Dear PON Members and Partners:

Every year as kids begin their first year of school, many parents are concerned about how their young children will handle the transition from the familiarity of their home to the new school environment. In our latest resource article, "Don't Deliver Me to School! I am NOT a Pizza!," Dr. Shulamit Ritblatt gives insight into how four-year-olds experience typical school drop-off procedures when these do not meet their developmental needs. Dr. Ritblatt also provides tips for administrators, teachers, and parents on smoothing this major transition for kids.

This issue particularly resonated with us given the parent feedback we recently received during the focus group sessions that guided our new report, "Through the Eyes of Parents: California’s Flawed Implementation of Universal Transitional Kindergarten." We learned a major concern for parents was that TK procedures were culturally insensitive and not age-appropriate and we were inspired to take a deeper look at how we can better support both parents and young children during this crucial developmental time.

Please take a moment to read the article and let us know your thoughts. We always appreciate your feedback. It helps us to provide the most helpful resources for families and schools.

I hope you and your children have had a great start to the new school year!
Araceli Simeón
Sneak Peek
The line of cars is long. I am sitting in the car seat behind my mommy. This is my first day in TK, Transitional Kindergarten. Mommy packed my backpack last night and helped me get ready this morning. I am wearing my new clothes and sneakers. I am excited to go to school!
 
But now something is happening….so many cars… so many children… a lot of people I do not know…. My cheeks are burning. My eyes are watering. I am trying to look out the car window and see what is going on. I see two adults helping to let the kids out of the cars. Some of the kids are waving bye while the cars are leaving the parking lot.

My heart is racing. My mom looks at me through the car mirror and says.....
About the Author
Dr. Shulamit Natan Ritblatt, Professor Emerita in the Department of Child & Family Development at San Diego State University, is an expert in early childhood social-emotional development, focusing on family engagement, mental health, learning readiness, prevention, and early intervention, utilizing relational, reflective, and trauma-informed practices to support the healthy development of children and their families. 

She is the founder and CEO of delibrainy LLC https://delibrainy.com/ a company that provides research-based bilingual programs and services to support the social-emotional wellness and learning readiness of young children. She created the Circle of Education® http://www.circleofeducation.com/, a social-emotional wellness, family engagement, learning readiness, and behavioral health program for young children birth to 8. She is the author of multiple articles and books, her most recent being, “From Trauma to Resiliency: Trauma-Informed Practices for Working with Children, Families, Schools, and Communities.”