Back to School Calendar

Taunton schools open: 9/7
Taunton kindergarten starts: 9/13

Brockton schools open: 9/2

Kindergarten starts: 9/14

Middleboro schools open: 9/9

Bridgewater-Raynham schools open: 8/31
PreK-kindergarten starts: 9/7

Acushnet schools open: 9/1
kindergarten Starts: 9/2

New Bedford Schools open: 9/7
kindergarten Starts: 9/13

Professional Qualifications Registry

https://www.eec.state.ma.us/PQRegistry/

Above is the link to EEC's Professional Qualifications Registry.

Information from EEC:
"If you are currently working in early education or out-of-school time in an EEC-licensed center-based program or family child care home in Massachusetts, you will need to register to comply with the regulations issued in January 2010. Educators, including assistants, who work with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, or school age children in EEC-licensed settings are required to register by September 1, 2010. EEC is also asking educators in programs that are not subject to EEC licensure but that are participating in EEC's Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) pilot register by that date..."

Note: The link above includes the regisrty as well as technical assistance pages.

Touching base on the Regulations, and EEC's Sample Progress Report...

Early education and out of school time providers are experienced observers of children, and can offer valuable information to parents about their children's development. Early education and care and out of school time programs provide children with different opportunities than home or school to demonstrate new skills, either individually or in groups. Sharing your observations with parents may give them new insights into their child.

The new regulations expand the current Group Child Care requirement for progress reports to include Family Child Care and School Age Child Care.

Progress reports must be prepared:

•every 3 months for infants and children with special needs;
•every 6 months for toddlers and preschoolers; and
•at least annually at the midpoint of the child's program year for school age children.
Progress reports for children younger than school age must address all developmental domains, including cognitive, social/emotional, language, fine and gross motor, and life skills. Progress reports for school age children can be limited to the child's growth and development within the context of the program's statement of purpose

Are parent signatures required on the new progress reports? How do I know parents will even read them? What if they disagree with what I've written?
You must offer parents an opportunity to meet with you to discuss their child's progress, and let them know you value their perspective on their child's development but you do not need a parent signature. You must maintain a copy of the child's progress report in the child's file. Most parents are very interested in how their children are progressing and in seeing their "work", and will look forward to your reports.

The technical assistance materials located at http://www.eec.state.ma.us/licensingRegulations.aspx includes information about how to write reports in a factual, objective, positive way, and how to share information with parents.

BELOW IS A LINK TO EEC'S 1 PAGE PROGRESS REPORT SAMPLE, CLICK ON THE LINK TO ACCESS THE FORM...
http://www.mass.gov/Eeoe/docs/EEC/prof_development/train_newregs/prog_rpt_sample.pdf

EEC has made materials available from the MA Department of Public Health and the Department of Agricultural Resources that early education and care programs may find informative and are encouraged to share with parents and staff about Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Massachusetts is going to begin aerial spraying for mosquitoes this week (week of August 2, 2010), due to the increasing risk of EEE, which is a rare but serious disease caused by a virus which is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, in Southeastern MA.

Materials available include Fact Sheets (in English, Spanish and Portuguese) along with the list of affected towns, the Governor’s press release regarding this issue and written notifications for parents and providers. These materials can be found at:
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eoemodulechunk&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Resources+for+You&L2=Education+Agencies+in+Massachusetts&L3=Department+of+Early+Education+%26+Care&sid=Eeoe&b=terminalcontent&f=EEC_news_updates_20100802_eee_notice&csid=Eeoe