Early Learning Newsletter
Hello All!
Welcome to our first issue! We are very excited to launch this newsletter which will inform and inspire you on all things Early Learning.
We are so glad you are part of our community and value the experience and expertise you bring to this group.
In this first issue you will meet the members of our team and receive links to some important resources we use with the families we serve.
If you ever have something you would like to share with everyone or know someone you would like to add to our distribution list please email me at kgioia@orangeusd.org.
You can unsubscribe at anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of any newsletter. However, if you work with young children and want to learn more about how to best support them as they journey into elementary school, we think you'll enjoy these newsletters.
Sincerely,
Kendy Gioia
Early Learning Specialist
Orange Unified School District
Cheryl Sosa
714-628-4436
Kendy Gioia
714-628-5828
Marcia Tengan
714-628-5827
Jordin Olivo
714-628-5799
Monette Perez
714-628-4435
❤ Nurses Corner
Hello!
My name is Marcia Tengan and I am the School Readiness Nurse for the Orange Unified School District. I work with preschool children and their families to provide health and developmental screenings and provide resources and education to ensure that kids are at school healthy and ready to learn.
Here are some excellent resources in Orange County to share with the families you work with:
First 5 OC- resources for families during Covid-19
Newsletter (occhildrenandfamilies.com)
Help Me Grow- offers many resources including a free developmental screening that you can complete online. This short questionnaire will give you information about your child’s growth in 5 areas: Communication, Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Problem Solving and Personal-Social. I encourage you to call Help Me Grow if you have any concerns about your child’s development or need parenting support at 1--800-GROW-025.
Immunizations
Now is the time for children to get their necessary immunizations for next school year!
Please remind any families of a child entering Preschool for the first time or new to TK or Kindergarten, they likely need immunizations. They can call their healthcare provider now to schedule a well-child visit for school entry in the fall.
If they do not have a healthcare provider, the OC Health Care Agency offers free physical exams (Child must be under age 19 years old and meet income guidelines, and not have insurance coverage for well-child care) and low cost immunizations (Immunizations are available at low cost for those who do not have insurance). For more information follow this link: https://www.ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/family/fhcs/chcs.
To make an appointment call: 1-800-914-4887.
If you would like to share the Children’s Clinic flyer with your families follow the link below.
https://www.ochealthinfo.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=115687
Heath Insurance
If any of the families you work with do not currently have health insurance, please see the link below for information on how to apply for Medi-Cal benefits. Children under 19 years of age are eligible for full-scope Medi-Cal benefits regardless of immigration status, as long as they meet the income standards. Adults may qualify for health insurance through Medi-Cal even if they are not U.S. citizens.
https://www.caloptima.org/en/ForMembers/Medi-Cal.aspx
Please call or email me if you have any questions or concerns at 714-628-5827 or mtengan@orangeusd.org.
Be Healthy,
Marcia Tengan, RN, MSN
School Readiness Nurse
Orange Unified School District
A Note From Your Child Development Leaders!
We are excited for the opportunity to share with you some of the resources and ideas that benefit our program. Our hope is that you will find them beneficial as well when working with the families you support.
We use many strategies from The Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). These strategies are based off the Pyramid Model, which is a tool that promotes and enhances children’s social and emotional development.
The Pyramid model is broken down into tiers that focus on:
- Relationships
- Environments
- Social/emotional supports
- Interventions
As a program, we continuously implemented the Pyramid Model strategies to support the social and emotional development of young children, which aides in the decrease of challenging behaviors in the classroom.
We have noticed that the young children in our program who are introduced to the CSEFEL/Pyramid Model strategies have greater capacity and ability to self-regulate their emotions and utilize problem solving strategies with minimal support from the teachers.
Here is a link to the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations if you would like to learn more.
National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations NCPMI (usf.edu)
Please reach out if you would like any further information about the CSEFEL/Pyramid Model strategies we use.
❤ Jordin Olivo and Monette Perez
Child Development Leaders
Orange Unified School District
Using a Timer
Solution Suitcase
Students can choose different solutions to use when conflicts arise in the classroom.
Time with Tucker
Tucker the Turtle teaches kids how to regulate their emotions.
Is Your Child Ready?
Parents and other caregivers are the most important adults in a child’s life and the biggest contributors to their future success. Pretend City Children’s Museum supports caregivers by providing convenient and straightforward resources and tools so that they can feel confident in their knowledge of child development milestones.
Pretend City supports healthy child development through play and emphasizes the importance of regular developmental checkups for young children (birth through age 5) by combining on-site health checkups, developmental screenings, parent and caregiver education and training, and promotional outreach to better the community understanding of developmental checkups.
A child’s brain and body develop so rapidly in the early years. Pretend City recognizes these are the most critical developmental stages for your child and has been designed to help parents/caretakers understand their child’s development every step of the way.
Our Developmental Screening program educates parents/caretakers about what developmental milestones are and how to assess developmental milestones.
Developmental screenings take a closer look at how your child is developing by completing a questionnaire about your child. The tools used for developmental and behavioral screening are formal questionnaires or checklists based on research that ask questions about a child’s development, including language, movement, thinking, behavior, and emotions. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends developmental and behavioral screening for all children regularly.
Complete an online Developmental screening (ASQ) and receive a FREE ticket to Pretend City. Complete your FREE ASQ here: https://www.pretendcity.org/forms/asq/
Pretend City Children’s Museum
29 Hubble Irvine, CA 92618
PH. 949.428.3900
FAX 949.428.3908
*If you would like to be featured in one of our Partner Spotlights you can email me at kgioia@orangeusd.org
Featured Website- Talking is Teaching
Talking is Teaching is a great website to share with your families. Here is a description from their page:
"When you talk, read, and sing with your child—even before she can use words—you’re building her brain and helping to prepare her for success in school and in life.
But it may not always be easy to talk to babies, especially when they can’t talk back. To help, we’ve pulled fun tips and resources grounded in the best science, to help you talk, read, and sing with your child every day."
On their website they have a great indoor activity kit that gives parents ideas on how to talk, read and sing with their children using items they probably already have at home.
Here is the link to their Website- Talking Is Teaching - Homepage
Community News
Contact us!
OUSD Early Learning
Email: kgioia@orangeusd.org
Website: https://www.orangeusd.org/child-development-services/preschool-state
Location: 250 S. Yorba Street, Orange, CA
Phone: 714-628-5577
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100976668218347/