Building Families, Building Futures

Building Families, Building Futures
Cape and Islands Early Learning Conference
Saturday, April 11, 2015
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mashpee High School
500 Old Barnstable Road
“Join us for this Brain Builders at Work event!
The first 200 participants to register will receive a Brain Building
T-shirt and Bag to promote the awareness and importance of
Early Education and Care”
Exhibitors from local Family Support programs will be on
hand to provide the resources and information you need to
support families across the Cape.”
“
With support provided by the Massachusetts
Department of Early Education and Care
Schedule for the Day
8:00 a.m.
8:30 a.m.
8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
9:45 a.m.
10:00 a.m. - 12:00
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Registration
Welcome
Keynote
Break
Workshops
Working Lunch
Workshops
Non-refundable Registration Fee: $10
(includes morning coffee and a brown bag lunch)
Total Number of Contact Hours:
6.0
*Number of CEU’s: 0.5
*Please note: CEU’s are offered for Keynote and Workshop Choices A-E
“No partial CEU’s or PDPs will be awarded for partial day attendance.”
6 PDPs will be awarded in Family & Community Engagement for educators
Keynote: The Developmental Impacts of Trauma
Presenter: Jeanine Fitzgerald
Behavior Specialist, Author, Founder of the Fitzgerald Institute
Core Competency: Understanding the Growth & Development of Children & Youth
Workshop Description: Trauma-reactive children walk through our doors everyday and their
life experiences influences the developmental pathway each follows. Often, there are behavioral
symptoms that professionals label as challenging or pathological. Our goal is to discover that
these behaviors are a child doing their best to survive and create effective strategies for meeting
authentic needs, providing emotional safety and increasing competence in self-regulation.
Workshop A. Brains@Risk
Presenter: Jeanine Fitzgerald
Core Competency: Understanding the Growth & Development of Children & Youth
Workshop Description: The brain is the CEO of all emotions, thoughts and behavior. Therefore, optimizing the functioning of the brain is the foundation of an amazing and vibrant life.
This session answers two critical questions. One is “Do the brains of children today get the right
types of stimulation for optimal development?” The second is “Can a brain that has been compromised by early life experiences or genetics be enriched?” This session answers both and offers proven approaches to maximize brain functioning known as the golden maximizers.
Workshop B. Being Trauma Informed-Working with Children and Families
Impacted by Substances
Presenter: Cindy Horgan, Director, Cape Cod Children’s Place
Core Competency: Understanding the Growth & Development of Children & Youth
Workshop Description: Taking blame and shame out of the equation to see things from a family perspective, it can be recognized that both children and adults may be manifesting issues of grief, loss, or
anger simultaneously, creating complex dynamics. This session will help participants understand the
influence trauma can have on behavior, learning and personal relationships. While interacting with peers
and the facilitator in a comfortable environment, staff will develop skills to be trauma-informed, in order
to engage children and their families in safe ways that allow individuals to thrive in health relationships
with their providers and educators.
Workshop C. Art: as a therapy, as a communication, as a connector
Presenter: Charity Kane O’Neal, MA, ATR Certified Art Therapist and Art Educator
Core Competency: Understanding the Growth & Development of Children & Youth
Workshop Description: Art: the uses, the power behind it, the messages kids can express within it.
Learn about the field of ART Therapy. Better understand the role of art materials within your educational setting. Develop projects that have meaning, enable children to thrive, and allow kids to express
themselves.
Workshop D. Adoption & Foster Care 101
Presenter: Valerie Perry, Specialist, Adoption Journeys
Core Competency: Understanding the Growth & Development of Children & Youth
Partnering with Families and Communities
Workshop Description: This session will provide basic facts and regulations in regards to adoption and
foster care, including information on the various types of adoption. It will sensitize participants to the
complexities of language, family traditions and family history, including an insight to the complexities of
the losses for all involved parties.
Workshop E. Supporting Dual Language Learners and Families
Presenters: Kristen Lind, Director, West Parish Family School &
Mary Oldach, ELL Teacher, ME Small Elementary School
Core Competency: Understanding the Growth & Development of Children & Youth
Partnering with Families and Communities
Workshop Description: The number of Dual Language Learners in early care and education programs
has continued to grow throughout our region. Home language and culture has a significant impact on
early learning experiences for DLLs. We will explore resources to support the development of DLL academic language. Highlights of the new WIDA E-ELD Standards will be presented.
Workshop F. Sharing Best Practices in a Fatherhood Café
Presenter: Paul Melville, Southeast Coordinator, Fathers and Family Network &
Family Support Specialist, Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition
Core Competency: Partnering with Families and Communities
Workshop Description: A screening of “Six Fathers” (an original multimedia presentation highlighting
the real experiences of local fathers in various community settings; both empowering and challenging),
followed by a Fatherhood Café where groups of participants share best practices that they are currently
using and/or envision using at their programs or agencies.
Workshop G. What’s in a Name? Building Family Literacy through Children’s Names
Presenters: Patti Leary, Sandwich Public Schools Literacy Coach &
Mary Van Cleef, Sandwich Public Schools Kindergarten Teacher
Core Competency: Partnering with Families and Communities
Workshop Description: A child’s name is often the first word that she can read and write. Participants will learn some songs, read-alouds, poems, and games that focus on children’s names that will
help them to encourage early literacy behaviors. This hands on workshop will have the participants actively engaged in producing examples of activities to use in their centers and to share with families to
use at home.
Workshop H: More than the Baby Blues-Recognizing & Supporting those Suffering with
Post-Partum Depression
Presenter: Mary Wilson, Coordinator of the Cape Cod Maternal Depression Task Force
Core Competency: Partnering with Families and Communities
Workshop Description: Although specific statistics vary on the topic, we know that the incidence and
impact of maternal/post-partum depression (PPD) is significant. It is important for the EC Community
to help raise awareness, assist in early identification and understand the unique needs of children &
families impacted by the diagnosis. This workshop will provide an overview of PPD, screening options, a video of one parent’s journey, and one community’s efforts to provide a network response.
Workshop I. Digital Parent Communication & Technology for the EC Classroom
Presenter: Lynn Phinney, Sandwich Public Schools, Kindergarten Teacher
Core Competency: Partnering with Families and Communities
Workshop Description: Learn four ways to establish digital communication with your parents
(facebook, twitter, remind, blogger). We will discuss the benefits and pitfalls of using this technology
and have the opportunity to create your own accounts. We will also explore a variety of apps and websites you can use in your classroom.
Registration online at the Cape Cod Collaborative
SMART PD
www.capecodcollaborative.org
Please remember to select “OTHER” as your school district, if you are not a public
school employee.
You must register for a Session 1 (morning) and Session 2 (afternoon) workshop.
Contact Sheila Murray for registration questions: 508.420.6950 x10
s.murray@capecodcollaborative.org