In This Week's ACROSS Your Desk:

• Business Practices for OST: Webinar
• Home Energy Assistance Program
• ACROSS NH Leadership Institute 1: Developing Your Leadership Style (a few spaces left)
• Directors Circle for OST- December 7th: Choose Love
• Program Quality Improvement Training: December 12th
• SEL Corner: A Final November Gratitude Activity for You!
• 2023-2024 Out of School Time Basics Modules 1-10 on Zoom
• ACROSS NH Afterschool Credential Challenge
• How to Register for an ACROSS NH Training in NHCIS

Office of Child Care’s

National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE)

& National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (NCECQA)

Presents

Business Practices for Out of School Time Interactive Webinar

Wednesday, December 6th

3-4pm

In order to provide quality supports to families and their school-age children, child care providers must view their meaningful work as a business and plan and prepare for its sustainability and growth.

By attending this webinar, you will be able to do the following:

• Recognize and define child care business success strategies.
• Understand budgeting, marketing, and staffing considerations for OST Child Care programs.
• Locate applicable materials, evidence-based tools, and resources-including the NCASE Business Practices Tips for Out-of-School Time Child Care tip sheet-to support business sustainability.

If you have questions about this webinar, please contact the NCASE team at ncase@ecetta.info.

A Resource for Families

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy during cold months by providing them with funds to reduce the cost of home energy bills and minor energy-related home repairs. To learn more and find out if you qualify click here.

This message is shared on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Registration is Open for Leadership Institute 1:

A Few Spaces are Left!

January 16, 23, 30 & February 6, 13 & March 5, 12, 19, 26 & April 2

9:30 - 11:30am on Zoom and In-Person

For directors, site directors, and leaders in the OST field. Learn about your own leadership style and practice the skills needed to get to a more respected and effective level in this 10-session hybrid series. Through the Birkman tool, discover your needs in the workplace, your stress behavior, and find out how to maximize your unique style and manage the stress. Share your challenges with colleagues and get support while developing into the leader you want to be!

Session Info: This series is hybrid. Sessions will meet from 9:30am-11:30am on Zoom except for Sessions 2&10 which will run 9am-1pm in-person at the Boys & Girls Club, 55 Bradley Street, Concord, NH. You will receive a welcome email from the facilitators with a participation agreement, confirmation of information, and instructions to attend the first session.

Registration Info: Register for January 19th (the first session) in the NH Connections Information System- this will register you for the entire institute. This institute is free!

Registration and PD: Register for the first session in the NH Connections Information System (NHCIS). Participants must complete all 10 sessions to receive PD credit. Upon completing the institute, participants will receive 24 hours of PD in their NHCIS training transcript. If you are having trouble registering in NHCIS, please email Cathy Hazelton at chazelton@acrossnh.org.

The last day to register in NHCIS is December 15th!

The Next Meeting is

Thursday, December 7th

10:30-11:30am on Zoom

"An Introduction to the CHOOSE LOVE Movement," with Dee Dee Thurber

Monthly virtual Directors Circles are the opportunity for out of school time (OST) directors to share successes, challenges, network with like-minded colleagues in the field, ask questions, to build knowledge in a specific topic, or just come to listen.

Click here or on the flyer to read about each month's topic. Register for the dates you want to participate in through the NH Connections Information System (NHCIS). You will receive 1 hour of PD in your NHCIS training transcript. Join us!

If you are having trouble registering in NHCIS, please email Cathy Hazelton at chazelton@acrossnh.org.

Introduction and Overview of ERS and SACERS-U

Tuesday, December 12th

12-1:30pm on Zoom

The Environment Rating Scales (ERS) are observational tools that assess process quality of child care programs. This virtual training provides an introduction and overview of the ERS and the School Age Care Environment Rating Scale-Updated (SACERS-U) tool. We will examine the benefits of using the tool and how to use the SACERS-U tool in an out-of-school time (OST) program. This training is intended for programs with school age children in OST. This training fulfills the required Granite Steps for Quality (GSQ) ERS Training for the SACERS Learning Environment Standard Rubric.

November: Gratitude Activities

Dear SEML in OST Community,

Do the kids in your program need to move? Do you have wigglers? Do you want to combine this energy into a GRATITUDE Activity? Watch this short fun and interactive video!

This YouTube video from "Pediatric Therapy Essentials" that combines movement with a child-centered gratitude experience. https://youtu.be/MOAmABJX_1w?si=Na-8QaTg0HrK4mdi. Can you picture some of your kids getting really into this or even some of our "wigglers" who need movement to facilitate learning and thinking? I hope you and your kids enjoy this "Gratitude Movement Break" together!

Warmly, 

Abigail J. Blodgett, ASMP

ACROSS NH Social Emotional Learning Coordinator 

ablodgett@acrossnh.org

Virtual OSTB Trainings

ACROSS NH is proud to provide free virtual and interactive "Out of School Time Basics" trainings based on the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Ten Core Knowledge, Skills & Competencies. These trainings are free thanks to our funding from the NH DHHS and Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration. Register for individual trainings in the the NH Connections Information System. If you are having trouble registering in NHCIS, please email Cathy Hazelton at chazelton@acrossnh.org.

These interactive virtual trainings can provide a foundational framework, or refresh the OST lens of anyone who works with children and youth in out of school time.

Click here or on the flyer image to download the 2023-2024 schedule of upcoming OST Basics trainings. Trainings can be taken in any order!

ACROSS NH Credential Challenge 2023-24

Have you been thinking about applying for your afterschool credential? Now is the time! NO FEES and a chance to win a $50 GIFT CARD!

If you participate in the Afterschool Credential Challenge with ACROSS NH you can earn your credential and receive support from ACROSS NH. Download the flyer and the form below to join the challenge. Questions? Email Cathy Hazelton at chazelton@acrossnh.org.

Follow the challenge requirements AND earn your credential before March 1, 2024 and you will be entered to win a $50 Amazon GIFT CARD from ACROSS NH!

Did you hear? All fees to obtain credentials for both the Early Childhood and Afterschool Credentials are currently waived. Click here or on the letter for the announcement from DHHS/BCDHSC.

How to Register for a Training in NHCIS

Log into NHCIS. Go to your "training tile" and click on "take a training." Scroll down and click on "Month" view. Advance to the date of the training that you want to register for and click on the "training title." If you are having trouble registering in NHCIS, please email Cathy Hazelton at chazelton@acrossnh.org.

For more information about NHCIS,

go to https://www.nh-connections.org/providers/nh-professional-registry/.