Kim Schneider, a Program Specialist focusing on early literacy in San Bernardino County, discusses the importance of reading to young children. She emphasizes that reading builds language skills, vocabulary, and comprehension, citing research by Hart and Risley, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institute for Literacy. Schneider recommends interactive reading, using expressive tones, and creating a routine. For different age groups, she suggests sturdy board books for infants, interactive books for toddlers, and alphabet and counting books for preschoolers. She also highlights the importance of making reading a daily habit, even if it's just a few minutes.

Early Education and Development webpage:
https://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/index.php/en/ess-2019/early-education-and-development

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Nancy Sherod, Ana Garcia, and Heather Smith spend time discussing the work the Early Education and Development department is doing with regards to the mixed delivery system for early learning and childcare on behalf of San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. This work aims to increase equity and access by sharing the options to families about the various settings like Transitional Kindergarten, state preschool programs, Head Start, and family childcare providers. The UPK mixed delivery work group, led by Elaina Holley, includes diverse stakeholders to develop a system that meets the specific families' needs throughout San Bernardino County. This episode focuses on an upcoming family survey that will help the workgroup gather data on barriers and successes for supporting their children, with a specific focus on families with children aged 3-4. The goal is to create actionable steps based on this data to improve early education and care throughout the county.

UPK Needs Assessment
https://bit.ly/SBCUPKNeeds

Early Education and Development webpage:
https://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/index.php/en/ess-2019/early-education-and-development

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Karen DiCarlo, Executive Director of Santa Claus Inc., discussed the organization's history and impact on San Bernardino County's children. Founded in 1952, Santa Claus Inc. serves about 244,000 children annually through various programs, including Christmas distributions, foster youth support, and emergency assistance. DiCarlo highlighted new initiatives like Operation Comfort for Kids and Santa's Good Deed Depot. Funding comes from grants, private donors, and partnerships with organizations like Delivering Good and Good360. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the organization continues to grow, with plans for a VIP reception on November 13 to showcase their work.

https://santaclausinc.com/

Email: karen.dicarlo@santaclausinc.com

Early Education and Development webpage:
https://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/index.php/en/ess-2019/early-education-and-development

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Dominique Metoyer, an ECE Community Coach at Child Care Resource Center (CCRC), discusses her journey from classroom teacher to community coach, emphasizing her passion for working with children aged 0-3. She outlines her role, which includes delivering training sessions on topics like CLASS, SEFEL, and fatherhood engagement. Metoyer highlights the Nurturing Fathers program, a 13-week course designed to foster father-child relationships, noting its success in engaging fathers and promoting emotional growth. She stresses the importance of male role models and the impact of fatherhood programs on family dynamics. Metoyer encourages participants to show up and be present, emphasizing the ripple effect of their actions.

Nurturing Fathers Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYegMvm6ai0
Additional Nurturing Fathers Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbVTsdzTzk0

https://youtu.be/t1o1Zk8uqqY

Early Education and Development webpage:
https://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/index.php/en/ess-2019/early-education-and-development

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Nancy Sherod and Ana Garcia celebrate the one-year anniversary of their podcast "Tomorrow's Readiness Starts Today," highlighting their global reach with over 2,000 downloads and episodes in 12 countries. They discuss the achievements of San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, focusing on early education and development initiatives. Tracy Chambers, Assistant Superintendent of Education Support Services, and Heather Smith, Director of Early Education and Development, join the duo to emphasize the importance of support for early childhood education providers, including family childcare providers, state preschool teachers, and Head Start programs. Their conversation also shared the upcoming launch of a new website and season two of the transmedia project, "Learn with Me". As their final episode of year one comes to an end, Nancy and Ana's conversation concludes with highlights of their favorite moments, plans for future episodes (including professional development content) and their excitement for upcoming guests.

Early Education and Development webpage:
https://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/index.php/en/ess-2019/early-education-and-development

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Veronica Valente, an Early Education Specialist at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, discussed her role in the Quality Start San Bernardino rating system and social-emotional coaching for teachers. She highlighted an upcoming family series aimed at supporting parents and teachers with strategies for managing children's behaviors and fostering positive interactions. The series, consisting of five sessions, covers topics like building family relationships, understanding children's behaviors, and developing friendship skills. The sessions are virtual and open to anyone, including grandparents and family members. Registration details will be provided through the OMS link and newsletter.

Family Series: Keeping it Positive. October 29, 2024 3:004:30.
https://sbcss.k12oms.org/2729-244774

Family Series: Why do Children do What They do? January 29, 2025 3:00-4:30. https://sbcss.k12oms.org/2729-244781

Family Series: Behavior Has Meaning. February 19, 2025. 3:00-4:30.
https://sbcss.k12oms.org/2729-244782

Early Education and Development webpage:
https://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/index.php/en/ess-2019/early-education-and-development

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Nancy Cruz, is the Senior Manager for State Preschool at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools with the Student Services Branch. Nancy, began in education, working at a private daycare center and did that for about two years, She got her degree, and then I began working with the districts with CSPP. She came on with the SBCSS in 2001 she began as a state preschool teacher, then moved up as program supervisor, and her most recent role is now Senior Manager.

Early Education and Development webpage:
https://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/index.php/en/ess-2019/early-education-and-development

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Today's episode is focusing on a transformational opportunity for whole child education by jumping into all things California Community Schools. With us to share more about how these programs are transforming schools into community hubs is Jennifer Gateley the Director of Learning Systems and Support and one of her Community Schools Coordinators, Yvonne Molles.

Early Education and Development webpage:
https://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/index.php/en/ess-2019/early-education-and-development

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