We’re Back! Join The Childcare Network for our Annual Early Childhood Conference!
“A child’s giggle tickles me deeply, and it breaks my heart when that begins to disappear. So, I do what I can to create opportunities for children to continue to laugh and rediscover their joy.”
- Goldie Hawn
When: April 15, 2023 7:30am – 1:30pm (program starts at 8:30)
Where: Germanna Community College, Fredericksburg Campus at the Workforce Development Center (10000 Germanna Point Dr. Fredericksburg, VA 22408)
Who: All Early Childhood Providers (teachers, administrators, and family childcare providers)
What: Registration includes: training materials, morning refreshments, and certificates for 4 training hours and .4 CEU's.
Cost: For Sessions 1 and 2: $45 per person, Group rate (5 people or more): $40 per person, but you must register and pay with one payment; (Registrations received after April 5th: $75 per person). There is an additional $10 per person fee for Session 3.
How: Register and pay online or print the registration form and send through the mail with a check made out to The Childcare Network, or drop off at our office, 2117 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg, VA 22401.
Questions: 540-940-6286 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Schedule
7:30 – Doors open for check-in and morning refreshments
8:30 – 8:45 Announcements
8:45 – 10:15 – First Session
10:15 – 10:30 – Break
10:30– 12:00 – Second Session
12:00 – End of Conference
12:30 – 1:30 – Special Session 3, additional 1 hour certificate given (additional fee)
Keynotes - Sessions 1 and 2
A. Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall…Putting all the Pieces Together with a DAP Approach, Belinda Ryberg and Shannon Pendleton, Grace Children’s Learning Center
This keynote will kick off with an overview and introduction to Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP). Using this approach, we will talk about the importance of nursery rhymes and how to incorporate them across the curriculum in fun and meaningful ways for children.
B. The Idea Place, numerous presenters
We have gathered educators to share creative ideas on ways to incorporate developmentally appropriate practices in the Early Childhood classroom. Participants will have the opportunity to visit tables that interest them, and where they can get new ideas to have fun with their children. All attendees will receive all the handouts, even if you are not able to visit a table.
Presenters and Topics:
| Presenter | Topic | Employer/Position |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Braxton and Donna Wilson-Peal | music and movement | The Childcare Network |
| Andrea Smith | block play | The Childcare Network |
| Lafye Russell | mixed age groups | Family Child Care Provider |
| Felicity Kraku | infant / toddler | The Merit School |
| Sarah Maynard | science and nature | Gan Teva ELC |
| Leah Spruill | literacy | Always Sonshine Learn and Play |
| Shirley Simmons | process art | Early Childhood Specialist |
Session 3 (optional)
1. CLASS Connections, Mary Braxton and Shirley Simmons
There is a $10 additional fee for this workshop. How does everything we do in our classes connect to the CLASS Tool and your VQB5 observations? Join us in an overview discussion on the CLASS tool, and how it all connects to DAP curriculum. We’ll even give you some tips for easy ways to implement DAP curriculum into the CLASS framework.
2. Rediscover the Wonder of Gardening, Deb Kupec, The Childcare Network
This is a free USDA CACFP approved workshop that can count towards your annual USDA training requirement. Did you know that if the children assist with the gardening, the expenses for supplies count towards approved USDA expenses? Children love to play in the dirt, so give them play with a purpose! They can watch their plants grow, pick their own veggies, and enjoy eating fresh.
Extra Training Hour:
Show us what you learned today by applying your knowledge when you get back to work. A certificate for an additional 1 – 4 hours of training will be sent to you after completion of 1 – 4 hours of follow-up activity based on the training workshops that you attend. You will need to submit the completed “Additional Training Hour Form” found on our website and a nominal $5 fee for each hour. These training hours are submitted after the conference, when you have had a chance to apply the new knowledge in your program.
