August 3, 2020 New Family Care & Education Forum In response to uncertainty surrounding the 2020-2021 school year, Trying Together has launched the Family Care & Education Forum. This new community resource will connect parents and caregivers across Southwestern Pennsylvania and provide a space to ask questions, network, and support one another. About The Family Care & Education Forum is an online forum where parents and caregivers can engage in conversation with one another. Upon signing up, users will be able to post questions, respond to comments, and learn more about care and education opportunities in their area. With the upcoming start to the 2020-2021 school year, conversations in the Forum will start with a focus on finding in-home and out-of-home care; discussing safety measures being taken within local school districts; connecting with virtual learning programs; and brainstorming ways to incorporate play with socially distant learning. As this platform grows and expands, there will be new discussion topics related to care and education. Sign Up The Family Care & Education Forum is open to all caregivers, which Trying Together defines as any adult who interacts with young children. Users are encouraged to review Trying Together’s Social Media Policy and Privacy Policy prior to creating an account. While the focus of the Forum in the coming months will be Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Forum is open to all regions. More Information To view availability at licensed child care and out-of-school time programs in Allegheny County, please visit Allegheny Child Care on the Trying Together website. For questions regarding child care in Allegheny County, visit the ELRC Region 5 website, call 412.350.3577 or 1.888.340.3572, or email elrc5@allegheny county.us. Please contact forum@tryingtogether.org with any questions.
July 30, 2020 Reopening Plans for Allegheny County Districts Allies for Children has compiled and will update information about reopening and health and safety plans for school districts in Allegheny County. Find the information for your school district in their Google spreadsheet. School Reopening Guidance Please utilize the following state and national resources for more information about guidance for schools that are reopening. Pennsylvania State Guidance Pennsylvania Department of Education Pennsylvania School Reopening Task Force Health and Safety Plans Pennsylvania Department of Education School Health and Safety Plans State Mask Mandate Public Health Guidance Regarding COVID-19 for Phased Reopening of Pre-K to 12 Schools National Guidance CDC Consideration for Schools CDC Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response CRAFT Schools Briefing Packet The National Academies of Science Engineering Medicine Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic Prioritizing Health, Equity, and Communities (2020) American Academy of Pediatrics The School Superintendents Association National Academy of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine Ed Week – Transportation Johns Hopkins University eSchool+ Initiative Analysis of School Reopening Plans More Information More resources related to COVID-19 are available for families and professionals on the Trying Together website. To learn more about Allies for Children, please visit their website.
March 6, 2018 Kindergarten Transition The transition to kindergarten marks a critical point in the lives of children and families. Students who are ready for kindergarten and attend the first day of school are more likely to read on grade-level by third grade, regularly attend school, make friends, and are less likely to drop out of high school. Early and on-time registration allows schools and districts to plan for classroom materials, resources, and staff as they prepare to welcome a new group of students. It also enables families to establish relationships with teachers and administrators that are so important for easing the stress and anxiety of children (and their families) as they begin elementary school. Register for Kindergarten Kindergarten Registration Information for the 2024-25 School Year: Allegheny County Kindergarten Registration Information for the 2024-25 School Year: Westmoreland, Fayette, Armstrong, Greene, and Butler counties Top 10 Kindergarten Readiness Skills Hi5! collaborated with a group of pre-k and kindergarten teachers to develop a list of academic, social, emotional, and physical skills for children entering kindergarten based on the PA Early Learning Standards. A list of more than 30 skills was sent to educators in school districts, child care programs, and Head Start programs throughout the region—including Allegheny, Butler, Fayette, Greene, and Westmoreland counties. View the checklist (PDF). Translated versions: Spanish (PDF) Arabic (PDF) Swahili (PDF) Pashto (PDF) Dari (PDF) About Hi5! Partnership Hi5! Kindergarten transition efforts are led in partnership with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 (AIU3), Trying Together, and United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania (who generously fund the project). We have a leadership team that consists of community and state partners, principals, Head Start administrators, and early learning program directors. The Hi5! Partnership focuses on engaging all 43 public school districts in Allegheny County and supports each district to: develop and implement their own kindergarten transition plans; build awareness with families that when “your child reaches five years of age, it’s time to register” them for kindergarten; network and share best practices between pre-k teachers, kindergarten teachers, early childhood program directors, and school administrators; and gather community resources throughout the county. These efforts align with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the new federal law passed in 2015 which required states to have a plan that includes thinking about the transition to kindergarten and how districts connect with early learning programs. For more information about the project, transition teams, and activities, please email hi5@tryingtogether.org, or view the Hi5! overview (PDF) and Kindergarten Transition Whitepaper (PDF).