Greetings!
THANK YOU, PARENTS!
It’s that time of year, where we are reminded to be thankful for all that we have. We at EFC in Eagan want to thank
YOU
, our parents and families, for sharing your precious children with us each and every day. We are very thankful that you all are a part of our center family.
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FRIENDSHIP SNACK
Friday, November 15,
we will be having a Friendship snack. The way this works is… each child in the center brings in an ingredient for a snack mix. The ingredients are mixed together and each child gets a portion for snack and another to take home and share. If you would like to bring in an ingredient, please drop it off to your child’s teacher by
Thursday, November 14
. Possible ingredient ideas are: small crackers, dried fruit, goldfish crackers, cheerios, chex, raisins, craisins, etc.
No peanuts or peanut products please!
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PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
Conferences will be held for all classrooms during the week of
November 18
. 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. You will have the opportunity sign up via Sign Up Genius so keep an eye out for that, or let your child’s teacher know if you prefer a phone conference. Remember to return the parent questionnaire form to your child’s teacher prior to your meeting.
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
A couple dates to keep in mind:
- EFC will be closed on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29.
- EFC will also be closed at 3:00 PM on December 24 and CLOSED on December 25.
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COOLER WEATHER
The weather is starting to change quickly, and as long as the weather permits we will still be going outside every day. Please be sure that your child’s cubby includes the following supplies:
- Hat
- Mittens
- Boots
- Coat
- Snowpants
PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING!
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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.”
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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.”
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Robin Klippenstein, EFC Edina/W 70
th
Street
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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!
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TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS
11/3-1/5
Cinderella
, Children's Theatre, Minneapolis
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Especially for Children
3370 Coachman Rd.
Eagan, MN 55121
(651) 452-0043
Center Directors:
Bri
Dieffenbach and Kate Beck
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