Staff Announcements

March 2-6 Staff Newsletter

Staff Newsletter:  March 2-6, 2015

Training

·    March Center Staff Meeting – guest speakers will be hosting:  “Witnesses to Violence:  Helping children cope in a violent world.”

·    Eggs, Eggs Everywhere Training – March 21, 2015 @ the National History Museum.  If you are not signed up and want to be, come by the office.  If you ARE signed up and you do not show up, you will be responsible for the class enrollment fee.

·    April Center Staff Meeting – Ms. Jeni will be your guest speaker in April.  Topic:  Songs & Fingerplays. 

March 2nd was Dr. Seuss’ Birthday If you have cute pics of your kids celebrating Dr. Seuss’ Bday please email them to Carol at cc@swchildcare.com

Becky Bailey:  Conscious Discipline

Social Media Policy

Social Media are a powerful communication tool that can impact Southwest Child Care Early Learning Center’s professional reputation.  We have designed some policies and procedures to clarify best practices when participating in social media.  The policies incorporate but are not limited to:

* Protecting confidential information – you may not post confidential or proprietary information about students, families and/or co-workers.

* Posting pictures – you may never post pictures of students without a center approved, signed permission slip.

* Be respectful and think twice before posting – never forget that privacy does not exist in the world of social media.  Be aware – know your audience and be respectful!  Search engines can turn up posts years after they have been created and comments can be forwarded and copied.

March Libraries

NOW is the time!

TODAY is the day! 

Your classroom library must be checked and updated.

You must have books on St. Patrick’s Day, Spring, and Dr. Seuss.  Do you have books on weather??? With so many rapid weather changes you should be reading books that are relevant and meaningful to the kids.

Don’t forget to read, informally and formally, daily. 

Music and Movement

Music and Movement is an important piece to the Conscious Discipline puzzle.  Do not underestimate the power of song when managing children.  You must incorporate song and fingerplays into your day.

This is the good morning song that you sang at the in-service day that incorporates CONNECTION AND TOUCH.  This should be on your MP3’s. 

Get Ready

Good Morning, Good Morning
Let’s get ready the brain smart way
Good morning, Good morning
Get ready to start the day
Get your hands ready – shake, shake (Shake your hands)
Get your arms ready – stretch, stretch (Reach your arms up high)
Get your brain ready – cross, cross (Touch your right elbow to your left knee and then left elbow to right knee crossing the midline of the body. If this is too hard for young children have them cross the midline of the body in some fashion)
Get your focus ready – breathe, breathe (Breathe in deeply through the nose, hold it and exhale slowly) Get your hands ready – shake, shake (Repeat as above)
Get your arms ready – stretch, stretch
Get your brains ready – cross, cross
Get your focus ready – breathe, breathe

Repeat Chorus

Connect with a friend – shake, shake (Turn to your partner and shake their hand)
Connect with a friend – clap, clap (Clap both hands with a partner)
Connect with a friend – hug, hug, hug (Give your partner a big hug)
Good morning, good morning
Let’s get ready the brain smart way
Get ready to start the day

Extensions: With older children use this as a bridge to a discussion about the brain and how the brain needs oxygen, exercise, food and stimulation to grow and work properly. Teach them that the left side of the brain controls the arm and leg motions on the right side and vice versa. Crossing the center of the body stimulates both sides of the brain to work together. Taking a deep breath allows you to relax and reduces the stress in the body. When the stress is reduced, you can think instead of react to situations that are upsetting.

Chorus
Good morning, Good morning
Let’s get ready the brain smart way
Good morning, Good morning

Get ready to start the day
Get your hands ready – shake, shake
Get your arms ready – stretch, stretch
Get your brains ready – cross, cross
Get your focus ready – breathe, breathe

Repeat Chorus

Connect with a friend – shake, shake
Connect with a friend – clap, clap
Connect with a friend – hip, hip
Connect with a friend – hug, hug, hug
Good morning, good morning
Get ready to start the day

Social Media Policy

Social Media Policy

Introduction

Social media are powerful communication tools that can impact Southwest Child Care Early Learning Center’s (SWCCELC) professional reputation.  Social media can blur the line between personal and institutional opinions.  The following policy is designed to clarify how best to protect personal and professional reputations when participating in social media.  The goal is to establish practical and enforceable guidelines by which we can conduct ourselves in a constructive, positive and official capacity.

Social media are defined as media designed to be circulated through social interaction, using accessible online forums.  Examples include but are not limited to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and SnapChat.

Both in professional and institutional roles, employees need to follow the same behavioral standards online as they would in real life.  The same laws, professional expectations, and guidelines for interacting with families, co-workers and the community apply online as they do while on the job.  Employees are liable for anything they post to social media sites.

Section 1:  Policies and Guiding Principles

Only those officially designated can use social media to speak on behalf of SWCCELC in an official capacity, though employees may use social media to speak for themselves individually or to exercise their legal rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

When engaging in social media activity:

·       Protect confidential and proprietary information:  Do not post confidential or proprietary information about SWCCELC, students, families or your co-workers.  Examples include but are not limited to pictures of students, negative comments about co-workers, and personal information about families.   You must adhere to all applicable privacy and confidentiality policies.  Employees who share confidential information do so at the risk of disciplinary actions or termination.

·       Exercise personal responsibility:  SWCCELC trusts and expects employees to exercise personal responsibility when using social media, which includes not violating the trust of those with whom they are engaging.  Employees should never use social media for covert advocacy and marketing when acting in a professional capacity.  If and when employees use social media to communicate on behalf of SWCCELC, they should clearly identify themselves as employees.

·       Respect SWCCELC time and property:  SWCCELC computers and time on the job are reserved for center related business as approved by supervisors and in accordance with teacher/staff job descriptions. Abuse and misconduct associated with use of center computers and time will be done at the risk of disciplinary action.

·       Don’t use SWCCELC logos for endorsements:  Do not use the SWCCELC logo or any other center images or iconography on personal social media sites.  Do not use SWCCELC’s name to promote a product, cause, or political party or candidate.

·       Respect copyright and fair use:  When posting, be mindful of the copyright and intellectual property rights of others and of SWCCELC.

Section 2:  Best Practices

This section applies to those posting on behalf of SWCCELC, though the guidelines may be helpful for anyone posting on social media in any capacity.

·       Think twice before posting:  Privacy does not exist in the world of social media.  Consider what could happen if a post becomes widely known and how that may reflect both on the poster and the center.  Search engines can turn up posts years after they are created, and comments can be forwarded or copied.  If you wouldn’t say it at a staff meeting or to a member of the media, consider whether you should post it online.  This includes pictures of yourself in compromising situations or displaying controversial lifestyle choices including, but not limited to, substance abuse.  If you are unsure about posting something or responding to a comment, ask your supervisor.

·       Strive for accuracy:  You must review your content for grammatical and spelling errors.

·       Be respectful:  Posts on social media encourage comments and/or discussion.  Responses should be considered carefully.  Consider how they reflect SWCCELC and its institutional voice.

·       Remember your audience:   Be aware that a presence in the social media world is public.  This includes prospective families, current families, co-workers and colleagues in the child care community.  Consider this before posting to ensure the post will not alienate, harm or provoke any of these groups.

·       On personal sites:  Since reputations are built on trust always identify your views as your own.  If you identify as a SWCCELC staff member online, it should be clear that the views expressed are not necessarily those of the center.

·       Photography:  Photographs posted on social media sites can be copied.  Be thoughtful when choosing imagery to post.  If pictures of children are being used a release form, clearly describing what image is being posted, must be signed by the family and placed in the child’s file.

·       Link back to southwestchildcare.com:  whenever possible, link back to the center website.  Ideally, posts should be very brief, redirecting a visitor to content on the website.