Accreditation Feedback

AELCS has granted the Hemel House program accreditation status to recognize that they have met the provincial requirement for high quality child care as demonstrated using specific data collection strategies and identifications in the criteria outlined in the Quality Standards.

We would like to share with you some of the AELCS noted feedback from our site visit in March 2012.

STANDARD NINE – Families and community stakeholders are actively engaged in ensuring that community diversity and interests are reflected in the delivery of early learning and child care services.

Demonstrated Best Practices:

• The program receives newsletters from schools, health services and professional organizations.
• The Consultants are members of one or more associations in the community. (Director’s Association, ECE Conference planning, volunteer at community events.) 
• Outcomes of planning processes are communicated with stakeholders. Newsletters, website.
• The program and staff belong to several professional organizations.
• The program relies on the support of the community stakeholders for program input and development.
• There is an established pattern for regular community consultation with stakeholders. Advisory Board.
• Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders are clearly defined.

Accreditation Feedback

AELCS has granted the Hemel House program accreditation status to recognize that they have met the provincial requirement for high quality child care as demonstrated using specific data collection strategies and identifications in the criteria outlined in the Quality Standards.

We would like to share with you some of the AELCS noted feedback from our site visit in March 2012.

 STANDARD EIGHT – The program responds to the needs and concerns of children, their families, the staff and the community.

Demonstrated Best Practices:

• It is evident that the program uses community resources to meet the needs of the children and families it serves. A group formed by providers, parents, and administration – Mastermind- to discuss issues that involve them all; currently they are testing the usage of the web and the blog. New policies or changes are reviewed by them. They set the goals for the agency.
• Through parent surveys it was evident that families felt respected and their requests and needs are followed through and considered.
• Parents are offered resource links to community agencies that can offer them support when needed.
• There is evidence that the program is responsive to complaints, issues and concerns from the members of the broader community.
• The program’s policies and practices recognize and reflect a focus on meeting diverse needs. Parents and providers can reach consultants 24/7. One consultant is available by phone and office administrator answers e-mail messages 24/7.
• Signing of contracts happen after hours; provider and parent meet with a consultant to sign all the contracts.
• Agency mails out birthday cards to all children and providers. Provider’s anniversaries are acknowledged with certificates.
• Website has direct links to several community resources.

Make-it Topic: Music

November 2012

Music Center Ideas

Imaginative:

• Place out different music instruments make a music studio  
• Use tape recorders and head sets for the children to make their own music  
• Place out different types of music with various costumes, the children can dress up how they choose to each different type of music

Language:

• Recite the poem finger bands

The finger band has come to town, come to town, come to town.
The finger band has come to town so early in the morning.
This is the way we play the drums, play the drums, and play the drums.
This is the way we play the drums so early in the morning.
The finger band has gone away, gone away, gone away.
The finger band has gone away so early in the morning

• Read “Our marching band”  
• Read “I make music”  
• Read “Elmo’s world Music”  
• Talk about the children’s favorite music and instrument, make a book of them  
• Tape the children singing and play it back to them

Art:

• Jingle bell painting: use bells to roll around a paper just like a marble painting  
• Musical fingers: play music, encourage the children to paint to the music  
• Make cymbals out of foil plates with macaroni in them  
• Gather coffee cans and paint them for drums  
• Have children decorate wooden dowels to make rhythm sticks  
• Make rain sticks and dance with them  
• Make shakers with two cups and tape  
• Make music mitts: glue on bells to the finger tips and paint them, encourage the children to dance with them

Water/Sand

• Place out cups and sticks in the water table  
• Place strainers and cups in the sand, encourage music making  
• Have a music wash stand  
• Place different instruments in the sand for sifting and digging

Gross Motor

• Go outside with music and large side walk chalk, play the music and encourage the children to dance while they draw a picture  
• Cut out the center of yogurt containers. Attach ribbon, yarn, or any other object as streamers. Dance with the streamers!
• Play musical chairs  
• Have the children dance to slow music on bubble wrap  
• Place out a large piano (homemade with a roll of paper) colored say a color and have the children move to that color  
• Make a marching band

Science/Curiosity

• Place cups filled with different water levels or water, encourage the children to tap and hear the sound or older children run their finger on the top to hear the sound  
• Place beans on the top of a drum, allow the children to drum to discover what happens or place the beans on a speaker with base playing 
  
• Match the sound

Blocks

• Place out sticks and tree circles for making natural wood instruments  
• Place out different size containers to build with  
• Place out pots and pans

Conceptual/Table top/Fine motor

• Match the music notes  
• Place out a xylophone with colors and encourage the children to play the same colors on a sheet  
• Place out pots and pans for sequencing and making music  
• Match the musical instrument  
• Place out shapes of instruments for lacing

Music:

• Play throats: have the children place their hands on their throats making different sounds and how it feels  
• Sing, sing, and sing some more song

Sing, sing, sing with me.
Sing out loud and clear
To tell the people everywhere
That music time is here.

Quiet

• Have different types of music to listen to, have the children use head phones  
• Use a flannel board with the different songs such as 5 Little Ducks; Rain, Rain, Go Away or I’m a Little Tea Pot

Cooking

• Make foods that have lots of sounds, like hot chocolate with a whistling tea pot, popcorn (ensure appropriate for ages in care as it can be a choking hazard for very young children), squeaky cheese, crunching crackers etc.  
• Make muffins to look like drums

Field trip

• Invite someone to come in and play a musical instrument  
• Go to a music shop and look around  
• Visit the local high schools and listen to the band