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Good Morning Team Early Learning!
Are you planning to take the GACE soon? Please note these upcoming GACE classes - they can be a great resource if you need some support! Please visit the ARS website to sign up! The school transition mini-grant application is available online! Click here to apply! These grants (up to $3,000) can be used to support any school/Kindergarten transition activities, whether you need money for materials, transportation, stipends or more. (Some examples: one school plans to screen all incoming Kindergarten students, while others want to hold weekly read alouds in their garden!) All APS elementary schools and surrounding early learning providers are eligible; teamwork is encouraged across schools or providers, so please share widely. The deadline is March 2nd; please reach out with any questions or if you’d like to brainstorm options.
Teachers,
Thanks to some help from Ms. Bilal and Ms. Rance, we won a free training from Playworks! We're so excited to have them join our March 19th PD Day. Please take the recess checkup below by March 12th. That will help our trainers plan the day! Thanks - we're looking forward to it! On Thursday, teachers had the opportunity to meet with their cluster teams and ELSs to review student data from PALS. If you missed the session, or just want to review, please click the picture below to access the PowerPoint. You can find the graphic organizer here:
By Ms. Kaela Tustin (PK Lead Teacher, E. Rivers Elementary) One unique activity in our classroom is what we call the Before the Bell Books. Every morning when the first bell rings, the students quickly clean up their table toys and rush to the carpet with their hands raised hoping to be picked to read a book of their choice to the class. The book is typically one of the OWL trade books, a class favorite, a book with a lasting impression like The Very Hungry Caterpillar¸ or, and this is the most often scenario, a book from home. Whoever is chosen will situate their own chair and read to the class. They effectively utilize their grasp of print concepts and generously show their peers the pictures after each page. Some will even deal out soft reprimands for interrupting the story and call on friends who aren’t paying attention. Many of the students read their books from memory but on occasion some choose a brand new book and make up the story as they go. In any case, the Before the Bell Book readers are always fascinating to see. Before the Bell Books started about a month into school. The students quickly picked up on the morning routine of cleaning up at the sound of the first bell before sitting in their spot quietly to wait for the morning announcements. One morning, it was unnervingly quiet. It became obvious that we needed to fill the 5-10 minute gap with something fun. Reading a book of choice to peers seemed like a great way to implement their growing literacy skills while also building self-confidence, self-direction, and creativity. The routine took off immediately and the students couldn’t wait for their turn to read. Many students started bringing their own books from home to share or chose books from the Read to 100 box (lending library project). Some started asking for favorite OWL books like The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza). Our Before the Bell Books have become an integral part of our daily routine and the students look forward to their turn to read every morning. Aside from the obvious benefits, one of the best parts about this activity is that it doesn’t take any time out of our schedule and provides amazing anecdotal notes. By Dr. Natasha Dunson (WELA Specialist) A new teacher to the Atlanta Public Schools, Ms. Cousley brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Having been in the early childhood education field for over 20 years, Ms. Cousley is truly a ray of sunshine around Whitefoord Early Learning Academy (WELA). Her excitement for learning and willingness to share her best practices with others is an ongoing part of her professional demeanor that many here cherish. One of Ms. Cousley’s greatest strengths is her ability to ensure that students are met at their varying levels of readiness. Ms. Cousley is extremely intentional when lesson planning, in an effort to ensure that all students are included and those who need extra help receive it. With an extensive background in supporting special needs students, Ms. Cousley works diligently to include differentiated instruction into each day. Within her instruction, she often provides her students with varying ways to participate in lessons, which highlight and enhance their individual abilities. As a result of this, no matter where they may have begun, her students are being properly prepared for the next developmental milestones on pace with their peers. Ms. Cousley’s approach to learning is one which will ensure her students are successful as they continue on their educational journey. She is laying a solid foundation on which their zest for knowledge will be built and continue to grow and flourish. We are grateful she decided to join the Atlanta Public Schools family and appreciate her work here at WELA! Please note this FREE opportunity from PBS KIDS: Learning with PBS KIDS: Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators Learning with PBS KIDS is a virtual PD series designed for PreK- 1st grade teachers. With an emphasis on fun, and free tools for ECE, this series will highlight key themes including the arts, social and emotional learning, and playful learning. PBS will provide a certificate of attendance for each 1 hour virtual PD event. Explore Webinar Series Upcoming Webinars: Exploring Arts & Creativity with Pinkalicious on January 24 @ 7pm ET Based on the Pinkalicious book series, the new PBS KIDS program Pinkalicious and Peterrific was designed to help preschool-age children explore the arts and creativity. This teacher PD event will explore arts and creativity themes and feature a discussion about how to integrate creative activities into curriculum. Register Now Social & Emotional Learning with Daniel Tiger on February 6 @ 7pm ET Featuring content from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, this session will focus on media tools that can be used to teach our youngest learners about skills like patience, dealing with frustration, and how to understand and manage their feelings. Register Now Playful Learning with Technology on February 22 @ 7pm ET Wondering how to balance screen time with hands-on learning? How can you evaluating digital media, apps for kids, and online games to use in your learning environment? Discover the answer to these questions! Register Now
Are you getting questions about enrollment? Now there's an easy resource to share with parents! The ~5 minute video will walk parents through the process and the documents that are requirement for enrollment. See both the Spanish and English versions below! Of course, we're still always happy to respond to questions via email or phone.
English Version:
Spanish Version:
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