¡Versión en español a seguir! |
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This month at QSLA, we highlight how our early learning programs can welcome and connect with families as we kick off a new program year! |
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NEW Monthly Feature - Virtual Tools:
Padlet
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Each month we will highlight a virtual tool that your early learning program can learn about and use with families and staff. This month, we highlight Padlet. Click here to view our 1-page Quick Guide to Padlet!
Stay tuned for upcoming workshops on Padlet and Jamboard in the Fall!
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Welcoming Environment
Ensure Your Program Feels Inviting
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Welcoming All Families To a New Year! |
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A new program year is here! What can our early learning programs do to better welcome and build relationships with families of all types? Check out the following links for splendid ideas focusing on LGBT-headed families, father engagement, English languages learners, and families' diverse identities! |
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Supporting LGBT-Headed Families: Head Start offers a collection of resources to learn ways to enhance relationships with parents who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). This includes:
- Partnering with Parents Who Identify as LGBT
- A Checklist for Programs
- Children's Books that include Diverse Family Structures
- Resources about Diverse Family Structures
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Father Engagement Strategies: Head Start also offers a thorough and varied collection of father engagement strategies, which will help program staff think about how to ensure fathers feel respected as equal contributors in child-rearing and in early childhood programs A few key webpages to share from the Creating Welcoming Father-Friendly Program Environments section:
- The Physical Environment,
- Welcoming Attitudes and Practices, and
- Fathers as Nurturers and Caregivers.
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This video will support ECERS-R: Item 9 and FCCERS-R: Item 35- Provisions for Parents, PAS: Item 16- Family Communications, and BAS: Item 7- Provider Parent Communications. |
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Family Partnerships
Work with Families to Build a Stronger Program
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Building Partnerships with Families |
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Whether we have families returning to our program, new families joining, or families who have present all summer long - this is a great time to build or refresh our partnerships with families. Consider these Head Start resources that will help your early learning program's culture flourish (even more) than it already has!
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This resource will support ECERS-R: Item 38 and FCCERS-R: Item 35- Provisions for Parents, PAS: Item 16- Family Communications, and BAS: Item 7- Provider Parent Communications. |
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Staff Development and Support
Enhance Your Family Engagement Knowledge and Skills
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Foundational Trainings to Start Off
a New Program Year!
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As we prepare for the new program year, many of us and our program staff stand to benefit from learning or refreshing our principles and strategies around connecting with families. Look ahead for several professional development opportunities; some are live webinars, others are self-paced - ALL are FREE!
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QSLA's Bridging Home and School Series: Join us for this multi-part family engagement training series, designed to support your program in developing a strengths-based culture of family engagement.
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As you see below, this 5 part series offers 3 Workshop Sessions focused on learning & applying key family engagement principles as well as 2 Communities of Practice where you can connect with other early educators around family engagement topics of interest.
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Workshop Sessions
Session 1: Saturday, August 27th
from 9AM – 12PM (3 PD hrs)
Session 2: Saturday, September 10th
from 9AM – 12PM (3 PD hrs)
Session 3: Saturday, September 24th
from 9AM – 12PM (3 PD hrs)
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Communities of Practice
Session 4: Wednesday, October 19th
from 6 – 7PM (1 PD hr)
Session 5: Wednesday, November 16th
from 6 – 7PM (1 PD hr)
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- This curriculum training series will be offered in 5 sessions. Only Session 1 is mandatory; otherwise you can sign up for any/all sessions you want from Sessions 2 - 5!
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Attending Session 1 is a mandatory requirement before you are able to enroll in other sessions. Hurry, enrollment closes on Friday, August 19th!
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To support your learning, you will receive a printed copy of the Bridging Home and School Curriculum Workbook in the mail before Session 1!
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Virtual Tools Workshop: Canva In June 2022, our Newsletter briefly introduced Canva, a free graphic design platform. Now we have a Canva Virtual Tools workshop to help you welcome families and children into your program! Join us to learn more about this platform and create your own flyer for your program!
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Time & Date: Thursday, August 18th from 12:00 - 1:00PM (1 PD hr)
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Time & Date: Tuesday, August 23rd from 1:00 - 3:00PM (2 PD hrs)
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Building Knowledge of Families offered by the Pomona Unified School District Child Development Office. Understanding your families’ backgrounds and cultures, helps build a foundation for strong, positive and trusting relationships. This workshop includes several strategies for getting to know your families.
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Time & Date: Tuesday, September 13th from 6:30 - 8:30PM (2 PD hrs)
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Time & Date: This is a self-paced course, complete 1-hour long course on your own time! Note: you will need to create a free account with edWeb.net to access your free CE certificate for this course.
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These trainings support ECERS-R: Item 43- Opportunities for Professional Growth, PAS: Item 3- Staff Development, FCCERS-R: Item 37- Opportunities for Professional Development, and BAS: Item 1-Qualifications and Professional Development |
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Community Partnerships
Use Community Resources to Strengthen Program Quality
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Sesame Street in Communities -
School Readiness Resource Page
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As we prepare for a new program year, many families are returning while others are joining our programs for the first time. This can bring a lot of big feelings! Consider checking out Sesame Street in Communities resource page on School Readiness, chock full of activities your program and the families you work with can use to support this transition! In addition to this page, consider checking out their other resources pages to support a smoother transition:
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Offering Comfort - Great for guiding children through the strong emotions around change!
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The New Normal - Explore activities to reinforce safe practices around COVID!
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Learning Through Routines - Practicing daily routines for the morning, bedtime, and more can make a difference for those first few weeks of program!
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Knowing and using these community resources will support PAS: Item 17- Family Support Involvement, BAS: Item 8-Community Resources, and NAEYC Accreditation: Standard 7-Families |
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Additional Resources to Support a Positive "Back to School" Transition for Families
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Each month, we respond to your needs as early educators by sharing helpful related QSLA resources as well as additional external resources.
This month: we share additional resources for your early learning program to better support families and their children in having a positive "Back to School" transition! Check out the following links:
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Head Start offers this guide, "Using Social Media to Engage Families", which you can use to assist with developing a social media plan, including logistics, technical components, and strengths-based content that is accessible and culturally responsive - all to better connect with families in our virtual worlds. The guide is organized into three sections:
- How Families Use Social Media
- Considerations for Using Social Media
- Using Social Media to Engage Families: Planning Tool
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Edutopia offers this comprehensive article, "Teacher Parent Communication Strategies to Start the Year Right", where you and your program can gather creative and effectives strategies around:
- Getting Off to a Good Start
- Bringing the Parent into the Classroom
- Reaching Every Parent Where They Are
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Edutopia also offers this fun article, "4 Creative Ways to Welcome Preschoolers to School", that can freshen up your program's "back to school" activities and help children and families enjoy the first few days in program!
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The Children's Home Society of California offers podcasts episodes that can support families in these changes with their child(ren)! Check out these two:
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School Readiness - Listen to the Episode OR Read the Transcript
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Separation - Listen to the Episode OR Read the Transcript
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Last but not least, Project Appleseed offers this list of 30 family engagement activities for schools! Consider what ideas would help kick start your family engagement programming this year!
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Are you looking for support in another area?
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If you would like to share some inspiring words, click here! To see more provider perspectives, field related news, and early learning resources follow our social media accounts.
*These quotes have been edited for grammar and clarity.
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