November 10, 2021
IMPORTANT: Early Educator Workforce Survey

As you know, we are in an unprecedented time of child care staffing shortages, and we are consistently looking for ways to support our Providers. In an effort to better understand your workforce needs and how the Coalition can help, we ask that you please take this short survey about addressing your priorities and concerns with hiring, staff retention, and teacher upskilling.
 
It is important that we hear back from all of you and that you provide your honest feedback. Your input is vital to our future planning efforts and how we can effectively help your program. The deadline to participate in the survey is end of day, Friday, November 12th.
Program Due Dates

Please see the below lists of Due Dates for the SR and VPK programs. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to your contract specialist and they will be happy to assist you.
Insurance - New Coalition Mailing Address

If you have insurance that is expiring 11/1/21 or later – you will need to update the Coalition’s mailing address on your Certificate of Insurance. The new address is below:

The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida
4636 E. HWY 90 STE P
Marianna, Florida 32446
Holidays - Closure Calendars

With the holidays fast approaching:
  1. Check your closure calendars. If you need to make any changes, please let us know.
  2. If you are going to be open on a holiday designated by the Coalition, please make sure that it is not selected in the profile and reach out to your Contract Specialist to remove the “H” Holiday status on your Attendance.
  3. If you are closing early for a holiday, please do not put it on the closures calendar.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your Contract Specialist.
BG1 Children Absent – Notification Requirements

ALL BG1 children, not just Rilya Wilson Children, require you to send notifications to the DCF Caseworker as well as the Coalition if the child is absent 1 day without an excuse, or 7 consecutive days with or without contact from the parent. It is imperative that you are notifying all parties when BG1 is absent. To notify the Coalition – send an email to the Redline redline@elcnwf.org
Assessment - PERIOD 2

Reminder, AP2’s are due in the middle of your program. If you are required or want to do AP2’s, now is the time to find the midpoint of your program.
Thank you for helping us celebrate our providers, teachers, and families during Family Engagement Month! Your continued support of the movement highlights the importance of keeping families engaged in their children's early education and well-being.
Let’s Celebrate #VroomWeekFL November 15-19 

Join in on #VroomWeekFL, and encourage your children’s parents to join Vroom! Vroom is a FREE app that provides science-based tips to help parents do more with their shared moments with their children. It makes it even easier to add learning to mealtime, bath time, bedtime, or anytime with 1,000+ fun, free activities. 
Ideas to support Vroom Week

  • Let parents know this is a FREE app. Have them visit Vroom.org to get started.
  • Have an orange-themed day - wear orange, provide orange activities (painting with the color orange or making orange playdough), and have an orange snack (cheese crackers, oranges or tangerines, orange juice, carrots, etc.) 
  • Feature a Vroom Tip of the Day in your classrooms or on social media for each age level. Print the tips linked below and give them to families or use in the classroom.
If you would prefer to drop off your hand artwork directly to us, we can mail it for you. Please drop off at our below office locations by January 5th.
ELC Panama City
3009 Hwy. 77, Suite F
Panama City, FL 32405
ELC Marianna
4636 HWY 90 East, Suite P
Marianna, FL 32446
Helping and Healing Library Delivering Soon

The Helping and Healing Library is a collection of books specifically chosen to address difficult life experiences that our children may go through. Some of the books highlight topics like loss, separation from a parent due to death, addiction or deployment, social anxiety, trauma, grief, and even the pandemic. Each library comes with a topic guide, which includes a brief description of the book and keywords that indicate what the book discusses. We recommend the books be kept in the front office to "checkout", to ensure that they stay in good condition and can be used across all classrooms and ages.
It is our hope that this library will equip and empower you to connect with your children according to their specific needs.
The Business of Child Care Boot Camp is happening now, but it is not too late to register for the 5 remaining sessions taking place this Thursday through Saturday. See below for registration details.
Thursday, November 11th 12:00PM - 1:00PM 
High-Quality Learning Environments
Friday, November 12th  12:00PM - 1:30PM 
Transforming Staff
Saturday, November 13th  9:30AM - 11:30AM 
Shake Up Your P.R.O.F.I.T.S
Saturday, November 13th  12:15PM - 2:15PM 
Motivate The Motivator
Saturday, November 13th  2:30PM - 4:30PM 
Challenging Behaviors
Quarterly Frog Street Training will be available beginning November 2021. 
 
These recurring trainings will be for new staff coming on board or current staff needing a refresher.

  • Frog Street roll-out training is available for providers needing beginners training for their current staff.  
  • This can be completed virtually or on-site at your center.  
  • 80% of providers, currently using Frog Street Curriculum, has received this roll-out training for staff, but if you feel you need additional training, please email the redline.
HiMama Helps – Childcare Webinar Series

Now, more than ever, the early childhood community has to come together to figure out life during a global pandemic. The HiMama Helps Webinar series was created as a platform for ECEs and child care experts to share stories and practical tips with each other.
Join your hosts, Ria Simon and Kiah Price every Thursday at 2 PM, to explore different topics, offer practical strategies, and have your questions answered. Click below for the library of past webinar recordings.
Conference-Quality Professional Development by Early Childhood Experts

Early Childhood Investigations offers free webinars to early childhood educators. The series is produced by Engagement Strategies, LLC., and presented by leading authors, experts, and leaders. Now, you can participate in conference-quality training without leaving your home, classroom, or office.
We are looking for parents to join the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)

Download a copy of the flyer by clicking the button below. Please make sure all parents in your center receive a copy of this flyer. You can print to send home with each of your children, or you can simply post the flyer on your social media page.
Florida KidCare

In a time when the health and safety of our community are most important, help keep the children in your center insured.
Encourage families in your centers to contact ELCNWF for information and assistance applying for Florida KidCare. Call 850-747-5400 X 108 or request CCR&R via the link below!
Teach your way during the 2021-22 school year with this timely new collection from PBS Kids, of flexible resources aligned to monthly themes and skills for PreK-2 students. Use the monthly Teach Your Way calendar and teacher planner to integrate media in creative and developmentally appropriate ways, all year long!
Big Heart World is an initiative produced by Sparkler in collaboration with Noggin that enables parents and educators to help children explore what it means to have a “big heart” and how to grow one. This means:

  • Learning About Me — Awareness of self: identity & belonging, feelings and self-regulation
  • Learning About You — Awareness of others: empathy, appreciation of diversity
  • Learning About Us — Relationships with others: interpersonal strategies

Have your kids listen, sing, and dance along to "Helping Others", the next song from Noggin’s Big Heart Beats album. And be sure to follow their site as they will release a new video every month.
November Special Dates
 
Family Engagement Month
Movember
Military Family Month
National Adoption Month
National Family Caregivers Month
National Gratitude Month
National Native American Heritage Month
Young Reader’s Week (November 7-13)
Dear Santa Letter Week (November 7-13)

 
November 10
National Forget-Me-Not Day
Sesame Street Day
 
November 11
Veterans Day
 
November 12
National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
 
November 13
World Kindness Day
 
November 14
National Family PJ Day
National Pickle Day

November 15
National Philanthropy Day
America Recycles Day
 
November 17
National Take A Hike Day











 
November 18
National Parent Involvement Day
Mickey Mouse Birthday
 
November 20
National Child’s Day
National Adoption Day
 
November 25
Thanksgiving Day (ELCNWF Offices Closed)
 
November 26
National Native American Heritage Day
Black Friday
 
November 27
Small Business Saturday
 
November 28
Chanukah Begins
 
November 29
Cyber Monday
 
November 30
Giving Tuesday - National Day of Giving
We exist to grow healthy children, parents, and the relationship between them.
Sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida and the State of Florida, Division of Early Learning