Contents
Message from the Director
Facility
Parking lot lighting
Installed automatic soap and paper towel dispensers
Programmatic Initiatives
Upgraded lice policy
Restructured Office administration positions
- Program Coordinator and Administrative Assistant changed to Assistant Director, Office Coordinator
Staffing and Enrollment
Children Enrolled: 78
Infants and Toddlers: 33
Preschoolers 45
Smith-Affiliated: 63%
Children receiving speech services on site: 2
Children on IEPs: 3
Teachers: 28
Student Assistant Teachers:
New Hires: 2
Welcomed Rebekah Dutkiewicz and Jacy Armenti
Resignations: 3
Wished Lois Ducharme well in her retirement, Adi Panchakshari in his continued education, and Sarah Carlton well in her position in public school.
Professional Development
CECE educators attended the following professional development activities this year:
Fort Hill Professional Day Workshops
- Fort Hill Teachers
- Principles of Reggio Emilia
- Documentation
- Smith College
- Kate Harrington, HR: Goal-Setting
- Phil Peake, Psychology: Delay of Gratification
- Susan McQuiston
- Supporting Children with Social Pragmatic Communication Challenges
- Individual Differences in Young Children
- Behavioral Support Plans; Social Communication
- Trish Callard
- Teaching Mindfulness to Children
- Pam Victor
- Nothing Without Joy: Finding Joy and Ease Through Laughter
- Medical
- CPR
- First Aid
- SIDS
- Medication Administration
External Events:
- NAEYC Professional Learning Institute
- Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute Child Care Conference
- Implicit Bias: Walter Gilliam
- Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
- Puppets as Tools for Education and Diversity
- Reflecting on the Multiple Potentials of Documentation
- Bank Street Infancy Institute
- Boston Association for Education of Young Children
- Personal Pathways to Professionalism
- Smith College Presidential Colloquium Series
- Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People – Mahzarin R. Banaji
- Elliot Pearson School, Tufts University
- Mindfulness for the Classroom
- Wheelock College Brick by Brick Series
- Reflecting on the Role of Documentation
- Massachusetts EEC New Administrators Workshops
- Recognizing Children as Citizens
- Wheelock College
- Curiosity and Learning Conference
- Smith College Human Resources Department
- Supervisory Certificate Series
- Community Resources for People with Autism
Research and Academic Support
Research
- Smith College
- Phil Peake, Psychology: Delay of Gratification
- Jill de Villiers, Psychology: Natural Kinds and Artifact Concepts in Toddlers
- Peter de Villiers, Psychology: Understanding Emotion Adjectives
- Amherst College
- Carolyn Palmquist, Psychology: Learning from Others
Observations for Coursework
- Shannon Audley’s students, Education
Visitors from other programs
- Brookline JCC
- Amy Bolotin: Teachers
- Greenfield Community College
- Peggy Martalock, Education: Early Childhood Students
- Brandeis University
- Howard Baker, Lemberg Children’s Center: Teachers
- Davis Foundation
- Mary Wallachy and colleagues: Administrators
- China
- Susan Sun: Program Developer
Support of College-Wide Initiatives
Customer Service
Sustainability
Laundry:
-Leave the top of the machine open if you have only a partial load. This way others can add to it before washing.
-Use only one rinse, and use the eco-boost option (which agitates laundry in a more efficient manner).
-Please communicate with student workers regarding how laundry should be run, noting conservation practices. Please do this verbally, as well as pointing out the written directions on the wall above the machines.
Meals/Dishwashing:
-We are ordering small adult-sized stainless steel spoons and forks for preschool classrooms, as well as a set for the kitchen to cut down on use of plastic.
-Only run dishwasher when full, or at end of day in order to clean dishes for next morning.
Diapering:
-Use only one glove to change diapers – use judgment about when this is possible and sanitary!
-Wrap soiled diapers in glove or changing table paper when placing in garbage cans outside (this saves a plastic bag).
Wet clothing and other items that need to go home with children:
-Supervising teachers will be sending an email to ask families to bring in a reusable bag to keep in their child’s cubby for wet clothing and other items that need to go home. This can be a plastic bag, tote bag, or wet-dry bag, and will reduce our reliance on plastic bags to send things home. Please continue to put soiled clothing (urine, BM, vomit, blood) in a plastic bag.
Please let me know if you have questions or if there is anything we should discuss further!
EEC Licensing
Our EEC license was amended to allow for a mixed-age infant/toddler/preschool classroom with no more than six children under the age of two, including no more than three infants. Please click this link to see the EEC License.