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.
