reach pdf - Delaware Stars

You're here for Delaware's children and families.
We're here for YOU!
Do You Want to Continue to Receive this
Newsletter in the Mail?
Including Children with Disabilities in Your
Program
Included in this newsletter is a survey
(Page 7). Please complete the survey and
send it back to us in the enclosed postage
paid self-addressed envelope. Your
Opinion is Important for us.
You make a difference!
Delaware Stars Advisory
Committee Forming
Do you feel you have leadership potential
and/or leadership skills? Are you interested in
broadening your role in the early childhood
education field? Are you excited about
improving early childhood education for all
children in Delaware?
Delaware Stars is forming an Advisory
Committee. This committee will be for early
childhood education professionals to provide
stakeholder input about participating in
Delaware Stars. We value your opinion!
JOIN DELAWARE STARS ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
A Delaware Family Child Provider noticed that a child in her care seemed
to learn differently and not at the same pace as the other children. She
saw that the child was developmentally falling behind. She talked with the
family and with Child Find. It took six months of communications, but now
the child is getting speech therapy and special education services in her
family child care program.
This story really shows the important role early childhood educators play
in the lives of young children and their families. For children with
disabilities, the impact of getting needed services and being included can
have an even greater impact on their lives.
Benefits of Inclusion
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Inclusion isn't just the law, it's the right thing to do!
Young children with disabilities are a part of the community and
should be where they would be if they didn't have a disability.
All children will learn that we are all different, they will learn to accept
the differences, to talk about them and understand them.
All the children, developmentally, benefit from the accommodations,
modifications and supports put in place for children with disabilities
by providing alternative ways to learn the same things.
Early Childhood Education professionals feel empowered with the
knowledge that they can include children with disabilities with great
success.
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Do you feel you have leadership potential
and/or leadership skills? Are you interested in
broadening your role in the early childhood
education field? Are you excited about
improving early childhood education for all
children in Delaware?
Delaware Stars is forming an Advisory
Committee. This committee will be for early
childhood education professionals to provide
stakeholder input about participating in
Delaware Stars. We value your opinion!
The Advisory Committee will have
membership that represents FCC, LFCC, ECE
and SA programs at all Star Levels and from
each jurisdiction.
The Stars Advisory Committee will meet
twice a year. The first two meetings have
been selected (December 2nd and May 10th
at the DIEEC training room in Dover, times to
be determined).
If you are interested in joining the
committee, please call Chris at 302-831-7354
or send us an email to
[email protected]
Stars Town Hall Meetings
If you are a Delaware Stars program, and
didn't get a chance to join the webinar on 921-15 for updates to Delaware Stars the
Town Hall Meeting schedule and register
today!
Your voice matters. We hope you will
participate in one of the meetings below.
Please register by email at
[email protected] or by phone to
Chris Ferrell at 302-831-7354 or Tara Horwitz
at 302-831-3239 no later than 24 hours
before each meeting.
Tuesday
Oct 13
7-8:30PM
Thursday
Oct 22
7-8:30PM
Woodlawn Branch Library
Tuesday
Oct 27
7-8:30PM
DIEEC Blue Hen Mall
2020 W 9th St, Wilmington
PACTT Center (Sussex Tech
High School)
17099 County Seat Hwy,
Georgetown
Blue Hen Corporate Center –
Suite 1E 655 South Bay Road,
Dover DE
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Families of children with disabilities will feel included and part of the
community. Families want their child to be accepted, to grow up with
neighborhood friends, to feel welcomed.
Federal Policy on Inclusion
 The Departments of Education and Health and Human Services issued
a policy on inclusion, including recommendations to child care
providers.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/earlylearning/jointstatement-full-text.pdf?utm_source=September+2015+ENews&utm_campaign=August+2015+E-news&utm_medium=email
 A Child Care Professionals Guide: The American's with Disabilities Act
http://www.marylandfamilynetwork.org/resources/a-child-careprofessionals-guide-to-the-ada/
 Delaware's Guide to Promoting Inclusion in Early Childhood
http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dms/epqc/birth3/files/guidetoinclusi
on2013.pdf
Online Inclusion Training- 5 hours of quality assured professional
development- FREE!
 why inclusion is so important
 legal requirements
 strategies for working with families
 preparing programs to be ready to include all children in early care
and education settings.
Register on dieecpd.org Log onto the training calendar and click on the
online training tab, then select Inclusion. For assistance call 302-831-3239
Stay tuned for more information, resources, and services that support
child care providers with inclusion of children with disabilities in upcoming
editions of REACH.
Professional Development Attendance Policy
All Participants Must Sign in to Receive Credit for Training Sessions
Please note that at each training the DIEEC Professional Development
team provides a sign in sheet. All participants must sign in on the
attendance sheet in order to receive credit. If there is not signature next
to your name, you will not receive credit for that session.
No exceptions. As such we ask each participant to make sure they arrive
on time, review their information on the sign in sheet, and add their
signature to ensure you receive the hours for the training.
Calling Family Child Care Providers
Foundations of Curriculum Series
Are you a family child care provider? Do you want to become more
familiar with curriculum materials? Then this training series may be for
you!
Session One begins this month. Apply today using the link below!
http://files.ctctcdn.com/0b075da8401/80cbf760-0522-4499-a5c1605568d2fd82.pdf
Continued on page 3
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Professional Development
Inclement Weather Policy
The DIEEC will put notice of workshops
cancelled due to weather on the website. If
you are unable to check the website, you
may call the main phone number at 302831-3239. You will be notified of the date of
the rescheduled class. As such please make
sure we have your most current contact
information listed on your profile in the
registry.
FCC Support Groups
Would you like to network with other
providers in your area? See below for more
information. Family/large family child care
support groups, led by Family Child Care
Providers, are meeting monthly in several
locations of Sussex County.
Providers of Sussex Support Group –
Greenwood Public Library, 6:00-7:30pm. For
information contact Jamie Webb,
[email protected], 1-302-841-7999
(text) or 1-302-349-5970 (phone)
Indian River Childcare Provider Support
Group – Gumboro Community Center, 36849
Millsboro Hwy, Millsboro, 6:00-8:00pm for
dates and information contact: Crystal, 302381-6958 or Samaida, 302-448-9914
Seaford/Bridgeville Provider Support Group
– Seaford Library, 600 N. Market Street,
Seaford. For dates and times call Marlette,
302-628-1521
Providers Supporting Providers - In 2010 a
small group of family child care providers in
Kent County got together to start a support
group.
They realized they were isolated within their
homes and there was a break down in
communication, not only between providers
and agencies, but also among fellow
providers. FCC providers Shannon Murray
and Tonia Hurtt organized the support group.
Through their informal meetings, they share
information; attend trainings; take field trips
together; and refer families to one another.
Meeting locations rotate between the family
child care providers' homes. The meetings
are usually held the 3rd Monday of every
month from 6:30-8 pm.
Source: www.dieecpd.org and www.delawarestars.udel.edu
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Visit their Facebook page Provider’s
Supporting Providers or email Shannon at
[email protected]
If you have a support group for providers
and/or Directors, email your information at
[email protected] and we will share it in
October's REACH.
TA Tidbits: It's All About Fall!
Help Children Connect with Changing Seasons
The month of October is a great time to take advantage of
the changing seasons and expand children's knowledge of
the world around them.
Do you have a L/FCC provider
Helping children connect with the changing seasons- leaves
support group? Advertise here. Send turning colors, changes with insects and animals increases
us your flyer to [email protected] their awareness of their environment. Here are some things to do with
Stars Facebook Contest
Sharing is Caring!
Like our Facebook page and share one of our
October posts on your Facebook page, and be
entered to win $50.00 in Lakeshore Learning
gift cards!
New on the Professional
Development Website
Have questions that need answers? Check
out our FAQs page on our website today!
September Professional
Development
Raffle Winner
Thank you to Jessica
Arce for the Training
Selfie submission!
Congratulations on
your prize!
T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships
Do you want to earn 9 college credits for the
cost of less than 1 credit? Do you need to
qualify as an Early Childhood Administrator?
Do you need to move up the Early Childhood
Career Lattice? Are you currently working on
your Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood
Education?
Scholarship Money Available Now!! This is a
reminder that T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood®
Delaware still has scholarship money
available for articulating the
Aim4Excellence™ National Director
children this month: (and here is a link to more information and ideas
about connecting children with nature)
http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/connecting-young-children-with-nature
FUN Facts About Animals Seen This Time of Year
Did you know that baby squirrels; are called kittens, can’t see at birth and
rely on their mother’s milk for the first few months of life? Record activity
of a squirrel seen outside in the child care area. Gather various materials
outside and let children create their own squirrels using whatever
materials (leaves, grass) they choose.
Bears, groundhogs and many pond animals such as toads and turtles will
dig dens in the fall underground and sleep for months during the winter.
Here are some children's books about hibernation:
Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows
Hibernation by Margaret Hall
Good Reads: Various Popular Books on Hibernation
Other animals, such as geese, monarch butterflies, hummingbirds and
whales do not dig dens, but rather migrate, or move to warmer
environments in preparation for the winter months. How far do they have
to travel? Use a map and let the children map out the travel of migration!
Here is a website that can help: Online Kids Discover: Mapping and
Navigating Migrations
https://online.kidsdiscover.com/unit/migrations/topic/mapping-andnavigating-migrations
Use the abundance of items such as spiders and skeletons; to teach
children such things as why spiders are not considered insects.
http://www.venomousspiders.net/arespidersinsects.htm
Ask families to take pictures of trees in their neighborhood or yard that
have changed colors and make an Autumn Leaves book from them. Go on
walk so children can collect leaves and talk about the various shapes and
colors that come from different types of trees. Why do some trees change
colors and some do not (deciduous lose their leaves, evergreens do notthey are always green!) This expands children’s vocabulary and teaches
science concepts. Here is a link to 7 video’s teaching young children about
Autumn leaves.
http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Category.aspx?CategoryID=8065
The weather is perfect for outside activities, such as painting outside!
Setting up an area where children can use their creative expression to
create artwork outside offers children a wonderful learning experience.
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(Administrator) Credential into 9 ECE credits
at Delaware Technical Community College.
What can you do with 9 ECE credits from
Delaware Technical Community College?
 At least 3 of the 9 ECE credits can be used
towards qualifying as an Early Childhood
Administrator under the
 Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing
Regulations.
 All 9 ECE credits can be used to move up
the Delaware Early Childhood Career
Lattice.
 All 9 ECE credits can be substituted for ECE
222 – Program Planning and
Administration, a course requirement in
the Early Childhood Development AAS
degree at Delaware Tech.
 All 9 ECE credits can be used at Springfield
College towards a B.S. in Human Services
with a concentration in Early Childhood
Education.
 All 9 ECE credits can be used at Wilmington
University as electives towards a B.S. in
Education Studies with a concentration in
Early Childhood Education.
How do you articulate the modules into
credits? The first thing you have to do is call
me - Paula Holloway, the T.E.A.C.H. Early
Childhood® Coordinator, at 302-764-1501.
After completing a T.E.A.C.H. application,
agreement, and contract, I will direct you to
the correct contact at Delaware Technical
Community College to register for the correct
classes.
For older children, skeletons can be used to learn bones of the body and
can be made into games where they must try to put the skeleton “back
together”. Here is a website that can help:
http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/skeletal.php
Photograph taken at “Helping Hands Family Child Care” - Bridget Williams, Provider
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) Online
Management System Support
Jamie Walko, ASQ TA
For Delaware Stars programs meeting the Essential Standard
for developmental screening using the Ages and Stages
Questionnaire (ASQ), a webinar on how to use the online
management system is available at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7631566540587457793?ut
m_source=ASQ+User%27s+Guide+Link&utm_campaign=8.12+OEL+3+topic
+blast&utm_medium=email
The webinar demonstrates how to set up your program online, create a
family access webpage, run reports, add alerts and follow-up tasks. The
online program chooses the correct questionnaire based on the child's age
and automatically scores the screening for you.
You must have completed the Ages and Stages training through Easter
Seals prior to watching this webinar. Once you've completed the webinar,
You do not attend a class- in person or online. please contact Jamie Walko at [email protected] and she will register
You will have to complete one capstone
you as an online user.
project per class and communicate with the
Updating Your DIEEC Professional Development
instructor via email.
Profile
I hope to hear from you soon!
Paula Holloway
T.E.A.C.H. Coordinator
302-764-1501
[email protected]
NOTES
 Present and past issues of the REACH
monthly newsletter are available at
[email protected] in a
downloadable pdf format.
Why is it important?
The DIEEC has created a user friendly registry for the Early Care and
Education workforce. By having a profile in the registry, you are able to
register for training and will have an up to date transcript. Your transcript
is a record of all Quality Assured training hours you have received.
By using our registry, you have access to: the most up to date training
calendar, online training opportunities, and a complete record of your
DIEEC training history-right at your fingertips!
Everyone who participates in Professional Development with the DIEEC is
required to have a profile on our registry. It is important for you to know
your personal log-in information and keep track of your professional
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 Please let us know if you prefer to
download the newsletter at your
convenience or if you prefer to receive it
in the mail. Complete the survey on
Page 7.
 Web address for some of the information
in this newsletter has been included for
your information.
development. If you need to create a profile or if you already have one but
forget your login information, please call our office at 302-831-3239.
Keeping your profile current with the most up-to-date information in very
important.
Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early
Childhood
Delaware Stars for Early Success
Professional Development Department
Main: (302) 831-3239
Fax: (302) 831-4223
Visit PD at: www.dieecpd.org
Visit DE Stars at: www.delawarestars.udel.edu
Please note that for privacy purposes and your protection, the
Professional Development team will only release login information
directly to the individual.
The DIEEC will use the information saved on your profile to: contact you if
a training is cancelled or it the location has changed, if we have a
problem with the payment or registration for a training, or if you have
won a raffle/prize. We will never spam your inbox, or send you unwanted
information.
Professional Development: Training Spotlight
Leadership
The Professional Development Department sends online evaluations at
the end of each training and an annual need assessment is conducted
every year, asking for input to inform our PD system. We have received
many requests from administrators to provide more courses related to
their role in Early Care and Education. We responded to this need by
developing and offering an advanced workshop called, "Leadership".
THE COURSE DESCRIPTION IS AS FOLLOWS: Directors and administrators
who are able to distinguish between leadership and management tend to
be more successful in business and staff development. Topics in this
workshop include characteristics and essential qualities of being a
successful leader, what leadership looks like in early childhood, and
aspects of team building and strategic planning.
This is a major topic of discussion in all the publications for Early Care and
Education and in business.
One of our Master Instructors, Linda Chantler, recently read the book
Leaders Open Doors by Bill Treasurer, published in 2014 by ASTD Press.
She shared with us at a recent staff meeting that she was drawn to the
book by the Preface where Bill describes a conversation with his 5 year old
son who was excited to share that his job at school was to be the "leader".
Bill asked him what he got to do in this job and his son answered, “I got to
open doors for people!" Bill realizes what a profound statement his child
has made and has written a book about the qualities of good leadership.
This course gives administrators a chance to reflect on their leadership.
What doors are you opening for your staff and families?
This course is available in each county. You can register on the online
calendar is at https://dieecpd.org/registry/calendar.
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Check all barriers that prevent you from accessing the newsletter electronically:
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Delaware Stars for Early Success
Human Development & Family Studies
111 Alison West
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716