Happy New Year – please!
In the same way that we know you have always been superstars when it comes to hand-washing, cleaning and disinfecting, but now everyone is doing it even more; well, we always appreciated how you are with the children, how caring, observant, and attentive to their needs – after the last 10 months, we appreciate you even more!
We see you. We see you showing up day after day, doing everything you did before, and more. We see you watching even more closely to know how the children are doing. We see you working together to ask questions, get answers, and share information. We see you making the best of a very hard situation.
We feel like we are playing the same broken record, and not knowing when it will be over. We’ve not only had to deal with COVID, we’ve had wild fires, danger of flash floods, we had no water for 3 very long days at our house, and as I write this the entire Aspen end of the valley has had the gas shut off – so no heat for maybe 2 days and nights. We have no idea what to prepare for next, and I’m not sure we want to know.
It’s demoralizing, and we know it’s taking a toll on our mental health, our physical health, our economic health, even relationships take a lot more work lately. At the risk of being that broken record, please know that you can do this, even if you need a break, don’t give up. There are services and people in our communities that continue to help, however they can. Please ask for help when you need it. These links and phone numbers are for you, don’t hesitate to reach out: Please don’t let go now, we are all so weary and it would be so easy to relax the rules; but please know that what you are doing makes a difference to so many people. You can do this, and we can help. And in a couple months, let’s hope there is something different and better to write about! Shirley
Director - Kids First
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Licensing Corner
Twas the season of giving and the season of got.
The season for calmness it definitely was not.
We here at licensing were ragged and disheveled
but the spirit was high and the attitude leveled.
Lots of changes in how all of us operate
and the number of maskers really did cooperate.
When out in the office a voice of clarity, rose above, the insanity.
“Remember to wear a mask and clean up the droplets
Stick to the basics for handling the kidlets”
With new background checks in rule seven point seven zero one point three three “H”
Technical assistance is the course we will take.
Now Zooming from roof tops and acting like a Jetson
To New sources of available, funding to fill up a Stetson
No fancy or smancy just stay to the course and we will all get through this,
USE THE “FORCE”
My favorite year closure is from Whoville and I quote.
It’s meaning can not ever be un-spoke
“Welcome Christmas. Bring your cheer,
Cheer to all Whos, far and near.
Christmas Day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to grasp.
Christmas Day will always be
Just as long as we have we.
Welcome Christmas while we stand
Heart to heart and hand in hand.”
Be Safe and if you need us, we will be here
Mark Sandy Rebecca
970-319-3570 720-660-7136 970-987-7524
mlapka@garfield-county.com Sandra.jennings@state.co.us rromeyn@garfield-county.com
Deb Bair Monica De La Espriella
970-945-9191 ext 3068 970-945-9191 ext 3064
dbair@garfield-county.com mdelaespriellamoreno@garfield-county.com
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Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Council: Funding Update
The clock is ticking for CSQI participants! If you have Colorado Shines Quality Improvement (CSQI) funds here are some important things to keep in mind when spending your QI dollars:Preliminary deadline-Friday, February 26th Final deadline Wednesday, March 31st Check out our website for spending tips and videos: https://rmecc.org/colorado-shines/If you and your coach feel you are ready to spend your dollars by the end of February please do so! Make sure to plan accordingly as February will be here before we know it. Your coach is also aware of this deadline!
Have you been wanting to engage in Colorado Shines funding?!
There is still time to apply for CSQI dollars!
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Much needed updates for QRIS:You may have noticed your QRIS portal got a facelift! To check out your Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) portal, go to: https://www.coloradoshines.com/. All of your program’s information should have carried over. If you are experiencing any problems, we want to know. Contact Kristin Sparkman 719-293-2378 or email at: rmeccspecialist@mtnvalley.org.
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The Colorado Early Learning & Development Guidelines help kids grow and succeed. We all have a role to play in preparing Colorado’s kids for a healthy and successful future. No matter how we interact with young children -- whether we’re first-time parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors or early childhood professionals -- we all can play a role in giving kids a strong start in life.
That is why Colorado has developed the Early Learning and Development Guidelines.
Colorado’s Early Learning and Development Guidelines describe a child’s learning and development from birth to 8 years old and provide practical tips and fun ideas that anyone can use to support young children’s healthy development.
The Guidelines recognize that all children learn, grow and develop differently. What works for one child may not work for another, and that’s OK! When parents and caregivers follow a child’s lead and support him or her with caring, consistent relationships and positive experiences, both the parent and the child will thrive.
The Early Learning and Development Guidelines can be adapted to children with different abilities, cultures and languages and are designed for both parents to use at home and for child care providers to use in their program.
As parents and caregivers, our role in supporting children’s healthy development starts by simply getting involved – using the tools we already have to build strong, supportive relationships with our children and helping them feel safe and secure to learn and explore the world around them. The Guidelines help with this.
Here is an example of a tip sheet:
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Coaching CornerAdley Kent and Megan Monaghan
Back in March, did we think the COVID restrictions would last into the winter, let alone the new year? I sure didn’t. One consistent concern I hear from teachers is, “How are children going to learn empathy and emotional literacy with these blasted masks on?” You have all done so much work to make teaching children social-emotional skills a top priority in your classrooms, and now this. Masks pose a huge challenge to recognizing facial expressions. The new Pyramid web site, The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations has been hard at work finding ways to help you continue in this important endeavor. Resources include recommendations on how to help children understand emotions when wearing masks, how to use the new feelings faces to assist children with understanding their feelings and the feelings of others, and a beautiful YouTube video demonstrating the signs for different feelings. We know you are all doing more than you ever have to teach the children in your classrooms and provide a safe, healthy, responsive, caring and rich learning experience. We hope these tools help you to continue in your efforts, and make it just a little bit easier this new year, to keep teaching your students those critical social and emotional competencies.
Links for NCPMI resources:
https://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/docs/Wearing-Masks_Tipsheet.pdf
https://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/docs/FeelingFaces_chart_template.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91foGHKuwL0
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Reflections on 2020Looking back at March 13th and I can’t help but giggle a little. The optimist in me telling my school community that “we’re going to take a week or two off and see how this COVID thing plays out”. As quickly as I realized that we were in it for the long haul I immediately started to brainstorm all the ways we could support families from my living room. There were hours, and sometimes days of despair, disappointment and even depression. Not one to typically ask for help I quickly realized that tapping into long standing relationships with others in the ECE field and using them as a sounding board for thoughts, ideas, sharing frustrations and finding common struggles was both helpful and inspiring.
No doubt that 2020 has often felt like treading mud, keeping our heads above ground. Checking off just one day at a time as a successful day because we stayed open. The day to day operations of classroom management, added levels of providing a health environment, and shorter interactions with parents, watching families struggle and monitoring our kids for stress and trauma, along with so much more; they all present their challenges. Here we are days turned into weeks, weeks into months we realize that with every pivot we are learning, growing, and persevering under tremendous stress and pressure to keep our children healthy, our schools from financial ruin, and doing our part to keep our community’s economics running.
But through it all we have built character, shared our love, nurtured children and supported families. Sometimes we find ourselves taking strength from others when we need it but always remembering to give it back when we can. It’s okay to be feeling whatever it is you are feeling; look for help if you need it, get outside for some fresh air and sunshine, take a walk until you glean a different perspective, keep moving forward because you are doing good work and the children are counting on you. Dawn Ryan
Owner Operator
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Aspen Mountain Tots children enjoying lots of outdoor time this winter under a temporary outdoor structure that allows them to be outside longer, warmer, dryer. The tent opens on three sides and has windows on two sides. This flexibility allows us to control our exposure to the elements. We have enjoyed reading, doing projects, tea parties, and playing. The children are free to run in and out of the tent depending on their play.
Using roadside debris found over the summer these loose parts self portraits were a delight to make. Trusting the process over the product, the children worked to individualize their unique materials into their own personality 3-D art pieces.
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2021 is here…. Phew, finally!
Wow. What a year 2020 was!
ECN is glad that 2020 is over however we would like to reflect on all the good that happened throughout the year.
There were so many positive things that occurred:
- We learned how to use ZOOM! We were able to continue our work remotely, using the internet and phone. Who knew……?
- ECN distributed over $40,000 worth of cleaning supplies to childcare programs and $10,000 worth of diapers, formula, and wipes to needy families.
- ECN taught four Expanding Quality in Infant and Toddler Care courses and five Child Development Associate courses.
- We continued our coaching services in Garfield and Western Eagle Counties and expanded our coaching and teaching services to include Mesa County.
- Our staff was able to guide childcare programs in helping them to keep their doors open when possible, navigating the everchanging rules and regulations and working with parents in finding childcare when their childcare had to close their doors.
- And most importantly, we saw what our profession was made of. Here is a big shoutout to our heroes, our childcare directors and providers. We are so proud of the resiliency you demonstrated. Thank you for all you continue to do for our littlest ones. You are truly making the world a better place to live in.
And so on and on……. We are indeed thankful for all the wonderful things that happened in 2020.
We are now excited about looking forward to what 2021 will bring. We have many thoughts and ideas on how to expand the capacity, quality and accessibility of early care and education locally. We know it is going to be a GREAT year.
With all that said, the staff at Early Childhood Network would like to wish you a very happy, healthy, and productive New Year! Make it your best year yet….
From the staff of Early Childhood Network
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2020 Flu Shot Vaccination Effort for Pitkin County Early Childhood Educators
The annual flu vaccine is recommended to everyone ages 6 months and older every year. Not only is this vaccine the best way to prevent influenza but also helps prevent complications from influenza such as sinus and ear infections, pneumonia, inflammation of the heart, brain and muscle tissues, sepsis, and occasionally multi organ failure and death. One of the groups at high risk for developing serious complications from influenza include children under 5, especially those under the age of 2. This is the demographic early childhood educators work with every day.
Pitkin County Public Health, Community Health Services and Kids First joined forces this year to increase flu vaccination rates among early childhood providers in our county. Two flu shot clinics were organized in locations accessible to various childcare programs in Pitkin County.
Our first flu vaccination clinic was held in Aspen on October 19th. The location of the clinic was in the gym of the Yellow Brick building which is home to 3 licensed childcare programs and is a quick drive from other programs in the Aspen area. 24 early childhood providers received their flu shot at this clinic.
The second clinic was scheduled for October 26th in Basalt and was unfortunately canceled due to an untimely winter storm with power outages throughout our valley.
Upon an informal survey with the 11 childcare program directors in Pitkin County, there were approximately 55 of 85 teachers (65%) that received the flu shot this fall of 2020. Many programs offered to cover the cost of the injection to employees who did not have medical insurance. And over half of those who received the flu shot at the Aspen clinic had their own medical insurance.
Looking ahead to the next opportunity for vaccination, childcare workers along with other educators and essential personnel will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine this coming spring in Phase 2 of Colorado’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out plan. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci 75-85% of our population will need to be vaccinated in order to have herd or community immunity, or enough of the community immunized that the virus has no place to go. It will take a large community effort to end the pandemic and we can do this through vaccination, distancing, continuing to wear a mask and staying home when are ill.
For information and FAQs on COVID-19 vaccines, visit https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine-faq.
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Robin Strecker RN Child Care Health Consultant
Kids First
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