SBDP RECEIVES PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANT...SBDP, in concert with many community distribution partners, provided “Let’s Play” resource boxes to 460 vulnerable families with children

News for early childhood educators, caregivers, parents, and our community partners

FOR ALL STUDENTS,TEACHERS, AND FAMILIES

A Publication of Smart Beginnings Danville Pittsylvania | October 2020

SBDP RECEIVES PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANTSmart Beginnings DP is one of 8 school readiness organizations to receive a “Preschool Development Grant (PDG)” grant from the VA Early Childhood Foundation. The grant provides $121,013 in funding from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. This funding will help support and strengthen individual teachers, classes, and programs and our relationships with parents and the early childhood system as a whole.

THE GOALS FOR THIS GRANT INCLUDE:1. Build relationships to foster rich cross-sector and cross-systems partnerships, including formalizing local structure, communications and decision-making 2. Increase access for at-risk children by maximizing family choice and information, starting with child counts and other data collected through LinkB5 3. Strengthen quality to ensure optimal experiences for young children and support an effective early childhood workforce with emphasis on teacher-child interactions (CLASS) 4. Engage families through clear communication and as partners in designing the system.

PRESCHOOL PARTICIPANTSAbundant LifeCIC Head Start Danville Public Schools - Grove Park PreschoolDanville Public Schools - Northside Preschool Harvest CornerHelping HandsKid KonnectionLearn N Play ChildcareLittle BlessingsPCCA Head Start - Joseph L. Galloway PCCA Head Start – Shiloh PCCA HS – Bethel Baptist Church Pittsylvania County Schools VPI ClassroomsSmall WorldTrue Way Deliverance Truth & WorshipJust Kids Too

FAMILY DAY HOME PARTICIPANTSMichelle BorstPenny Bruce Garnetta Deshazor-BennettShirley FerrellLinda GilbertSearlet HowardWanda JoynerCynthia Morton

Meet Mrs. Eunice M.W. Bruce, age seventy-nine and a pioneer in caring for children most of her life. Mrs. Bruce began babysitting her younger siblings at the age of twelve. While married as a teenager and raising eight children of her own, she babysat for her neighbors, family members and friends.

Initially, when she moved to what was Liberty View Projects on Grant Street, Mrs. Bruce cared for children for $5.00 per week and sometimes free of charge if she saw the need. She cooked three full meals a day for her family and the children in her care. She played games, read, and danced with the children and counseled young parents that sought her advice or encouragement.

Shortly after moving to 812 Paxton Avenue, Mrs. Bruce applied for a state license and opened Bruce Family Day Care in 1995. She transformed her den and dining room into a play and sleep area for the children. She eventually built an addition on to her home to accommodate the growing numbers of children enrolled and, years later, purchased the two adjacent lots to give the children more outdoor play space

Over the years, Mrs. Bruce has provided temporary foster care; cared for multiple generations of children from the same families; coached other providers as they opened their facilities; and supplied huge quantities of clothing to children in need. In addition, she has helped raise nineteen grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren, all of whom affectionately call her “Nana.”

Mrs. Bruce retired in 1999 and passed her legacy to her youngest daughter, Penny Bruce, who now operates Bruce Family Day Care. Mrs. Bruce volunteers there daily to continue her passion for raising loving, productive young children, and parents still look to her for guidance with the life situations they face. We celebrate the passion and pioneering spirit of Mrs. Bruce in caring for our area’s youngest citizens!

» Hug your shoulders and tell children you are sending them a hug

» Air fives instead of high fives» Teach them to look at your eyes and use body

language» Take pictures of yourself without and with a mask

and show them to the children (maybe on popsicle sticks with different facial expressions)

» Plexiglass at play stations » When teaching older children, look at their body

language and make eye contact » You may need to privately check in with students

if you see body slumping, head down, not making eye contact, etc. Children are dealing with trauma from COVID and teachers should validate body language.

» Older students can write about their feelings» Modulate your voice and exaggerate emotions

when doing stories » Demonstrate an activity before asking students to

do it and give them each their own set of materials.

Helpful websites/tools:» Clear Masks: https://bit.ly/3j0jl1p» Book: Right Now, I am Fine by Dr. Daniela Owen.

This children’s book explains COVID and techniques for calming.

» YouTube Video for Kids about wearing masks: http://youtu.be/tRqTSWb1Fdo

» Calm AppSource: Teachstone

CELEBRATINGEUNICE BRUCE & HER PASSIONFOR CHILDREN

What Do High-Quality Interactions Look Like During COVID-19?

How Anxiety Leads to Disruptive Behavior. Anxiety is a response to a threat in one’s environment. What adults typically think anxiety looks like in children:

• Fear• Trouble sleeping• Difficulty separating from parents

What anxiety often looks like in children:• Disruptive behavior• Anger• Tantrums• Easily confused with ADHD symptoms

Identifying and dealing with anxiety in children:• Professional assessment tools that gather

information from multiple sources (family, school, friends, etc.)

• Relationship building between parent and child and teacher/caregiver and child

• Calming techniques and breathing exercises can be taught to reduce anxiety

Source: https://bit.ly/2HmXKlK

Data Dashboard Under DevelopmentSBDP is collaborating with agencies across Danville and Pittsylvania County to develop a school readiness data dashboard that tracks the availability, usage, and impact of resources and services related to school readiness. The dashboard will inform areas in greatest need of attention, resource gaps, and improvement strategies.

The School Readiness Data Steering Committee is working to identify and finalize data points for the dashboard; creating data sharing agreements; designing reporting templates; ensuring that data is updated and distributed as needed; and developing strategies to create a “continuous cycle of learning” for all workgroup partners.

Our partners on the dashboard are: CIC-Head Start, Danville-Pittsylvania Community Services, Danville Public Schools, Danville Regional Foundation, Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, Office of Children’s Services, PCCA-Head Start, Pittsylvania County Public Schools, Scale Up Recruiter, Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, Virginia Department of Social Services, PCCA-Head Start, and Pittsylvania County Public Schools.

PANDEMIC BRIGHT SPOTSSBDP, in concert with many community distribution partners, provided “Let’s Play” resource boxes to 460 vulnerable families with children ages birth to 5 who are experiencing increased economic and emotional stress due to the pandemic. The boxes contained age-appropriate toys and books to support the social and emotional needs of the family during this challenging “stay at home” period, including trauma informed guidance for handling child concerns and behavior during this crisis.

SBDP also gave “Recognition Stipends” to the eighteen childcare providers who remained open to serve essential workers during the pandemic despite risk for personal health and additional operational challenges. Thank you to all childcare providers for going above and beyond to let parents know we’re here for them!

FREE MATH READINESS APPSAre you looking for ways to improve your child’s math score, increase their confidence level, or reduce math anxiety? Look no further!

MiniMath, for kids 3-5 years old, and Bedtime Math, for kids 3-9 years old, are FREE apps on iOS and Android that are proven effective. The goal of these apps is to help kids love math as much as they love playtime or dessert.

Every day a playful story is posted followed by different levels of math questions for families to do together. Kids can tackle them at breakfast or dinner, bath time or bedtime – wherever it fits in the family routine. You can also receive daily math stories and math videos by signing up through your email at www.bedtimemath.org. Best of all, it’s proven to work! What are you waiting for?

GET STARTED WITH 4 SIMPLE STEPS:1. Open the Apps icon on your smartphone2. Search for “Bedtime Math” or “MiniMath” 3. Select and download the app of your choice (or both!)4. Once the app has been downloaded, you will be prompted to select a language (English or Spanish) and to enter a community code (click “I do not have a code”). BEGIN!

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“This is just so awesome, y’all really go all out for us. Thank you!” - Healthy Families parent

INCLUSION: NAVIGATING A PANDEMICOctober 8, 2020 | 6:15 - 8:15 PM

HEALTH AND SAFETY: WHOSE JOB IS IT? Director’s Forum for Owners, Directors and AdministrationOctober 19, 2020 | 12:30-2:30 PM

INCLUSION FUSIONOctober 23, 2020 | 12:30-2:30 PMOR November 3, 2020 | 6:15-8:15 PM

COLLABORATING WITH FAMILIES AROUND CHALLENGING BEHAVIORSNovember 10, 2020 | 6:15-8:15 PMOR November 13, 2020 | 12:30-2:30 PM

FAMILIES ARE WELCOME HEREDirectors Forum for Owners, Directors and AdministratorsNovember 16, 2020 | 12:00-2:00 PM

GIVING CHILDREN THEIR BEST CHANCEDecember 4, 2020 | 12:30-2:30 PM

RESPONSIVE CAREGIVINGDecember 8, 2020 | 6:15-8:15 PMOR December 11, 2020 | 12:30-2:30 PM

Infant and Toddler Specialist Stephanie Mann is looking forward to sharing creative ideas, resources and support with the following childcare providers participating in the Virginia Infant and Toddler Specialist Network during the next twelve months:

CHILDCARE CENTERS • Truth and Worship Ministries TWO Cares, Danville• Caring Hearts Academy, Mecklenburg County• Just Kids Too, Danville • Impact Church of God – Little Lambs

FAMILY DAY HOMES• Lori Poveromo, Evington• Belinda Lewis, Amherst Co. • Kristen Hahn, Evington • Wanda Joyner, Danville• Michelle Young, Nathalie

There are spots remaining for childcare providers interested in participating in this FREE service. Contact Smart Beginnings DP at 434.797.8887 for more information.

REGISTER NOW FOR FREE SUPPORT

These trainings are for childcare and family day home providers serving ages 0-3. Call us at 434-797-8887, or email [email protected], to register today!

UPCOMING VIRTUAL TRAININGS

“Stephanie was a blessing. I thought I was organized, but now everything is labeled and the kids enjoy the space so much more.”– Rachel McQuigg, owner of GrandCare in Nathalie, VA

133 Robertson AvenueDanville, VA 24541Phone: (434) 797-8887Fax: (434)[email protected]

This publication supported by: The Virginia Infant & Toddler Specialist Network is a program of Child Development Resources, www.cdr.org, and is supported by the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) Grant #93.575, with funds made available to Virginia from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Danville Regional Foundation.

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