May 28, 2010
When I was a child, a week seemed to be an eternity, and now I blink and we are almost into June. Remember to take the time to cherish each moment with your child. They are growing and learning at a rapid rate during the first five years of life. It has been a joy to watch their faces light up with “aha!” moments when they learn something new. It reminds me of how big kids, like us, can find joy in the simple things of day-to-day life if we look at the world through our children’s eyes.
Acorn continues to undergo amazing and exciting changes. We are excited to welcome Teresa G as the Head Pre-Kindergarten Teacher beginning Monday, June 6. Terri earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from SUNY Oneonta and her Masters in Elementary Education from SUNY New Paltz and holds her Vermont Level II Teaching License. She has taught for thirty years and was an Elementary Principal for two years. She will help us strengthen and formalize our Pre-Kindergarten curriculum so that our graduates are ready for Kindergarten. She will be at the center on Wednesday, June 2 at 4:00 pm for a “meet and greet” as you pick up your child.
Elizabeth F will starting out as Assistant Teacher in Tiffany’s Toddler Classroom. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque before serving a two year assignment in the Peace Corps in Belize. She then came to Vermont and earned her Master of Science in Community Development and Applied Economics from the University of Vermont.
Erika Al, who was introduced last week, will be joining Vanessa as Assistant Preschool Teacher beginning on Wednesday, June 2. Erika earned her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from St. Michael’s College.
We are very confident that the changes you see at the facility will be positive and effective in building the best early childhood center in the area.
Finally, in an attempt to adhere to our academic day, we ask that all children be dropped off by 8:45 AM each morning. This will enable teachers to begin morning lessons and activities by 9:00 AM. Frequent interruptions can deter the proceedings of the day. Please call the center if you know you are going to be later than 8:45 AM.
Again, please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns: 985-8118 or emvigneault@gmail.com. I am an advocate of open communication and want to be a resource in your child’s learning.
Kindest Regards,
Emily V
Program Director
Acorn Day Care & Preschool
There is a regularly scheduled parent meeting this Thursday evening at 6:00 PM in the second floor conference room.
Child care is available if you let Becca or David know by the end of school on Wednesday. Please make sure you provide dinner for your children.
Staff Changes
There have been several new appointments in the last two weeks. We understand that staff changes are hard on children and parents and we attempt to minimize the impact of change to the extent that we can. However, change is inevitable and we believe that the changes we have implemented will result in short term and sustained improvement in Acorn Programming. The changes are summarized below.
Emily V. has been hired as Program Director. Emily has been teaching Elementary School in New York for the last 6 years. She earned her BA in Theatre Arts from Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts and her Master of Education from SUNY, Potsdam. She has a New York and Vermont Teaching License and holds a Highly Qualified Teaching Status in Elementary Education in Vermont.
Tiffany T. has moved from the Mobile Infant Classroom where she was Co Head Teacher with Erica Houle, to become the Head Teacher of the Toddler 1 Classroom where she joins Teaching Assistant Elaine.
Deb and Aubrey have moved with most of their children from an Early Toddler Classroom to a Toddler Classroom.
Tamara P. has joined Erica in the Mobile Infant Classroom as Assistant Teacher immediately. Tamara holds her BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Vermont’s College of Early Childhood Education and Social Services. She also holds her Vermont Teaching License. Tamara is fluent in Serbo-Croatian and German.
Tiffany D. will be joining Jen as Assistant Teacher in the Early Infant Classroom as of May 18. Tiffany graduated from Lyndon State College with a BS in Elementary Education. She worked at Head Start for a year before joining Acorn. Tiffany is also a soccer and softball player.
Erika A. will be joining Vanessa as Assistant Teacher in the Preschool Classroom as of June 2. Ericka earned her BS in Elementary Education from Saint Michael’s College. She taught English in Ecuador in the fall of 2008 and is a member of the alto section of the Chorale and Chamber Singers.
We are also in discussion with several other highly qualified candidates about joining us after the summer doldrums, in late summer and early fall assuming that fall enrollment increases as it has in the past.
As you get to know the new teachers we hope you will agree that your children are in very loving and capable hands.
Parents’ Night Out
We will be offering Parents’ Night Out every other week if parents continue to subscribe to the service. The next Night Out will be the Friday after the Memorial Day Holiday, June 4. It will begin at 5:30 and run until 8:30. The fee is 25.00 per child and includes pizza and a beverage. Late pick up at 9:30 will be available for an additional 10.00.
Art/Sensory Room
In the next few weeks, the front room will be converted to an Art/Sensory room.
Nurturing Parenting Program
The Nurturing Parenting Program is an education program that works with the whole family. Families participate in the 2 hour fun and educational sessions that meet weekly for 15 weeks. At each session, adults and children take part in separate, age-appropriate activities as well as share food and family nurturing time together.
How do families benefit from Nurturing Parenting Programs?
Parents learn from discussion, activities, presentations, video tapes, and home practice:
• What children think and feel
• What to expect from children at different ages
• How to deal with little frustrations before they become big ones
• How to recognize and deal with children's feelings and needs
• How to recognize and attend to their own feelings and needs
Children learn through games, songs, art activities, puppet play and discussion to:
• Control their behavior.
• Increase their sense of self-worth.
• Understand their strengths and limitations.
• Recognize their own feelings and express their needs.
The course meets once weekly from June 9th until September 29th.
This program is free and childcare and a light dinner are included. Please sign up with one of your classroom teachers or with Martin or Emily.
February 4, 2010
Standards Update
Acorn will be entertaining proposals to amend its Standards at the next in-service meeting. Teachers or parents proposing amendments should submit them by getting a copy of our existing standards on a Microsoft Word document and then entering the proposed changes in red using the Track Changes tool in Word and submitting the document to the Executive Director as an attachment to an e-mail to AcornChildCare@gmail.com
Proposed changes should be sent by February 15, 2010. Once received, the proposals will be circulated to the entire staff for evaluation and comment. Then, at the next in service meeting the staff will discuss the proposed amendments and vote to adopt appropriate changes to the Acorn Standards. The updated Standards will be published after that meeting.
One of the goals of updating our Standards is to insure there are sufficient examples of appropriate behavior for each developmental objective for each grade. You MAY want to consider categorizing these behaviors as "A" necessary, "B" important and "C" ancillary.
New Developmental Objectives may also be suggested.
Continuing Education Policy
All employees were required to take 36 hours of continuing education for the license year ending March 2010. The requirement will increase to 48 hour for the license year beginning March 2010. Many courses will be offered on premises to help each teachers achieve these requirements.
Jauary 21, 2010
Staff and Classroom Update
Valerie V has joined Amber in the Preschool Classroom, Elaine D has joined Deb V in the Early Toddler Classroom, Michele M has joined Melissa S in the Toddler Classroom and Jen Litch has joined Tiffany T in the Mobile Infant Classroom. Tiffany’s Classroom will split into two classrooms with the youngest children joining Jen in the next few weeks in a new Infant Classroom. That will bring Acorn up to 10 of 11 classrooms. Elizabeth S has joined Acorn as both a floater and a substitute and Betsy has joined as a substitute.
STARS
Acorn has been awarded three stars and is in the process of working on earning the fourth star in the first quarter. The fifth star will require waiting until March 2011, since several areas of performance require a three year history.
Graduation Criteria
Lower Grades
In the lower grades, in order for a child to graduate from one grade to the next, the child must be developmentally ready. Developmental readiness is defined as meeting or exceeding 80% all of the developmental objectives published for their grade and 67% of the developmental objectives within each domain (not sub domain). This will be evidenced by a report card prepared for graduation.
Graduation in lower grades is made without regard to age.
Upper Grades
In order for a child to graduate into the Toddler Grade, the child must have attained the age of 2 and the child must be developmentally ready. Developmental readiness is defined as meeting or exceeding 80% all of the developmental objectives published for their grade and 67% of the developmental objectives within each domain (not sub domain). This will be evidenced by a report card prepared for graduation.
Graduation to Preschool will take place on or about September 1.In order for a child to graduate into the Preschool Grade, the child must have attained the age of 3 by September 1 and the child must be developmentally ready. Developmental readiness is defined as meeting or exceeding 80% all of the developmental objectives published for their grade and 67% of the developmental objectives within each domain (not sub domain). This will be evidenced by a report card prepared for graduation.
Graduation to Prekindergarten will take place on or about September 1. In order for a child to graduate into the Prekindergarten Grade, the child must have attained the age of 4 by September 1 and the child must be developmentally ready. Developmental readiness is defined as meeting or exceeding 80% all of the developmental objectives published for their grade and 67% of the developmental objectives within each domain (not sub domain). This will be evidenced by a report card prepared for graduation.
Exceptions
If a child did not qualify for graduation into Preschool or Prekindergarten by the most recently passed September 1, then the child may graduate before the next September 1 date if they exceed 80% all of the developmental objectives published for their grade and exceed 67% of the developmental objectives within each domain (not sub domain). This will be evidenced by a report card prepared for graduation.
An exceptional graduation will also require a determination that the graduation will not have an adverse impact on peer group membership and the classes as a community (both the exited and joined classrooms)
All Grades
A graduation from any grade requires that there be space in the higher grade classroom before a move can take place.
The staff has recommended that we create a second small gross motor room that can accommodate 10 children as opposed to replacing the existing gross motor room with one twice as large. This could be achieved by combining Marty’s and Kathy’s office and moving the office down the hall to 1168 and 1169.
The old kitchen could be restored by addition of an oven, refrigerator, sink and tables. This would allow it to support the addition of cooking units to the curriculum as well as to replace the current employee lunch room on the second floor.
There was also some discussion of adding an Arts and Crafts room.
Implementation of these projects would increase the overhead of the School so they could not be implemented until after enrollment increases.
