Fall-Winter 2014-2015

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Greetings YAAEYC friends!

It has been a busy summer as all of us are learning about the newProfessional Development registry. Please let us know how thisnew system is working for you! We want to make sure we areproviding timely feedback from all of you.

Speaking of that PD Registry, a HUGE thank you to Wendy Latshawand Ashley Zurawski and their conference committee for puttingtogether a wonderful conference again this year. What a heroic

effort to manage the new requirements and still deliver awonderful experience for attendees!

We are excited as we look forward into 2015! Watch for a re-vamped and expanded Week Of The Young Child effort coming upin April. Also watch for details about Networking Night this spring.

Also, wed like your feedback. What are some of your best ideasto engage families in the life of your program? How do youconnect with them? Please send your ideas [email protected]. We plan to use them in our next

newsletter.

If you are interested in getting involved, please let us know! Weare excited about the future of YAAEYC and want to represent,understand, and meet your needs as members!

Have a great fall!

Debbie and Heather

Letter from the President...

Words ofEncouragement:

There are those who look

at things the way they are,

and ask why I dream of

things that never were,

and ask why not?

~ Robert Kennedy,

American Politician andCivil Right Activist

The Wi t e Ro s e The Wi t e Ro s e The Wi t e Ro s e

YAAEYCs

York Area

Associat ion for the

Education of Young Chi ldren

Fall/Winter

Inside this issue:

Membership 2

YAAEYC Conference 2

Tip of the Day 3

Pre-K for PA 4-5

Inspiring Spaces 6-7

Recognition Days 8

NAEYC Position Statement 9

2014

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Thank you for Joining or Renewing your Membership!

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*Membership status varies between Comprehensive, Regular and Student. Please

encourage your fellow colleagues, classmates and friends to join YAAEYC and help make

a difference in the lives of children and families in York County!

For more information on Affiliation/Memberships, go to www.naeyc.org

2014 YAAEYC Conference

Kyle Ashby

Katelyn M Baker

Dania Beard

Angela Brockway

Lori Cannella

Lynne Elizabeth Ciepiela

Mary Jane Cole

Stephanie De La Cruz

Jessica Deardorff

Beverly Ann Ebersole

Malinda Fake

Becky Frederick

Dawn Gilbert-Brown

Kristin Gould

Leah Gurley

Constance Harness

Elizabeth Howie

Chelsea LaFranier

Shannon Leigh Lander

Debra Latzko

Ciara Lee-Sweeney

Sarah Lehman

Carrie Martin

Jacob Moritz

Helen Resto

Kaitlyn Rippetoe

Heather Ryan

Wendy Seifert

Mary Denise Sekeres

Rhianna Spahr

Kelsi Sprenkle

Elizabeth Sullivan

Carly VonStein

Aimee-Erin Walton

Kimberlee Wilson

Thank you to all the presenters, participants, boardmembers and committee members who made the2014 YAAEYC Conference a success. We had 370people register for a day filled with learning, net-working and growing as professionals. Participantevaluations are still being assessed but so far wehave had fabulous reviews for the 20 presentersand 39 topics offered.

Did you know that YAAEYC members not only re-ceived a 30% discount on registration, but they alsohad preferred check in, a more extensive breakfastoffering and a quiet lounge area to start their dayin. Just a few of the perks of being a member!

If you have any additional feedback or would like to be part of the planning for 2015,please contact Wendy Latshaw at [email protected] Ashley Zurawski at [email protected].

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Page 3

Tip of the Day: Water Safety at Home

The Hard Facts

Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children between1 and 4 years old. And its the third leading cause of death among children.

Top Tips

Never leave your child unattended around water. We knowit sounds strict, but there is no room for compromise on thisone. Babies can drown in as little as one inch of water.

Put the cell phone away, forget about all the other things

you have to do and give young children 100 percent of yourattention when they are near or around water.

Empty all tubs, buckets, containers and wading poolsimmediately after use. Store them upside down and out ofchildrens reach.

Keep toilet lids closed and use toilet seat locks to preventdrowning. Its also a good idea to keep doors to bathroomsand laundry rooms closed.

Parents have a million things to do, but learning CPR shouldbe on the top of the list. It will give you tremendous peaceof mind and the more peace of mind you have as a parent,the better.

Whether youre bathing your baby in the sink or splashing around with your toddler in the bathtub, water

is great fun for kids. But its also a place where safety must come first. For more information about

swimming and boating safety follow the Safe Kids Worldwide links below:

http://www.usa.safekids.org/safetytips/field_risks/swimming-and-water

http://www.usa.safekids.org/safetytips/field_risks/boating

Another resource you might be interested in is the Pool Safety Pledge. The Consumer Product Safety

Commission (CPSC) launched their new Pool Safety Pledge, an online commitment to water safety thatthe CPSC is asking every adult and child in America to take. The pledge is designed to commit theAmerican public to being safe in and around the water this year. It will serve as a visual reminder of thesafety steps everyone should use with their families every time they are near the water, as well as anopportunity for them to pass on these message to their friends and family via social media. To take thepledge click the following link: http://www.poolsafely.gov/pledge/

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Pre-K f or PA

Theres a new quality ECE campaign in town! The goal of Pre-K for PA is to put out a vision of whatthe early childhood system really needs, and to move advocacy for high-quality beyond the ECEcommunity. The campaign is engaging stakeholders throughout the stateproviders, parents,businesses, school districts, educators, and other civic leadersto demonstrate broad bipartisanpublic support for high-quality preschool for every three and four year old in the Commonwealth.

2014: Make pre-k a defining issue in the 2014 elections, so that whoever is elected feelscompelled to make this issue a priority.

2015: Follow up with significant legislative action, to provide theresources necessary for every parent to be able to enroll their child

in affordable, high-quality pre-k.

4-year-olds in Pennsylvanias publicly supported pre-k programs achieveddramatic gains in academic and social proficiency in 2012-13. Educationalinvestment must begin in the early years before the achievement gap is toowide and very costly to overcome. Despite its benefits, far too manyfamilies in Pennsylvania cannot afford to enroll their kids in high-quality pre-k and often resort to programs that lack elements essential to their childssuccess. Pre-k strengthens our schools. When children arrive ready for

kindergarten, classrooms are a more effective place for all kids to learn.

High-quality pre-k reduces grade repetition and special educationcosts.

Students who benefit from high-quality pre-k are more likely tograduate high school, enroll in higher education and have increasedlifetime earnings.

At-risk youth with access to high-quality pre-k are less likely to commit crime later in life.

We know it

works. Access

to high-

quality pre-k

gives all

children the

opportunity

to learn.

Pre-k is a critical investment inPennsylvanias success. Earlylearning investment is a smart

choice during challengingeconomic times.

Every dollar invested in early learninggenerates over $2 in local economic impactand up to $17 in long-term public savingsand benefit.

Other states have successfully implementedpre-k investments with impressive results,including Maryland, Oklahoma, Illinois andothers.

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The Pre-K for PA Proposal

Access to quality pre-k for all three and four year olds by 2018, including the following basicprinciples:

Public/private model Roll-out phased to align with provider capacity, and reach highest need first All funding aligned with research findings regarding the components of high-quality Stable and skilled workforce seen as central No shifting of funds away from infant/toddler support

Options for supporting quality in infant-toddler programs, such as:

Target all tax credits to high-quality 0-3 Higher reimbursement rate for high-quality 0-3

Options for measuring quality, such as:

Pre-K Counts, Head Start, STARS 3 and 4 NAEYC accreditation Kindergarten readiness assessment Other research-based standards/measures linked to outcomes, i.e., Classroom Assessment Scoring

System (CLASS)

Options for workforce support, such as:

Tuition support, via scholarships and/or vouchers, for the current workforce Loan forgiveness, to incentivize new graduates to work in the ECE sector Financial incentives for overall recruitment and retention

We will only get a system that effectively supports diverse high-quality ECEprograms if those in the ECE community who understand the importance of quality

are at the table.

ALL CHILDREN READY TO SUCCEED

Get involved.

Sign up at prekforpa.org.

The ECE system badly needs a new infusion of resources, along with

relief from some of the more rigid and burdensome rules under which

quality programs now have to operate. The Pre-K for PA campaign is

intended to provide both.

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All Aboard Child Care Center opened in May2013. The Center required manyrenovations and the playground was anempty space with a fence and deterioratingmulch. The Center is a privately ownedCenter with a limited budget and they aresearching for ways to enhance the outdoorspace. Upon suggestions and variousresearch, they decided to start the process

of offering a natural, upcycled playgroundto their children. Staff attended the DVAEYC conference which was themed aroundnatural play spaces and they learned even more benefits to offering this space to theirchildren. They held fundraisers and even collaborated with a local Raiders Clubgroup. The Raiders Club of York donated funds, supplies and volunteers to theplayground.

They had a work day to build the outdoor natural playground which consisted of staff,parents, and the Raiders Club volunteers. During this work day, they constructed anoutdoor easel, two water walls, two music walls, a stone garden, a mud kitchen, and tireplay space. The playground construction took a community effort to design

and build. The playground offers art, music, numerous sensory experiences,and climbing areas in a safe, natural environment. In the spring, All Aboard Child CareCenter is going to add a sunflower house,more gardens to use in their dailycooking menu, a fairy garden, and ascale for the stone garden to incorporatemore math into their outside play!

Inspiring Spaces of York ounty

All Aboard Child Care Centers Natural Playground

All Aboard Child Care Center Inc.

4304 N. George Street Ext,

Manchester, PA 17345

(717) 266-5025

http://allaboardccc.com

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Top Left: A child uses her balance to navigate the tires.

Top Right: Toddlers enjoy making music on the music wall. The

children use wooden and metal spoons against different pots and

pans to crease an array of sounds.Bottom Left: The Music Pole. This is a great place for budding

drummers to show off their skills!

Bottom Right: The Water Sensory Wall. Children are able to use

water and watch it flow through the different tubes and pipes.

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November

Picture Book Month- Picture Book Month is an international literacy initiative that celebrates the printpicture book during the month of November. Join the celebration and party with a picture book! Check

out picturebookmonth.com for activities and more information.

American Education Week (Nov. 17-23)- Celebrates public education and honors individuals who are

making a difference in ensuring every child in the U.S. receives a quality education.

Young Readers Day (Nov. 11)- Schools around the country take advantage of this day to promote the

importance of reading. Use today to help and encourage our youth and learn to read, and open the door

to knowledge, information, success, and happiness.

December

Safe Toys and Celebrations Month The holiday season is a time for family, fun, and festivity, but it can

also be a time of danger. Each year, many children suffer from eye injuries caused by unsafe toys. Avoid

those toys in favor of age appropriate and toys.

Special Education Day (Dec. 2) This day marks the anniversary of the IDEAthe Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act. Take the day to honor progress and celebrate students with disabilities, and

their parents, teachers and schools.

National Hand-washing Awareness Week (Dec. 4-10) Teach your kids to practice safe habits when it

comes to washing their hands.

January

Book Blitz Month A month long campaign designed to promote reading. Libraries and schools can get

into action by recommending their favorite books to curl up with. Teachers and parents can also take

this opportunity to promote reading to their kiddos!

Global Family Day (Jan. 1) This is a day to celebrate peace and sharing with your family.

No Name Calling Week (Jan. 19-23) Believe in celebrating kindness while working to create safe

schools free of name-calling, bullying and bias. Whether you are a teacher, student, guidance counselor,

coach, librarian or bus driver, show you care by organizing a week of activities at your school at ending

name-calling once and for all.

February

National Childrens Dental Health Month Each February, the American Dental Association sponsors

National Childrens Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health.

Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start

on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

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Be Aware!Check out whats being recognized by the National and

Global communities this Fall/Winter and show your support!

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NAEYC Position StatementWhen the general public thinks of quality learning they think of colorful classrooms full of

intentional play, loving caregivers, and...well...mess! They generally do not understand, especially ifthey have no young children, the dynamic intricacies that go into a teachers day so all children aretaken care of. They do not realize that once children enter your classroom in the morning, dependingon the age of the child, you must turn on your ADD switch (so that you can adapt quickly) and serve as ahug enthusiast, nurse, nutritionist, play mate, librarian, glue aficionado, commode assistant, handwashing devotee, and peacemaker, while intentionally creating an environment full of developmentallyappropriate exploration opportunities.

With PA Promise Month during the month of October and new changes in the mandated reporterlaw going into effect January 1, 2015, I am reminded that although all of those abilities are essential inquality early childhood teachers, there is also a less talked about absolute portion of our jobs thatinvolves the fundamental principal in NAEYCs Code of Ethical Conduct, Above all, we shall not harmchildren. Not only should we be diligent in holding ourselves and our peers accountable, but we shouldalso be aware that 90% of all child abuse cases are perpetrated by immediate family members and

relatives. As mandated reporters, we are a line of defense in protecting the kids we care for during theday but also in recognizing and reporting when there may be potential harm occurring outside of ourdirect supervision. Is your program meeting best practices when it comes to preventing child abuse?

According to the NAEYC Position Statement on child abuse there are best practices one can take.

Consider each of these statements as you think about your own program.

1) Do you have enough staff to provide adequate supervision of programs staff and volunteers?

2) Are program environments designed to prevent hidden locations where abuse may occur?

3) Are program staff and volunteers trained annually on child abuse?

4) Do you have clear policies established so all parents and staff know what steps have been taken toensure the safety of children while in care? Do you know what they are?

5) Are teachers and caregivers who work alone with children often supervised by qualified personneland are parents encouraged to spend time in the facility?

6) Are staff screening procedures in place?

7) Does your center have a culture of family interaction in place to develop close partnerships withfamilies?

At this point, you are more than likely extremely confident or have developed some questions/areas ofimprovements to work on. Either way, taking a moment to think about this most basic function of ourjobs is critical to success for all children and families. Please remember that if something seems wrong,out of place, or your gut it telling you to make a call, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Childline: 1-800-932-0313

Article written by:

Sara Gray-Bradley, M. Ed.

Director of Education Initiatives

United Way of York County

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Check us out on the web at

www.yaaeyc.org or onFacebook!

York Area Association for the Education of Young Children

Board and Committee Chair Members

TheW

hiteRose

Spring2013

Our Mission

~

Th Yk Ae Asoiaif h Eucai O

YngCl i cmed tring xpin

ey eucai

ne f vyld cmiy.

President

Debbie Riek [email protected]

President Elect

Heather Miller [email protected]

Treasurer

Sara Bosley [email protected]

Secretary

Erica Heller [email protected]

AccreditationSara Bradley [email protected]

Community RepresentativeHelen Lehman [email protected]

ConferenceWendy Latshaw [email protected]

Ashley Zurawski [email protected]

MembershipAlison Sheaf [email protected]

ProgramLisa Young [email protected]

Public Policyvacant

PublicityLindsay Zeglen [email protected]

RecognitionWendy Latshaw

WOYCHeather Miller [email protected] Sara Bosley [email protected]