Transcript Transition to Kindergarten

Leeds-Grenville Best Start Network
Transition
to
Kindergart
en
Special
Needs
Reference
Group
Regional
Network
West Leeds
Pilot
The
Learning
Partnership
Welcome to
Kindergarten
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Promoting truly meaningful
inclusion of all children entering
the school system through strong
parent engagement practices.
West Leeds Pilot Project / Little
Steps Big Strides
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Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP)
A clear and commonly shared framework and
definition of family engagement can – and
will-inspire policy investments in family
engagement.
Definition of family engagement – “one that
focuses on the multiple contexts in which
children grow and learn from birth through
adulthood”.
 HFRP
identifies three
core principles of
family engagement
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http://www.hfrp.org
1. Family engagement is a shared
responsibility in which schools and
other community agencies and
organizations are committed to
reaching out to engage families in
meaningful ways and in which
families are committed to actively
supporting their children’s
learning and development.
2. Family engagement is also
continuous across a child’s life
and entails steadfast
commitment but changing
parent roles as children
mature into young adulthood.
3. Family engagement is
about promoting children’s
learning anywhere, anytime.
Effective family engagement
cuts across the multiple
settings where children
learn—at home, in
prekindergarten programs,
at school, in afterschool
programs, at faith-based
institutions, and in the
community.
All families want their
children to succeed. HFRP’s
expanded definition
emphasizes shared
responsibility, and thus, our
policy work focuses on
creating institutional
capacity to provide all
families with opportunities
to enrich their children’s
learning and nurture the
character traits that are
essential for educational and
lifelong success.
To support implementation of FDK across
region:
Members:
Min EDU
CMSMs
4 School Boards
Best Start Networks
To promote truly meaningful inclusion of all children entering the
school system through strong parent engagement practices.
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We represent:
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The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario
The Child Development Centre (Children’s Treatment Centre)
Data Analysis Coordinator (United Counties Leeds-Grenville)
Developmental Services of Leeds and Grenville
Language Express (Preschool Speech and Language)
Lanark Leeds Grenville Health Unit
Ontario Early Years Centre
Upper Canada District School Board
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Grew out of the work of the Leeds Grenville
Lanark Special Needs Reference Group
(SNRG), which was formed in February of
2010
Focus - a shared commitment to truly
meaningful inclusion of children with special
needs in the school system
Some members of the SNRG wanted
to move forward with a more
universal transition to school project –
one that incorporated best practices
around parent engagement, had a
strong emphasis on inclusion of
children with special needs, and
benefited all children entering
kindergarten – “necessary for some,
good for all”.
In January of 2011 our group met,
articulated our mission and mapped
out a work plan
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Coming together of school boards (UCDSB,
CDSBEO) and community agencies to
streamline early communication to parents.
The long-term aim of this group is to create
coordinated and consistent messages from
school boards and community partners around
the importance of registering children for
school, and the importance of family
involvement in the child’s education.
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Schools and community agencies
working together on the Kindergarten
registration process, with a focus on
services available to families.
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Planning a one week summer program for
children transitioning into kindergarten, and
their families. In developing this component
we built on the extensive work of our Lanark
partners.
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Developing a measure for determining
success of our work; include parent and
staff questionnaires; reflecting on data
and planning for next steps.
Learning Partnership of Canada Welcome to Kindergarten
Award for Partnership Excellence
2012
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to adapt what we learned from this project to support
family engagement and transition best practices in all
school across the catchment areas of the two school
boards
Working with our school boards and community
partners across the larger board catchment areas (four
Best Start networks), came together as Early Learning
Partners (formerly Transition to Kindergarten)
Working Group
Officially “wrapped” the pilot in the fall of 2014 to
focus on supporting this broader initiative
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Archive the learning
Strengthen the Welcome to Kindergarten
connection
Continue the work through this network and
the Early learning Partners
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Goal: one BSN representative assigned to
each school in Leeds-Grenville to support
WTK activities and provide information on
community resources/support
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Learning to Play, Playing to Learn (provided
by UCDSB)
Nippissing Screening information
Community Resource Guide (regionally
based)
Triple P Information
“Bubbles” for kids
What would we do again (Continue)
What changes would you recommend?
Timelines: