Richmond Early Childhood Association

Summer 2013

www.recava.net

RECA Newsletter

Greetings from the Presidents,

As we write this, Richmond is under a heat advisory with a heat index value of 105! So Shel Siversteins poem could not be more fitting! It may be hot outside but that has not stopped the RECA board from moving full steam ahead in planning next years programs. We had a successful planning retreat in June which gave us a chance to reflect on the successes of the past year and discuss our goals for better serving our membership in the coming year. What a wonderful time to be an early childhood educator in Virginia! Check out the locations of upcoming local, regional, and national conferences Washington D.C. (NAEYC), Williamsburg (SECA), and Roanoke (VAECE)! Of course we will also have fabulous RECA sponsored events in Richmond all year long see our 2013-2014 RECA calendar on page 2. Planning these types of events can only be accomplished by dedicated team members and thats where you come in. The RECA board is presently looking to fill the positions of copresident elect (to work with Susan Hill) and a hospitality chair. We are also always looking for extra help for specific events. This is a great way for RECA members to get their feet wet in the organization. If you would like more information about the board or helping with one of our events, please dont hesitate to contact either one of us! Heres to a cool and productive year! Muriel Azria-Evans and Debbi Heist
If you would like to receive electronic notifications of upcoming events, you can update your email address, or add an email address to your membership information by contacting NAEYC at www.naeyc.org or contact our corresponding secretary @ cremines@mcvh-vcu.edu.

Its Hot! By Shel Silverstein

Its hot! PHOTO HERE, OTHERWISE DELETE BOX I cant get cool, Ive drunk a quart of lemonade, I think Ill take my shoes off And sit around in the shade. Its hot! My back is sticky, The sweat rolls down my chin. I think Ill take my clothes off And sit around in my skin. Its hot! Ive tried with lectric fans, And pools and ice cream cones. I think Ill take my skin off And sit around in my bones. Its still hot!

Page 1

Richmond Early Childhood Association ww

SAFE TO SLEEP By Muriel Azria-Evans, PhD, CFLE Anyone serving infants should have the most up to date information available to help them keep the children in their care safe and healthy. Not only is the following information from the Safe to Sleep campaign useful to child care providers it should be shared with parents and family members as well. What is SIDS? Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexpected death of a baby younger than 1 year of age that doesnt have a known cause even after a complete investigation. It is the leading cause of death among infants between 1 month and 1 year of age. African American and American Indian/Alaska Native babies are at a higher risk of SIDS than infants of other races and ethnicities. What is the Safe to Sleep campaign? The Safe to Sleep campaign is an initiative of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. It is an expansion of the previous Back to Sleep campaign to reduce the risk of SIDS. Since the launch of the Back to Sleep campaign in 1994, the SIDS rate has dropped by more than 50 percent across all populations. However, the rate has plateaued in recent years. The new Safe to Sleep campaign aims to expand upon the success of the previous Back to Sleep campaign by reducing the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death. It incorporates the most up-to-date recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics on safe infant sleep practices http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/5/1030.full.html. It will educate parents and caregivers on ways to help reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleeprelated causes of infant death. It continues to spread the messages of safe infant sleep to all communities while also tailoring outreach to those communities most affected by SIDS. Key messages on ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death: Always place baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night, to reduce the risk of SIDS. Put baby to sleep in a separate sleep area in the same room where you sleep. If you bring baby into your bed to breastfeed, make sure to put him or her back into a separate sleep area, such as a safety-approved crib, bassinet, or portable play area when you are finished. Use a firm sleep surface, covered by a fitted sheet, to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of death. Remove all loose bedding, soft objects and toys. For more information on the Safe to Sleep campaign, go to: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/SIDS

Professional Development for Directors

At our annual Board Retreat in June, we decided to launch something new for directors for their own professional development. As you know, regardless of the status of your program (e.g. full day or half day, for profit or non-profit) you are running a business and supporting a team of people. For most of us, our educational experiences are geared to child development and learning and not business practices. For this reason, we have selected a Book Study for our Director training this year. We will meet on October 29th at Northside Partnership for Families (800 W. Graham Rd.) from 6:30pm - 8:30pm and discuss the book, The Five Dysfunctions of A Team by Patrick Lencioni.

What do I need to do? First, you must register to attend the training. We will need
your email address as we will be communicating with you during the next two months while you are reading the book. Second, you must read the book! Third, you must complete the two tasks given to you while reading the book and lastly, you must attend the discussion group on October 29th.

How do I get the book? You may contact Marilyn Rice at VCU at mrrice2@vcu.edu if you
would like to borrow a copy of the book as we have 10 available for check-out. You may also check the public libraries for copies to check out. If you prefer to purchase the book, they are currently costing around $14.00 on Amazon and are also available at Barnes and Noble.

What will the two tasks be? Reflection is a large part of any good teaching practice
(whether with children or adults) and we will put that learning strategy to use. We will ask you specific questions throughout your reading time and ask you to complete a short one page narrative at the culmination of your reading as to how the book might change the way you lead your team of teachers.

What is the cost? The cost of this professional development is $20.00 per Director.
This includes dinner! Will I receive a certificate of continuing education? Participants who complete the 2 tasks AND attend the discussion group will receive 4 hours of continuing education. (Note: No partial certificates will be awarded.)

Do you have additional questions? Please contact Marilyn Rice at mrrice2@vcu.edu. Come share your experiences, frustrations, and successes with other Directors as we explore this book together on leadership.
Registration information to follow.

Richmond Early Childhood Association

Summer 2013 RECA Newsletter

:
Meet the Board Members 2013-2014
CO- PRESIDENTS: MURIEL AZRIA-EVANS DEBBI HEIST CO PRESIDENT ELECT: SUSAN HILL PAST CO-PRESIDENTS: SUSAN RAWLS ELAINE KASTLEBERG 828-7377 272-1704

467-3081

320-0550

CO-VICE PRESIDENT/PROGRAMS: MARILYN RICE 827-6947 MARY THORNTON 828-6291 VICE PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP: JESSICA HENDRICKS VICE PRESIDENT COMMUNITY: MICKIE MCINNIS

282-7506

874-8195

Make your finger paints at home or in the classroom!

CO-CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: KATHIE MARSHALL 786-1635 CATHY REMINES 828-6291 RECORDING SECRETARY: JESSICA CHEREBIN TREASURER: JEANNE JONES CO-PUBLIC POLICY: TRACY WALTERS GINNY BRENNER MEMBERS AT LARGE: MORGAN JANKE LATANYA ALEXANDER

Save the Dates:

PHOTO HERE, 2013-2014 Event PLACE Calendar OTHERWISE DELETE BOX

888-8222

272-9575

October 18, 2013 October 29, 2013 November 14, 2013 November 20-23, 2013 January 16-18, 2014 January 20, 2014 February 6, 2014 February 20, 2014 March 13-15, 2014 March 27, 2014 April 1, 2014

PACED Teacher Training: Bon Air Methodist 9:30-1:00 Director's Training (PFFN) 6:30-8:30pm Annual Dinner Meeting and Training: Open Arms Christian Preschool6-9 p.m. NAEYC Conference, Washington, DC SECA Conference (Williamsburg, VA) Capital Steps (Advocacy event for ECE) RAD Professional Development Director's Networking 6-8 p.m. (ELNS) VAECE Conference, Roanoke, VA RECA Dinner and Training, 6-8 p.m. Month of the Young Child

828-6291 794-1388

754-0227 240-7507 754-0227

JOAN BRENNAN
CO-HISTORIANS: JEANNE JONES MARY LANDIS WOYC: CYBIL FAULKS-BROWN ACCREDITATION: PATSY MOON

272-9575 272-9266

205-3686

828-6291

COMMUNITY LIASION/INCLUSION: MARILYN RICE 827-6947 UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVES: CINDY HUTCHINSON 828-6661 PATSY MOON 828-6291

Page 2

Richmond Early Childhood Association

Summer 2013 Month of the Young Child 2013 To celebrate the Month of the Young Child, RECA hosted An Evening of Play at the Children's Museum on April 23. 85 children and their families attended and learned how play is where learning begins! The event was sponsored by RECA, the Richmond Association of Directors (RAD), the Preschool Association of Church Educational Directors (PACED), and the Partnership for Families Northside.

RECA Newsletter

Membership News
Thinking about becoming a member? Need to renew your membership? Here is a reminder of all the benefits that being a member of RECA will provide you. 1. Membership into 4 organizations. (NAEYC, SECA, VAECE, and RECA) Professional Development Opportunities 2. Advocacy Opportunities 3. Networking opportunities for teachers and directors 4. Discounts on products 5. Free issues or reduced subscription rates of certain publications put out by NAEYC, SECA, VAECE and RECA 6. Reduced registration fees for certain conferences and/or training opportunities 7. If you choose to become a comprehensive member, you will also receive five to six free NAEYC publications during the year. To become a member or renew your membership, please visit http://www.naeyc.org/membership/join. You can also contact your local RECA membership representative, Jessica Hendricks, at nurseryschool@epiphanyelca.org.

From left to right Kyra Evans, JC Brooks, and his mother, Courtenay Brooks

Dont forget to like us on facebook for more event information and articles about ECE!
https://www.facebook.com/RichmondEarlyChildhoodAssociation

Page 3

Richmond Early Childhood Association

RECA Newsletter

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR 2013

Congratulations to Jeanne Jones for being named RECA's Educator of the Year for 2013. Jeanne has been a part of Early Childhood Education in the Richmond Area for many years. In March she was the founding director of the Bon View School at Bon Air United Methodist Church where she played many roles including directing, teaching and leading the school through multiple National Accreditations from 1991-2011. On July 1, 2011 she retired after forty years of service. For almost twenty years Jeanne has served on the RECA Board in many capacities. She led RECA through Reaffiliation with NAEYC during her tenure as its President from 2002-2004, and in 2002 she was selected as RECA's Early Childhood Advocate of the Year. Currently she is RECA's Treasurer and Co-Historian. She also served on the VAECE Board as 3rd Vice President for Liaisons and NAEYC Accreditation Chair. From 1993 through 2005 she was a NAEYC Validator, and she also served as a MENTOR for: NAEYC, the Ecumenical Child Care Network,Southampton Elementary School's VPI Program, "Success by Six" and most recently Chesterfield County's

Communities in School's Mentoring Program. Jeanne has had many accomplishments andhas been recognized in the following national publications for many years: Who's Who in America, Who's Who Among American Women, Who's Who in American Education and Who's Who Among America's Teachers.

PLACE PHOTO HERE, OTHERWISE DELETE BOX

PLACE LOGO OR PHOTO HERE

RECA
PO BOX 980013 RICHMOND, VA 23298