Mountain Valley School District

“I started Early Childhood care about 13 years ago, working part time at our local head start program Little Learners. In 2017, When my youngest child was old enough to enter Preschool I decided I wanted to be part of his school experience. So I started a career in Early Childhood Education. I have been an Early Childhood Educator going on 7 years and both a lead teacher and our Programs Preschool Director starting this year.

The community we teach in is plagued by poverty, drug abuse and families who face so many struggles in their daily lives. The children in our community really need a safe and nurturing space to grow and develop successful lives. : It is very rewarding to be able to provide that safe space.

In my career I have taken more of a backseat role with regards to being first an assistant teacher and then the lead teacher in my classroom. This year I went out on a limb and applied for and became our District’s Preschool Director. The implementation of UPK and learning how to navigate that system along with my first year being a Colorado Shines rating year had me feeling less confident in my ability to be a good director. When our program received our four star rating I knew that our hard work paid off and we had a quality program we could be proud of."

Welcome to the PLAYbook:

Taking Care of Yourself

Adopted from Head Start

Remember to make time for your own self-care. This way, you are better prepared to meet the needs of the children in your care. Here are some tips to help with stress

Sometimes you can make choices about how you spend your time that will prevent or reduce stress in your life. These strategies can help you avoid stress or cope with stress. If you take care of yourself, you will be in a better position to take care of others!

• Communicate with other care providers or families to learn new ideas and strategies for caring for children.

• Make sure to maintain your physical health by eating well and exercising. Caring for children requires strength and endurance.

• Eating healthy meals will boost your energy. Try to get lots of protein (fish, chicken, beans and cheese) and good carbohydrates (multigrain bread, nuts) as well as fruits and vegetables.

• Babies take cues from those around them, so your mood is very important. If you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed or upset, try taking some calming breaths. If this doesn’t work, ask another caring adult to cover you so you can take a short break if possible. 

Explore more by clicking the link below for the full Playbook!

• In English
• En Español

Professional Development

PDIS NEWS Directly from CDEC

The PDIS will be unavailable for planned updates on Sunday, March 10th, while they change to the new user interface.

PDIS estará inactivo para las actualizaciones planificadas el domingo 10 de marzo, a medida que hagamos la transición a la nueva interfaz de usuario.

New Look Coming March 11th to the PDIS

The Colorado Shines PDIS is getting a new look! Coming March 11, the PDIS will have an updated look and feel. The PDIS team collected feedback and made focused updates to the site. The updates are the three primary areas: 1) a cleaner, more organized menu, 2) a more useful home dashboard, and 3) a more useful learner home. All your information will stay the same, but hopefully it will be easier to find. 

We’re excited to share this new look with you. The PDIS Help Desk team is holding weekly demos of the new look. View the schedule of demos and sign up to see a sneak peak!



ESPAÑOL: ¡El PDIS de Colorado Shines está obteniendo una nueva apariencia! A partir del 11 de marzo el PDIS tendrá una apariencia diferente, pero toda su información seguirá siendo la misma. El equipo de PDIS recopiló comentarios e hizo actualizaciones específicas en el sitio. Las actualizaciones son las tres áreas principales:1) un menú más limpio y organizado, 2) un panel de inicio más útil y 3) un inicio más útil para el alumno.

Estamos emocionados de compartir esta nueva apariencia con usted. El equipo de la mesa de ayuda de PDIS realiza demostraciones semanales de la nueva apariencia. ¡Vea el calendario de demostraciones y regístrese para ver un adelanto!

Directors: A Wealth of New Training, Just For You

We see you, directors, and we see the many, many hats you wear in your role. Which is why we are pleased to announce a set of four new self-paced eLearning courses on the PDIS—the Director’s Sequence!

The free courses are available in English and Spanish, and can be taken in any order you find helpful. They are designed with new directors in mind, although there is plenty in there for those who are considering becoming a director, who have been a director for years, or who hold other administrative and leadership roles. The four courses are:

· Director Foundations (2 hours): an introduction to basic business concepts and the role of state licensing in child care programs

· Navigating Early Childhood Systems, Services and Subsidies (1 hour): a toolkit that summarizes information about systems, services and subsidies available to early care and learning programs in Colorado, as well as how they can support building a quality program for staff and families.

· EDI-Focused Leadership in Early Childhood Settings (1.5 hours): This course defines equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and why it is important to early childhood programs. It explores being an EDI-focused leader and three ways to build a culture of EDI to benefit staff and families.

· Trauma-Informed Early Childhood Organizations (1.5 hours): This course explains what a trauma-informed organization is and why it is important. It identifies tools and resources to create a trauma-informed organization and explores how staff well-being and self-care are necessary.

ESPAÑOL: Los vemos a ustedes, directores, y vemos las muchas, muchas funciones que desempeñan en su papel. Es por eso que nos complace anunciar un conjunto de cuatro nuevos cursos de aprendizaje electrónico a su propio ritmo sobre el PDIS: ¡la secuencia del director!

Los cursos gratuitos están disponibles en inglés y español y se pueden tomar en el orden que considere útil. Están diseñados pensando en los nuevos directores, aunque hay muchas opciones para aquellos que están considerando convertirse en directores, que han sido directores durante años o que desempeñan otras funciones administrativas y de liderazgo. Los cuatro cursos son:

· Fundamentos del director (2 horas): una introducción a los conceptos básicos de negocios y el papel de las licencias estatales en los programas de cuidado infantil

· Navegar por los sistemas, servicios y subsidios para la primera infancia (1 hora): un conjunto de herramientas que resume información sobre los sistemas, servicios y subsidios disponibles para los programas de cuidado y aprendizaje temprano en Colorado, así como también cómo pueden apoyar la creación de un programa de calidad para el personal y las familias.

· Liderazgo centrado en EDI en la primera infancia (1.5 horas): este curso define la equidad, la diversidad y la inclusión (EDI) y por qué son importantes para los programas de la primera infancia. Explora cómo ser un líder centrado en EDI y tres formas de construir una cultura de EDI en beneficio del personal y las familias.

· Organizaciones de primera infancia informadas sobre el trauma (1.5 horas): este curso explica qué es una organización informada sobre el trauma y por qué es importante. Identifica herramientas y recursos para crear una organización informada sobre el trauma y explora cómo el bienestar y el autocuidado del personal son necesarios.

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities!

View Upcoming Live Virtual and In-Person Training Events to learn about professional development opportunities happening through April. There are many free and low-cost opportunities, including:

· An Introduction to Ages & Stages Questionnaire-3 and Ages & Ages & Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional-2

· Trauma-Informed Practices

· ONE Step Colorado - Secondhand Smoke and Asthma Training

· Disciplina consciente: comience un aprendizaje socioemocional sólido para bebés y niños pequeños

· Calming Chaos by Promoting Positive Behavior

· Combating Bias in Early Education: From Conversation to Practice

· Guiding Children’s Behavior: It Starts with Us

· Social-Emotional Awareness: Understanding the Impact of Temperament and Emotions

· Gigi’s Playhouse Educator Symposium: Teaching Strategies for Individuals with Down Syndrome

· Fostering Inquiry by Scaffolding Curiosity

Program Directors and Professional Development Coordinators: Visit Colorado Shines PDIS Instructor-Led Training Events Recognized by TAP to view a list of opportunities you may arrange for your program.

ESPAÑOL: Vea los próximos eventos de capacitación virtuales y presenciales en vivo para conocer las oportunidades de desarrollo profesional que tendrán lugar hasta abril. 

Directores de programas y coordinadores de desarrollo profesional: visite los eventos de capacitación dirigidos por instructores de Colorado Shines PDIS reconocidos por TAP para ver una lista de oportunidades que puede organizar para su programa.

ECPC Applications 

The Early Childhood Professional Credential is currently maintaining a two-week turnaround on submitted applications. If your credential is expiring within the next 30 days, please consider submitting an application to update your credential. Please note that PDIS 2.0 Early Childhood Professional Credentials will expire on or before June 30, 2024. Your credential expiration date can be found on your PDIS home dashboard. If there is no credential level showing on your dashboard, you do not have an active credential. Please visit Learn about Credential Offerings to read more.

ESPAÑOL: La Credencial Profesional de Primera Infancia mantiene actualmente un plazo de entrega de dos semanas en las solicitudes presentadas. Si su credencial vence dentro de los próximos 30 días, considere crear y enviar una solicitud para su revisión. La fecha de vencimiento de su credencial se puede encontrar en el panel de inicio de PDIS. Si no se muestra ningún nivel de credencial en su panel, no tiene una credencial activa. Visite Más información sobre las ofertas de credenciales para leer más.

Una nota sobre las traducciones al español: pedimos disculpas por las malas traducciones. Estamos trabajando para implementar un servicio de traducción. Los futuros boletines deberían tener un contenido mejor traducido. Gracias por su paciencia.

The Early Childhood Educator Income Tax Credit 

The CDEC reported each professional’s highest active 2023 Early Childhood Professional Credential (ECPC) to the Colorado Department of Revenue. This income tax credit will also be available for tax years 2024 and 2025. Please see Colorado Department of Revenue Taxation Division to check your eligibility and find more information. 

For free tax filing help, go to GetAheadColorado.org.

ESPAÑOL: Para respaldar el Crédito Fiscal para Profesionales en la Primera Infancia, el CDEC informará la Credencial Profesional en la Primera Infancia (ECPC) más alta de cada profesional que estuvo activa en cualquier momento de 2023 al Departamento de Ingresos de Colorado. Puede encontrar más información sobre este crédito fiscal a través de la División de Impuestos del Departamento de Ingresos de Colorado.

Para obtener ayuda gratuita para la presentación de impuestos, visite GetAheadColorado.org.

Now Hiring

Del Norte Head Start-Receptionist (FT)

Rio Grande Child Child Development & Family Services / Del Norte Head Start is currently accepting applications for a full-time Receptionist. Applications can be picked up and dropped off at 440 Sixth Street Del Norte CO 81132. Resumes can be sent to rgcdfs@gmail.com  or donnamarie5659@gmail.com.

The position will be open until filled.