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Greetings!
FRIENDSHIP SNACK
To celebrate being thankful for all our friends here at EFC,
Friday, November 22, we will be having a Friendship snack. The way this works is… each child in the toddler and preschool classrooms brings in an ingredient for a snack “soup.” 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 Friday morning. Possible ingredient ideas are: small crackers, dried fruit, goldfish crackers, cheerios, chex, raisins, craisins, etc.
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READ-A-STORY THEATER
On
Wednesday, November 20, “Read-A-Story Theater” will be here to perform a story for the children. These lively performances are filled with expression and enthusiasm. The performers take on the parts of the characters in the stories and this also provides a unique intergeneration interaction.
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PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
Twice each year we offer conferences with your child’s teacher. Teachers share curriculum goals for the year and will fill you in on what your child’s day is like here at EFC. Conferences will be held in the mornings and 3pm-6pm beginning in mid-November. We will also continue to offer phone conferences for interested parents.
To help you prepare for fall conferences, each family will receive a Parent Conference Form (which we ask you to complete before conferences are held). Conference sign-up sheets will be posted by each classroom door.
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UPCOMING HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
EFC will be closed on
Thursday, November 28, and
Friday, November 29, for the Thanksgiving Holiday. We hope your family enjoys the time together to relax and celebrate.
- EFC will also be closing at 3:00pm on Tuesday, December 24, and will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, for the Christmas holiday.
- Tuesday, January 1, in observance of New Year’s Day.
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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
5133 W. 98th St.
Bloomington, MN 55437
(952) 831-1435
Center Director:
Kathy Hane
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