The Maryland EXCELS Team is connecting with families to promote
Maryland EXCELS participating programs.
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Family Fun Day at Camden Yards
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As a wrap up to Maryland EXCELS’ year of birthday celebrations, Family Fun Day was held on September 14, 2019 for providers, their children, and families enrolled in their programs. Attendees enjoyed the Kids Zone play area, face painting, a moon bounce, Skee-Ball, a photo booth, caricature drawings, entertaining and educational activities from Lakeshore and Kaplan, photos with the Oriole Bird, and running the bases.
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Baltimore City Healthy Start's Breastfeeding Event
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Quality Assurance Specialist Audrey Cupe Green reached out to new and expectant moms on August 29, 2019 at Baltimore City Healthy Start’s breastfeeding event.
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Tots @ 10 at The Avenue at White Marsh
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The Maryland EXCELS Team participated in this fun event for children under 5 on September 5, 2019. More than 500 children and families visited our play area and walked away with information about Maryland EXCELS!
Come see the Maryland EXCELS Team at the next Tots @ 10 on October 3, 2019. The theme will be “Farmyard Fun,” and children will be able to visit animals from a petting zoo.
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The Maryland EXCELS Team is connecting with families to promote
Maryland EXCELS participating programs.
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Calvin Rice, Lakeshore Learning Regional Manager, and Maryland EXCELS Quality Assurance Specialist Rosemary Lober displaying some of the materials that can assist programs with inclusive practices.
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Providers enjoying the training and collaboration in the Lakeshore Learning Store.
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Maryland EXCELS partners with Lakeshore Learning Materials, which offers discounts on top quality educational items for Maryland EXCELS programs. On July 10, 2019, several Maryland EXCELS programs gathered for a training at the Lakeshore Learning Store in Towson. Quality Assurance Specialists Meghan Leach-Gwynn and Rosemary Lober trained providers on daily schedules/lesson plans and inclusive practices. Being onsite enabled providers to see firsthand which Lakeshore products could help enhance their programs.
Need Educational Activities for Your Program?
Lakeshore Learning Materials recently put together a suggested materials list for Maryland Accreditation to help enhance your classroom environments and support specific improvement criteria for Maryland EXCELS.
The materials cover Infants-Toddlers through Prekindergarten, and highlight a range of subject matter, including social-emotional development, diversity, communication, motor development, problem solving, indoor/outdoor and much more. You can find the suggested materials for Maryland Accreditation here.
Additionally, if your program needs a full classroom setup, Lakeshore offers Complete Classrooms® to provide everything new classrooms need—plus delivery, assembly, setup and debris removal! Learn more here.
Maryland EXCELS programs will continue to receive a special discount and free
shipping on all orders! |
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Maryland EXCELS Quality Assurance Specialist Meghan Leach-Gwynn (front left) and providers enjoyed baseball and camaraderie in August. This was one of many 2019 games at Camden Yards that providers had the opportunity to attend thanks to giveaways and other contests through Maryland EXCELS.
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Join us at Director’s Coffee Hour
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Maryland EXCELS is partnering with Abilities Network to offer Director’s Coffee Hour on October 3, 2019. This session will offer opportunities to ask questions, get the latest updates, network and more. Get the full details here. |
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Provider’s Bucket List
Includes Improving Quality of Child Care
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Years ago, Jacqueline Jones started a bucket list. Considering her love of children and belief she could make a difference in children’s lives, Jones added “Open Child Care Program” to her list.
It's now been almost 10 years since Jones opened a family child care program.
She continues to believe that early education gives every child the foundation they need to thrive.
"It's like building a house," she said. "If you don't have a solid foundation, the house won't be a strong structure."
Participating in Maryland EXCELS has helped Jones ensure she is providing a quality program to children and their families. She has included policies and procedures that might not have been added if it weren't for Maryland EXCELS.
For example, before participating in Maryland EXCELS, she shared all communication with families verbally. Now, Jones has a bulletin board in her home where she posts flyers and sign-up forms for upcoming conferences.
"Since Maryland EXCELS, I just don't have a day care, I run a business," Jones said.
Read the full article here. |
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Transitions are a part of daily life that can be challenging, particularly for children. Given the multitude of transitions children experience, this can be very stressful for them. As early education professionals, you have an opportunity to help reduce the stress around transitions. Whether children are leaving the care of their families for the first time, entering a new age group, or going to a different program, children need to know what to expect. Transition plans can help children and parents adjust successfully.
Transitioning from home to a program begins with open communication between your program and families.
Here are some strategies you can implement:
- Suggest parents visit your program with their children before their first day.
- Offer abbreviated days in the beginning that gradually lengthen to a full day of care.
- Allow children to bring a special book or other item from home.
- Have a family photo wall or an “all about me” wall so children feel connected to their family while away from home.
- Build times for transition into the daily schedule.
Read the full article here. |
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Refreshing Your Bulletin Boards
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Whether your program is celebrating a particular season or focusing on a special topic, bulletin boards offer the perfect canvas to showcase children’s creations or brighten your space to welcome and engage the families and children in your program.
Read more here. |
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Professional Training for Child Care Providers
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Register in advance to attend Managing Behaviors That Challenge Us on Saturday, November 9, 2019 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at Harford Community College. You will learn how to identify, understand and manage challenging behaviors while earning 7 CEUs and 1 PAU. See the flier here. |
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Help Military Families and Grow Your Business
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You now have an exceptional opportunity to help military families and grow your business. The Department of Defense (DoD) is expanding the availability of quality child care options for eligible military families through its fee assistance program Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN). As of October 1, 2019, the DoD will launch a pilot program known as MCCYN-PLUS. This pilot will include programs that are participating in Maryland EXCELS and meet the eligibility requirements for MCCYN. Maryland is excited to be part of this pilot program. Learn more here. |
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Select the image above to visit the Workgroup and Training calendar online.
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Before you begin the Maryland Accreditation/Validation process, you must attend a Maryland Accreditation Orientation. The next orientation will take place at Johns Hopkins University’s IDEALS Institute on the following date:
Thursday, November 7, 2019
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Room: 218/219
Optional technical assistance: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Find the full orientation schedule here.
Location:
IDEALS Institute
Johns Hopkins School of Education
6740 Alexander Bell Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
If you have not attended an orientation within the past year, please register for an orientation by emailing accreditation@marylandexcels.org. Please enter Maryland Accreditation Orientation in the subject line of your email and include the following information:
- Program name
- License number
- Your name
- Your email address
- Your phone number
- Date of session
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Follow Maryland EXCELS on Facebook and Twitter to see the #NewFoodFriday posts, which help spark creative ways to introduce children to new foods! Do you have any creative ideas for snacks that you use in your program? Share your ideas with us at social@marylandexcels.org for a chance to be featured on the Maryland EXCELS social media pages! |
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Local Community Resources
Children begin exploring the world from the moment they are born. As they grow, their world expands from the family and home they live in, to the community that surrounds them. A great way to help children connect and explore their world is to check out some of the local community resources Maryland has to offer! Here are a few ideas:
Read more here. |
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly half of car seats are not used properly. Encourage your families to make an appointment to get their car seats checked at any of the car seat inspection events across the state. Families will be inspired to follow up with car seat safety after watching this video of a family's dramatic story of a child's life saved through a car seat inspection. |
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Learning Materials that Engage
The learning materials you select for the children in your program are powerful tools for keeping children active and engaged. When selecting materials, consider the interests and background of each child. Engage families in conversations about their child’s interests, culture, and traditions. The information you uncover may help you connect with the children and families in new ways or inspire new ideas for activities in the coming months.
The Maryland EXCELS Toolkit (Developmentally Appropriate Learning and Practice: Learning Materials) offers guidance for selecting learning materials for your program. Explore the resources available in the Toolkit’s Instructions tab for ways to engage and inspire the children and families you serve.
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