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The WCSS office is still closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and in compliance with NC's "Safer at Home" Phase 3 order.
In addition, staff will be unavailable December 25 - January 1 for Winter Break. You can find staff contact information online.
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Find COVID-19 resources on our website. Examples include:
- Self-care strategies for teachers
- Six daily questions to ask yourself in quarantine
- Easing worries and fear with deep breathing
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"If we use an anti-bias approach, are we allowed to do holidays?"
"If I celebrate one holiday, do I have to celebrate them all?"
"How do we include holidays without offending anyone?"
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Many people have been eager for an excuse to celebrate at the end of this year. Is your classroom the same? What if you have similar questions to the ones above?
Luckily, celebrations, holidays, and marking occasions can be avenues for learning about cultural diversity and inclusion! It may take lots of conversations, negotiating, and practicing to create celebrations that are inclusive of everyone, but the results are worth the effort!
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Activity Idea: Celebration Book!
Encourage families to bring in a picture or two of their family celebration traditions. (Connecting is even more challenging than normal these days, so try reaching out directly via email, Zoom, newsletter, note home, or phone call to describe the activity and ask each family to participate.)
It doesn't need to focus on just winter holiday celebrations, and if a family does not observe holidays, a representation of how they show their love is also welcome!
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Things to think about:
- You don't have to celebrate every single holiday, but remember representation is important. "Invisibility erases identity and experience; visibility affirms reality."
- Use holidays as opportunities to reflect on your own beliefs and feelings about specific occasions and consider opening your perspective to new and different practices.
- Include fellow teachers, staff, and families in the creation of your classroom celebrations. Everyone can benefit from the personal input of each member of your classroom.
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For the home - content provided by our partner: |
Celebrating Differently this Year |
Family traditions are important to a child’s well-being. Traditions tell a story about who a child is, what is important to their family, and create a connection by feeling part of something unique and extraordinary.
This year, you can foster connections creatively and allow children to still feel the sense of security, identity, and belonging that rituals provide.
- The CDC is discouraging large family gatherings to protect the vulnerable. Develop a plan with your family, including your children, about how to celebrate this year. It may include baking cookies over Zoom or singing a song after a meal. It will make your children feel validated, and your family can still be together while we are all apart.
- To keep active at home, how about an obstacle course or family play? Dance party, karaoke party, arts and crafts, or family story time? These types of activities can reduce psychological stress and anxiety in children and provide social interactions. These may even become a new holiday ritual. Rituals provide us with a steady resource of connection even if they are newly invented or adapted!
- Your children ARE watching. Modeling a positive attitude and willingness to try new forms of traditions will be contagious for your child. It is easy to feel overwhelmed from so many losses and changes this year. Communicate out loud personal strategies that you are using to foster these skills in the young children in your life, such as taking a deep breath, going for a walk, or counting to ten.
Hope at Home and Wake Connections wish EVERYONE a safe, healthy, and meaningful holiday season. We encourage you to be in the moment, enjoy the people you are surrounded by, and look forward to a New Year filled with hope, promise, and new experiences.
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Wake Connections is a one-stop coordinated intake system for families in Wake County. One click gets you connected to Hope at Home and other Wake Connections programs. |
Change the Future for Your Child - Online! |
Wake Pre-K: the way to grow, learn, and play!
The Wake Pre-K Application Center is your link to free, safe, and fun Pre-K options for your child... and now you can apply online!
If your child turned 4 by August 31, 2020, you can apply for Pre-K now! One online application will connect you to Wake County's public Pre-K programs. Plus, we enroll all year round!
Pre-K: what your child learns here lasts a lifetime!
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Featured Book: Our Favorite Day of the Year
Written by: A. E. Ali
Illustrated by: Rahele Jomepour Bell
Highlights: Musa's feeling nervous about his first day of school. He's not used to being away from home, and he doesn't know any of the other children in his class. When he meets classmates Moisés, Mo, and Kevin, Musa isn't sure they'll have much in common. But, over the course of the year, the four boys learn more about each other, the holidays they celebrate, their favorite foods, and what they like about school.
Best for: Toddlers and preschoolers
Wake County Public Library Programming: WCPL Regional Libraries are now open! More information about what to expect with the new Express Library Experience as well as a list of open locations can be found here.
Literacy Tip: The holiday season is a great time to introduce your little ones to some of your family traditions and talk about how other families celebrate holidays locally and around the globe!
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WCSS and the Early Childhood Initiatives department is proud to announce REACH, (Recognizing ECE Programs Advancing Children’s Healthy Habits), a way to recognize centers going above and beyond to help children eat fresh, local, and healthy foods.
These Wake programs are among the first in North Carolina to earn the REACH designation!
Congratulations to:
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Want FREE books for your child under 5? Join the Imagination Library today! |
Each month we celebrate the child care facilities that have recently obtained or retained a five star rating!
Congratulations to:
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Quiche is an easy meal that feels like a fancy treat. These spinach quiche cups are a great way to celebrate a holiday meal or just a day shared with family you love! |
Let your kids' stuffed animals get in on the celebration theme this month!
Check out these stuffed animal party games for fun ideas for active play. Hide and seek, put on a play, relay race - don't you want an invitation, too?
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Did you know today is #GivingTuesday? You still have time to visit our website and see how you can make a difference for each child, in every community in Wake County. |
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Questions? Contact us today 919-851-9550 |
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