The Prouty Voice: September 2019

When policy creates trauma

By Chloe Learey, Executive Director

The Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services released a report in early September outlining findings from interviews with approximately 100 mental health clinicians from 45 facilities that house children separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border. It is not surprising to learn that these children experienced traumatic events in the countries from which they fled as well as during their journey to the United States. The fact that the trauma was extended once they arrived is perhaps more surprising. Separation from a parent or primary caregiver, particularly for children at a young age, can create traumatic stress when it is prolonged or chronic. Given what we know about the effect trauma has on brain development and health outcomes over the course of a lifetime it is imperative that we avoid creating circumstances in which trauma is perpetuated. Continue reading

 


Wish List

Community-Based Services

  • Kitchen/dining room table & chairs
  • Winter books size 11 youth

Early Learning Services

  • 3T, 4T, 5T  pants, shirts, underwear

Please stop by the main office call 802-257-7852 if you would like to make a donation to our wish list. Thank you!


Early Learning Center News

Acorn Room

The Acorn room has officially begun its 4th year at Winston Prouty! We are so excited to welcome new families to Prouty. Some babies will continue in our room as they started last January, some have just joined, and other babies will begin in the upcoming weeks. Recently, we had time to plan and redesign and rethink the room, our philosophy, who the children are and what environment we wish to provide.

This year we have included using the four Rs in care: Relationship, Respect, Reflect, And Responsive. We use Relationship-based care as the backbone of our curriculum. We build relationships with each child and family, creating a bond and trust through all our care-giving activities. We are constantly building and relying on relationship to build our curriculum. Through observation, invitation, conversation, we build a trustful bond. We are Respectful. By caring for the children, including him or her in every interaction and activity. We give choices, give our full attention, and wait for the child’s response. We celebrate their individual authenticity. We are Reflective in our care-giving. We take the time to step back and observe, we write daily observations, and meet with our team and parents to discuss thoughts and ideas. Our care is Responsive. We watch, question, notice and come to understand what the child is doing and feeling before we interact.

We look so very forward to building relationship with all our new families and continue to build with the children we have! Here is to a wonderful 4th year!!

Willow Room

We would love to sincerely welcome all the new families to Willow! We are looking forward to developing meaningful relationships with all of you. The classroom has an amazing team with diverse backgrounds that will provide the classroom with a purposeful year. Already we have had a great time exploring the beautiful campus and can’t wait for what the year has to bring.

 

Elm Room

The month of August was full of many transitions. We focused a lot on mix ups with Maple and Willow and also having visits too. All the children seemed to do well with all this change. We did water play with the sprinkler and our “End of the year” celebration field trip to the Memorial Park Pool with parents who volunteered to join. We did sensory play with shaving cream and also took out some nature items to look at.  We welcome to the Elm Room of the younger toddlers now: Islay, Fern, Jane, Solveig, Tadhg, Ryan, Ian, and Millie. We are so excited to get to know these children and their families. We hope you all have a great 2020 school year!

Maple Room

The month of August came and with it came many changes and lots of fun. We combined our camping and beach theme, turning dramatic play into a place of summer relaxation. Our beach was a small kiddie pool with sand and seashells galore. We also had our beach umbrella and swimmies so that we could stay cool in the heat. We had fun digging in the sand and filling our pails with sand and shells. In the science area we had more shells that we could observe with our magnifying glasses. In the water play table, we had boats and sea creatures to play with, as well as sparkly gems which we referred to as treasure.

The camping theme included a “grill” and props for camping. We had a large red sleeping bag, camping set for cooking, a small lantern and several flashlights. We sat in the dark a lot this month so that Maples could flash their lights on the ceiling and floor. We read stories by flashlight and even had a “campfire”.

Our waterplay days were always so exciting, and Maples enjoyed getting wet and laying on their towels outside. One day, someone suggested we have a picnic and we planned one. We invited our parents and friends to come join us and were so excited when people responded, offered to come and provided some of the food. Thank you to everyone who participated and/or sent in food. The only glitch was that the weather almost 100 degrees and so humid. We were so hot and sweaty, but the children were just to happy to complain.

Just about the time we were getting ready for our last month together, we were done. Transitions to the Birch Room began and we were getting ready for the big move to our preschool classroom. Our Elm Room friends were now in the Maple Room and our old class had made the transition to the Birch Room. We welcome our new class of 2-year old’s and are quickly getting to know each other. Our new friends are Aiden, Archer, Aiylah, Brayden, Grayson, Tuscan, Delia, Josephine, and Madelyn. We have space for two more Maples and will be updating our list soon.

Birch Room

Hello from the Birch Room! We ended our summer by continuing with lots of water play and outdoor exploration. We used the Slip N Slide on our last sprinkler day and invited the Maple Room friends to join us. Everyone had lots of fun going down the water slide and playing in the small pool. We also welcomed the Maple friends into our classroom for visits.

We are excited for the Maple Room friends to transition to our room for the new school year. We have lots of fun activities planned and are looking forward to small groups, center play, singing and dancing and lots of exploring. We also welcomed a new fish friend. The students have named her Cupcake.

Oak Room

We are so excited to have a wonderful start to the new year! Teachers have been busy preparing materials for our new oak room crew. We have spent the first couple weeks of school getting to know our friends and our classroom space. We have been taking the opportunity to enjoy the last few warm days of summer before the cooler fall weather blows in. The dramatic play area has been a fan favorite as children explore new materials available to them. They have been playing with babies and creating play families.
In the month of September we will focus on spending time getting to know our new friends and their families. We will do this through play, art, music and movement experiences. We are also beginning to establish the rules and routines in our new space. We look forward to starting to use our sensory table filled with beautiful sunflower seeds. We will start to learn about choice time next week which will be implemented for the remainder of the program year.

Dates to Remember

  • Wednesday, September 11 – Anon’s Thai food truck visits campus 11:00-2:00
  • Wednesday, September 11 through Wednesday, September 18 – road paving near campus (more info)
  • Friday, September 13 – Center closes at NOON for all-staff in-service
  • Saturday, September 21 – Early Learning Express bookmobile at the River Valley Kids Fair
  • Thursday, September 26 – Whetstone Station Restaurant & Brewery food truck visits campus 11:00-2:00
  • Wednesday, October 2 – School picture day
  • Wednesday, October 9 – School picture day rain date
  • Friday, October 11 – Center closes at NOON for all-staff in-service
  • Saturday, October 26 – Fall clean-up day

View the 2019-2020 School Calendar

 


Celebrations & Recognitions

Happy Birthday!

  9/7 – Happy Birthday Ann, ELC Program Coach!

9/13 – Islay is 2!

9/26 – Happy Birthday Sara F, ELC Assistant Teacher

9/29 – Happy Birthday Mary, CIS Early Interventionist

9/30 – Willow is 4!

Congrats to Children’s Integrated Services’ Maternal Child Health Nurse and Lactation Consultant Sally Pennington who was recognized as “The Breast of Brattleboro” last week!


Resources & Events for Families

Call to Action: Public comment needed on proposed cuts to food assistance program

On July 23, the federal government announced changes that would take food away from over 3 million Americans in need by proposing to effectively eliminate a long standing and widely used state option that has existed within the SNAP program (called 3SquaresVT here in Vermont) for over 20 years. This option, called ‘broad-based categorical eligibility,’ allows Vermont, along with 42 other states, to expand access to 3SquaresVT for vulnerable low-income Vermonters (including working families, children, older adults, and people with disabilities). If enacted, this rule could cut 3.1 million Americans and over 13,000 Vermonters off from crucial benefits that allow them to put enough food on the table for themselves and their families. Learn more and take action

Puppets in Paradise

Puppets in Paradise, Sandglass Theater’s most beloved community event and biennial fundraiser, returns for its 8th edition on Saturday, 9/14 and Sunday, 9/15. Now in partnership with Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, this year welcomes an exciting roster of first-time and returning performers as well as musical entertainment and food trucks.   More info

Brattleboro Buddy  Walk

The Brattleboro Buddy Walk is our major annual fundraiser for Special Olympics of Windham County. The event includes food, music, a raffle, presentations by athletes and volunteers, a one mile walk – AND a chance to network with other families and organizations that support and work with our special needs community. Learn more

Taking the Long View: Thriving as a Transracial/Transcultural Family Workshop – September 21

This workshop, hosted by the Vermont Consortium for Adoption and Guardianship, is open to all interested in transracial/transcultural parenting. Adoptive, pre-adoptive, guardianship, kinship, and foster families will learn what it takes to thrive as a transracial/transcultural family—and develop parenting strategies Whether you are parenting an infant, a child, or a teenager—or thinking about it—this workshop will further develop your awareness, knowledge, and skills, increasing your confidence and helping to make your family stronger. Learn more

Winston Prouty Podcast

Be sure to catch the latest episodes of our podcast, which you can find on your favorite podcast platform. Recent conversations include  Amy Fulton, Lead Teacher, and Sueño LeBlond, Early Childhood Outreach Specialist.


 

Family Matters on BCTV

Chloe Learey talks with Ellen Nam, Kindergarten teacher at Academy School, about the transition from preschool to elementary school and what it means to be “ready” for Kindergarten.