Staff attended a staff networking session and discovered that the current teacher shortage is state-wide and is at least in-part a result of many qualified teachers being drawn to higher paying public school kindergarten teacher positions by the institution of full day kindergarten.
Staff attended a session on Promoting Early Literacy, Promoting Life-Long Health. The presenter forwarded an intriguing concept that low literacy skills can be related to health problems in adults because of their inability to read and understand prescription or doctor instructions, health literature, or internet websites where they might find out about their conditions. The presenter, Gail Wolf,Ph.D., R.N., has also developed a reading strategy using letter-sound recognition rather than letter knowledge. She demonstrated the technique with a child who attended the session with his parent.
Staff also attended a session called, “How to Tame a Classroom, Go For the Juggler”. The presentation touched very briefly on research-based conscious discipline strategies which build student-teacher relationships. Many of the premises and strategies are similar to our PBIS, and the presenter was fun and engaging.
We also attended a Q&A session with the Early Learning Division and learned about the Mixed Delivery Preschool model being developed by the Early Learning Division. These public preschool slots will become available in fall of 2016 and will serve children 100-200% of the poverty level. The slots will be in a variety of settings, including Head Start, K-12 school districts, Community Based Organizations, Child Care Centers, and Home/Family Care settings. The money for this model has already been funded by the Oregon Legislature and there may be more available in the new legislative session.
The same representatives will attend meetings during the first week of February, and then again in May.
DeAnne Ruede
Teacher
Ross Lane Full Day
541-607-5965
