday and an article on using art to help children understand differences for Artsy Thursday.

What's new this year is the emphasis on telling the story of early education beyond your classroom walls."One important thing you can do while celebrating WOYC is to advocate for a lifetime of success for all children." NAEYC urges you to tweet, post on Facebook and, in general, speak up for early education: #WOYC


Even a small school garden  can have a big impact 
As the weather begins to warm up, thoughts naturally turn to plans for growing vegetables and flowers, and a school garden is a common outcome--the Department of Agriculture estimates there are more than 7,000 of them across the U.S. 

What you may not realize: there are many benefits of planting and harvesting, especially at schools where most students are of color or from low-income households. For one thing, gardens can help promote racial diversity in STEM fields by getting kids excited about science at a young age. According to NBC news, "...when students successfully grow a plant, learn how to compost or take certain measurements out in the field, it strengthens their sense of autonomy and science identity." In other words, they can more easily envision themselves as scientists in the future. And gardening at school has been linked to improved motivation to learn, too--in part because students really like being outdoors and being active.
Reading print books aloud is better than using digital ones when it comes to parents and young children
You may prefer e-books for your own reading choices, but when it comes to reading to young children there's evidence that print books are better. According to
pediatrician Dr. Perri Klass, writing last week for the New York Times, a new study shows that reading print books together results in more conversations between parents and children, an important factor in language development.

Researchers from the University of Michigan videotaped parents reading to 2- and 3-year-olds in three different formats: a basic e-book, an e-book with animation and/or sound effects, and a print book. The toddlers  were  distracted by the e-books and engaged less with their parents--plus there were struggles over who got to control the electronic device ("Don't touch that button!").

Klass concludes: "...a print book, with a young child, may be a better piece of technology if the goal is dialogue and conversational turn-taking"

Early education makes headlines around the U.S. 

Dozens of groups push for full-day Pre-K for all Texas school districts. CBS TV in Austin, TX, illustrated an online article about "Push for Pre-K" Day last week with a
playing yoyo_ red yoyo over blue background
video of supporters using yo-yo's. The reason: they want to "stop the yo-yo of inconsistent funding for full-day Pre-K."

Child Care is infrastructure. We should treat it that way. This opinion piece from think tank the Bipartisan Policy Center focuses on the physical environment in child care facilities. " Parents should be able to leave their children in child care with the understanding that they are in safe and healthy learning environments that support their development - and this is just not happening."

California adopts a new model to curb preschool suspensions. Education news site The Hechinger Report describes how California is sending mental health consultants into publicly funded preschools and child care centers. But they're working with the teachers--not the children. The goal is support classroom staff with strategies for dealing with challenging behaviors and to promote understanding of what may be behind a child's disruptive actions.

This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island

Full-Time Teacher/Director (Toddler)
Full-Time Teacher (Infant/Toddler)
Little Scholars Day School, Glen Head
Email to Katherine Benetos at littlescholars112@yahoo.com

Full-Time Teacher (Infant/Toddler)
Stony Brook Child Care, SUNY Stony Brook
Apply online Enter "childcare" or 1900872 in the keyword search bar


For the Long Island Head Start positions listed below
Email resumes to humanresources@liheadstart or fax 631-758-2953

Full-Time Teacher Assistant
Full-Time Teacher Aide
Full-Time Family Advocate--Bilingual
Full-Time Family Advocate
Substitute Teacher Aide
Long Island Head Start, various

Full-Time Teacher (Infant/Toddler)
Long Island Early Head Start, Huntington, Islip

Full-Time Teacher
Long Island Head Start, Bay Shore, Bridgehampton

Full-Time Certified Teacher
Long Island Head Start, Bay Area

Part-Time Family Advocate--Bilingual
Long Island Head Start, North Fork

Full-Time Family Educator/Home Visitor--Bilingual
Long Island Early Head Start, Patchogue

Full-Time Accounts Payable Bookkeeper
Long Island Head Start, Patchogue

Full-Time Temporary Cook
Long Island Head Start, Bridgehampton

Full-Time Cook Assistant
Long Island Head Start, Wyandanch


Here's how to add your school's staffing needs to this list:
 
Send an e-mail to prek@nasboces.org with the subject line "List our position."
 
In the body of the e-mail, include the following information:
 
For our records:  
  • Your name
  • Your position
  • Your e-mail and phone number
For the listing in our e-newsletter  
  • The name of your school and the town it's located in. You can include your web address, if you have one.
  • A very brief description of the position or positions you want to fill. (For example: "Part-time Teacher Assistant" or "Full-time Pre-K Teacher."
  • Information about how potential applicants should contact your for details or to apply. (For example: "Call Jane Smith at 631-xxx-xxxx" or "Send e-mail to jane.smith@schoolname.org") 
It's important to understand that:
 
We will not include information about salary. We will not include any descriptions of your school or program, although we can include a link to your school's web site.
 
We will publish your information a single time. If you still have openings, you can e-mail us again with the details and we will run the information again.
 
Our e-newsletter is typically sent out on Wednesday mornings. However, it may be mailed on a different day, depending on content or technical considerations. 
 
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative reserves the right to edit information; space in the e-newsletter is very limited.
 

About Us
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a grant-funded project that seeks to strengthen partnerships between school districts and community-based organizations and to share information about research, policy and best practices for early learning. Administered by Nassau BOCES, it is supported with expertise from The Early Years Institute and funds from the Rauch and Hagedorn Foundations. Our partners: Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Western Suffolk BOCES, and the Child Care Councils of Nassau and Suffolk.







NASSAU BOCES DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220  Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org