http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/ en-us Nucleus CMS v3.2 Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://stpaulschildcare.org/news//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/ http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=27 Fall Harvest Festival
Our Annual Fall Harvest Festival is scheduled for Tuesday, October 23rd at 5:30pm. We will begin with activities in the classrooms and then follow with a potluck in the Parish Hall.
Do you have activity ideas and/or would you like to volunteer to help?
Please contact Elizabeth Stansfield (Koala Room) or Stacia Luh.

Parent Group Kick-off Meeting
Please attend the next meeting on Tuesday, October 16th from 5:15-6.
What do we do?
The group supports the center, staff and children in a variety of ways including fundraising efforts, assisting with center events/activities and through staff appreciation.
What does it take to be a member?
If your child attends St. Paul's, you're in! It's that simple. Whether you have a lot of time to help out or just a little - there is a way for everyone to participate!
Help wanted!
We need room parents for the Octo, Koala, and Duckling Rooms. We also need a co-chair for the group. Other opportunities to get involved will be discussed at the October meeting.
Questions?
Ask Carol Rosenzweig.

Professional Development Kudos!
We are very excited here to share with you all of the ways our staff are striving to continue their education and gain professional development in Early Childhood!

Stefanie is taking Issues in Child Development and Health at Monroe Community College. Mary K. is taking the PITC (Program for Infant & Toddler Caregivers) training through the Children's Institute. Villa is taking courses toward her CDA at the Child Care Council. Rikki and Suzi have been attending numerous UPK trainings. Nayiik will be enrolled in a CDA program beginning October 10th. Margaret and Stacia are both taking Operations Management of Children's Programs from Empire State College.

]]> General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=27 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:46:03 -0500 http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=26 Mary McNaney and Bob Kelley will be married on June 30th. Following the wedding, Mary and Bob will be moving to a new home in Fairport. The staff helped celebrate with Mary last Tuesday with a wedding shower at Jines.

Please join us in wishing Mary & Bob the very best in their new life together.


Staffing Update
Cheryl Engh has resigned her position as Octo Teacher. After much reflection, Cheryl has realized that her true calling is to work with school-age children. She plans to pursue a second teaching certification in either Special Education or Reading. She will also tutor and substitute teach in the upcoming school year.
She will miss her Octo Families and plans to visit the children when she is able.

She is a dedicated teacher and recognizes that being the right person at the right time is important—she has fulfilled that role and responsibility this year. She has shared a wonderful adventure with the Octos this year and leaves us with many memories.

As you have experienced, when a teacher leaves a classroom, its effect can be felt throughout the Center. This is the case with Cheryl’s departure.

We have offered the vacated position to Rikki Losey. Rikki is currently a teacher in the Koala Room. She graduated from SUNY Fredonia with a BS in Early Childhood Education. She is certified birth – 8 years old. Rikki is looking forward to working with the 3-year-olds. She attended PITC training this year and has shared ideas about how what she learned will be applied to the youngest preschoolers. As a team, Rikki, Vanessa and Stacia are looking at ways to ensure that the programming is fun, creative, and developmentally appropriate. Stacia, Rikki, and Vanessa will be visiting other 3-year-old programs to develop a vision for the classroom. Later this summer we will hold a Parent Forum dedicated to the Octo Team and what you can expect in this classroom.

Suzi Long will continue to teach in the Dino Room. She is following up on re-gaining her certification and will meet UPK qualifications by August 22. More importantly, her experience and skills have been demonstrated over the past several months. If your child will be new to the Dino Room and you haven’t had a chance to visit, please do. Also, touch base with the parents of current Dinos; ask them about Suzi’s classroom approach—and how the children are responding to it. We are pleased that Suzi and Villa Spencer will continue to team in the Dino room.

Rikki’s move results in a ripple effect in the infant/toddler area. We’d like to give you some “pat” answers about who will be where come mid August. The truth is that we need more time to make informed decisions about long term assignments. We do know the players, however, so below we have listed the short-term assignments followed by the decision-making-in-progress.




Summer Assignments/Update
o Duckling Room: Penny will return on July 9th. Until that time, Gina Pierce will continue to work with Stefanie. We expect that Penny and Stefanie will continue to be the core team assigned to the Duckling Room
o Koala Room: Madeline will continue long term in the Koala Room. Until we assign a replacement for Rikki, Sarah Iabone, summer sub, will work with Madelilne.
o Dolphin Room: Mary McNaney will continue long term in the Dolphin Room. She will, however, be out for vacation 6/28—7/6/07. During her leave, Rikki will be assigned to the classroom to work with Megan Pierce.
o Octo Room: After 7/6/07 when Cheryl leaves, Rikki will join Vanessa—both long term assignments.
o Dino Room: Suzi and Villa are long term assignments.
o Wild Cards—Decisions in process: We have made an offer to Elizabeth Stanfield who has accepted a position and will start in mid July. Elizabeth has initial NYS certification in Early Childhood Ed. Currently we are thinking that she will be assigned to work either in the Dolphin or Koala Room. Part of this decision rests on what assignment Megan Schlindwein chooses upon her return. Since “the board” has changed, we feel that Megan should have some say in her reassignment. We will be talking to her in the upcoming weeks. Megan returns from maternity leave in early August. Susan Papproth is still with us, but is actively seeking a position in the field of accounting—as most of you know, she has been planning this career change for nearly two years. By mid August, even if Susan remains, we will need to hire a full time floater to replace our summer substitutes. Given the amount of vacation time that staff so deservedly accrue, it is crucial that we have a competent full time floater at all times.



P lease be aware that during this time of “flux” Stacia’s time will be spent in the classrooms. She will be facilitating the changes by hands-on modeling, observing, providing feedback, and providing whatever support is needed to help teachers be successful.

A note from Mary . . .
This “staffing jigsaw” is much information to take in. The goal in sharing is to help keep you informed. A center-based child care program is dynamic to say the least. Let me assure you, however, that much time and thought go into staffing decisions. While we cannot—and often should not control turnover, we put our best efforts into hiring caring and dedicated staff. We do our best to nurture each teacher as we ask them to nurture the children. Then we proudly watch them spread their wings and grow.

We will keep you posted as the pieces fall into place. Your questions and suggestions are genuinely welcome. Feel free to call Mary at any time at 749-7644.


Volunteers Needed, PLEASE!
We have two separate opportunities for volunteers . . .


o We have received permission from the church to wall up the majority of the doors between the Octo—Dino and Dolphin—Dino Rooms. We will be putting in a regular door and walling up the rest of the space. The materials will be fairly inexpensive, but we need a group of handy “do it yourselfers” for the labor. Please call or e-mail Mary if you are willing to donate some time. We’ll provide the food and the laughter.


o We have received funding for performers to come to the Center from ECEQC (Quality Council). We need a few parent volunteers to help us decide how to spend the $ and to plan the events. In the past we have had such performers as Tom Knight and Tom Hunter. What ideas do you have? How can we work together to make a great event(s)? Please call Mary or Stacia to volunteer.






Adventures at the Eastman House
--Mary Swayze

This morning I had the privilege of wandering at the Eastman Gardens with the Dolphins. What a treat! It was a magical oasis. If I had had on my “official observer’s hat” I would have much to say about intentionality in curriculum, developmentally appropriate practice and immersion in literacy. Instead, I just chose to experience and enjoy!

I left the Center about 20 minutes after the Dolphins did. I knew that the children were making a stop at the grape arbor, then the fish pond. As I wandered by the sunken garden, I thought about all the times the children have run patterns among the bushes and flowers; then at the grape arbor, I thought of the games the preschoolers play there. As I rounded the building I walked by the knolls where children of all ages love rolling down the hill—immersed in grass stain and laughter. I caught up with the “Dolphins” at the goldfish pond. All of the toddlers were mesmerized while they noticed fish, bees, and a friendly dragonfly that buzzed by for a “hello” and then left—only to buzz by again. Wow! The children were joyful and amazed. All the while they were attending, Mary McNaney provided commentary. “Look, I see an orange fish; Now over there—a black fish. Did you notice the flowers on the lily pads? Oh, look! There’s that dragon fly—he must like you because he keeps coming back!” As the children left the pond they marched up the steps. Mary said, “We need to hold our partner’s hand to keep safe.” Then down the steps, “Let’s count the steps as we go down.”

Many thanks to Mary McNaney, and Megan Pierce for a wondrous (learning) adventure.






Parent/Teacher Conferences
Teacher feedback from the conferences was positive. They really enjoy having the opportunity to sit down 1:1 with families. How do you feel about them? What worked? What would you do differently?

It seemed to work well to have one day for each classroom and then successively add slots until everyone was accommodated. While not ideal, it allowed us to have the conferences when we knew we’d have enough staffing coverage.

Is there anyone still out there that has not had a conference this Spring? If so, please contact Stacia Luh. She will facilitate a time.




]]> General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=26 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:23:58 -0500 http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=25 A note from Mary
These past several days as I tried to find an appropriate rehabilitation program for my mother, I was quickly reminded how difficult it is to leave someone you love in someone else’s care. It is a reminder of the good faith families put in child care providers and just how important it is for a child care program to advocate for and live high quality standards.

The past two weeks the teachers at St. Paul’s have proven just how wonderful they are. While I was away, each and every teacher “stepped up to the plate” and ensured that the Center ran without a hitch. Stacia and Penny provided calm and resourceful leadership and everyone made sure that the children’s needs were met. Their efforts are deeply appreciated.


Conscious Discipline
We apologize for the delay in going forward with the Conscious Discipline Program by Dr. Becky Bailey. Dates for upcoming sessions are listed below. If you have been participating in the program and these dates don’t work for you, let Mary know and she’ll make adjustments. Thanks for your patience.

Tuesday, March 27th,6:00—7:30
Saturday, March 31st,9:30—11:30

Both sessions will be held in the Cadigan Room unless we let you know otherwise.

The topic for the sessions: Choices


Child Assessment Tools and Procedures
As we mentioned last month, the Accreditation Self-Study and Parent Survey informed us that our child assessment procedures have not been clearly defined to you, the families we serve. We also realized that we have not always been as proactive as we thought we were about ensuring two-way communication. Attached is a clear outline and a description of the procedures we will be consistently following to ensure ongoing communication with you, our families, about your child’s development.

You may expect your first Monthly Child Development Report by March 20th. We ask that you review it carefully and take the time to complete the form and return it to your child’s teachers. You will receive a copy of the final report as soon as you submit it. You may expect that these reports will come out around the 15th of each month.

We look forward to your feedback as we continue to improve the assessment and communication process.


Please Help!
We hope you’ll plan to help us with for our Annual Spring Clean-up Weekend on March 23rd & 24th. Details will be out by Friday, 2/16/07 about the projects we hope to accomplish.


Thank You, Eric Rosen.
We appreciate your lowering the tables for the children to accommodate the new chairs.
from The teachers at St. Paul’s














]]> General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=25 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:58:22 -0500 http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=24 Accreditation Update
from Mary Swayze

The NAEYC Accreditation Candidacy materials are in the mail! Each and every teacher has worked hard on the self-study and in gathering the portfolio materials.

Special recognition and thanks go to
Sue Morgan for her tireless efforts and attention to detail in gathering and organizing the materials.

The most recent Family Survey verified that two areas for improvement for the Center are child assessment and communication. As we worked through the process, we developed some systems to standardize the child assessment and conference processes. In addition, we developed a new staff/parent reflection tool that will be shared monthly. The teachers had input in developing the formats. At our Professional Development Day on February 19th, we will be continuing our work on the portfolios and putting the new forms into action. You can expect to receive your new monthly reflection report in late February and each month thereafter. We will be asking for return reflections from you. The reports will likely be distributed on a staggered basis so that teachers may be thorough in their reflections of each child. Daily care sheet in the infant toddler area will still convey health, toileting, and feeding information. However, developmental milestones will largely be addressed in the monthly format. Of course, any immediate concerns or milestones will still be brought to your attention in daily reports. Mary McNaney has piloted our new Conference format. Feedback from both her and our trial family indicate that it will be a useful tool.

As you receive information in this new format, please share your opinions with us. Let us know whether it is helpful, organized and important to you.

Emergent Curriculum In Action
By Stacia Luh, Dino Teacher

During afternoon center time, several Dinos became interested in the measurement tools located in the Science Center. They were using the unifix cubes, measuring sticks, and rulers to measure each others arms and legs. They wanted to measure me, so they asked me to sit down in order to line up the unifix cubes beside my leg to measure the length.
To continue on with their interest in measurement, I led a circle time activity where each child would have their foot traced and measured. For this activity I had set out a variety of measuring tools including cars, little people, unifix cubes, blocks, and chestnuts. Each child had their foot measured, picked a measuring tool, and helped me line it up to count. At the end of the activity we discussed who had the longest and shortest foot. I asked them if 3 cars were longer or shorter than 7 nuts. I asked them if the lengths could be compared when we used different tools. As a class we decided to measure each foot using the same tool. They chose to use a ruler. After re-measuring each foot we decided who had the longest and shortest feet.
The Dinos were very interested in measurement and really enjoyed the opportunity to explore different and silly measuring tools.


Spotlight on the
Board of Directors

Mark Simmons is the Board President. It is his second year on the Board. Mark has been involved with St. Paul’s since 2000. He is the father of two “graduates”, Summer and Roman. His daughter, Shea, is currently enrolled in the Koala Room. Mark is a recruiter specializing in medical and pharmaceutical sales

Scott Piper, Esq., is a community member who has served on the St. Paul’s Day Care Board for several years. He served two years as Board President and is currently Vice President. Scott is a labor and employment attorney and exclusively counsels and defends employers in all employment matters. He recently founded Piper Schultz LLP, Rochester’s only boutique employment defense law firm. In addition to his participation in the St. Paul’s Day Care Board, he also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Webster Montessori School, and on various committees for the YMCA of the Greater Rochester Area. Mr. Piper lives in Brighton with his wife, Lynn, who is a special education teacher with Stepping Stones Learning Center. They are expecting their first child in May, 2007.





]]> General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=24 Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:17:46 -0600 http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=23 General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=23 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 12:08:14 -0600 http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=22 Happy New Year!
A Note from Mary

I hope that you had a restful holiday time. While it is often a busy time, it is also an opportunity to revisit our values and priorities. I took several days off spending them with family and friends. I also had the opportunity for some quiet time. In order to help us plan ahead in the coming year, I have drafted out the year’s events, including parties, conferences, and meetings. I’ll get rooms assigned and then post this information on the Website and get a hard copy out to each of you. While I recognize that some dates will inevitably change, you can put these dates on your calendar well in advance.

As I filled the calendar with all of our typical events, I was struck by how often we have the opportunity to get together. I highly value and appreciate the wonderful support and community that you, our families, create for the Center. It is truly a partnership. Thank you each and every one of you for helping to make this a warm and caring program.

Fondly,
Mary




Reminder

We go outdoors each day to support the children’s healthy development. Be sure your child has a hat, mittens,
boots and warm coat.





Parent Group Meeting

We have scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, January 16th at 5:15 for the Parent Group. The room will be announced.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Carol Rosen will set the planning agenda. In addition, this is an opportunity for a face-to-face update regarding happenings at the Center. Please come with any questions and concerns to put on the table for open discussion.



Guidance Strategies
By Sue Morgan

Why Not Sticker Charts? They work, don’t they? The short answer: sometimes, somewhat and for a while. The long answer: there are many problems with using sticker charts, prizes, and other external motivators to get desired behavior from a child. Below are a few reasons.

1. Too often, sticker charts and reward systems require “mind reading” on the part of the child. Stated objectives such as “if you’re good at school, you’ll get some candy later” assumes that the child understands what is being defined by the word “good,” and that her definition is the same as the parent or teacher’s. This sets up a state of anxiety and confusion, since at any moment the adult in control could decide that the child isn’t being “good.” This really becomes a way of controlling by threat, since the adult may constantly warn the child, “Remember, if you’re not good, no candy!”

2. Even when the stated objectives are more specific and measurable, eternal motivators don’t really teach the “why” of appropriate behavior. The motivator becomes the “why.” Instead of teaching that “we don’t hit people because it hurts them,” the child learns instead that “we don’t hit people because then we lose our reward.” It might seem like it is working for a while, since the “sticker or no sticker” is much easier for a young child to understand than to guide them through the difficult task of comprehending another person’s point of view. Ultimately, however, we want the children in our care to develop empathy and compassion, and helping them understand other points of view is the only way to achieve that goal.

3. Using external motivators teaches a child to lie, conceal, and “game the system.” When a reward hangs in the balance the temptation to lie about or conceal behavior is even greater. The child becomes adept at offering excuses and hiding misdeeds, or learns how to take advantage of whatever reward system is set up.




4. External motivators are often used in cases where the child does not really have total control over his or her behavior, thus setting them up for failure. An example of this might be potty training in a child who isn’t completely ready—physiologically or emotionally—to be “accident-free.” It is equally true of the child who has problems with impulse control, focus, an especially high energy level or simply can’t remember the adult’s instructions. If the child isn’t able to comply for any of the above reasons, it is not only unfair to put the expectation on them, but it can also lead to frustration, shame, and rebellion.

5. Eventually, it stops working. Even those experts who advocate external motivation agree that after a time they stop getting the desired behavior (think of all those rats pressing levers you learned about in Psych 101). The adults must either “up the ante” or wean the child off the rewards system, and both of these options come with their own set of problems. The first option has the adult jumping through hoops to try to regain compliance. The second option lands you right back where you were—with a child who lacks the internal motivation for appropriate behavior.

So, does all this mean that parents and teachers will never use external motivation to guide behavior? Of course not—we all do this all of the time. Praise such as “good job” and “you’re getting to be such a big girl!” rolls off our tongues fairly often, and even when we try to switch from praising to noticing, it’s still coming from us and not the child. There are also those moments when we simply cannot think of anything else to do (some of us have been know to bribe screaming three-year-olds into their car seats using goldfish crackers). We’re only human, and managing the behavior of our incredibly inventive offspring or students can be frustrating and baffling. The goal, however, must remain to teach appropriate behavior and to help our children internalize the reasons why they should (not hit, brush their teeth, rest quietly at naptime, etc.). Sticker charts, prizes, and gold stars do little to further that goal. If you’d like further arguments against using external motivators, read Alfie Kohn’s Punished By Rewards, available at libraries or in the office.



Why Incident Reports? What is Their Purpose?

All of you are familiar with the Incident Report Forms that we send home with regularity. The first purpose of reports to families is to share details of day-to-day accidents of young children. In addition, incident reports are used to communicate situations that are developmentally appropriate but not socially acceptable—being on the giving or receiving end of a situation that involves hitting, biting, etc. Both children receive a report—aggressor and victim. Our goal in communicating this is to let you know what happened and how we used the circumstances as a teachable moment.

A common misconception by parents is that incident reports are to “tattle” on children letting parents know that a child was “not good today.” Let me emphatically clarify. Incident reports are not a “report card” so that parents can reprimand a child’s behavior. Rather they are a springboard for further discussions between teacher and families. In the case of reports that address inappropriate behavior, it is important that they not initially be discussed in front of children unless used as a tool for “noticing” during a reflection of the day rather than “reprimanding” for behavior that has already been addressed by a teacher.

Why do we ask that you not discipline children at home for incidents reported during the day? Behaviors and incidents are processed at the moment they occur. Consequences (usually removal) are implemented immediately. It is developmentally inappropriate to administer consequences later in the day and by someone who was not part of the “moment.” Children truly have already processed it and moved on. Rehashing the incident is not beneficial.

Incident reports are also an important tool for measuring and refining classroom strategies and for reflecting on the development of individual children. As most of you are aware, our report is done on a duplicate form. The original goes home to the family, the copy is reviewed by the director and the nurse. The teachers, nurse and director are looking for causes and patterns. Reports are part of the map we develop about each child. What are triggers for inappropriate behavior? Is the environment safe? Where is this child developmentally? Where/how can we support this child’s healthy development? Is my classroom environment safe? What behavior management strategies do I need to change in the classroom? Why isn’t the classroom working?

An example of how this works is the mid-morning snack that we have instituted throughout the Center. Nearly a year ago, we noticed a pattern of increased incident reports just prior to lunchtime. We looked at room arrangements, activities and routines. We noticed that routines had changed and rather than a 9:30 snack, children were really eating breakfast between 7:30—9:00 and then waiting until lunch at 11:30—11:45. We reflected on what we know about the size of children’s stomachs and their need to eat frequently. We instituted a small snack at mid-morning and noticed that behavior improved. Thus, the most important purpose of incident reports—program reflection and improvement.



Family Survey Results

Many of you will recall completing a family survey back in October as part of our NAEYC accreditation process. We have had an opportunity to look these over, tabulate the results and examine how we might use the results to improve our program. We are going to be asking all families to again complete the survey in the hopes of getting a wider response and more accurate data. Please look for a notice about this in your child’s mailbox.
We were encouraged by the overall positive ratings – out of 26 items, only six received fewer than 70% “yes” responses. We are looking closely at those six items, however, and thinking about steps we might take to increase satisfaction in these areas. To judge from the responses we received, it sounds as though families wish for more consistent communication, both about their children and about the overall program. Below are the statements that had the largest number of “no” or “don’t know” responses and steps we plan to take to correct them.
#7: The teacher asks about things that are important to our family and uses this information to help my child grow and learn. We recognize that strong connections and continuity between your child’s home and child care is incredibly valuable. This year we sent out questionnaires in the preschool rooms designed to help us further understand the culture and values of our families. We plan to make this a regular practice in all of the rooms from this point on. We will also encourage teachers to ask questions and to create a classroom atmosphere that welcomes parent input and participation.
#10: When I disagree with how a teacher works with my child, I feel comfortable letting the teacher know and working together to find a solution that works for both of us. This is often a difficult area to address. As a parent, you might worry that your relationship with your child’s caregiver will become awkward if you bring up concerns or areas of disagreement. You might also doubt your viewpoint – the teacher is the professional, after all, and maybe she knows best. Rest assured that you are the expert regarding your child. We are proud that the staff here are professionals and, as such, are ready and willing to meet with you any time you have concerns. We will continue to strive to be approachable and open at all times.
#12: I know how the program makes sure that information about my child and his or her progress is kept confidential. Each child has a file in the office, and only those who need to have access to the information look in them. For preschool children, the RECAP measures that are used to track progress (such as the CORS and the Teacher-Child Rating Scales) are coded with a number that keeps your child’s information together but anonymous.
#13: I receive written reports about my child at least twice a year. Conferences are available in the fall and again in the spring. We will be working to standardize the forms that are used by the teachers in preparing for the conferences, and having copies available for parents. In addition, regular care sheets should be going home letting you know about your child’s development and progress.
#22: I have been or will be included in program improvement efforts including a yearly program evaluation. We do give out an annual program evaluation using questions taken either from the ECERS (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale) or NAEYC standards, but recognize that for the past two years the results have not been shared with families in an organized manner. We will make every effort to more consistently share findings from now on.
#23: When program evaluations are completed, I receive information about the findings. At the time of our first survey, not every family had received a copy of the Center’s annual report. Since that time, each family should have received one. Please let us know if you have not.
Thanks again to all who participated in this process. We will continue to seek out ways to obtain feedback and to use it for the betterment of the program!


]]> General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=22 Mon, 08 Jan 2007 17:19:45 -0600 http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=21 St. Paul’s Day Care Center
Staffing Update
November 30, 2006

Put on Next Week’s Calendar
Wednesday, December 6th, 6—7:30
Holiday Pot Luck Supper and Tom Knight Performance.
Everyone is invited



Welcome to New Teachers
We are pleased to welcome two new staff members to our family.

Lakeisha Jackson has joined us from Rochester City School District where she worked as a paraprofessional. Lakeisha will be working in the infant area either in the Duckling or Koala Room. Her permanent assignment is in the Koala Room; currently she is receiving training and orientation in the Duckling Room with Penny and Susan. Lakeisha is the mother of four and will be starting the CDA class at the Child Care Council this winter

Operene Chin is a certified nursing assistant. She has joined us part time and will be working with us daily from 9:00—2:30. Operene’s primary role is to provide release time and team meeting time for staff by covering in classrooms throughout the Center. Operene operated a child care center in Jamaica and brings a wealth of experience and calm with her.





Hurray!!!
Madeline Andrews-Reed returns on Friday, December 1st. She will be returning to the Koala Classroom.

We’ll have cinnamon buns (her favorite) for everyone to celebrate. Stop in
to welcome her back and have a breakfast treat!



Staffing Changes
We assess our staffing assignments in an ongoing basis. Many factors go into determining teacher placements. In the coming months, we will have three teachers out on maternity leave. This is wonderful. But we do have to plan ahead to ensure that there are strong teachers to step into the roles of those on leave. To ensure a continued strong team, we have developed a cross training plan

Among these changes, the most significant is that Melissa Burnley will be moving to the Octo Room to work with Cheryl Engh. Mary McNaney will be moving to the Dolphin Room to work with Stefanie Pratt. Each of these women brings special gifts and talents to their work with the children. We want to share these gifts throughout the Center.

When Sue Morgan goes out on maternity leave early next year, Stacia Luh will be partnering with Cheryl Johnson for the UPK portion of the day. RCSD has approved this plan. Stacia’s B.S. degree is in Youth, Adult, and Family Services from Purdue; Cheryl is certified in 1-6 grades, but has been learning the early childhood strategies from Sue and Stacia. Currently Cheryl works 11—4 at the Center in the Dino Room.

Best news----Sue Morgan will return in September to teach UPK for the 2007—2008 school year.


Staffing Pattern
a/o 12/4/06

Duckling Room
Penny Kellaway 6:30-3:30
Megan Schlindwein 8:00—5:00
Susan Papproth 11:00—1:00 and 3:30—5:30


Koala Room
Madeline Andrews Reed 7:00—4:00
Lakeisha Jackson 8:45—5:45
Guet Akou 11:30—1:30


Dolphin Room
Mary McNaney 8:00—5:00
Stefanie Pratt 9:00—6:00
Operene Chin 11:00—2:30


Octo Room
Melissa Burnley 7:30—4:30
Cheryl Engh 9:00—6:00 (alternate shifts)
Pat Lane 11:00—1:00


Dino Room
Stacia Luh 8:30—5:30
Cheryl Johnson/Tracey Hamner 11:15—4:15
Sue Morgan 8:30—11:30
Pat Lane 1:00—3:00

Floaters
Villa Spencer variable
Operene Chin 9:00—2:30
Guet Akou 8:15—5:15
Pat Lane 10:00—3:00

Substitutes
Erica Ragan
Donna Miller


]]> General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=21 Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:29:20 -0600 http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=20 St. Paul’s Day Care Center
Newsletter
November 20, 2006


All of us at the Center wish you a peaceful and relaxing Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Bits & Pieces
As you know, we will be closed on Thursday and Friday so that families and staff can enjoy an unhurried respite.

One of our many blessings is that Madeline Andrews-Reed is feeling stronger and will be returning on December 1st. She will be going into the Koala Room. It has been a long and difficult recuperation for Madeline and we are happy to welcome her back.

Our NAEYC Accreditation Application has been accepted by NAEYC. The next step in the Process is “Candidacy”. We have been working on the self-study these past few months. Shortly we will receive a request for information about our self assessment. NAEYC will be asking for evidence for specific criteria. Sue Morgan has been working to gather the information. Kathleen Hursh, our Accreditation consultant through the Early Childhood Education Quality Council has been assisting us with the process. Candidacy materials are due January 31, 2007. We will again be asking you complete a survey in early January. Your feedback is crucial to completion of the process. For more information about the process and purpose of accreditation go to naeyc.org on the web and follow the links to accreditation.

Conscious Discipline
>by Dr. Becky Bailey

The first group that started last year has finished the video and discussion series. We have two groups running concurrently this year—Tuesday evenings and Saturday morning on a monthly basis with about 14 participants.

We originally planned for the Tuesday group to get together in December. Due to our staffing and the busy holiday season, however, we’ll be skipping December completely and meeting again in January. The next dates are as follows:

Tuesday, January 9th, 5:30—7:30
Saturday, January 13th, 10:00—Noon

Child care and food will be provided. If any of our participants cannot make either of these dates, please call Mary Swayze so we can plan an alternate date.

At these sessions, we will be reviewing Composure and Encouragement and starting with Assertiveness. The busy holiday season is the perfect time to practice the strategies we have been learning. Keep your journals and we’ll be able to have good discussions in January. In the meantime . . .

Stop (or Smile)
Take a deep breath
And
Relax

Thank you!
Your great response to bringing in bags for used diapers is appreciated. Currently we have an ample supply. We’ll be putting out the call again, though, so keep saving those bags!



Tuition
We recognize that tuition is a huge portion of your monthly budget. It is understandable that you find it frustrating to pay for short weeks such as the Thanksgiving break. Perhaps understanding why will make it more palatable.

When we do budget planning, we develop an annual tuition rate that is broken down into weekly payments. The weekly rate is based on 51 weeks of care since you receive two weeks at 50%.

At St. Paul’s we deeply value the work of the teachers. Unlike many centers, we pay staff holiday pay when we are closed. These respites are important opportunities for rest and rejuvenation. We are committed to being ethical in our treatment of staff and we recognize their need for a consistent income.

If you would like to know more about the budget process, feel free to contact Mary Swayze or Mark Simmons.



Spotlight on Board of Directors

The Board of Directors at St. Paul’s is made up of a diverse group of community members including members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Parents of children, and the Rochester Community at large. Each member brings an interest in children and specific gift such as child development, legal expertise, fundraising skills or the perspective of a parent.

In the coming months, we’ll be introducing you to our Board members so that you will get to know the leadership of the Board.

Emily Lambert is the Board Secretary. This is her second year on the Board. Emily is the mother of Wendell, an Octo and Charles, a Koala. She is a dermatologist in training at Strong Hospital. She moved to Rochester from New Haven Connecticut in 2004 with her husband, David, who is an Assistant Professor of Biology at the U of R. The Lamberts live in the Park Avenue Neighborhood and have been members of the St. Paul’s Community since 2004.

Edward Nicosia is new to the Board this year. Ed is also the parent of two children, Henry, a Dino, and Eliza, a Dolphin. Ed is a partner in the firm of Buckner & Kourofsky, LLP. Ed and his wife, Becky Wehle, have been active members of the Parent Group for four years, participating in Spring Clean-up, hosting the Staff Appreciation Dinner, and sharing input and “elbow grease” in many other areas.

This year the Board of Directors is taking a more active role in connecting with the classrooms and the teachers. Each Board member has taken on a specific classroom with the intent of getting to know the program better and offering support. The assignments are as follows:

Duckling Room: Emily Wood

Koala Room: Emily Lambert, Scott Piper

Dolphin Room: Eric Kozlowski, David Johnson

Octo Room: Mark Simmons, Donna Nash Bayley

Dino Room: Neal Panzer, David Vilas, Ed Nicosia



Don’t Forget . . .

Wednesday, December 6th, 6—7:30

Holiday Pot Luck Supper
and

Tom Knight Performance.

Everyone is invited.


]]> General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=20 Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:40:34 -0600 http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=19 Sessions:
Saturday, November 11th, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Cadigan Room
Tuesday, November 14th, 5:30 - 7:15 p.m. Cadigan Room
Childcare provided for both sessions]]> General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=19 Wed, 01 Nov 2006 09:03:11 -0600 http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=18 News
October 24, 2006



Organization Update
After spending the past month in the Dolphin Room, Melissa Burnley feels she has found her true niche. Melissa has resigned her position as Business Director and will be working full time in the Dolphin Classroom with Stefanie.

While we will miss her voice on the phone and sharing her delightful manner with everyone, we respect and highly value her wonderful way of working with children. Those of you who have been around a long time remember that before choosing to work on the business aspect of the program, Melissa was a wonderful teacher, first in the Dino Room and later in the Dolphin Room. Stefanie is thrilled with Melissa’s choice.

With Melissa out of the business part of the Center, we have a hole in our staffing pattern. The Board has put together an interim plan—for the next 18 months or so—to give us time to choose how to structure ourselves for the long term. Right now we are focusing on re-accreditation. We do not want to take significant energy away from that to focus on restructuring. Therefore, the management structure now looks like this:

Director, Mary Swayze
Full time

Team Leader, Penny Kellaway
Staffing coordination; remains infant teacher

Education Coordinator, Sue Morgan
10 additional hours/week; remains UPK teacher

Finance Assistant, Margaret Mandrycky
20--25 hours/week

Several teachers have volunteered to take on additional tasks to help maintain the organization and smooth flow of the Center. To facilitate this, we will hire an additional part time floating teacher.

In mid 2007, we will start the strategic planning process. Of course, families will have a role in future planning. We’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, we are focusing on a wonderful Fall and Winter with the children.

If you have any questions about our structure, please feel free to call or drop in to see Mary.

Conscious Discipline by Dr. Becky Bailey
The new sessions are off to a running start. If you missed them and want to start attending, see Mary and she’ll make sure you get important information about “Brain Smart Discipline”.

Based on your feedback, we have chosen to combine segments so that we can work through the material at a faster pace.

The upcoming sessions are as follows:

Session 7, Empathy & Session 8, Encouragement
Monday, 11/6/06, 5:30—7:15

Session 2, Composure & Session 3, Encouragement
Saturday, November 11, 10:00--Noon
OR Tuesday, November 14, 5:30—7:15

Child care and a light meal will be provided.
Call Mary at 244-4527 or 749-7644 for more information.









]]> General http://stpaulschildcare.org/news/index.php?itemid=18 Wed, 01 Nov 2006 08:51:47 -0600