Early Childhood Connections - United Way Of Alamance … · WINTER 2016 Early Childhood Connections...
Transcript of Early Childhood Connections - United Way Of Alamance … · WINTER 2016 Early Childhood Connections...
WINTER 2016
Early Childhood Connections
Alamance Partnership for Children’s
Family Holiday Celebration
OUTDOOR GAMES
STORYWALK WITH THE GRUFFALO
LUNCH, HOT CHOCOLATE, AND CIDER
BRING YOUR CAMERA—SANTA WILL BE HERE FOR PICTURES
WHEN: Saturday, December 17th 11:00 am-1:00 pm
Where: The Outdoor Learning Environment
Glencoe Mill Village, corner of River Road and Hodges Road
RSVP online at www.alamancechildren.org
or call (336) 513-0063.
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CARRIE THEALL
Parents as Teachers (PAT) connects families to community resources and other families through monthly group meetings. Families learn new skills and visit places of interest in Alamance County as part of the PAT program.
Upcoming Monthly Group Meetings:
December 17th – Family Services Holiday Event 11:00 am-1:00 pm in the Outdoor Learning Environment at the Partnership
January 17th – Motheread class in English 12:30 pm-2:00 pm at May Memorial Library
January 19th – Motheread class in Spanish 12:30 pm-2:00 pm at May Memorial Library
February 15th – Loving and Caring for Others Starts with Loving Yourself 10:30 am-12:30 pm at The Women’s Resource Center
For more information about PAT, please contact Dale Cryan at 336.513.0063 ext. 118 or [email protected].
Here at the Alamance Partnership for Children we
have some big news. Our county has been formally
accepted into the Strive Together National Network.
So what does this all mean? For over a year, the
Partnership along with key stakeholders in Alamance
County have been hard at work applying to be part of
the Strive Network – an initiative designed to support
children for success from cradle to career. We are
thrilled to be a part of this most important work.
With the help of Impact Alamance, we applied to
become a Strive Community and after lots of effort, it
has finally happened. On November 29th, Alamance
Achieves was introduced to the community as our
county’s cradle to career initiative with four goals in
mind:
Every child is well, healthy, and ready for school;
Every child succeeds in school;
Every student graduates, prepared for post-
secondary; and
Every learner is on track to achieve his or her
career goals.
We will begin by forming early childhood networks
that will work towards kindergarten readiness for all
the children living in Alamance County. Given that
we have one in three children living in poverty, our
work is cut out for us. We will be looking at current
programs and possibly beginning new ones so we can
move the needle in a more positive direction.
For more information about Alamance Achieves,
please refer to the website at alamanceachieves.org
Dr. Jean Rattigan-Rhor, Tracey Grayzer, and Carrie Theall sign
the partnership agreement for Alamance Achieves
Program Updates: PAGE 3
NC Pre-Kindergarten Teacher Spotlight: Julie Jakielski, Grove Park Elementary School
Julie Jakielski has been a Pre-K educator for 20 years. She began as a special needs teacher working with Children with Autism. She has been the NC Pre-K teacher at Grove Park Elementary School for the last 11 years. “My favorite thing about teaching,” Julie says, “is watching each child emerge from being timid and withdrawn, with no under-standing of rules or structure, into a student who understands what it means to belong to a group, is outgoing, and is reading and writing. The child leaving Pre-K is completely different than the one that arrived. They are indeed prepared for kindergarten; in many cases, they become leaders in the classroom.” Her goal each year is to provide every child with love and affection. She feels it is essential to give each child a positive first-year experience. “This experience,” she states, “sets the stage for a continued love of school.”
Julie is married with two children, Michael and Caroline. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and watching her favorite reality shows.
Applications for NC Pre-K for the 2017-2018 school year will be available January 9, 2017. Parents only need to fill out one application to be considered for all Pre-Kindergarten programs, including NC Pre-K, Alamance Burlington School System, and Head Start. To qualify, a child must be four years of age on or before August 31, 2017. Parents may pick up an application by contacting the Alamance Partnership for Children, ABSS, or Head Start. The application is also available on our website. Please contact Kristie Coffer at 336.513.0063 ext. 105 or [email protected].
Incredible Years (IY) has had a successful fall semester. This December, IY will graduate 38 parents who have attended at least 11 of the 14 sessions offered. During IY classes, parents have learned:
Child directed play;
How to provide praise and coaching; and
How to ignore misbehaviors and use positive reinforcement to encourage appropriate behaviors.
They have built a community in the class giving them the opportunity to reach out to other parents who are struggling with the same issues.
Spring classes will be held mid-February through the end of May. Sign up for an Incredible Years class online or contact Dale Cryan at 336.513.0063 Ext. 118, or [email protected]. Parents can also visit the Alamance County IY Facebook Page.
IY 6-12 year old Parent Class, Newlin
The Incredible Years: Incredibly Successful Fall Semester
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The following workshops are being held at Alamance Partnership for Children, 2322 River Road, Burlington, NC 27217, unless
otherwise noted.
Date Workshop Title Time Cost Credits Trainer____
Tues. Jan 24th Infant/Toddler S.I.D.S. 6:30-8:30pm $5 2 Amanda Hazen Held at May Memorial Library Tues. Feb 7th Increasing Quality Using the ITERS-R 6:30-8:30pm $5 2 Amanda Hazen Held at May Memorial Library Mon. Mar 27th Partnering with Families to Address 6:30-8:30pm $5 2 Marney Mc Donald Challenging Behaviors Held at May Memorial Library
Looking for child care? Call Referral Central toll free at 855-327-5933 or visit www.childcareservices.org/fs/finding .html.
Second Quarter Child Care Training Calendar Contact Nikki Huey, Child Care Services Coordinator – 336-513-0063 or [email protected]
Alamance Partnership for Children is Set to Reach It’s 100,000th Book
Milestone Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
The Alamance Partnership for Children (APC) will reach a milestone in 2017-distribution of a total of
100,000 books to children birth to five in Alamance County. To date, APC has distributed 86,302
books since Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) began in August of 2007.
Young children who are read to regularly by family members and caregivers experience multiple benefits:
Higher academic skills;
Better communication skills;
Basic speech skills; and
The knowledge that reading is fun.
Children as well as parents, are excited to receive the books in their mailbox every month. “My husband and I absolutely love this program. We have a one-year-old and she has been receiving books since she was born “ says Jennifer Sena. “We are so grateful for a program that really shows interest in our children's future and education.”
Through DPIL, the Partnership now serves nearly 3,000 children. For more information on DPIL, please visit the APC website or call 336.513.0063.
Our Board of Directors:
Board Chair—Martha Krall
Vice Chair—Kristen Moffitt
Treasurer—Rachel Blunk
Secretary—Jeffrey Smythe
Past Board Chair—Stephanie Williams
Patsy Byrd Lisa Lippert
Angela Bost Christy McCawley
Chris Clemmons Nikki Ratliff
Lindsay Conrad Jean Rattigan-Rohr
Latawnya Hall Stacie Saunders
Craig Honeycutt Clara Vega
M.J. Wilkerson
Board Meetings are held on the second Wednesday
of every month at 8:30 am. These meetings are
open to the public. Should you have an interest in
attending, please contact the Partnership at
336.513.0063.
Our Staff:
Carrie Theall-Executive [email protected]
Tamatha Kohler-Program [email protected]
Melinda McGuire-Finance & H.R. [email protected]
Katie Tang-Executive-Program Support [email protected]
Penny Scott-Program Support/[email protected]
Nikki Huey-Child Care Services [email protected]
Dale Cryan-Family Services [email protected]
Kristie Coffer-NC Pre-K [email protected]
Kirstie Miles-Parents as Teachers [email protected]
Nelgi Moreno-Parents as Teachers [email protected]
Sandra Vanover-Parents as Teachers [email protected]
Contact us:
2322 River Road, Burlington, NC 27217-8359
Phone: 336.513.0063 Fax: 336.226.1152
Website: www.alamancechildren.org
Alamance Partnership for Children VISION: All children arrive at school healthy,
happy, and ready for success in school and life.
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Toy Recall Information— The US Consumer Product Safety Commission website offers a list of current toy recalls for
parents.
General Development Sequence Toddler Through Preschool— This page presents typical activities and
achievements for children from two to five years of age.
Child Development Institute— General Parenting Topics: 1. Guidelines for Parent/Child Communication Parenting can be more enjoyable when a positive parent-child relationship is established. Whether you are parenting a toddler or a teenager, good communication is the key to building self-esteem as well as mutual respect. 2. Three Easy Snacks to Encourage Children to Eat Their Vegetables The more you can allow children to participate in choosing and preparing vegetables, the more likely they will be to enjoy them. 3. Children are Little Scientists: Encouraging Discovery Play A child’s approach to new situations and unfamiliar people is an important temperament characteristic. Learn how to make them feel comfortable and support them in unfamiliar situations. 4. Five Ways Dads Can Be More Involved with Their Children Study after study shows that dads play an important role in the development of their children. This article suggests five ways for children and dads to enjoy time together.
Resources for Young Children
Winter is a time for snow days, snow cream, and hot chocolate. Children
look forward to the first snowfall of the season with great anticipation.
Learning doesn’t have to stop when the first snow day from school arrives.
Here are some ideas to help make learning about snow fun for the whole
family:
Make a snow gauge out of a wooden paint stirring stick.
Make snow angels and measure your “wing span.”
Build a snow family or see who can build the most creative snowman.
Make snow paint and create a beautiful masterpiece in your own backyard.
Read books about snow: Snow Day by Lester Laminack, and Millions of Snowflakes
by Mary McKenna Siddals.
Snow Much Fun to be had in the Winter