|
|
Greetings!
WE'RE THANKFUL FOR...
We’re thankful for the basics:
food, clothing and comfortable shelter;
the rest is a bountiful bonus.
We’re thankful for work, play,
and the treasured people
who make these experiences
richer and more meaningful.
We’re most thankful
for family and friends,
especially the families that attend EFC!
|
|
|
|
|
SEASON OF GIVING
EFC will be a drop off site for Toys for Joys this hoilday season. We will be accepting toys and money for the Christmas committee. They are a nonprofit that provides local families in the Northern Anoka County area a little brighter holiday season with toys and food. Thank you in advance for your help
.
|
|
|
|
UPCOMING HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
EFC will be closed on
Thursday, November 28, and Friday, November 29
, for Thanksgiving. We hope your family enjoys the time together to relax and celebrate. We will also
close at 3pm on
Tuesday, December 24
, and we will be closed all day on
Wednesday, December 25
, for Christmas.
|
|
|
|
OUTSIDE CLOTHING
Please remember to send your child(ren) to EFC with appropriate winter clothing including a warm hat, coat and mittens/gloves. It is SUPER helpful that you help label ALL items with your child’s name. That way, if things are lost, they have a much easier way finding its owner again.
|
|
|
|
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
Conferences will be held during November and early December. We hope you will take the time to sit down and discuss your child’s successes in our program. Teachers will also share curriculum goals for the year and will fill you in on what your child’s day is like here at Especially for Children. Watch for signup sheets on your child’s classroom door or let your child’s teacher know if you prefer a phone conference.
|
|
ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN’S PEER COACHING PROGRAM
by DeeAnn Besch and Alli Zomer
Every so often we like to share a bit about what’s happening “behind the scenes” at Especially for Children. In 2018, we launched a peer coaching program that teaching staff participate in upon hire. Newly hired teachers are paired with a coach, often from a different EFC school, to support them as they get started in their roles.
Mentees are matched with coaches who work with the same age group so that coaches are able to share relevant teaching strategies, classroom management practices, daily routines, etc. Coaches and mentees observe one another in their classrooms and have time for in-person and phone conversations. They spend 6 months paired together, with the amount of coaching time dependent on the mentee’s background and experience.
One goal of the coaching program is to make teachers new to Especially for Children feel welcome in the greater organization. It is also valuable to provide teachers new to EFC a chance to see different spaces and learning environments.
We are excited that the program has been a positive experience for those who have participated in it, both coaches and mentees. Once a quarter, coaches from all EFC centers gather for a training and a chance to share and connect. At our meeting in October, some of our coaches had this to say about the program:
“It gives me a chance to share what I have learned with other people and help them get a good start on their career with EFC. And it also lets me see what other teachers are doing well so that I can take those ideas back to my classroom.”
-
Lynn Livingston, EFC Eden Prairie
“It makes me so happy that I can use my experience to have a positive impact on a new teacher and help their transition into EFC be that much easier. And I can continue to be a resource, because we have an ongoing relationship.”
-
Robin Klippenstein, EFC Edina/W 70
th
Street
|
|
Peer Coaches at a recent training. From left: Lynn L., Christina W., Stefanie B., Kari S., Robin K., Dan A., Gail S.
(Not pictured: Colleen D., Emily G., and Jessica N.)
We are grateful for all of our Peer Coaches!
|
|
TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS
11/3-1/5
Cinderella
, Children's Theatre, Minneapolis
|
|
|
Especially for Children
8885 Evergreen Blvd
Coon Rapids MN 55433
Lisa Ward
Director, EFC Coon Rapids
(763) 784-0901
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
