WCCAA Region 4 Meeting Minutes

Tammy Brooks, Secretary

Current Business:

The Regional Conference will be postponed until we can build up a core of volunteers willing to commit to this undertaking.

Be sure to always watch the website for the latest updates and information about our organization. The web address is region4.wccaa.com.

We filled out survey cards to get more info about how our group shall proceed and the back of the card included the results from the previous surveys. Responses to these cards have determined our future meeting places.

Gary informed us that there will be some changes forthcoming from the state level of WCCAA that will affect region 4. We are not sure yet how these will directly affect us but we will keep you posted as we know more. Gary again reminded us if we are not yet a member at the State level, to please go to wccaa.org to register and start receiving all the benefits.

Then our speakers were introduced for the main topic of our day, Looping & Mixed Age Grouping. They caused us to think about how our centers promote relationships with children and with families? Continuity of care is the cornerstone in achieving those positive relationships. Building bonds that are maintained over several years is the answer to so many childcare issues - transitions for children and their families, staff and family retention, and the growth of a strong, quality program for starters. Deb Komp and the staff at ThedaCare Child Learning Center have been providing a high-quality continuity of care program for nearly 2 years. Jodi Kaftan and her staff at St. Mary's Early Childhood Center in Green Bay have used this approach for nine years and Leah Hutchins from St. Vincent's in Green Bay are just beginning the process. They spoke of why continuity of care is important, how to get it started, how to maintain it, and what the advantages and disadvantages of it are from a director's, parent's and teacher's perspective.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, October 11 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel at 2750 Ramada Way in Green Bay. The subject will be Celebrating with Diversity. Lunch and networking start at noon. Lunch will be a buffet for $10 per person. Regional announcements start promptly at 1:00 PM followed by the main topic presentation which runs until 3:00 PM. See you there! Please RSVP on the website.
Our presenter, Mary Sue Voights has been the Resource Specialist at Child Care Resouce & Referral, Inc. Appleton for the past nine years. She is also the Outagamie County Child Care Certifier. Mary Sue is an adjunct instructor at Fox Valley Technical College and currently teaches 2 courses and has been in the early childhood field for over 30 years.
"Oh Oh...Danger ahead! Here come the Holidays! Holidays in the classroom are an area of much debate and struggle. Do we celebrate or not? How do you make holiday activities meaningful for children while addressing diversity, avoiding stereotypes and meeting the needs of the families who do not celebrate? These questions and others will be discussed. Please come and share your insights and experiences with us. Let's celebrate!"
There will also be a planning meeting for 2007 regional meetings and events from 3:00 - 4:00 PM. All those wishing to participate in that meeting are invited to attend.
There will be no meeting in November due to the NAEYC Conference.
The last meeting of the year will be on Wednesday, December 13. We will be meeting to choose and organize next years Coordinating Committees. All those interested in getting involved in either the Monthly Meetings Committee, Web Site & News Committee, Corporate Sponsorship Committee, or Regional Conference Committee please attend. The Regional Conference has been postponed until next year. Please attend the State Conference in Madison in February of 2007. More information will be posted on our website about the State Conference as it becomes available.

If you have any questions, please contact Gary Lesperance at (920) 788-2955 or (888) 748-3436 or Tammy Brooks at (920) 420-0112 or visit our website at http://region4.wccaa.com!