Journal 12

Preparing for Family-Teacher conference

Over the past four months Kyler has made the most progress in joining in at music & movement.  He is beginning to express himself and open up with teacher and friends.  When Kyler first joined our class in January he would stand to the side and not participate at all with the other children.  If someone said anything to him, he would scream at them to leave him alone.  By March Kyler would join the group but was still reluctant to join in with the singing, dancing, or exercise movements.  Here it is April and Kyler led a song at music time.  He likes pass out the musical instruments and even suggests songs for everyone to sing.  He has made tremendous progress.

Kyler enjoys block play with the dinosaurs.  Given a choice, he would play with the dinosaurs all day.  His fascination with dinosaurs leads him to paint pictures of dinosaurs, pretend to be a dinosaur, and he enjoys the dinosaur counters.

Kyler is most excited and attentive when it is snack time.  He especially looks forward to the day he is snack helper. He always encourages the other children to prepare for snack and to sit quietly so they can get served.

The best form of redirection for Kyler is to request his help with something. If he gets in a squabble with another child, all I have to do is ask him to help me and it immediately defuses the situation.  He loves to help and feels special and important when asked to perform a task and he completes it.

Although Kyler has come a long way from when he first joined our class, I feel one objective you could work on at home would be to encourage him to be more open.  Interact with him in a way that he will learn to more freely express himself. Give him developmentally appropriate task to do and acknowledge when he completes them.  This will help to build his self-confidence and self-worth.  Ask him questions and listen when he answers them.  Also, ask his opinion on certain matters and let him help make decisions. 

Journal 11

Considering that I have a very bad memory and have to journal everything for myself, I try to document everything that I learn (be it from hearing, reading, participating in, or witnessing).  Documenting and filing information I learn allows me to share with my parents in so many different ways.  For the parents who are visual I put information in print (flyers, letters, notice to parents, etc...)  For the parents who are auditory I talk a lot (family meetings, parent conferences, resource numbers, etc...)  For the parents who are kinisethic I encourage them to participate (volunteer for activities, coordinate with other parents in helping with creating policies, networking to find resources to meet certain needs, etc....)  I try to connect and share with parents in any way possible.  I know that, like me, some parents have to see it to understand it; some have to hear it to understand it; and some have to see it done to understand it. I am a paper person and put everything in writing but not all parents understand what they read. It is necessary for me to communicate and share with parents in whatever way I need to.

Journal 10

Kiddie Haven Childcare

5805 Northwest 40th Street

Warr Acres, Ok 73122

HEALTH ALERT !!

November 1, 2011

Dear Parents,

Please be advised that there has been a confirmed case of Mononucleosis.  Attached is a list of symptoms pertaining to the virus.  This virus is spread by saliva and discharges from the mouth and throat.  Coughing, sneezing, kissing, direct contact, such as eating or drinking after an infected person or handling personal items. Should your child show signs of any of these symptoms, please have your child checked by their pediatrician as soon as possible.  Should any child be sent home with one of the following symptoms; a doctor's not will be needed for readmission into the center.

Symptoms:

1. Fever
2. Loss of appetite
3. Sore throat
4. Skin rash
5. Fatigue
6. Swelling of lymph nodes

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Leslie at 789-5408.  Thank you

Journal 9

Dear parents, the following is an amendment to the parent handbook effective November 2011.


Starting November 1, 2011 all parents receiving DHS childcare assistance will be required to swipe their child in at time of drop off.  Any parent that does not have their card will be required to pay a drop off rate of $30.00.  Should you swipe your child in and out at the end of the day, the $30.00 will be refunded.  If you do not swipe your child in and out at the end of that day, then the $30.00 will go for that days tuition.  Previous ins and outs will not be allowed.

Please sign acknowledgment page and return to Ms. Leslie by October 28th

Journal 8

KIDDIE HAVEN

NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

EBT Cards

Parents receiving DHS subsidiesfor childcare assistance, please make sure you swipe your child in and out daily.  Although DHS allows previous ins and outs, if you go past the ten alloted days, DHS will not pay us and you will be required to pay cash for the missed days.  Thank you, Ms. Leslie

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Putnam City Christmas break is from December 22nd thru January 4th.  Please let Ms. Leslie know if your child will be here.

Absent or Late Calls

If your child is going to be late or absent, please give us a call.  In order to assure proper staffing and lunch portions, we need to know by 9:30 who will attend.

Also, please remember if your child is absent for five consecutive days without notice, they are automatically dropped and tuition is still due for that week.

UPCOMING CLOSINGS

November 24th and 25th
December 26th


Winter is Coming

Winter weather is coming and the temperatures are getting colder.  Children will still have outdoor time if temperatures are above 50 degrees.  Please dress children accordingly and label all clothings, hats, scarves, and gloves with your child's name.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Ms. Victoria         11/28/??
Jaxon Shoeman        11/16/05
Destiny Wright:      11/11/00

Tuition and Co-payments

Tuition is due either weekly or bi-weekly and co-payments are due by the 5th.  Late or no payment will result in your child(ren) not being admitted to the center.  Please let know if you will be paying weekly or bi-weekly.

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks, Thanks

Many thanks to all the parents who donated time and items to the Halloween Parties.  The children had a wonderful time and enjoyed themselves immensely.  Thanks from the Kiddie Haven Staff. 

Journal 7

I had not really put much stock into how I dressed as long as I was clean, presentable, and always had a pleasing disposition.  Being in this class has taught me that Dressing for success is accomplished by wearing clothes that accent your shape, skin tone, and eye color.  Having the basics is a must.  That includes suits, slacks, and skirts in the colors of black, brown, grey, and navy.  Jeans are supposed to be in a dark wash and all pants should have the legs that go straight down and not tapered.  Being fashionable yet not flashy is easily done if you find out what styles go along with your body type.

Dressing professionally does make people look at you differently.  I have learned that people tend to take you more seriously and listen more intently to what you have to say when you look a certain way.

Journal 6

I believe the code of confidentiality was broken with the mother the moment the Director had a lengthy conversation with the teacher from the old school without the mother's permission. Giving the new teacher his entire file was also wrong. Posting the child's registration form on the door with the father section highlighted was a violation of both the child's and mother's confidentiality. Posting his phone number on the family bulletin board without getting permission from his mother was wrong. Telling the other parents that he was a biter was wrong.  I believe there should have been a discussion concerning Eric's disability prior to his enrollment.  The meeting should have included the 2 directors, the mother, and the new teacher. I think a meeting discussing his medical history, his behavior, and how to make his transition easy for all should have been discussed.  Even taking Eric over to see his new classroom, meet his new teacher, and new classmates would have made it better. I think it would have been easier if the class had been told about Eric and shown his picture before he arrived. That way they would be prepared and could actually greet him when he arrived.  The teacher was wrong for discussing the children in public and mentioning names just make it worse.  It doesn't matter where the conversation took place, it was wrong and inappropriate. I would have an immediate staff meeting to discuss the incident, reiterate confidentiality policies, and discuss a plan of action to repair the damage done.  My first reaction would be to tell the mother to take her child and run but what would that say about me. The child may soon begin to feel that it is all his fault that he keeps getting moved and instability is so damaging for a child.  I would start over the next day with a different game plan. One that would ensure that the child was made to feel welcome, the mother is fully aware of all policies regarding lunch time and nap time. Seeing that the child was having problems i would allow a naptime friend just to comfort and make him feel safe. There are a lot of things possible to make this situation work.

Journal 5

Staff meetings are important because they allow staff to come together to share ideas, questions, and/or concerns. They allow the Director to address good and bad issues that arise within the program. They allow staff to come together as a team to support each other in ways that could reduce stress, burnout, and turnovers.

This is the agenda for my last staff meeting:

STAFF MEETING TOPICS

1)  Performance evaluations
2)  Professional development plans
3)  DHS licensing visit
4)  Upcoming health inspection
5)  Classroom cleanliness
6)  Behavior/Injury reports
7)  Surveys
8)  Afternoon cleanup
9)  Children's belongings
10) Playground rules
11) Discrimination/Prejudice
12) Requested time off

Each teacher is given this list with an attached sheet for them to list any topics they would like for me to cover.  At the end of each meeting the floor is always opened for anyone to comment.

The following is the sheet that i have with my notes as to what i want to say about each topic. Having this allows me to stay on point and not get off track.

1)  I will be completing performance evaluations on each staff member.  Once completed, they will be discussed with each staff member, both staff and director will sign and it will be placed in the the staff members file.
2)  Each staff member is required to complete a professional development plan.  Even if you do not plan on continuing in this field, it still needs to be completed for whatever you plan on doing.
3)  September is the month of our licensing worker is due to conduct a periodic visit. Please make sure that everything required is posted on your parent bulletin board, centers are clearly marked, changing tables are clear of debris, cots are labeled, etc...
4)  Our health inspector is due at any time. Please make sure everything is in order.
5)  Classrooms need to be cleaned and presentable at all times.  Floors need to be kept swept and mopped and carpets need to be vacuumed.  When parents walk in a classroom and see stuff all over the floor it leaves a very bad impression.  Also, having too many things available is just as bad as not having enough.  Materials need to be age appropriate, in proper containers, labeled, and placed in an orderly fashion on your shelves in the correct centers.
6)  Please make sure injury and behavior reports are filled out at the time of incident.  If time lapses, you may forget some important information that needs to be included.  Also, if a child suffers an injury to the head, face, or mouth, parents are to be notified immediately.
7)  Discuss teacher surveys and feedback from parent surveys.
8)  Please make sure classrooms are clean at the end of the day as well as the playground.  I have noticed that there seems to be cups, trash, and toys scattered all over the playground when I come in the morning. That makes us look very bad.  It is not difficult to maintain the playground and if it is then we will discontinue having snack and drinks outside.  Also the big trash cans need to be emptied every day.  There is no reason for those trash cans to be over flowing.  That can easily leads to rats and roaches, which we are not trying to deal with.
9)  Please make sure that if clothes are removed from a child that they are labeled with that child's name. If washed, please put back on the child or in the child's cubby.  Too many parents are complaining about their children's missing clothes.  Also, children's clothes are getting bleached out.  This is something that should never happen.  If we are bleaching tables, chairs, and/or changing tables, we need to make sure they are completely dry before we allow a child to sit or lay on these items.
10)  I have asked before that we station ourselves around the playground so that all children are visible to all staff, yet incidents continue to happen that are not witnessed by any staff.  This causes a problem with parents and with me when we can not give a clear account of what happened to their child.  We cannot supervise children if we are sitting and visiting.  It's just not possible.
11) We all know that there are people all around us that are prejudice.  Although I think that's wrong, it is certainly not my place to judge another.  However when it causes you to discriminate against children, parents, and co-workers; I must say something.  People should not be made to feel lower than others.  Please be respectful and appreciative of the diversity we have here at Kiddie Haven in our staff, children, and parents.  If there is something that is bothering you, please come to me and let's discuss it.
12)  As we all know we are at our maximum capacity.  That is very good but it can cause a problem should one need time off.  I want to remind everyone that although I try to accomodate everyone's request, there may come a day when I will have to say no.  It will work a lot better if all appointments are scheduled for the morning.  It is entirely too hectic in the afternoon to allow time off.  I have given each of you a list of time already requested off and days that will not be approved due to school being out.

Journal 4

"How does it feel when someone does not use your name, gives you the cold shoulder, does not make eye contact, and only greets you with complaints?"

I have very mixed feelings about each of these scenarios. I don't really have a problem with anyone not using my name as long as they address me as something.  I have a habit of calling people honey, sweetheart, babe, etc...  I have been told it is unprofessional and I should train myself to call people by their names, so if someone were to call me something like that I would be okay.  Now I have had people approach me and just start talking without addressing me and that bothers me. I usually do not acknowledge them for several minutes and then I will politely ask, "I'm sorry, were you talking to me?". I feel it is rude and very disrespectful.  When someone gives me the cold shoulder, I simply walk away. I do wonder what I have done to upset them, but I do not question them about it.  If someone does not wish to speak to me, then I assume they have a valid reason and I just hope and pray they will eventually come around to explaining to me their reason.  I used to think when someone did not make eye contact with me that they were either hiding something or had a problem with me.  Then I learned that in some cultures it is disrespectful to look a person straight in the eye.  After that I try to read the situation.  If it is someone that I have spoken to many times before and they wont look at me then I would feel like I have either I have done something horribly wrong or that they are up to something.  When a person greets me with only complaints, I would begin to wonder if they were the type of person that only focused on the negative or if they ever saw the positive in anything. After a while, I am sure I would probably ask them if they ever had anything good to say. I am a firm believer that if you give nice you get nice. I don't wake up on a daily basis wondering what all is going to go wrong with the day.

Journal 3

Activity 2.1

I would explain to the parents that because children are in contact with children outside their room whom they may touch and cause a severe allergic reaction, it is still not allowed. I would be understanding of their wish but I would have to stand by the policy book expressing to them that it was created to protect the safety and well being of all children and staff. I would also make other suggestions of things that they could bring instead of the peanut butter cookies.

First, I would ask her if she would allow me to discuss her situation with the other teachers. If so, I would explain her situation to the other teachers and ask if any of them were willing to trade shifts with her.  If so, then I would change her shift. If not, then I would express my sympathy and understanding of her dilemma, explaining to her that I could not change her shift, and explain to her that although the other teachers were not willing to relinquish their Fridays, that she should not have any hard feelings because she does not know their reasons.

I would let her know that I was unhappy at her actions. I would offer to help her in creating her own lesson plans in the future and I would make me a new lesson plan. I understand and know that some people just dont have the creativity of others. Instead of causing a scene, I would offer my assistance.  It is apparent that she needs help.

I would acknowledge his anger, apologize for not being aware of the injury, explain to him that as children get older they sometimes handle situation differently by not reacting as they would have at a younger age. I would suggest to him that we schedule a later time to discuss the situation and his concerns about my ability to protect his child. I would reassure him that he can feel safe in leaving his child with me and that I will talk with the entire class regarding the issue of being nice to our friends.

Journal 2

Activity 1.1

My daily audience consists of a wide ranch of people.  I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by whites, blacks, hispanics, indians,  vietnamese, and jamaicans. This brings a lot of diversity into the center which is welcomed by all.

Activity 1.2

I dont think anything else is needed. The staff member acknowledged the parent's concern, reassured them that action was taken, and that preventive measures were discussed.  They offered a solution and waited to obtain the parents approval and feedback.  They may have asked if the parents wished to be immediately notified in the future but other than that, i think it was fine.

Activity 1.3

I see Kiddie Haven childcare as a foundation for which children to learn, grow, and develop into loving caring individuals.  We strive to prepare them for elementary school where their social and emotional skills will be enhanced.  We are the most affordable center in our area.  Because of this, I am questioned quite often about whether or not we actually teach. Our focus here at Kiddie Haven is to make certain children are prepared with the basic academic and social skills needed to go to Kindergarten.  We do not have a set curriculum.  The ideas and materials we use have been gathered from learning stores, magazines, workshops, classes, and years of experience.  Kiddie Havens main strength is that we are like family.  We have worked together and built a fellowship that is felt throughout the center.  We welcome all families and potential families the same. My only wish is that we had more space with a better layout. The rooms are awkward and make it challenging to come up with the perfect room arrangement.

Journal One

Hello, my name is Leslie K. James. I am the Director of Kiddie Haven Childcare located in Warr Acres, Ok.  My purpose for being in child care is that children need people in their lives that will love and nurture them as well as teach and guide them into becoming successful people of society.  Education is important because everyone is lost without knowledge, even simple knowledge.  Learning simple ABC's and 123's is taken for granted and yet it is so vital to the continuation of the world.  I believe helping children learn the importance of education at an early age truly makes a difference to their overall development as adults.