![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/vintage01.df2dbfd5.jpg)
CHILD: Pre-K News
February 2021
Across the Partnership
CHILD- Cultural Heritage Improving Learning & Development
- 4th & Final Year of Grant
- 16 Preschools Operating
GOAL 1- Kindergarten Readiness
- Prepare Alaska Native preschool students with the social/emotional, motor, cognitive, and language/literacy skills needed to succeed in kindergarten.
- Served over 350 children, by providing half-day programs for 3 & 4 year olds
GOAL 2- Cultural Identity is Foundational
- 30 Curated Cultural Kits
- 72 Alaskan Literature Titles
- Created CHILD Language App & Cards
GOAL 3- Quality Teachers Leading Quality Programs
- Over 4,800 hours of professional development opportunities!
- Book Studies, On-Site Trainings, Conferences, In-services, Online Courses, and much more; all offered through a variety of methods to best meet staff needs.
Preparing for Kindergarten
Culturally Focused
Fabulous Year of Virtual Trainings
Winter Extravaganza!
~ Partnership gathering of teachers to collaborate and gain inspiration for their profession
~ Hosted by a variety of dynamic speakers, covering an array of powerful topics
Jocelyn Manzanarez
Developing Phonological Awareness through Songs, Music & Movement
Sara Wolman
Cultural Kit Demonstration- Interactive exploration of Investigating Ice
Esther Pepin
Playing with Sounds- Phonological Awareness with Alaskan Alphabet Cards
Early Childhood Consortium
~ Jan. 27th - Virtual Gathering
~ 12 participants from across the regions within our grant partnership
~ Much appreciation to all of those who joined us for this event~ Explored the journey of our grant, shared pertinent feedback on success thus far, and collaborated on future goals & projects with new grant initiatives
Preschool Students Served
Partnership Data Growth
Effective Professional Development
Cultural Corner
- Animals, Habitats & Learning with Dough
- Seasonal Subsistence Calendar
- Alaskan Insects
- Alaskan Birds
- Rowdy Ravens
- Iditarod Run
Alaska Native Language App
Alaska Language Cards
Created sets of cards, aligned with our curated cultural kits, that include translations in Yupik, Dena'ina, & Alutiiq, and designed to support the development of local languages within the classroom setting.
Alaskan Cultural Alphabet
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
Kevin Noble Maillard
"Fry bread is Us. It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference."
Chai & the Fox Man: An Alaskan Dena'ina Fable
Barbra J. Atwater
"I learned that the elders were right when they taught us: Doing the right thing isn't always easy. But doing the right things is always best."
We Are Water Protectors
Carole Lindstrom: Recent Caldecott winner
"Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all..."
Exploring a Community Map
Making Fish Racks
Creating Naming Dolls
Building a Sod House
Creating Hunting Visors
Investigating Ice
Seasonal Subsistence Calendar
~ Throughout the year, classrooms will add local special events, birthdays, and harvesting activities while making personal connections throughout the seasons.
~ They will share experiences and learn about observing changes within their local environments.
~ Children are encouraged to collect images from around their community to add into each month or appropriate season on the calendar.
~ Seasonal words included in three languages: Yupik, Dena'ina, and Alutiiq.