Young brains develop rapidly as the youngest among us absorb their surroundings like a sponge. That is why putting these developing young citizens on a positive path of learning is vital.
To meet that truth, the South East Cornerstone Public School Division maintains a vibrant and dedicated team that is devoted to doing just that.
During their May 19 general business meeting, which was held virtually, Cornerstone board members were able to do a little absorbing themselves as they took in a presentation from Jacqueline Gibbs, co-ordinator of early Llarning in the public school division that caters to approximately 8,300 students from pre-kindergarten to Grade 12.
Gibbs noted there are 14 educators and consultants on the team, many with advanced degrees in their respective domains of delivery in the early learning environment. She began by noting there is even a financial return on early learning practices since it has been determined that for every dollar invested in this area, there is a return of between $1.50 to $1.80 once the student advances to higher grades and assumes positions of importance in communities.
“They learn how to make better decisions, to get excited about learning, improve work habits, enjoy high graduation rates, make gains in reading and math,” said Gibbs in her opening statements.
These young brains require a healthy environment and that is what Cornerstone is determined to give them with nurturing care frameworks that avoid adverse childhood experiences. Giving youngsters a healthy head start includes health and nutrition issues as well as overall security and positive responses to caregiving.
“This will have long-term cognitive impacts later on in life. The more risks the child is exposed to in the early stages leads them to poor decisions later on in life,” she explained.
The early learning team helps young children and their families connect with other agencies that can lend support through the growth adventures, and they ensure the young student can read and write at a proper grade level once they exit the program at an elementary school age.
“Data drives the planning and supports for students and families. There is a data gap from birth to pre-school since our system can’t collect confidential information, but we reach out and offer support as early on as possible in the pre-school stage,” said Gibbs.
There are professional supports for teachers in the pre-K to Grade 5 range.
Gibbs said while early learning professionals can’t get the confidential birthing information “we can start developing resources for the next stages from 18 months to three years and then four-year-olds with a welcome to the school system.”
Pandemic issues prevented a lot of face-time consultations and engagements, but Gibbs noted 613 early learning bags of education materials were delivered to three-year-olds and their families in the division as well as welcoming materials for four-year-olds.
Events that were held in the past to help children learn to express empathy and develop positive emotional responses and relationships through game playing was not possible this year, “so we did it from a learning bag and a 16-page booklet,” Gibbs said.
Ideas were provided to families to engage them in such things as acts of kindness while teachers worked forward to get to know the children and what motivated them, or worried them.
Over 400 Tales for Tots bags were delivered, as were 23 car seats within 59 communities in the Cornerstone sphere, as no element was left unattended.
Complying with the demands of the COVID restrictions made for more online work, but the breadth and depth of those online applications was significant, she said.
Home visits with a consultant will resume when allowed and referrals from clinics, health regions, parents and day care centres will also continue as the youngsters transition into a school system. The home visits usually happen two to four times a month.
“The youngsters learn to work and learn through team exercises and play and we’ll even accompany a family to a medical appointment or help them with travel plans if they are dealing with two or three kids in tow,” Gibbs said.
Sometimes they receive recommendations that have to be assessed since “sometimes recommendations are great but how do we put them into play is the question?”
Photos of children they are serving help the Early Learning team get to know them and the families and experiments with the use of public spaces, one family at a time, were done carefully and potential invitations to visit the home were also handled carefully.
“If they don’t want us to come into the home, we don’t,” said Gibbs. Other arrangements can be made. “But there are a lot of pieces in a social conversation, like taking turns, smiles, social communication and some intensive needs students require more of this so we create an encouragement environment with games with their siblings or parents. It’s pure gold when you get a child looking at the face of another person.”
Currently Cornerstone receives senior government funding for eight children with intensive needs, but they are serving 12 and those students will require higher teacher to child ratios as they advance through the system.
Speech and language pathologists work with the youngsters at varying speeds of delivery and support as youngsters may work on articulation or sound forms or understanding what they are asked to do. Language becomes a foundational skill for getting along in the classroom, she noted.
In some instances, a speech pathologist needs to see the mouth, so special medical-type masks with windows around the mouth, are used by both teacher and student. The glass barriers also came in handy as a play instrument as well as safety devices as teachers and students would leave drawings or key words on the glass, showing creativity while sharing information. One educator suggested even after the ban is lifted, she will probably continue to use the glass barrier as a learning tool since it worked so well.
Hubs have been set up for early learning that will spring into action once the bans are lifted.
Collective strengths will be deployed, goals will be attained and reconnections will happen as the team will “reflect on what we do and we will have a full complement of curriculum coaches next year.” Professional development modules are online now with video teaching going on line at Cyber Stone (virtual school) with low technology learning packages.
Students, teachers and families don’t want to be overwhelmed, Gibbs suggested, and currently, “it’s a tall order not to know your students but we have created some high quality learning experiences.” That will now include French immersion classes coming soon to two schools in Cornerstone in September. There will be a new provincial access to a family resources pilot program being launched in Estevan and Humboldt this year which will see added supports with Cornerstone partnering with the Family Resource Centre as well as other existing services to build networks and links to assist the youngest among them.
