SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK'S HELP WANTED IN EARLY ED

Large group of happy kids, boys and girls playing with blocks in kindergarten class constructing simple houses
PRE-K UPDATE
AUGUST 15, 2018
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

Want to take your classroom library in a new direction? These lists round up books with special appeal

11 picture books that teach kids about letter writing have been collected by the folks at Brightly, an organization devoted to encouraging reading. Titles include Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings, which features letters from a homeless mutt and Ten Thank-You Letters by Daniel Kirk.

10 books to create lifelong book lovers are suggested by Book Riot. Choices
include the humorous tale  I Will Not Read This Book by Cece Meng and the whimsical Bunny's Book Club by Annie Silvestro.

13 books that teach kindness have been selected by BuzzFeed.  Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud encourages children to think about how our actions affect others--positively or negatively. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead imagines zoo animals visiting their sick keeper.

11 nature books for kids are recommended by Outdoor Families magazine. They range from I Saw a Moose Today by Anne Stewart to the alphabet book A Bold
Carnivore by Consie Powell. Two books for adults are included, too--notably There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda Akeson McGurk.

Adventure-themed books were reviewed in July by  the International Literacy Association (ILA), while books in verse are listed in the August column. Click here to check out both lists.

Want to spruce up your classroom's library area? Here are some "decluttering" tips from an expert
When is it time to "weed" your classroom library and get rid of a book? On her website Pre-K Pages, Vanessa Levin says she asks herself three questions about an aging volume:
  • Is the cover free of rips, stains, or excessive wear?
  • Are the interior pages free of any rips, stains, or damage of any kind?
  • Is the spine free of splits?
If the answer to all three questions is "yes," the book stays. But if there are only one
or two "yes" answers, Levin suggests finding an alternate use for the book--for example, in an outdoor library. " Then preschoolers can read outside," she says. "Since the books are already worn, a little more wear won't matter. What a great way to extend a book's use and to bring literacy into areas that often do not have books."

And if a book fails all three questions, then she suggests re-purposing it--that is, use pages or pictures cut from the book for creative projects such as making stick puppets that encourage children to make up their own stories. Read more.

Click here for "rain gutter book displays" and other suggestions from Levin on creating an "organized and functional" classroom library for Pre-K or kindergarten.

And how about books for the Dual Language Learners in your Pre-K classroom?
Wondering how to select books that support the home languages and cultures of your students? Author and educator Karen Nemeth comes to the rescue with quick tips, resource links and book recommendations.

Her Language Castle website offers "five quick answers" to two important questions: "Where can I find free books for my preschool DLLs?" and "How should I choose books for my preschool DLLs?" Plus, she lists six books she likes to use, including the bilingual  Hairs/Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros and her own New Words, New Friends. 

Still want more information? Nemeth runs down five websites where you can buy books and reading materials in different languages and six websites you can visit, including nonprofit organizations that support multicultural literacy such as multiculturalchildrensbookday.com and weneeddiversebooks.org.

We listened to your feedback: the schedule for this year's "Best Practices" conference will work better for you
When participants filled out the evaluation sheets for last year's full-day conference, the speakers got rave reviews, but the late lunch and two "keynote" speaker schedule got thumbs down. So this year's "Best Practices" event will work differently, and will offer longer workshops with more time for Q & A. Specifically, here's how it looks:

8:00 a.m.
8:30 a.m. 
10:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
2:30 p.m.

Registration, Exhibits and continental breakfast
Welcome and Keynote Speaker
Explore Exhibits
Workshop Session #1
Lunch and Explore Exhibits
Workshop session #2
Pick Up Certificates

Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Location: Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury

Registration fee:   $95 per person "early bird" until 4 p.m. on Friday, September 28, 2018;   $125 per person after 4 p.m. on Friday, September 28, 2018;  No online registration after 4 p.m. on Friday, November 2, 2018;  $150 per person on-site registration (cash or check only).


Note: Conference participants earn six (6) CTLE or OCFS credits

Click here for workshop details and to register now.

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

Teacher's Assistant (Preschool) - Bilingual
Stanford Child Care Center, Copiague
E-mail resume to gigir@stanfordchild.com or fax to 631-225-4600


For the Alternatives for Children positions listed below:
E-mail to pamela.demeo@alternativesforchildren.org or call 631-331-6400 ext. 135

Daycare Toddler Teacher
Alternatives for Children, Dix Hills

Special Education Teacher
Alternatives for Children, Setauket, Southampton

General Education Teacher
Alternatives for Children, Southampton

Preschool Aides
Alternatives for Children, Dix Hills, Setauket, Southampton

Paraprofessional for UPK program
Alternatives for Children, Southold



For the Long Island Head Start positions listed below:
E-mail resume to humanresources@liheadstart.org or fax 631-758-2953

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

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

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

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

Temporary Teacher
Long Island Head Start, Riverhead

Part-Time Cook Assistant
Long Island Head Start, Central Brookhaven

Full-Time Parent Involvement Specialist
EHS-CCP Disabilities Services Consultant
EHS-CCP Health Consultant
Long Island Head Start, Central Administration, Patchogue





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