In This Week's ACROSS Your Desk:

• ACROSS NH Office Holiday Dates
• Sending Kind Thoughts
• OSTB 6: Equity and Inclusion Training: January 4th
• Guided Resource Walkthrough for SEL Guides for OST: January 9th
• How to Earn a Granite Step for Quality (GSQ) in OST: January 11th
• SEML Community of Practice: January 11th
• Program Improvement Training (SACERS-U): January 16th
• OST Directors Circle- Building an SEL Minded Staff: January 18th
• OSTB 1: Child/Youth Growth and Development: January 18th
• Using the SACERS-U for CQI: January 24th
• SEL CORNER: A Final Generosity Activity
• FREE SEL Resources for Programs
• How to Register for an ACROSS NH Training in NHCIS

Wishing You and Yours Peace and Joy

From all of us at ACROSS NH, we wish you a peaceful and joyful holiday season!

The ACROSS NH office will close on December 22nd. We will reopen on Tuesday, January 2nd.

From Mindful Schools

Mindful Schools recently shared this video of students as they share the art of sending kind thoughts- a practice that can truly transform the way we connect in programs and over winter break!

To access the video and the activity, go to https://bit.ly/41wf78O.

OSTB 6: Equity and Inclusion

Thursday, January 4th

6:30-8:30pm on Zoom

ACROSS NH is proud to provide free virtual and interactive Out of School Time Basics trainings 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. Click here for the 2023-2024 flyer of ACROSS NH OSTB trainings.

Equity and Inclusion: OST professionals have regular opportunities to facilitate or hinder (in)equity. Practitioners uphold this responsibility through continued personal learning and understanding, disrupting biases and discrimination to the greatest extent possible, and developing programs, policies, and systems that are culturally responsive, inclusive, and supportive of those historically excluded.

A Guided Resource Walkthrough:

A Guide to Social and Emotional Learning for the Afterschool Professional & A Suspension and Expulsion Prevention Policy Guide for NH Afterschool Programs

Tuesday, January 9th

6:30-8:00pm on Zoom

ACROSS NH provides a guided walk through of these two guides for OST. This training presents an opportunity to explore these 2 guides. We will delve into the foundational knowledge and learning competencies of SEL, with an emphasis on the prevention of suspension and expulsion in out of school time (OST). This training is for directors, site directors, and staff that work with school age children in OST programs. You are required to have a copy of “A Guide to SEL for the Afterschool Professional,” and “A Suspension and Expulsion Prevention Policy Guide for NH Afterschool Programs” at the time of the training. (Click on the titles or the images below to download.) Register in NHCIS.

SEML CoP

Thursday, January 11th

10:15-11:30am on Zoom

At the heart of the OST field are the values of building positive relationships, creating quality learning opportunities, and making contributions to lifelong thriving outcomes for our children and youth.

This SEML Community of Practice is for out of school time staff, site directors, and directors. We will focus on the guiding principles of social, emotional, and mindfulness learning in OST programs, share resources, practices, and collaborate with like-minded colleagues. Participants will walk away with a refocused lens on implementing SEL in OST.

This session is provided by Abigail Blodgett, B.S., SEL Coordinator; NH ASMP WT, PM, ADS Level 6 and ASA Level 3, and Rick Alleva, Ed.D.; ACROSS NH Master Trainer, NH ASMP WT, F, AP. Registration in NHCIS is required to attend.

How to Earn a GSQ Step in OST

Thursday, January 11th

12:00-1:00pm on Zoom

This training is for out of school time (OST) programs, and early childhood programs with an OST component that are planning to apply for a Granite Step for Quality (GSQ). We will review the details of the GSQ OST Rubrics. We will cover the pre-requisites needed, and the the staff requirements & the learning environment requirements needed for applying for a step. Participants will also acquire resources from ACROSS NH to support their work including a self-paced checklist.

This training is provided by Cathy Hazelton, M.Ed.; NH ASMP WT, PC, IM, NH ADS 3 & LE 3 and SACERS-U Anchor. ACROSS NH can provide a copy of the SACERS-U tool to your program by request once you have completed the training. Please email your request to chazelton@acrossnh.org.

Introduction and Overview of ERS and SACERS-U

Tuesday, January 16th

12:00-1:30pm 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 for children and for programs. Participants will practice 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.

This training is provided by Cathy Hazelton, M.Ed.; NH ASMP WT, PC, IM, NH ADS 3 & LE 3 and SACERS-U Anchor. ACROSS NH can provide a copy of the SACERS-U tool to your program by request once you have completed the training. Please email your request to chazelton@acrossnh.org.

Directors Circle: January

Thursday, January 18th

10:30-11:30am on Zoom

As leaders in OST programs know, it is the skills and talents of the adults in a program that will determine whether we achieve or fall short of our desired outcomes. Well-regulated, self-aware, engaged, well-supported, mentored, and coached adults in youth serving spaces tend to respond best to the needs of children and youth, communicate effectively with one another, and engage in the self-reflective practices that allow them to consistently bring their best efforts to the program.

This session will provide tools, activities, and strategies for program leaders to utilize and adapt to meet their needs. From creating and implementing the right interview questions that help gauge the strengths and needs of prospective new hires, to staff development activities that can be used with program staff of all abilities, this session is designed to get folks talking to one another, reflecting, and implementing strategies in their programs.

Register for this session in the NH Connections Information System (NHCIS). You will receive 1 hour of PD in your NHCIS training transcript. Join Jamie Nadeau, ACROSS NH Director, and Abigail Blodgett for this special Directors Circle!

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. 

OSTB 1: Child and Youth Growth and Development

Thursday, January 18th

6:30-8:30pm on Zoom

ACROSS NH is proud to provide free virtual and interactive Out of School Time Basics trainings on the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Ten Core Knowledge, Skills & Competencies. These trainings are provided at no cost to you thanks to funding from the NH DHHS and Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration. Click here for the 2023-2024 flyer of ACROSS NH OSTB trainings.

In this virtual interactive workshop, we will explore and discuss the typical benchmarks for child and youth growth and development. What happens when you have multiple children in your program of varying development needs? In this workshop we will learn strategies for meeting the needs of all children and youth in a mixed-age group.

Using the SACERS-U for Continuous Quality Improvement

Wednesday, January 24th

6:30-8:00pm on Zoom

Pre-Requisite: Participants need to have completed the "Intro and Overview of ERS and SACERS-U Training."

This training is for out of school time (OST) programs looking to improve program quality. We will review basic information on the School Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS-U) and process quality. Bring your SACERS-U questions! We will examine assessment and planning tools to create a plan for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) to use for program development.

December: Generosity

Loving Kindness Mindfulness for Kids

Dear SEL in OST Community,

From the Center for Child Counseling, this mindfulness video includes a meditation for kids, including breathing techniques and positive affirmations to allow loving-kindness to grow inside the child.

As many of us know, we can grow our empathy and compassion for others by better understanding ourselves. One quote from Dr. Brensilver of Mindful Schools that describes this is, "Before we stand in someone else’s shoes, we first need to know what it’s like to stand in our own shoes! With mindfulness, we learn to truly stand in our own shoes." This sweet mindful video, narrated by a child, takes a young person through a mindful moment that allows them to wish good things for themselves AND then asks them to wish things for others in their lives and general well wishes for all people.

This month, we've had several resources offering some concrete ideas for helping kids cultivate their skills at being generous. We have looked at the benefits to the 'giver' when someone is generous. Today let's think about helping kids cultivate the empathy and compassion that can drive their desires to be generous-mindful awareness practices can play a key role in supporting you people in understanding and practicing wishing themselves and others well. A root motivation to take action to make their own world a better place. 

Warmly, 

Abigail J. Blodgett, B.S.; NH ASMP

ACROSS NH Social Emotional Learning Coordinator 

ablodgett@acrossnh.org

FREE SEL Resources

The North Country Health Consortium with an exciting opportunity through funding by the Preschool Development Grant out of the University of New Hampshire, we purchased Customizable Calendars and Big-Little Books to share with organizations across the state.

These are social/ emotional learning activities designed for creative interaction between child and parent/guardian. Both are filled with strength-based language to encourage positive ideas and creativity. Please see images attached to get a sneak peek!

The North Country Health Consortium is offering to ship packages, FREE OF CHARGE, in multiples of 30 sets. 

This offer ends when supplies run out! To request your set, email Dhaniele Duffy, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, at dduffy@nchcnh.org.

How to Register for an ACROSS NH 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/.