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School
Readiness Council
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NOVEMBER 12, 2003
ATTENDANCE: Betsy Bain, Chair; Linda Wilock, Youth
Services; Pat Balaban,
DSS; Chris Dudek-Ratushnuk, Norwalk Health Dept.;
Devon M. Rayment, Mid-Fairfield Child
Guidance; Dona Ditrio, Community Rep.; Elaine Andersen, Human Services Council;
Victoria Schilling, NHF; Gerri Degnan, The Marvin Children’s Center; Kendra
Mitchell, Carousel; Beatrice Krawiecki;
Norwalk Public Schools; Lynn Sadlon-Moritz, Fox Run FRC; Elaine Liberto, N.E.O.N.;
Mary Peniston, Norwalk Public Schools; Marilyn Lewis, FCA-Family and Children’s
Agency; Margaret Dana-Conway, Norwalk Community College; Shari Konn-Andrade,
Infoline
OTHER:
Carlin Hill, NEON; Susan Williams, Catholic Family Services;
Nancy
Owens, Catholic Family Services; Joyce Abate, Carousel;
Rosemary Scullane, N.P.S.
GUEST:
Curtis Law, Norwalk Housing Authority; Carmelita Valencia-Daye Norwalk
Community College
STAFF: Mary Budrawich, CES; Barbara
Smart, School Readiness Council; Rosemary Scullane, Norwalk Public Schools
I. MEETING CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order
at 9:35 a.m. by the Chair, Betsy Bain.
II. APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER MINUTES
The minutes were moved for approval by Beatrice Krawiecki
Seconded by: ???
III. UPDATES
a)
School Readiness
Linda Wilock reported that
there are 78 extended day slots.
b)
Quality Enhancement
Linda Wilock reported.
c)
Graustein Discovery Grant
Mary Peniston updated the Council on the Graustein
Discovery Initiative. She stated that
there is a minimum of $10,000 a year available for the next 4 years and that
Norwalk could apply for and receive an additional $40,000 a year. She said the Norwalk Graustein Discovery Initiative
is focusing on links between early childhood education and parents who participated
in the original focus groups.
IV. POLICIES UPDATE
Mary Budrawich distributed a packet listing all policies
required for the School Readiness Program in preparation for the State’s Monitoring
visit in March 2004. She said she has
gone through all of the policies the program currently has and that some had
been created. She stated that there
has been an update in State policies so School Readiness policies had to be
updated and submitted for review by the Council. She said they would want to have these changes/additions
approved by March. Changes and additions
are in bold print and any State Department alerts are also included in the packet.
She stated that Joyce Staples of the State Department
of Education would be coming on November 18, 2003 for monitoring review and
technical assistance with the providers. On December 3, 2003 there will be a regular provider meeting. Chair Bain asked that the providers get back
to Barbara Smart with any changes so that the Council will be prepared to vote
on them at the January meeting.
V.
NCC EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
CREDITS
Margaret Dana-Conway introduced Norwalk Community College’s Childhood Development Coordinator. The Coordinator offers providers the opportunity to earn a 12 credit CDA Certification.
She said there is a ruling coming from the State Department
of Education making it mandatory for providers to have 12 credits. A handout was distributed regarding the CDA
Credential and required courses. The Coordinator is asking for help with funding
in order for providers to take these classes. Chair Bain asked Ms. Smart to see that this information gets to
the providers not in attendance today.
VI.
SUBCOMMITTEES REPORT
a)
Executive Committee
None.
b)
Informal Care
Lynn Sadlon-Moritz said she sent out an autumn newsletter
and there are now 178 Informal Providers. Of that 178, 78 are infant providers. Ms. Sadlon-Moritz said that the committee has not met, but expects
to do so shortly after the Quality Enhancement letter of award is received.
c)
Provider Network
Gerri Degnan said that on November 17, 2003 there would
be a registration for the LEEP Program, which will consist of three Fridays
and three Saturday sessions. Participants
will receive four undergraduate or graduate credits for completing the course.
At least one administrator must accompany every two teachers. Observation is an important part of the course. Chair Bain asked if the program is first being
presented to funded providers and then to non-funded providers. She said the Council is interested in raising
the level of non-funded providers and in how well these opportunities are being
communicated to others. Mary Budrawich
said that all licensed providers in Norwalk received a flyer from STARS.
d)
Review & Selection
The first meeting will be on
December 3, 2003. There is nothing to
report at this time.
f)
Transition
Rosemary Scullane said that she is working on an information
booklet/flyer for the community to be better able to understand School Readiness.
Focus groups through Graustein are helping put it together.
She has a draft document outlining what the State Department wants, which
will be discussed at a meeting of the combined Transition/Task Force Committee
this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. in Room 322. They are trying to come up with ideas and strategies.
Chair Bain said there is another community conversation
on education on Monday,
November 17, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. at West Rocks School.
The focus will be how we can make sure all Norwalk children succeed.
It is funded by the League of Women Voters, Communities in Schools of
Norwalk and Norwalk Public Schools.
g) Nominating
A handout was distributed - Norwalk School Readiness Nominating
Committee’s
list of names to be submitted to the Mayor and Superintendent for
approval. Chair
Bain stated that the total membership is moving up to 30 and this leaves 2 positions
vacant. Chair Bain said that if anyone
knows someone who would like to fill the positions to please let the Council
know.
VII.
OTHER
There is a partnership between the New Haven School
Readiness Council and Channel 8. Channel
8 produced a video entitled “Ready Set Grow”.
Mary Peniston said there will be a meeting of the State
Department of Public Health
December 9, 2003 at 8:30 p.m. on the Connecticut Early
Childhood Comprehensive Systems. For
more information members were asked to see her.
Dona Ditrio said she met with
the Career Ladder Advisory Committee regarding job classifications. There have been 3 meetings. The last 2 meetings revolved in and around
Early Childhood Education. The next
meeting will be on November 18, 2003 and will focus on possible solutions to
the lack of a qualified labor pool. She
said the group talked in terms of economic development for the State.
Dona Ditrio stated that there is a Pre-School Advisory Committee. She said it is an eclectic group of people, which includes a Kindergarten teacher, and a school principal. She said the recommendations from the community are very broad. November 20, 2003 is the kick-off for the Universal Volunteer Childhood.
Marilyn Lewis said that Project Reward, a day treatment program for substance abuse has a part-time assistant position available. If anyone is interested they can contact Roberta Smith, Human Resources Manager at (203) 855-8765.
VIII.
MEEING WRAP UP AND SUMMARY
Chris Dudek-Ratushnuk said that flu shots are being
encouraged for providers and children ages 6 months and up. She said shots are available through the Health
Department.
IX. ADOURNMENT
** MS. DITRIO MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda L. Custis
Telesco Secretarial Services
ADDENDUM
– NOTES FOR SRC 11-12-03 MINUTES
The Chair announced that the agenda would be changed to allow
Curtis Law, Executive Director of the Norwalk Housing Authority (NHA), to give
a brief overview of that agency’s plans for the Colonial Village Community Center
(CVCC). The NHA plans to develop a seven-acre
site at Colonial Village. The plan includes
demolishing the existing community center building and replacing it with a new
one. One of the possibilities being
considered for the new building is the inclusion of space for childcare.
The NHA would like to involve a group of providers in preliminary discussions
about the need for such a facility and the criteria for design.
If such a space is provided, a provider will be selected to actually
operate the service. Betsy Bain commended
the Housing Authority for being open to the idea of creating space for childcare
and for inviting participation at such an early stage. Curtis Law can be reached at 838-8471 Ext.
141. Anyone interested in serving on
an advisory committee for the project should send a letter to Barbara Smart
at the Department of Youth Services. It
was agreed that a meeting would be set, and all interested providers may attend.
After Mr. Law left, the meeting returned to the agenda.
A. School Readiness
Linda Wilock reported that the letter of award for
the School Readiness Grant has been received for the amount of $2,120,204.
The total includes $18,857 in carryover funds from 2002-2003. The carryover funds made it possible to create
3 additional full-time slots and 1 additional part-time slot for this year only.
The new slots were distributed to those programs that still have licensed
capacity.
B. Quality Enhancement
Linda Wilock reported that although
no letter of award has been received, we have a letter notifying us that it
should arrive shortly.
Policies Update
Mary Budrawich
distributed a packet of School Readiness Council policies.
She explained that we will be updating some policies and creating some
new ones in preparation for the monitoring visit in March. Changes and additions are in bold print and
any relevant State Department of Education
(SDE) alerts are included in the packet.
The policies will be presented for a vote at the January meeti
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