May 11, 2023 PA’s Promise For Children Recognizes Teachers, Requests Nominations for Teacher Appreciation Week In recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week, Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children is sharing the stories of inspiring educators and encouraging families to nominate teachers for recognition. About Teacher Appreciation Week Teacher Appreciation Week is the first full week in May. The week got its start as National Teacher Appreciation Day in 1953, when Eleanor Roosevelt asked Congress to set aside a day to recognize educators. The day gained official recognition as a March holiday in 1980, after the National Education Association (NEA) successfully lobbied Congress. In 1984, the National Parent Teacher Association expanded the designation to its current week, and moved the celebration to May. Teacher Appreciation Week recognizes the role teachers play in children’s lives and provides time for students, parents, and caregivers to celebrate the work of educators. Read Teacher Stories To read about teachers who have made a significant impact on the lives of children, visit the PA’s Promise for Children website. Nominate a Teacher for Recognition It’s not too late to nominate teachers for recognition! To nominate a teacher, email the following to Mary at marhal@pakeys.org: the teacher’s name and early learning program or school a brief story about the teacher that explains their impact and what makes them special a picture of your student with the teacher Learn More The above information on the history of Teacher Appreciation Week was compiled from USA Today, NEA, and Hallmark. To learn more, visit the PA’s Promise for Children website.
April 27, 2023 Resources for May Observances Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them. Here is a list of resources for May observances: Month-Long Observances May is National Foster Care Month Foster and Adoptive Families, Trying Together What to Know About Becoming a Foster Parent in PA, Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN) Top 10 Tips for New Foster Families, Fostering Families Today Parenting Resources for Foster Parents, Child Welfare Information Gateway Ways to Help Foster Children, Adopt US Kids National Foster Care Month 2023 Virtual Event: Foster Care and Mental Health, Children’s Bureau 5 Things Foster Youth Want All Teachers to Know, We Are Teachers May is Mental Health Awareness Month Where to Find Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents in Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh: Youth and Family Research Program Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Childhood Mental Health, Trying Together Preventing Parent Burnout: Meeting the Emotional Challenges of Caring for Children with Mental Health Issues, The Child Mind Institute Parenting with a Mental Health Condition, Mental Health America 44 Children’s Books About Mental Health, The Child Mind Institute Creating an Inclusive Classroom for Neurodivergent Learners, Edutopia May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month Recognizing the Influence, History, and Achievements of Pittsburgh’s AAPI Residents, Visit Pittsburgh DEI Resources: Supporting AAPI Communities, National Head Start Association A Guide for Parents on Talking to Kids about Asian American Identity & Racism, Immigrant History Initiative AAPI Books for Kids of All Ages, Chicago Parent 85 Brilliant Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) Children’s Books, Imagination Soup 18 Student Activities for AAPI Heritage Month, We Are Teachers Weeks of Recognition May 1 – 7 is Children’s Book Week Children’s Book Week Poster and Activity Pages, Every Child a Reader Creative Ways to Celebrate Children’s Book Week, BookTrust 125 Books We Love for Kids, New York Public Library May 8 – 12 is National Teacher Appreciation Week 10 Ways Families Can Celebrate Teachers, National PTA Teacher Appreciation Week: How Caregivers Can Celebrate and Show Gratitude, Harper Collins Publishers How Can Parents Best Support Teachers? We Asked, Education Week Why Teacher Self-Care Matters and How to Practice Self-Care in Your School, Waterford Days of Recognition May 7 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?, National Institute of Mental Health A Teacher’s Guide to Anxiety, The Child Mind Institute Parenting Guides on Child Mental Health Disorders, The Child Mind Institute Find additional resources under “Mental Health Awareness Month” above. May 12 is National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day Self-Care for Child Care Professionals, HiMama Remember to Take Care of Yourself: Six Ideas for Family Child Care Providers, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) 101 Thoughtful Ways to Express Gratitude for Your Childcare Staff, Brightwheel Raise Child Care, Start Strong PA Advocate: Take Action, Trying Together Find additional resources under, “National Teacher Appreciation Week” above. May 14 is Mother’s Day Celebrate Mother’s Day in Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh 10 Mother’s Day Craft Ideas for Kids, Artful Parent 33 Preschool Activities to Honor Mom in the Classroom, Teaching Expertise Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Caring for the Caregiver, Trying Together Find Child Care, ELRC Region 5 Moms’ Mental Health Matters, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746 (1-833-9-HELP4MOMS) Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Resources to Share with Expectant Families, Office of Head Start May 28 is World Hunger Day Hunger & Poverty in America, Food Research and Action Center Child Hunger in America, Feeding America Food Resources for Pennsylvanians, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Food Resources in Pittsburgh, City of Pittsburgh Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Walk-In Food Distribution at The Hub, Trying Together
April 5, 2023 The Learning Lamp Offering Free Summer Camp Lesson Plans Through Best Day Ever The Learning Lamp, a Pennsylvania-based program that aims to give children, families, and schools greater options for improving academic achievement, is offering free preschool and school-age summer camp lesson plans to out-of-school time (OST) and summer camp educators. Part of the Best Day Ever! curriculum, the lesson plans are designed by and for teachers. They offer a turnkey solution for both preschool and school-age summer camp programs, at no cost to Pennsylvania educators. About Summer Camp Lesson Plans The Learning Lamp will offer 24 Best Day Ever! units through August 2023. Each themed unit features high-interest topics, engaging hands-on activities, and opportunities for children to practice concepts in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). Examples of available lessons include: S’mores and More Water World Eager Engineers World Travelers The Learning Lamp writes and tests all lessons. They are aligned with PA learning standards, and can be adapted to meet the needs and interests of individual students. Access the Lesson Plans To access the lesson plans, visit the Learning Lamp’s website and complete the online registration form. Learn More The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies and Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization partially funded the development of Best Day Ever! For more information about Best Day Ever!, visit the Learning Lamp website.
Applications Open for Educators’ Neighborhood 2023-24 Cohort The application for the 2023-24 cohort of the Fred Rogers Institute Educators’ Neighborhood is now open. Educators’ Neighborhood is a community of educators who learn together through the life and work of Fred Rogers by studying artifacts from the Fred Rogers Archive and connecting ideas to daily practice. All applications must be submitted by May 26 at 5 p.m. About Educators’ Neighborhood This year-long opportunity brings together a cohort of educators from across the world who learn together, primarily through virtual meetings, and consider how to deepen their application of Fred Rogers’ work and theory to their work with children. The Fred Rogers Institute defines “educators” as any adult who directly serves children, youth, families, and/or other educators. Members of the 2023-24 cohort will have opportunities to participate in community discussion, present to other educators and leaders in the community, and attend: monthly whole community meetings to connect with educators across different contexts monthly small group meetings with other educators from similar contexts an opening and closing community convening to prepare for and reflect on learning from the year a mid-year community convening featuring presentations from educators within the community Application Process Before completing the application, applicants may want to consider and prepare responses to the open-response questions. Those questions include: Why do you want to be part of the Educators’ Neighborhood community? (50-100 words) What questions and topics would you like to explore with others in the community? (25-50 words) “There’s a world of difference between insisting on someone’s doing something and establishing an atmosphere in which that person can grow into wanting to do it.” What comes to mind as you reflect on this quote in the context of your work? (50-100 words) To apply, visit the Fred Rogers Institute website and complete the online application. Learn More To learn more, visit the Fred Rodgers Institute website or sign up for the Educators’ Neighborhood newsletter.
February 16, 2022 Spark Creativity, Exploration, and Play: Structured Activity Time for Students Join edWeb and Common Sense Education for an upcoming professional development session on integrating play into the school day. Registration is required for this virtual event. About the Session Bringing play into the school day isn’t just important for young learners but is also beneficial to older students. Play brings out creativity, facilitates the exploration of interests, and engages students in activities of their choice without academic pressures. “NavTime” is a structured activity time that provides students with the ability to play, have fun in a mentored space, and explore their individual interests while building relationships. In this edWebinar, you will learn how your school can create this opportunity for students (and teachers) to bring joy into their day. Dr. Derek Fialkiewicz, Principal, and Heidi Carr, Teacher, both from Clark County School District in Nevada, will share: Why they implemented NavTime at their middle school Ways you can and/or your school can implement NavTime The benefits to all stakeholders This edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, and education technology leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.
January 20, 2022 Exploring Family Stressors and Creating Positive Relationships to Support Families Join Trying Together for the upcoming session, “Talking to Listen: Exploring Family Stressors and Creating Positive Relationships to Support Families”. Children react differently to stress and trauma, which can sometimes exhibit itself as challenging behaviors in the classroom. This workshop helps educators understand the impact that family stressors (such as a death, food insecurity, changes in placement, community violence, etc.) can have on both children and their caregivers. Participants will learn how to notice these family stressors; how to communicate with caregivers to build relationships that provide a supportive environment for young children; and self-regulation strategies to manage strong emotions when having difficult conversations with caregivers. UnConference: Creating a Safe Place with Trauma-Informed Care This session is a part of Trying Together’s upcoming UnConference. Between February 8-18, expert-led workshops will share content related to trauma-informed care. We begin the UnConference with keynote speaker Dr. Veirdre Jackson and dive into how we can create an environment of healing through equity and trust. Following the keynote, workshop sessions include how to identify family stressors, how to provide responsive care-giving for children experiencing trauma, and an overview of the recently launched Rapid Response Team from Trying Together. Individuals can learn more and register on Trying Together’s website.
January 13, 2022 Parents as Allies Webinars Join The Center for Universal Education at the Brooking Institution and Kidsburgh for their upcoming event, “Parents as Allies Webinars: Transforming Education Systems Through Family-School Collaboration.” About the Series The COVID-19 pandemic thrust family engagement into the spotlight, presenting an opportunity to markedly shift the overall vision for family-school collaboration. The Center for Universal Education (CUE) at the Brookings Institution has been researching how families and schools can better work together to improve and transform how education is delivered and what it can achieve. In addition, Kidsburgh has been working with a cohort of school districts on different family engagement strategies, including conversations asking parents and caregivers on what schools and families can do together. All events are free and will be hosted via Zoom. Registration is required. Session Information Tuesday, January 25 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. This session is recommended for school leaders and teachers. Join lead author Rebecca Winthrop to explore CUE’s newly released playbook on family-school engagement, featuring key findings from a global survey of 25,000 parents and 6,000 teachers and a review of more than 500 effective family engagement strategies around the world. After a short presentation, attendees and educators will work in virtual breakout rooms to discuss insights from surveys across school districts in southwestern PA as well as create a shared vision for education that can lead to transformation. Wednesday, January 26 | 7:00 – 7:45 p.m. This session is recommended for parents and caregivers. In this virtual webinar, KDKA TV’s Kristine Sorensen moderates a presentation and discussion with CUE’s lead author Rebecca Winthrop and Kidsburgh’s Ambassador Yu-Ling Cheng. Parents and teachers will learn about the findings from CUE’s playbook on family-school engagement as well as on-the-ground strategies that are being implemented across local southwestern Pennsylvania school districts. The session ends with a Q&A.
September 29, 2021 Teachable Moments Webinar Join WQED for their third Teachable Moments Webinar on October 19, 2021. Participants may register online. Additional Information This is a short engaging workshop surrounding our mini-series, Teachable Moments. Engage in activities and have a chance to ask educators questions. This event will be hosted by veteran educators and longtime WQED Education partners, Denice Pazuchanics and Elaine Volpe. The first 100 registrants receive a Gardening Herb Activity Toolkit. To receive your activity kit before the webinar, please register by 10/11. Participants will still receive one after this date, but delivery is not guaranteed in time for the webinar.
October 30, 2020 Recess Advocacy Team Community Conversation Are you interested in joining fellow advocates to discuss the important roles play and physical activity have in children’s lives? Join the Recess Advocacy Team on November 17 for a Virtual Community Conversation. About The freedom to play improves children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. Children make sense of what’s happening in the world around them through play, and it impacts their mental health and wellbeing. The Recess Advocacy Team is convening a virtual space for educators, families, and community members to discuss play and physical activity while balancing health, safety, and remote learning in the time of COVID-19. We must ensure children have opportunities to safely experience play and physical activity. This virtual community conversation is for play advocates to come together to discuss successes, challenges, and share strategies to elevate play. Registration Sessions will be held virtually via Zoom. Please register to receive more information about accessing the sessions. Lunch & Learn November 17, 2020 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Register Dinner & Dialogue November 17, 2020 | 6 – 7 p.m. | Register More Information For more information about the Recess Advocacy Team and to subscribe to their newsletter, visit the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
