The Key Connection Week of November 16, 2015

Look What’s in This

Week’s Edition

Mark Your Calendars

Refining Keystone STARS

Simply SACC Newsletter – Now Available

Ask the Key!

Early Childhood Newsletter – Now Available

Family Conferences in a Home Day Care

Family Engagement: Program Evaluation and Family Feedback

Transitions: Participating in Community/School Transition Activities

Looking at Families Through a Different Lens

County Exchanges

Conversation with the Key

2015-2016 Community Days

Community Days At-A-Glance

Nature Walk

Professional Development Registry Corner: How to Complete an Evaluation on the PD Registry

Recorded Webinar: Overview of the 2014 Learning Standards for Early childhood now available online

Professional Development Corner

Infant Toddler Project

ERS Flyers

Information for Families

The FREE Early Learning GPS App is Ready for You!

Crafts for Kids – Fall Leaves Turkey Craft

Here are some important dates to remember

November 2015

Child Safety Protection Month

Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children Month

26 Thanksgiving Day

December 2015

1 Eat a Red Apple Day

7 Monroe County Exchange

8 National Brownie Day

13 Ice Cream Day

15 Conversation with the Key

The Key Connection is a publication of the Northeast Regional Key a division of Community Services for Children,

1520 Hanover Ave., Allentown, PA 18109 Phone: 610-437-6000 or 800-528-7222, Fax: 610-432-5700

Beth Gambone, Editor bgambone@cscinc.org, ext. 2391

Ivy Reynolds, AD of Professional Development ireynolds@cscinc.org, ext. 2328

Kim Bastian, AD of Keystone STARS kbastian@cscinc.org, ext. 2330

Raine Neal, Director NE Regional Key rneal@cscinc.org, ext. 2303

Keystone STARS Programs look for the “star” for information that pertains specifically to STAR Programs.

Letter from the Northeast Key Director

Greetings, As you may be aware the Keystone STARS Inquiry Report has been released. This report will provide OCDEL with direction regarding how to move the Keystone STARS Program forward. I would encourage you to read either the full report or the summary. When OCDEL seeks your input, try to take the time to participate. We will keep you posted about the opportunities as we learn of them.

The Early Childhood and the Simply SAC newsletter are available for you on the CSC website. We hope you will take time to read the newsletter and send your feedback to us. I look forward to hearing how you have used the information in the newsletter. Happy reading!

We have been adding articles applicable to many of you participating in Keystone STARS. Look for the small STAR throughout the newsletter; this signifies the connection to STARS.

It is important to the entire NEK staff team that we understand your needs. With that in mind we have many opportunities for you to share your comments. You can participate in the Conversations with the Key these are held monthly and we try to keep you posted about the happenings and answer questions that were submitted or asked on the phone. The County Exchange is geared to a specific county. This provides us with an opportunity to hear what the community needs are and develop some ways to address the situation. These county meetings are very helpful as it gives us a glimpse into life in your county. A provider asked us if we would have an office in their county and although it is not practical for us to have an office in every county, we do have Community Days, where your STARS Manager is available. Please take advantage of these opportunities – help us meet your ongoing needs!

Our STARS Managers are available to answer your questions, please email them or give them a call. Please remember to leave a detailed message when you call your STARS Manager or anyone on our team. This will help us to get back to you with an answer to your question. We traditionally are able to return your call within 2 days. You can also send in your question to the NE Key at nekeycorr@cscinc.org please type in the subject line Ask the Key. Look forward to hearing from you soon.

If you are going to the Early Learning Summit please stop by our table……The 5 Regional Keys will be represented. I look forward to seeing you at the Summit and learning together.

I wanted to pause and say Thank You to you and your staff for their dedication, leadership and commitment to teaching! How fortunate we are to have you working on behalf of our children and families. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Raine

Ask the Key!

Do you have a pressing question that you think other Practitioners in our Region would like an answer to?

Don’t want to wait for the Conversation with the Key or Key Exchange to get them answered?

Here is your chance to get an answer to your question!

Email nekeycorr@cscinc.org and put “Ask the Key” in the subject line. We will include your questions with an answer in an upcoming edition of The Key Connection.

Refining Keystone STARS

Pennsylvania’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, Keystone STARS, is one of the most mature systems in the country to improve quality in child care / early learning programs. As Pennsylvania strives to increase access to high-quality services, now is the time to refine Keystone STARS so that it is more efficient for providers to participate and more effective at improving child outcomes.

On November 10, 2015, the William Penn Foundation released “An Inquiry of Pennsylvania’s Keystone STARS.” The Inquiry will be the springboard to inform this refinement.

Visit the PA Keys website at https://www.pakeys.org/pages/get.aspx?page=Refining_STARS to read the Executive Summary and full report. There is also a video of the November 10th “Quality Talks” event and other information regarding the refining of Keystone STARS.

Simply SACC Newsletter

Quarter 2 Edition of the Simply SACC Newsletter

is now available!!!

We have attached a copy of the newsletter for your convenience. You can also find this current newsletter as well as past editions on the CSC Website under the Simply SACC section.

Early Childhood Newsletter

The November/December 2015 Mental Health Edition is now available!!!

This edition talks about Time Out-Should You Be Using It? We have attached a copy of the newsletter for your convenience. You can also find this current newsletter as well as past editions on the CSC Website

under the Early Childhood Mental Health section.

Family Conferences in a Home Day Care By Dolores Vazquez

Family conferences are a time set aside for you to discuss a child’s progress and development and for parents to ask questions about their child and the program. These conferences usually happens twice a year. A written report should always accompany a conference meeting. The conference meeting gives you, as a provider, the opportunity to share your observations about a child’s strength, and to make suggestions for ways that the parent’s can enhance their child’s development at home. Other important areas to cover during the conference is to show examples of child’s work, sharing activities that their child seems to enjoy, and stressing ways that their child had made progress over the months. Tips for family and provider conference:

1. Prepare and send home that invites families to meet with you, state the purpose of the conference, and list potential times, including afternoon and evening slots.

2. Decide upon the goals for the conference (one or two will do). 3. Prepare an agenda that you share with parents before the conference. 4. Plan questions to ask, points to make, and suggestions to offer. 5. Ask parents to bring to the conference a list of their child’s strengths and weaknesses as they perceive them. 6. Collect samples of child’s work to display. 7. Prepare to explain your goals and teaching strategies. 8. Schedule enough time for questions and discussion. 9. Pull together necessary materials such as a daily schedule of classroom activities, a checklist of skill areas and

notes on child progress. Remember, families should know that you will always make time to discuss questions and concerns about their child.

Conferencias de Familia en un Hogar de Cuidado Infantil By Dolores Vazquez

Conferencias familiares son un tiempo reservado para que usted pueda discutir el progreso y el desarrollo del niño y para que los padres hagan preguntas sobre su hijo y el programa. Estas conferencias por lo regular suceden dos veces al año. Un informe escrito siempre debe acompañar la reunión de conferencia. La reunión de conferencia le da, como proveedor, la oportunidad de compartir sus observaciones acerca de la fortaleza de un niño, y hacer sugerencias para que el padre pueda mejorar el desarrollo de sus hijos en casa. Otras áreas importantes para cubrir durante la conferencia es mostrar ejemplos del trabajo de los niños, compartiendo las actividades que su hijo parece disfrutar, y haciendo hincapié en maneras de que su hijo había realizado avances durante los meses. Consejos Para las Familias y el Proveedor Durante la Conferencia:

1. Preparar y enviar la invitación al hogar de las familias a reunirse con usted, indicar el propósito de la conferencia, y la lista de tiempos potenciales, incluyendo horarios de tarde y noche.

2. Decidir sobre los objetivos de la conferencia (uno o dos lo harán). 3. Preparar una agenda que se comparte con los padres antes de la conferencia. 4. Planear preguntas que hacer, puntos a hacer, y sugerencias que ofrecer. 5. Pida a los padres que traigan a la conferencia una lista de las fortalezas y debilidades de sus hijos como ellos

los perciben. 6. Recopile muestras del trabajo de los niños para mostrar. 7. Prepárese para explicar sus objetivos y estrategias de enseñanza. 8. Establezca suficiente tiempo para preguntas y discusiones. 9. Reúna los materiales necesarios, tales como un programa diario de actividades en el programa de familia, una

lista de áreas de habilidades y notas sobre el progreso del niño. Recuerde, las familias deben saber que usted siempre va a hacer tiempo para discutir las preguntas y preocupaciones acerca de su hijo.

Family Engagement

Program Evaluation and Family Feedback By Kathleen McCabe

High quality early childhood and school age programs involve families in the continuous quality process. Suggestion boxes, surveys, evaluations, and questionnaires are typical resources programs use to gain feedback regarding experiences their children and families are having with the program. Evaluation and feedback should be available on a continuous basis for families. Evaluations at a minimum should take place yearly. In higher quality programs evaluations and surveys take place on a six month basis or even quarterly. Some may ask how do programs get the surveys or evaluations returned. Incentives for the classroom with the highest return rate of evaluations. This may range from the teacher and children selecting a new item for the classroom to a winner from that room receives a free day of service. Parents have also been asked to complete a brief survey when receiving children’s assessments. Anonymity is very important to parents especially when concerns are expressed when completing surveys or evaluations. Each program needs to determine the best way to gather feedback for their program. Surveys should focus on the current year and questions/concerns that need to be answered. Suggestion boxes need to be checked on a regular basis and concerns/success acknowledge to all families. Celebrate successes and follow up with concerns families may have even if you cannot fix the problem right away. Acknowledgement of the families’ participation will help foster future participation in program evaluation.

Transitions

Participating in Community/School Transition Activities Amber Ruch

Research shows that coordination between the pre-kindergarten and elementary setting can maintain and potentially maximize gains for children achieved in pre-kindergarten. In particular, building interagency relationships creates a seamless system of transition from birth to 5 years of age. Below are ways to enhance your participation in community/school transition activities: Plan and initiate transition activities when there are none available in the area applicable to your

program. Allow time for teachers to attend transitioning activities offered in the community. Designate school liaison with background in meeting the diverse needs of families (cultural

backgrounds, poverty issues, and knowledge on exceptionalities/abilities). Bring an individual in to speak on self-care tips for your school-age parents. Advertise school district events to encourage parent participation.

Looking at Families Through a Different Lens

By Denise Continenza, M.Ed.

Caring for children extends way beyond the time you spend with them in your program. Caring for children also includes considering the wellness of the child’s family. More and more we are seeing families struggling to get through the day to meet the needs of all their members. Financial stress, time demands and general life circumstances take their toll. Some families navigate through these situations better than others, but one thing is certain: All families have strengths, and all families can use support. When a family’s demands outweigh their resources, child abuse and neglect are more likely to happen. While we need to react to signs of abuse and neglect, another approach we can take is to help families build on their strengths and create an environment where children can thrive. Extensive research conducted by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) has shown that there are factors that when present in families, keep children safe and strong. These five protective factors for children and families are:

Parental Resilience- the ability of parents to get through tough times;

Social Connections- a network of people that parents can go to for help;

Knowledge of parenting and child development- basic understanding of what children do at different ages and stages and what they need from parents;

Support in times of need- access to help for needed resources;

Social and emotional development of children If these conditions are present in a family, there is a lesser chance that a child will be abused or neglected. Known as the Protective Factors Framework, these five elements provide anyone who interacts with children a lens through which to view all families. They serve as checklist which guides how we might support parents in raising their children. When you encounter a parent who, for example, is speaking harshly to their child, rather than judging them, ask yourself where this parent might be in relation to the protective factors. Does this parent have a good understanding of typical child behavior, or does she need more information? Does the father know where to go for help when facing challenges, or does he need resources? Has this new family in town established a support network? Have they connected with other parents/families that are similar to theirs? We can also use the Framework as a lens for looking at our programs and interactions with families. How well does my program or activity support these Five Protective Factors? How can my program bring the Protective Factors to life for the families with whom I work? There is a national effort to educate and promote the Protective Factors Framework among everyone who works with children and families. Locally, the Protective Factors Framework training is being delivered by Denise Continenza from Penn State Extension in Lehigh County. With funding from the NE Key, the series of 7 two-hour workshops prepares early childhood practitioners to look at families from a strengths-based perspective and support them in the development of robust protective factors. Visit the PA Key Registry for upcoming dates, times and locations of workshops, or contact the instructor at dhc128@psu.edu

County Exchanges

Do you have questions you would like answered about Designations, Grants, or Professional Development? Do you have something you would like to share with the Regional Key that pertains to happenings in your county? Each county is unique and has their own needs. It’s your chance to tell us!!!!! It is a time to chat with Raine Neal and Team Leaders. Maybe your county has a specific need that we can work together to

resolve the situation…….

Well here is your chance!

This year we will be offering County Exchange Conference Calls with each individual County throughout the Northeast Region. This is your chance to talk with members of the Northeast Regional Key and get your

questions answered and the best thing is you don’t have to leave you facility!

Check below to see when your County’s Exchange will take place! Share your thoughts about services in the community…what additional needs do you have?

We want to be sure we understand your needs!

If the date of an Exchange needs to be changed we will notify only the individuals who have registered.

County Date Time Monroe County December 7, 2015 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Wyoming County January 4, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Columbia County February 15, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Schuylkill County February 22, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Pike County February 29, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Lackawanna County March 7, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Carbon County March 14, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Luzerne County April 11, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Bucks County April 18, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Northampton County May 16, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Lehigh County June 6, 2016 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

How do you join the County Exchange for your area?

1st Register to attend the appropriate County Exchange at

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FN7JVSN

2nd on the day of your County Exchange Call:

Conference Call Number: 712-432-0390 Participant Code: 157031#

We look forward to talking with you and answering your questions!

Check out the Conversation with the Key opportunities on the next page!

2015-2016 Community Days STARS Managers throughout the Northeast Region have been offering a Community Day in the counties they work in. No need to come to our office we will come to your county! A Community Day is a day that the STARS Manager is available in a public meeting space (such as a library, church, community room, etc.) to meet with Early Learning and School Age practitioners at any time throughout the day. This is a perfect time to review grant applications, enrollment calculation tools, career lattice, STAR level worksheets, discussing clarifications on a specific standard or documentation. In some counties the STARS Manager will offer a Learning Community or discussion group that day as well. You can make an appointment (to ensure you have a meeting time) to meet with your STARS Manager next time they are in your county or you can walk in!

Check out the Community Days At-A-Glance on the next page to see when your STARS Manager will be in your County.

Conversation with the Key

Do you have questions for the staff at the Northeast Regional Key and can’t wait for your County Exchange or your County Exchange already took place?

Here is another chance to talk with the Regional Key!

This is open to anyone in any county. Find out what is happening in the Northeast Regional Key and in the

state. This is also a time to get your questions answered by Regional Key Staff. The Conversations with the Key will be held via Conference Call so you don’t have to leave your program and travel.

Mark your calendars with these dates!

December 15, 2015 - 9:00 am – 10:00 am January 5, 2016 - 9:00 am – 10:00 am

February 4, 2016 - 9:00 am – 10:00 am March 1, 2016 - 9:00 am – 10:00 am April 5, 2016 - 9:00 am – 10:00 am May 3, 2016 - 9:00 am – 10:00 am

How do you join Conversation with the Key?

1st Register to attend at

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F3DNTH8

2nd on the day of Conversation With the Key Call:

Conference Call Number: 712-432-0390 Participant Code: 157031#

Community Days At-A-Glance

County STARS Manager

Location Day Time

Berks Dolores Mary’s Day Care 550 N. 3rd St., Reading (Enter through Playground Area)

Location: TBA

12/8/15

2/4/16, 4/7/16, 6/2/16

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Later Time – By Request Only

Berks Nancy Panera Bread – Use door at Patio Entrance 4395 Perkiomen Ave, Reading

12/17/15, 1/21/16, 2/18/16, 3/17/16

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Bradford Dana Blast IU 17 Canton 33 Springbrook Drive, Canton

2/23/16, 5/12/16 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Bucks Alli Wegmans – Food Court 1405 North Main Street, Warrington

12/22/15, 2/23/16, 4/26/16, 6/28/16

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Bucks Angie Corner Bakery Café 3 West Road, Newtown

2/9/16, 5/10/16 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Bucks Liz Panera Bread (meet in the back room) Langhorne Shopping Center 1345 Lincoln Hwy, Levittown

12/8/15, 1/12/16, 2/9/16, 3/8/16

9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Carbon Siyheda Palmerton Library – Small Board Room 402 Delaware Ave., Palmerton

12/15/15, 3/15/16, 6/14/16

10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Columbia Dana Bloomsburg Public Library 225 Market St., Bloomsburg

12/3/15, 3/22/16, 6/7/16

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Lackawanna Kathleen (Even months) Infant Care at Covenant Presbyterian 550 Madison Ave., Scranton

(Odd months) Carbondale YMCA Community Room 82 N Main St., Carbondale

12/17/15, 2/18/16, 4/21/16, 6/23/16

1/21/16, 3/24/16, 5/19/16

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Lehigh Alli Wegmans – Food Court 3900 W. Tilghman St., Allentown

12/9/15, 1/13/16, 2/10/16, 3/9/16

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Lehigh Dolores Community Services for Children 1520 Hanover Avenue, Allentown Room 4B

12/22/15, 1/28/16, 2/25/16, 3/24/16

1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Later Time – By Request Only

Lehigh Rochelle Panera Bread 3100 Tilghman St., Allentown

1/13/16, 4/13/16 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Luzerne Amber Hoyt Library 284 Wyoming Ave, Kingston

11/24/15, 12/15/15, 1/26/16, 2/23/16, 3/29/16

9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Lycoming Claudia Panera Bread 202 Basin Street, Williamsport

12/3/15, 1/7/16, 2/4/16, 3/3/16

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. By Appointment Only!

Lycoming Claudia James V. Brown Library Winters Room 19 East 4th St., Williamsport

12/15/15, 1/19/16, 2/16/16, 3/15/16

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Join the Lunch at Noon with a bagged lunch

Monroe Kathleen (Odd Months) Coolbaugh Township Building 5580 Memorial Blvd., Tobyhanna

1/4/16, 3/8/16, 5/10/16

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Community Days At-A-Glance (Continued)

County STARS Manager

Location Day Time

Northampton Rochelle Wegmans (Enter at Market Café, located on left in café area) 3791 Easton/Nazareth Hwy, Easton

12/8/15, 1/12/16, 2/9/16, 3/8/16

10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Pike Kathleen Pike County Library 119 E. Harford St., Milford

12/14/15, 2/16/16, 4/12/16, 6/14/16

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Schuylkill Amber Schuylkill County Penn State Coop Ext 1202 Ag Center Dr., Pottsville

12/1/15, 1/5/16, 2/2/16, 3/2/16

9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Susquehanna Dana Montrose Public Library 18 Monument St., Montrose

12/7/2015, 3/28/16, 6/13/16

10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Tioga Dana Tokishi Training Center 124 Nypum Dr., Wellsboro

1/26/16 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Wayne Kathleen CCIS Office Hawley 5 Main St., Hawley

1/19/16, 3/15/16, 5/17/16

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Wyoming Dana H.A.N.D.S of Wyoming County 41 Philadelphia Ave., Tunkhannock

4/26/16, 6/21/16 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Nature Walk By Victoria Klaus

It’s the perfect time of year to spend time talking your class on a nature walk. Take a walk through your neighborhood and talk about the sights and sounds of fall. Encourage your children to talk about the changing colors of the leaves, the cold chilly feeling in the air, and any animals they see. A change in season can be best explained to children as they see and experience the change around them. After your walk have children draw a picture of their trip and what they saw during their walk. Have them dictate a sentence about what changes and discoveries they saw. During your walk collect fall leaves to place in the science center. Children can explore the leaves and sort them by color, shape, or size. Books about trees and leaves can also be added to the center to allow children to match and explore what types of trees the leaves came from. Be sure to laminate the leaves for extra durability. Books about fall can also be added to your library or book center so that children can look at pictures and share connections with the walk they took around their neighborhood. There are lots of ways to incorporate this activity into your classroom. Complete a nature walk every time the season changes and talk with children about the differences they see.

PD Registry Tip of the Week

How to Complete an Evaluation on the PD Registry Title: You have completed the professional development, now what? How do complete the evaluation? Go to the PD Registry, My Learning Path, then follow the attached directions!

Recorded webinar: Overview of the 2014 Learning Standards for Early Childhood now available online

A new recorded webinar of the 2014 Learning Standards for Early Childhood is now available online. Pennsylvania's Learning Standards for Early Childhood are research-based according to age and development, and form the foundation for curriculum, assessment, instruction and intervention within early care and education programs. The 2009 Infant, Toddler and Pre-Kindergarten Standards have been revised to reflect current research-based content and integration, and to align with the Pennsylvania Core Standards. The 2014 revised standards mirror the standards found on the Standards Aligned System (SAS) in the learning domains of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science (including Environment and Ecology), Social Studies, and Social and Emotional Development. Refinements also have been made to: Partnerships for Learning (Family Engagement); Approaches to Learning Through Play; Creative Thinking and Expression; and Health, Wellness and Physical Development.

All state-funded programs will have one year to transition to the 2014 Infant, Toddler and Pre-Kindergarten Standards. Required implementation of the 2014 Infant, Toddler and Pre-Kindergarten Standards begins July 1, 2015.

CHECK IT OUT!

The webinar for Pennsylvania’s 2014 Learning Standards for Early Childhood Refresher has been recorded in a different format for easier viewing access. Those who have already registered for the course in the PD Registry, may access the link for the webinar by clicking on the title under the Module in the My Courses section of the PD Registry.

Directions: Please follow these steps to view the webinar on the PA Key website: Click on the Career Development link Click on the Standards link on the left side of the page Click on the link 2014 and 2015 Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for Early Childhood

How to Complete an Evaluation on the PD Registry (Continued)

Professional Development Corner

Professional Development

Calendar

We have heard from many of you that this has been a very useful tool in helping you locate Professional Development on the PD Registry. Use the key words in the titles on the Calendar to look up Professional Development for you and your staff.

Check out this week’s Professional Development Calendar with events

from November 23, 2015 through December 31, 2015

To Register for events go to the PD Registry at www.pakeys.org

Lackawanna College Director’s Credential Course

Part 1 begins February 2, 2016 Part 2 begins March 15, 2016 Part 3 begins April 19, 2016

5:30 pm to 8:15 pm

Location:

Lackawanna College 501 Vine Street, Room 204, Scranton

Cost: $60.00 per part

(payable to Lackawanna College)

This tree part accelerated course offers the work necessary for directors, or aspiring

directors, to complete in order to apply for a PA Director’s Credential. Participants will attend

one evening a week in the classroom, one day a week in the field, plus additional coursework to

meet the required hours.

**Students must register for all courses on the PD Registry**

Register on the PD Registry on the PA Key Website. Type in Lackawanna College in the

course catalog search box to locate the course.

Students must also register with Lackawanna College. Contact Laurie Mielo at 570-967-7813

for a registration form.

Luzerne County Professional Development Day

March 5, 2016 Hazleton YMCA/YWCA

81 South Church Street, Hazleton

8:00 am – 10:00 am Understanding Challenging Behaviors and Seeing

Children in a New Way (K2.13 C2)

10:15 am – 12:15 pm Who’s To Say All They Do is Play? (K2, 12 C2)

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Embracing Possibilities: Including Children with Special

Needs (K3.5 C2)

Register on the PD Registry at www.pakeys.org

Cost: $7.00 per session

$21.00 for the full day

Lunch is on your own

Flyers with more information regarding these events are located on

the CSC Website under the Professional Development Section in the Resource &

Reference Library

We offer supports to help your

infant/toddler program work on

quality improvement in interactions,

classroom environments and

management, challenging behaviors,

curriculum planning and many other

topics. Support is provided on-site

and during your hours of operation.

Openings may be available in

your county before the year

runs out!

Northeast Regional Key

Consultants:

Shannon Cohick and Masha

Levin

For more information contact:

Northeast Regional Key

Diane Milia

dianem@cscinc.org

800-528-7222 x 2329

NORTHEAST REGIONAL KEY PRESENTS:

THE INFANT/TODDLER PROJECT

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS

OPPORTUNITY FOR FREE

ON-SITE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

AND COACHING!!!

Resources, lending library, earn up to 6

Professional Development hours in the PD

Registry.

Digital Media! What is it?

Are you technologically savvy? What

technology do you use in your classrooms?

Come join in the discussion, and discuss what

you NEED to know for the children you teach!

(Receive FREE resources and a light snack too!)

NE Key Professional Development

Sign Up Today !!!

December 1, 2015

6:30-8:30pm

CSC/NE Key

1520 Hanover Ave

Allentown, PA 18109

Sign up now on the PD Registry

at www.pakeys.org

Look in Course Catalog for:

Digital Media Literacy &

Technology Tools for Early

Learning: Are you ready for

the Digital Media Age?

Assessing Your Tech

Readiness

Don’t Miss Out!

Register today!!

Seating Limited!

ERS Online: Early Child-hood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) Available Now!ERS Online: Early Childhood Environment Rat-ing Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) is now available in the PD Registry. This 3-hour self-paced online professional development is part of the Keystone STARS core training series. In addition to meet-ing the scale specific professional development requirement, this course also meets the require-ment for Environment Rating Scale Foundations -101. Successful completion of this module and its assignments will be equal to 3 PQAS hours.

To register for this online seminar:1. Log in to the PD Registry at www.pakeys.org2. Click on the “Course Catalog” button3. Search “ECERS-R” in the text search field4. Click on the course “ERS Online: Early Child-

hood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R)”

5. Click “Buy $7.00” and complete registration.

After registering for the course, the modules have to be completed in order and the book must be ordered and received before you can contin-ue.

For those of you who prefer face-to-face trainings, don’t worry! The Program Quality Assessment team will still offer face-to-face ERS professional development as well!

ERS Online: School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale Updated (SACERS-U) Available Now!This self-paced online seminar is part of the Key-stone STARS core training series. This course also fulfills the ERS Foundations requirement. Successful completion of the SACERS-U mod-ule and its assignments will be equal to 3 PQAS hours.

To register for this online seminar:1. Log in to the PD Registry at www.pakeys.org2. Click on the “Course Catalog” button3. Search “SACERS-U” in the text search field4. Click on the course “ERS Online: School-Age

Care Environment Rating Scale Updated (SACERS-U)”

5. Click “Buy $7.00” and complete registration.

After registering for the course, the modules have to be completed in order and the book must be ordered and received before you can contin-ue.

For those of you who prefer face-to-face trainings, don’t worry! The Program Quality Assessment team will still offer face-to-face ERS professional development as well!

SACERS-U Professional Development Course Hand-Out Module: Step by Step Tip

Sheet

The SACERS-U is the first in the ERS core series with a “Course Handouts Module.”

This module will allow you to download the materials used during the SACERS-U

PD session to your personal device or download and print your materials. You will

need to complete the Course Handouts Module prior to attending a face to face SACERS-U Professional

Development session. Please note that PD instructors will not provide copies of the session materials. Once

your SACERS-U course registration is completed and payment submitted, complete the following steps to

access your SACERS-U PD session materials:

Step 1: After registering, access your purchased course in My Learning in the Professional Development Registry.

Step 2: Open the Course Handouts Module to find the link to the ERS Professional Development Resource page.

Click Link

Click Link

Step 3: Find “visit this link” in the Instructions and Downloads box and click the link

Step 4: Locate the SACERS-U button on the ERS PD Resource Page and click the link.

Step 5: Click the individual handout links to download and save or print the handouts.

You will be able to return to the SACERS-U Resource Page at any time after purchasing your course. If any of

the hand-outs are updated or new hand-outs are added to the SACERS-U course, you will be able to access

those materials by following the steps outlined above.

Click Link

Click Link

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Crafts for Kids

Fall Leaves Turkey Craft This craft not only is something fun for the kids to do, but it’s also a learning experience. In order to start this craft you will need leaves from fall trees or bushes. So what better way to get these leaves but to go on a nature walk with your kids. During your nature walk you can talk about all the different things that you see. Then when you get back you can look at all of the different types of leaves that you found and talk about the different colors and shapes that you found while your kids are making the turkey.

What you will need: Fall tree and bush leaves Construction Paper Scissors Glue

Find as man leaves as you can (the faller the leaf the better). The leaves will be the feathers for the turkey. Take a piece of plain construction paper and glue the leaves down to make the feathers of the turkey. Next use your construction paper to cut out the body, two small circles for the eyes, a triangle for the beak, a long skinny shape for the wattle, and fork like pieces for the legs. Use your Turkeys to decorate for your Thanksgiving Dinner and show them off to your family and friends! Source: 50 Fall Crafts for Kids: Craft Ideas Your Family Will Love, Freebie Finding Mom, http://www.freebiefindingmom.com/50-fall-crafts-for-kids/