Austin ISD PK4 Newsletter
December 2015
From the Director
Jacquie Porter, Director of Early Childhood
I hope that you had a wonderful (and restful) Thanksgiving Break. With only 3 weeks to go of this semester, things are moving rapidly! We received lots of feedback from teachers regarding the interview in the November newsletter, so we are doing it again. Besides our regular guest writers, we also have information on playground safety, the upcoming assessment window and the change of orientation dates. Gail is sharing with us about gardening and Crystal about Kinetic sand. Lots to see this month. Enjoy your month and your time off!
Changes for CPALLS+ Windows
1. The MOY window will be eliminated for this year.
2. The EOY window for non-TLI campuses will be February 26-March 31. This will allow campuses time for interventions after the EOY window expires.
The EOY window for TLI campuses will be May 2 – May 13. These dates coincide with grant requirements. Since the TLI window is so short, a substitute teacher will be provided for by TLI for one day of testing for all TLI teachers of prekindergarten 4 year olds.
3. Please administer the same assessments as in the BOY window with the exception of the Story Retell and Comprehension assessment. This assessment will not be done at EOY.
We will continue to look at assessment in Early Childhood, but hope this helps! Thanks again for your feedback!
Small Group Instruction - Video with Cheryl Wootton from Mills Elementary
Let's take a look as Cheryl uses one of the CLI Engage phonological awareness activities with her PreK 4 kiddos.
Free Lunch for Prekindergarten Students
Thanks
Congratulations, Beth Cordier!
Beth Cordier, from Kiker Elementary, received a $2000 Innovation Grant from the Austin Ed Fund. This grant focused on S.T.E.M. and will benefit both of the Kiker Pre-K classrooms.
The money will be used for the following items in the Pre-K classrooms:
Smart Microscopes, Live Scribe pens, Asus Chromebook Flips, digital cameras, and Golden Guides. Congratulations, Beth and Kiker Pre-K!
If you have a celebration, please let us know because we would love to share your successes with the AISD Pre-K teams!
Gail's Gardening Gazette
Fall is Finally in the Air!
- breezy wind: compare with other days, such as hot, dry
- blowing leaves: what else is blowing in the wind?
- colorful leaves: how many colors, shapes, sizes do you see?...Can you find?
- nuts fall on the ground: gather them, count them, compare them
- squirrels scampering and gathering: why?
- clothing changes - long sleeves and pants, sweaters, coats, hats, gloves
- cold cheeks: why?
What about changes in the garden? Some plants will not withstand cooler weather, but some will. Why? This is a great time to begin some inquiry science.
Fall is always a great time to plant cold-hearty plants. Check out what to plant now:
http://www.naturalgardeneraustin.com/what-to-do-in-december.html
Playground Safety
- Maintain appropriate child-to-staff ratios on the playground. This should not be break time for staff.
- Children should always be within your line of sight. Walk around while you are supervising.
- Have a playground emergency plan. Know what you would do if there were a playground emergency, how will you get additional staff to help, how do you coordinate communication.
- Make sure that someone on the playground can communicate with a staff person inside without leaving the children alone. Does your campus use walkie-talkies? Cell phones?
- Check the playground equipment and grounds daily. Make sure that there are no spots where children can get trapped, check to see that there is no broken equipment, and make sure the grounds are free from trash or debris.
- Carry a list of enrolled children and a daily count. Check this count when leaving the room, upon arrival at the playground, during outside playtime, when leaving the playground, upon arrival in the room.
- Staff should supervise at all times and should not be using any type of mobile device. Be proactive!
- Include playground safety measures in your substitute folder.
- For your substitute: Have a class list that includes faces with names.
Beware of Art Activities Masquerading as Creative Art
Creative art is an important part of the PK4 curriculum. It gives children the opportunity to practice fine motor skills, self-expression, and critical thinking. There are many activities that look like creative art but do not actually encourage creativity or provide artistic opportunities.
How can you tell the difference between creative art and those activities that masquerade as creative arts? The following characteristics should be a “red flag” and a cause for concern.
· The responsibility for making art is shifted from the child to the teacher.
· The activities have a high degree of structure.
· A model is provided to copy.
Instead:
- Give children the opportunity to be creative and have respect for their perspectives.
- Open-ended projects allow for creative thinking.
- Provide instructional support without asking the child to copy a model.
Reminders for Setting up your PK4 Art Center:
A variety of materials should be available to children throughout the day. The art center might include
- Crayons, markers
- Variety of paper that children can select and use independently
- Glue, glue sticks, and scissors, should be stored out of children's reach until they have been taught
- Magazines and catalogs that children can tear or cut
- Water colors
- Art easel
- Rubber stamps
- Recycled materials that can be used with glue
- Molding clay
- Nature materials
- There should be no coloring sheets available. These may be enjoyable to a few but do not allow children to be creative and they do not allow children to think and express themselves.
- Look for open-ended art materials that can be used in many ways and encourage all children to use their abilities to create their own art
Always applaud the artistic efforts of all children. You might tell the children, “You worked on that painting for 20 minutes!” or “I bet you feel proud of what you created!” These comments will help build self-confidence and inspire creativity.
Advocating for Play in the Early Childhood Classroom
At times you will be asked to justify your practice of allowing and encouraging purposeful play in your classroom. By sharing your knowledge with administrators, parents and community members you will be advocating for children's right to play.
You may be asked:
Q: What are children learning in your classroom?
The children are having important experiences with the sciences, social sciences, mathematics, literacy and the arts. The activities look and feel like play because children are active learners.
Q: If children play, then how will you cover the curriculum?
Play is one powerful way in which children learn. Research tells us that play helps young children to improve their thinking skills, social skills, language and problem solving skills. Plan events and activities that integrate the full range of subjects and learning.
Q How are you preparing the students for the rigors of the next grade?
Children have educational choices that can offer both a challenge and a chance to feel successful. When children feel successful they try harder and when they feel confident they learn more important concepts. This helps prepare children for future learning.
Q: How do you keep order in the class if the children have so many choices?
The choices are educationally important. Different children may be doing different activities at different times and have equivalent experiences in which they can feel successful. When they make choices, they feel more responsible for their activity, work harder and learn in more meaningful and playful ways.
(Source: Teaching in the K year, Heroman and Copple Adapted from D.P. Fromberg, Play and Meaning in Early Childhood Education (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2002) 131–2. Copyright © 2002 Pearson Education.)
The link below contains additional information that can be shared when advocating for play in early childhood.
Purposeful Play All Day
Gingerbread Man Cookie Bakeshop in Dramatic Play
Holiday Writing
Mailing Holiday Greetings
Blocks!
Professional Development
PK Team Leader Meeting North (2nd 9 weeks)
Lucy Read PK School
Wednesday, Dec 2, 2015, 03:30 PM
Lucy Read Pre-kindergarten Demonstration School, Richcreek Road, Austin, TX, United States
PK Team Leader Meeting South (2nd 9 weeks)
Uphaus EC Center
Wednesday, Dec 9, 2015, 03:30 PM
Uphaus Early Childhood Center, Freidrich Lane, Austin, TX, United States
About Us
Debra Caldwell, Administrative Assistant
Diane Smith, Data Processing Assistant
Marlene Beldin, Clerk
Irene Campos, EC TLI Specialist
Brian Mowry, EC Specialist
Robbie Polan, Childcare Liaison
Melinda Servantez, EC Specialist
Sylina Valdez, Administrative Supervisor
Liana Young, EC TLI Specialist
Email: sylina.valdez@austinisd.org
Location: 1111 W 6th St, Austin, TX, United States
Phone: 512-414-4740
Facebook: facebook.com/Austinisdearlychildhood
Twitter: @AISDECROCKS