All Things CLASS

With recent events due to covid-19 most preschools have been closed for the time being. However my staff and I  are still working to provide care for the essential workers in our community. Our enrollment has dropped of coarse due to the pandemic. My staff has been wonderful during this time trying to provide a normal routine for the children still in attendance. We are really missing all our other families while they are self quarantined. It's odd to think of this as the new normal for the time being. We are sending out packets for parents to work on with their children who are staying home. We also send out videos, pictures, and messages to those families not in attendance. I am sure at some point we will go back to normal but for now I'm wondering what everyone else's new normal looks like. 


------------------------------
Kelly Dotts
Jensen Beach
------------------------------

We are a center on a college campus and most of our families are students. We have several families that are essential workers. However as the college has students remotely working and decided that the center also work remotely we are not caring for children at this time. We had originally planned to return on April 6, but with COVID cases rising and the concern staff had of compromising their or their families health and care for their own children we decided to remain closed.
We stay in contact with families by phone calls, Learning Genie, text and emails. We also send families activities. When taking a poll we only had about 3-4 families that would bring their child during the quarantine out of the 60 plus.
I know we will probably lose some of our families when we return, due to families choosing to take on line classes from here out and have made other childcare changes.

------------------------------
Renee McKenzie
Yuba City CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-11-2020 15:27
From: Kelly Dotts
Subject: Covid-19 How it is effecting early childhood education

With recent events due to covid-19 most preschools have been closed for the time being. However my staff and I  are still working to provide care for the essential workers in our community. Our enrollment has dropped of coarse due to the pandemic. My staff has been wonderful during this time trying to provide a normal routine for the children still in attendance. We are really missing all our other families while they are self quarantined. It's odd to think of this as the new normal for the time being. We are sending out packets for parents to work on with their children who are staying home. We also send out videos, pictures, and messages to those families not in attendance. I am sure at some point we will go back to normal but for now I'm wondering what everyone else's new normal looks like.


------------------------------
Kelly Dotts
Jensen Beach
------------------------------

Original Message------

With recent events due to covid-19 most preschools have been closed for the time being. However my staff and I  are still working to provide care for the essential workers in our community. Our enrollment has dropped of coarse due to the pandemic. My staff has been wonderful during this time trying to provide a normal routine for the children still in attendance. We are really missing all our other families while they are self quarantined. It's odd to think of this as the new normal for the time being. We are sending out packets for parents to work on with their children who are staying home. We also send out videos, pictures, and messages to those families not in attendance. I am sure at some point we will go back to normal but for now I'm wondering what everyone else's new normal looks like. 


------------------------------
Kelly Dotts
Jensen Beach
------------------------------

Please educate me, what is SMORE platform?

------------------------------
Kathy McKechnie
Pensacola FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2020 10:54
From: Denise Swanson
Subject: Covid-19 How it is effecting early childhood education

Hello!

In Michigan our new normal is going to be normal through the end of the school year.  We are not an essential worker childcare provider so our school is closed.  To keep in touch, relationships are what we are all about, my associate teachers and I are holding small group chats once daily and the entire class--whoever wants to join us from that class--is getting together for a Storytime Chat, too.  

We have been making changes as the weeks have gone by--this is Week 4 for us for our distance learning, Week 5 of not meeting face-to-face as we had one week of Spring Break.  We are not allowed to send packets home so Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet, and phone calls have been our methods of communication in addition to email and REMIND texts. 

On March 13th our school had a PD Day--first NO SCHOOL day of the closure--to discuss how we were going to stay in touch.  All our preschool teachers got together and created 3 weeks' worth of daily activities that can be done at home with items around the house.  To share them, we put the activities into daily Smores (using the Smore platform--which I love using!) including online links and sent them home to the families on a daily/weekly basis depending on what teachers in each classroom decided.  Once those three weeks of plans were done, we sent out a Smore of weekly activities this week.  Each Weekly Smore includes the description of each activity and links for families to access if they choose.  

Our school is concentrating more on live meetings with children and keeping our relationships going.  My associate teachers and I will begin reaching out to families individually in the next few days for some one-to-one time with our children.  

Since I have an AM and a PM Class and am in a state-funded grant program with lots of requirements, I have been busy keeping in touch with all 34 of my children and 4 teachers.  

In your situation, Kelly, I was wondering if you are doing live Zoom Circle Times with children who are in class and those who are at home.  Might be a way for everyone to get together.  Our chats usually last between 15 and 30 minutes--depending on the day.  Our teachers are not really doing academics via these chats, we are connecting socially and emotionally with our children to let them know we are still here for them.  Sometimes, the children have even read books to the rest of the children in the chat.  We are doing whatever makes them feel connected.

Good luck as you move forward!  Kudos to you and your frontline staff!  Stay safe and healthy!

Denise

Ms. Denise C. Swanson

Half-Day GSRP Teacher

World of Wonder

Ellen Street Campus

404 W Ellen Street

Fenton, MI  48430

Classroom Phone:  810-591-8325

Original Message------

With recent events due to covid-19 most preschools have been closed for the time being. However my staff and I  are still working to provide care for the essential workers in our community. Our enrollment has dropped of coarse due to the pandemic. My staff has been wonderful during this time trying to provide a normal routine for the children still in attendance. We are really missing all our other families while they are self quarantined. It's odd to think of this as the new normal for the time being. We are sending out packets for parents to work on with their children who are staying home. We also send out videos, pictures, and messages to those families not in attendance. I am sure at some point we will go back to normal but for now I'm wondering what everyone else's new normal looks like.


------------------------------
Kelly Dotts
Jensen Beach
------------------------------

Original Message------

Please educate me, what is SMORE platform?

------------------------------
Kathy McKechnie
Pensacola FL
------------------------------

Original Message------

Kathy,

Smore is a newsletter website that allows teachers to create online newsletter that include pictures, text, and links.  During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Smore is offering FREE access to their resources, including some of their PRO package features.  Smore's website is www.smore.com

Hope this helps.

Denise

Ms. Denise C. Swanson

Half-Day GSRP Teacher

World of Wonder

Ellen Street Campus

404 W Ellen Street

Fenton, MI  48430

Classroom Phone:  810-591-8325

Hi Denise, you and your school sound really well organised. I wonder if you would or could share an example of your Smores newsletter with others (well, me, anyway). I hadn't heard of Smores before this morning and I am not quick technologically.  I am in Australia, in a country preschool, which is called kindergarten in our state, and I am the only teacher. I am struggling with how to get information to parents, many of whom live out of town; and are not coming in regularly. Printing and mail is expensive, though I have posted a letter to each child to kick off this new way of  being at kinder. I liked the sound of using things around the house, which is my aim for the families who are a long way from craft shops,  and who has spare money anyway at the moment? 

We hear a lot about the US and the virus, probably mostly about New York. I am praying for you all at the moment.
kind regards
Louise,
Ouyen Preschool
Victoria.

------------------------------
Louise Fitzpatrick Leach
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2020 10:54
From: Denise Swanson
Subject: Covid-19 How it is effecting early childhood education

Hello!

In Michigan our new normal is going to be normal through the end of the school year.  We are not an essential worker childcare provider so our school is closed.  To keep in touch, relationships are what we are all about, my associate teachers and I are holding small group chats once daily and the entire class--whoever wants to join us from that class--is getting together for a Storytime Chat, too.  

We have been making changes as the weeks have gone by--this is Week 4 for us for our distance learning, Week 5 of not meeting face-to-face as we had one week of Spring Break.  We are not allowed to send packets home so Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet, and phone calls have been our methods of communication in addition to email and REMIND texts. 

On March 13th our school had a PD Day--first NO SCHOOL day of the closure--to discuss how we were going to stay in touch.  All our preschool teachers got together and created 3 weeks' worth of daily activities that can be done at home with items around the house.  To share them, we put the activities into daily Smores (using the Smore platform--which I love using!) including online links and sent them home to the families on a daily/weekly basis depending on what teachers in each classroom decided.  Once those three weeks of plans were done, we sent out a Smore of weekly activities this week.  Each Weekly Smore includes the description of each activity and links for families to access if they choose.  

Our school is concentrating more on live meetings with children and keeping our relationships going.  My associate teachers and I will begin reaching out to families individually in the next few days for some one-to-one time with our children.  

Since I have an AM and a PM Class and am in a state-funded grant program with lots of requirements, I have been busy keeping in touch with all 34 of my children and 4 teachers.  

In your situation, Kelly, I was wondering if you are doing live Zoom Circle Times with children who are in class and those who are at home.  Might be a way for everyone to get together.  Our chats usually last between 15 and 30 minutes--depending on the day.  Our teachers are not really doing academics via these chats, we are connecting socially and emotionally with our children to let them know we are still here for them.  Sometimes, the children have even read books to the rest of the children in the chat.  We are doing whatever makes them feel connected.

Good luck as you move forward!  Kudos to you and your frontline staff!  Stay safe and healthy!

Denise

Ms. Denise C. Swanson

Half-Day GSRP Teacher

World of Wonder

Ellen Street Campus

404 W Ellen Street

Fenton, MI  48430

Classroom Phone:  810-591-8325

Original Message------

With recent events due to covid-19 most preschools have been closed for the time being. However my staff and I  are still working to provide care for the essential workers in our community. Our enrollment has dropped of coarse due to the pandemic. My staff has been wonderful during this time trying to provide a normal routine for the children still in attendance. We are really missing all our other families while they are self quarantined. It's odd to think of this as the new normal for the time being. We are sending out packets for parents to work on with their children who are staying home. We also send out videos, pictures, and messages to those families not in attendance. I am sure at some point we will go back to normal but for now I'm wondering what everyone else's new normal looks like.


------------------------------
Kelly Dotts
Jensen Beach
------------------------------

Thank you Denise for the information on SMORE.  I too was curious. Our teachers call the 2-3 year old students and chat with them once a week.  The children are always exited and so are the teachers.  Thanks for sharing.

------------------------------
Henrietta Bishop
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2020 10:54
From: Denise Swanson
Subject: Covid-19 How it is effecting early childhood education

Hello!

In Michigan our new normal is going to be normal through the end of the school year.  We are not an essential worker childcare provider so our school is closed.  To keep in touch, relationships are what we are all about, my associate teachers and I are holding small group chats once daily and the entire class--whoever wants to join us from that class--is getting together for a Storytime Chat, too.  

We have been making changes as the weeks have gone by--this is Week 4 for us for our distance learning, Week 5 of not meeting face-to-face as we had one week of Spring Break.  We are not allowed to send packets home so Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet, and phone calls have been our methods of communication in addition to email and REMIND texts. 

On March 13th our school had a PD Day--first NO SCHOOL day of the closure--to discuss how we were going to stay in touch.  All our preschool teachers got together and created 3 weeks' worth of daily activities that can be done at home with items around the house.  To share them, we put the activities into daily Smores (using the Smore platform--which I love using!) including online links and sent them home to the families on a daily/weekly basis depending on what teachers in each classroom decided.  Once those three weeks of plans were done, we sent out a Smore of weekly activities this week.  Each Weekly Smore includes the description of each activity and links for families to access if they choose.  

Our school is concentrating more on live meetings with children and keeping our relationships going.  My associate teachers and I will begin reaching out to families individually in the next few days for some one-to-one time with our children.  

Since I have an AM and a PM Class and am in a state-funded grant program with lots of requirements, I have been busy keeping in touch with all 34 of my children and 4 teachers.  

In your situation, Kelly, I was wondering if you are doing live Zoom Circle Times with children who are in class and those who are at home.  Might be a way for everyone to get together.  Our chats usually last between 15 and 30 minutes--depending on the day.  Our teachers are not really doing academics via these chats, we are connecting socially and emotionally with our children to let them know we are still here for them.  Sometimes, the children have even read books to the rest of the children in the chat.  We are doing whatever makes them feel connected.

Good luck as you move forward!  Kudos to you and your frontline staff!  Stay safe and healthy!

Denise

Ms. Denise C. Swanson

Half-Day GSRP Teacher

World of Wonder

Ellen Street Campus

404 W Ellen Street

Fenton, MI  48430

Classroom Phone:  810-591-8325

Original Message------

With recent events due to covid-19 most preschools have been closed for the time being. However my staff and I  are still working to provide care for the essential workers in our community. Our enrollment has dropped of coarse due to the pandemic. My staff has been wonderful during this time trying to provide a normal routine for the children still in attendance. We are really missing all our other families while they are self quarantined. It's odd to think of this as the new normal for the time being. We are sending out packets for parents to work on with their children who are staying home. We also send out videos, pictures, and messages to those families not in attendance. I am sure at some point we will go back to normal but for now I'm wondering what everyone else's new normal looks like.


------------------------------
Kelly Dotts
Jensen Beach
------------------------------

We all appreciate your commitment to meeting our varied challenges head on!

------------------------------
Susan Hinman Waldman
Practice Based Coach
Communities United Inc.
Watertown, MA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-11-2020 15:27
From: Kelly Dotts
Subject: Covid-19 How it is effecting early childhood education

With recent events due to covid-19 most preschools have been closed for the time being. However my staff and I  are still working to provide care for the essential workers in our community. Our enrollment has dropped of coarse due to the pandemic. My staff has been wonderful during this time trying to provide a normal routine for the children still in attendance. We are really missing all our other families while they are self quarantined. It's odd to think of this as the new normal for the time being. We are sending out packets for parents to work on with their children who are staying home. We also send out videos, pictures, and messages to those families not in attendance. I am sure at some point we will go back to normal but for now I'm wondering what everyone else's new normal looks like.


------------------------------
Kelly Dotts
Jensen Beach
------------------------------

because of the COVID 19, our enrollment has drastically decreased, but we are open for a few parents who are essential workers,  Our teachers are posting activities for the 4-5 year old on Class Dojo to keep the children working on the needed tools to prepare them for kindergarten. The teachers at the center are implementing the lesson plan/unit for the month. Most parents are not accessing the assignments as we will like for them to do, but we are making sure that our teachers stay engaged, and keep both students and parents informed and actively engaged in reading and other activities as planned for the week if they were at the center.  Some children respond by sending pictures of activities they have proudly completed, while others are very silent. We will continue to implement the lesson even if only one child is engaging.

------------------------------
Henrietta Bishop
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-11-2020 15:27
From: Kelly Dotts
Subject: Covid-19 How it is effecting early childhood education

With recent events due to covid-19 most preschools have been closed for the time being. However my staff and I  are still working to provide care for the essential workers in our community. Our enrollment has dropped of coarse due to the pandemic. My staff has been wonderful during this time trying to provide a normal routine for the children still in attendance. We are really missing all our other families while they are self quarantined. It's odd to think of this as the new normal for the time being. We are sending out packets for parents to work on with their children who are staying home. We also send out videos, pictures, and messages to those families not in attendance. I am sure at some point we will go back to normal but for now I'm wondering what everyone else's new normal looks like.


------------------------------
Kelly Dotts
Jensen Beach
------------------------------

Original Message------

With recent events due to covid-19 most preschools have been closed for the time being. However my staff and I  are still working to provide care for the essential workers in our community. Our enrollment has dropped of coarse due to the pandemic. My staff has been wonderful during this time trying to provide a normal routine for the children still in attendance. We are really missing all our other families while they are self quarantined. It's odd to think of this as the new normal for the time being. We are sending out packets for parents to work on with their children who are staying home. We also send out videos, pictures, and messages to those families not in attendance. I am sure at some point we will go back to normal but for now I'm wondering what everyone else's new normal looks like. 


------------------------------
Kelly Dotts
Jensen Beach
------------------------------