The beginning of the school year was a busy one for the staff! There was a Total Staff Meeting/Training with Executive Director José Velilla. The staff reviewed safety plans, and the procedures for the classrooms and the building. They shared personal and work goals and discussed them with each other to help set the tone for the year. They also explored building relationships with parents, children, and each other. On another day, the teaching staff joined Lesley Koplow, our program’s mental health consultant and child development expert, for a professional development session. Lesley has been connected to Bloomingdale for many years. She helped to develop the one to one play therapy program that is in use today. You can read about her books for children here.
The main topic for discussion was the return of parents to the classroom. The pandemic physically disconnected us from our families and they have not been inside the building since March 2020. We are excited to have families once again in our classrooms and corridors. Lesley helped us explore our feelings about returning to onsite interactions with our families.
Home Visits are an essential part of our introduction to families. These take place before the children enter the classrooms. Teachers were also working hard to get their classrooms ready for the children. All of these activities ensured a great start to the new school year.
Our slideshow shows our process of getting ready for a new school year: