The Weekly Update #4
January 10th, 2024
January 2024-Staff News
Dates to remember
Closed- January 1
Ellie Off- January 8-9 L sub Preschool
Closed PTO- January 15
L Off at 12- January 22 (Andyn PM support)
Andyn OFF (kids dental appt.)- January 25
Early Release- January 26 (L Off Andyn AM support)
Staff Meeting- January 26 2:00-3:30
Welcome Annie
We had a lot of interest and applications for the Preschool Support position we have had open. It has been a difficult position to fill, but because we had so many folks who applied, I was really able to take my time and weed out those who I thought might leave prematurely.
I hired Annie to fill this position. Annie is starting as an aide 1, and will act primarily as support staff for Preschool. She will also fill in when a sub is necessary. Annie will work 8:30-1:00 Monday-Friday, and I hope to make this a full time position with this year's upcoming budget, but it all depends on the numbers.
She is coming in next week to do her orientation and employment paperwork. Once her background check clears she is ready to start. She will train with Ellie and Emily the first couple of weeks, and then train with L so that she knows how to prepare snack and give breaks.
Please give her a warm welcome and introduce yourselves, and introduce her to families. I think she will be a great fit, and I want us to do everything we can to help her settle in.
Important Action Items
During our last staff meeting we discussed the daily rhythms we keep as classrooms and as a program as a whole. There were things that were not working for the general rhythm, and things were getting behind on a daily basis.
- Please come back on time from your breaks and lunches- Set a timer if you need to. Please be signed into the classroom and ready to go on time. It is very difficult when everyone comes back 5, 10, 20 minutes late- it all adds up and puts unnecessary stress on support staff.
- Snack is now at 9:30 Monday-Friday. Please adjust your schedules to accommodate this immediately. Snack should be over no later than 10:00. Place your carts outside your door when you are finished.
- Ellie is in charge when in Preschool, and when combined in TBI All Together- Do not leave the classroom until Ellie has approved it first. When you do leave the classroom, count children and confirm numbers before exiting. Children should be moved over on Brightwheel, and signed into the roster before anyone leaves the classroom.
- If the Lead Teacher is absent for the day or on a break, the remaining teacher is expected to lead the program. Support staff is not expected to lead unless they are alone with a group for some reason.
- All food needs to be sealed and put away in the cabinets/fridge in the staff office. Do not leave food out- It attracts ants and other unpleasant creatures. If I see food out from PM snack, I will go into the classroom of the person who left it and ask them to clean it up.
- The playground needs to be picked up every time before coming inside- Bikes/cars/chairs need to be parked out of the rain please.
If we all work together, we can accomplish all of these things and maintain a healthy and pleasant place to be. Thank you for your help!
Training Requirements
The Department of Early Learning and Care requires Early Childhood Educators to receive a minimum of 15 hours of training per licensing year. TBI follows 5 star standards, and requires a minimum of 20. Within those 20 hours you need a minimum of 8 hours of child development training, and an hour of health and safety- Otherwise, you can attend any other trainings that you would like to and it will count towards your 20 hours.
The Oregon Registry Online (ORO) keeps track of your licensing hours and which domains (or topics) they fall under. Our licenser must see your training in your ORO account to count your training hours, and you should have all 20 of your hours in ORO no later than June because it can sometimes take a bit to process and show in your account. Our licensing year ends in August. If your account shows insufficient hours, licensing will require me to suspend your employment until they are brought up. Please do not allow this to happen.
While it can sometimes feel difficult to attend trainings, ongoing learning is an important and necessary responsibility we have as early childhood educators. You may be tempted to sign up for any training just to make your hours, but it is important to choose classes that will really support your teaching and improve your practices.
The Oregon Steps Program (Part of ORO) is an excellent tool to use when choosing classes for yourself. If you have not already applied for your step, please let me know, and I will give you the form to submit. Having a step indicates your commitment to improvement and quality care, but it also makes you more desirable as a staff member if you plan on remaining in this field for any amount of time. Many programs (this one included) require their Lead Teachers to have at least a step 8.
Folks may be tempted to wait until the last minute to cram in their training hours. I encourage you not to do that and instead take advantage of a few trainings each semester so that you can apply what you have learned throughout the year.
You can find training resources below. Please let me know which ones you would like to attend, and I will register you and pay for them. We will pay you up to 20 hours for your time attending trainings if you bring me a copy of your certificates showing me that you successfully completed them.
Thank you for being a life long learner and modeling a high level of professionalism with TBI Preschool.
Thank you
Last but not least, working with children is rewarding in many ways, but it can also be difficult at times. I see how hard we are all working to keep things running smoothly, and I want to acknowledge that we have been getting it done short staffed. I appreciate all you do to make a difference in children's lives, and making TBI Preschool a safe and warm place for children and their families. Thank you for the work you do!