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PRE-K UPDATE
JULY 15, 2020
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is proud to be part of Long Island's Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Education (LI-RTAC). Visit its web page for links to all partner organizations. Many have important COVID-19-related resources to offer:  www.nassauboces.org/rtac 

New York State Education Department offers guidance on school reopening; social-emotional well-being is stressed
On Monday (June 13) the New York State Education Department (NYSED) made a presentation to the Board of Regents on reopening. Its guidance was informed by five forums held around the state as well as by input from P-12 program offices. The state
is so diverse that there won't be any "one size fits all" model, according to NYSED. But here are a few of the important points
  • "Social-emotional well-being must be schools' and districts' top priority in supporting school transition, not at the expense of academics, but in order to create the mental, social and emotional space for academic learning to occur." (See image of slide above right.)
  • Schools should develop plans for schedules that include in-person instruction, remote instruction and hybrid instruction.
  • Schools must know the level of internet access all students and teachers have in their homes and provide devices and internet access to those who don't have sufficient broad-band capability.
  • Schools must [boldface by NSYED] instruct staff on signs of illness, develop plans to maximize social distancing and provide necessary supplies for handwashing and disinfecting.
Click here to view the full 27-page presentation. According to NYSED, a guidance document will be disseminated today, and school district reopening plans must be submitted by Friday, July 31, 2020.

BOOKSHELF
Books to help children with masks, social distancing and even the science behind the Coronavirus
Many young children struggle with reading emotions when someone is wearing a
mask. This can cause problems, since we anticipate that people will be wearing them for the foreseeable future. An art education grad student from the University of North Texas offers help with a softcover book Behind My Mask/Detras de mi cubrebocas. It includes illustrations of various emotions as portrayed through a girl's eyes. The kicker: Several pages where children can draw their feelings--and even color in their favorite mask. You can preview the book at the Blurb publishing website.

You may be familiar with the children's book The Hug by Eoin McLaughlin, which is about Tortoise's and Hedgehog's search for someone to hug them. Now their lives are even more complicated because of COVID-19. While We Can't Hug continues the
series with a book about the many ways we can show love without hugging--blowing kisses, for example, or waving to each other. It's being released mid-August and is

Free e-books related to the pandemic have been collected by the New York City School Library System. The lengthy list includes the factual ( Coronavirus: A Book for Children) and the fantasy ( The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus).  Numerous titles are available in Spanish, too. Click here for the full list.
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Here's an assist for teachers needing to enforce physical distancing
Staying away from others doesn't come naturally to anyone, and it's even harder for young children. Early childhood speaker and author Rae Pica has written a short e-book to help--and is offering it at no cost.

"I've always been a proponent of helping children understand the concept of personal space," she says. "It's necessary for everyday life. But with the arrival of COVID-19 and concerns about children maintaining physical distance upon returning to school or child care, an understanding of and respect for personal space is more necessary than ever."

Her book, Help Children Understand Personal Space, offers eight activities that teachers can use to make personal space more "real." You can download it here.
FOR EMLLs AND FAMILIES
"Together to Kindergarten" -- free readiness program from the Long Island Children's Museum 
For many years the Long Island Children's Museum has offered a summer program for youngsters who are Emerging Multilingual Learners (EMLLs). In the past, this program was in-person and was offered in partnership with the nearby Uniondale and
Young mother and son sitting at table and using laptop at home. Smiling mom working at home with her child on the knees while writing an email. Young woman teaching little boy to use the computer.
Westbury School Districts. Now--because of COVID-19--it is being made available to families across Long Island via Zoom. 

"For families who were educated elsewhere, going to school in the U.S. can be an intimidating experience," says the Museum. "This program helps children and their families transition more smoothly to the school setting."

Weekly Zoom workshops are being offered, in a choice of morning or afternoon 90-minute sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And families are given in a choice of English, French, Spanish or Haitian Creole. The program starts on Tuesday, August 4th and ends on Thursday the 20th. Registration is done over the phone. For more information, call Karoll Joseph at 516-224-5844 or email  kjoseph@licm.org
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
What workshop do you wish we'd offer?
Last Friday, June 10, we brought together more than two dozen administrators, teachers, program directors and representatives from libraries and nonprofits. The
Red question mark _ isolated on white
question we asked them: what do you think should be the priorities for professional development for early educators in 2020-21? They told us: distance learning methods;  transitioning back to school; mental health of students and staff; family engagement; and anti-racism/equity issues. But what do you think? Just click on the link to email us with your suggestions for 2020-21 and any other comments you may have about professional development:


Transitioning from Pre-K to K during COVID-19: "We need to take down the level of stress"
Parents need to understand that their kids will be fine and they don't need to worry that they're going to be 'behind'," says Pam Renneisen, Director of the St. Joseph's Universal Prekindergarten Program. "This year is different, but we can prepare children for what's to come and they'll be successful."

Renneisen is one of the panelists at our upcoming webinar for administrators of public school-operated Pre-K programs. She and the others will share what they're doing to adapt transition programs to the new reality--whatever that will turn out to be.

And just added to the list of presenters: Jean Marie Walsh and Karoll Joseph from the Long Island Children's Museum "Together to Kindergarten" program (see above).

Strategies to Help Families and Children Transition from Pre-K to K in 2020: A Conversation with Program Leaders
Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Registration: There is no fee but pre-registration is required. No CTLE credit is available unless you are registered and sign in during the webinar.  Click here  


How to make sure you're on the right track when it comes to communicating with families
Interacting with families is more important than ever before as we face the challenges of COVID-19 and circumstances for families and educators that may change rapidly. So we're happy to share news about an upcoming two-part series offered by the Long Island Regional Partnership Center at LIU-Post.

Family Engagement: Communication and Culture
Dates: Tuesday, August 11 and Thursday, August 13, 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Registration: There is no fee to register, but pre-registration is required. Click here or email POST-CCI@liu.edu

For a full catalog of offerings, including many focused on preschool special education,

About Us
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a collaborating partner in the state-funded Regional Technical Assistance Center, which supports Pre-K and early childhood education on Long Island. The other collaborating partners are the three Long Island BOCES, the Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc., the Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc. and the Family Leadership Network. 




NASSAU BOCES 
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220  Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org