KCC Early Childhood Club

New Beginnings

2006-08-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

The fall semester at KCC begins on Thursday, September 7, and there are many changes ahead for the Early Childhood Club.

A new faculty advisor will be on board, a new slate of officers will be elected, and a new calendar of events and activities will be planned.

Please check the Early Childhood Club bulletin board, located outside room V115, for details about the club's first meeting and other important information. (This Web site will no longer be operational once the new term begins.)

Have a great semester!

Minutes Of Our May Meeting

2006-06-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club met for the last time this semester on Tuesday, May 30 from 3 to 4 pm in room V122. Reyna Richman, club president, chaired the meeting.

After everyone had some refreshments, Reyna welcomed both old new and old members, and then introduced our guest speaker, Jolli Brown, from Long Island University/Brooklyn campus. Ms. Brown kindly provided brochures, catalogs, and free beverage cups (with the LIU logo on them) to all in attendance. She gave us an overview of the educational opportunities available for transfer students who wish to attend LIU upon graduation, and informed our members that two full scholarships are awarded each year to two KCC graduates,with a 3.75 G.P.A. or better, who wish to attend the urban education program at LIU. We thanked Ms. Brown for her time and for her helpful presentation.

The next item on the agenda was a group reflection on the many wonderful successes of this past year, including our recent trip to "A Child's Place." Photographs of our trip, along with pictures of many other events of 2005-2006, have been posted on the club bulletin board outside V115. Thank you to everyone who helped make our club so terrific this past year!

Well-deserved "Certificates of Appreciation" were then presented to our officers:
Reyna Richman, President & Acting Treasurer
Doreen Brittingham, Vice-President
Theresa Maresco, Secretary
Helianne Duke, Co-Secretary

Following this, the departing faculty advisor was presented with a plant, a beautiful bouquet of long-stemmed roses, and a lovely certificate of thanks signed by each of the officers. This was a very thoughtful gesture, and was very much appreciated.

Our meeting continued with the drawing for the "Good Attendance Award." The names of all students who had attended at least 5 of the club's meetings held in 2005-2006 were placed in a container, and the lucky name drawn was..................Helianne Duke! Helianne received a backpack, apron, and calendar from the NAEYC, and was congratulated by everyone.

At the conclusion of our meeting, each member received a free tote bag and a copy of "Young Children," the journal of the NAEYC. We then bid a fond farewell to each graduating member, and graduating officer. Best wishes and good luck to all! Have a great summer!

Our Trip To "A Child's Place"

2006-05-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 20 the Early Childhood Club ventured out on its first field trip in many years. We drove to Queens to visit "A Child's Place," an early childhood program founded and directed by award-winning KCC instructor Joan Gallagher. It was a very informative and enjoyable experience for all who attended.

Housed in a charming, 3-story converted home overlooking the bay, "A Child's Place" exemplifies the best in developmentally practices for young children. As Joan guided us on the tour, we saw a spacious block area; an abundance of manipulatives, toys, and children's books; a large and inviting dramatic play center; art, music and science materials; and many other interesting things for the preschoolers to work and play with. The colorful walls are adorned with free-style drawings and paintings done by the children; photographs; and posters, all of which create a warm and homey atmosphere.

It is obvious that children are deeply respected in this program. The daily schedule emphasizes both indoor and outdoor play; individual and small-group activities; and hands-on experiences. The children have many choices and opportunities to interact with their environment and each other. They are also encouraged to write, draw and express themselves in their journals. There is a well-equipped play yard, and the teacher-child ratio is outstanding. The program's name is quite fitting, because "A Child's Place" is truly a child-centered program.

"It was very helpful to see such a great welcoming atmosphere merged with a strong educational presence," said our club's president, Reyna Richman, upon returning from the trip. "It made me feel like I can do something like this myself one day. After today, I have an even greater admiration for Joan and her philosophy," she added. "To sum up our trip, it was ideally all of our ideals." Vice-president Doreen Brittingham agreed. "Wow! It was fun. This trip was a tangible way for us to see what we've learned in our classes at KCC being materialized."

The Early Childhood Club is very grateful to Joan Gallagher for taking the time on a Saturday afternoon to share her program and its mission with us. She was a gracious host, and we truly appreciated this wonderful opportunity for our club members to see first-hand what a high-quality early childhood program is all about.

REMINDER: The Early Childhood Club will meet for the last time on Tuesday, May 30 at 3pm in room V122. A "multicultural food fest" will be part of the celebration. Please bring a COLD dish (snack or dessert) from your culture to share. Beverages and paper goods will be provided by the club. We will be saying good-bye to the faculty advisor, as well as many departing members and officers, who are graduating in June. Please join us for this very special meeting.

Minutes Of Our April Meeting

2006-04-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club met on Tuesday, April 25 in our new room, V122, from 3 to 4 pm. Our President, Reyna Richman, chaired the meeting.

After some pizza and refreshments, we discussed old and new business. We reflected on the success of our two big spring events: the T-Shirt Party, and the celebration of the "Week of the Young Child" in the breezeway. We are still awaiting photos of the kids in their t-shirts, so if anyone has pictures, please e-mail them to us at profnleggio@aol.com . They will then be posted on this website. Reyna asked that everyone give a special thanks to our Co-Secretary, Theresa Maresco, for her hard work in planning and preparing for these events.

The next item on the agenda was a discussion of our upcoming field trip. On Saturday, May 20, the club is going to "A Child's Place," a day care program founded and directed by KCC Early Childhood instructor Joan Gallagher. This is the club's first trip in many years, and we are very excited about it!

Some students are going individually by public transportation, and will meet us at the site (which is located in Queens) at 1 pm. Other club members will be traveling by car with the faculty advisor and other students, and will leave from KCC. This group will meet at 12 noon sharp on May 20 in room V122, to sign trip release forms and form car pools. This is an adults-only trip and space is limited, so if you are interested in signing up to join us, please do so as soon as possible! You can leave us a message in our club mailbox in room C123, or see the faculty advisor, Nancy Leggio, in room V115.

The next item was the election of another Co-Secretary to work with Theresa. Helianne Duke has been an active member of our club this past year, and she has participated in many meetings and events. She has also begun creating flyers for our club. Helianne was elected unanimously, and we welcomed her aboard!

Our meeting concluded with a fun game of "Education Wheel of Fortune." Reyna created the puzzles and turned the letters as students made their guesses. The grand prize winner was Theresa, who correctly solved two of out of the three puzzles: "Developmentally Appropriate Practice," "Playdough," and "Open-Ended Materials." Theresa received a tote bag of goodies from the NAEYC: a calendar, a copy of the journal "Young Children," a pin, and a book. Congratulations to Theresa and all of our players!

After the general meeting there was an officer's meeting to discuss plans for the remainder of the term. The club's final meeting of the semester will be held on Tuesday, May 30 at 3pm in room V122. This is the last date of day classes at KCC. (Evening classes end the following day, May 31.) We are planning a special end-of-the-year party for this meeting, which will include a pot-luck multicultural foods celebration. Please join us, and bring a special COLD dish from your culture to share! (KCC does not allow homemade hot dishes at events, for health reasons.) The club will provide beverages, plates, and utensils. We will also be giving out "Certificates of Appreciation" to our officers, and there will be a drawing for a very special prize: a beautiful back-pack and an apron from the NAEYC, both engraved with the slogan "Early Years Are Learning Years". Students who have participated in at least five club meetings this past year will be eligible to enter the drawing to win this "good attendance" award.

On May 30 we will be saying good-bye to many departing members and officers, who are graduating from KCC this June. We hope you can join us at this very special meeting!

An Exciting Spring

2006-04-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club has had a busy and exciting spring! We recently hosted two back-to-back events which were highly successful: our second annual "T-Shirt Party," and our first annual celebration of the NAEYC "Week of the Young Child."

On Tuesday, March 28 we welcomed many guests, as well as regular club members, to room V118 for the T-Shirt Party, and once again a wonderful time was had by all. Many children from the KCC "Family College" attended this year, and after they had some pizza and grape juice, everyone got busy designing their shirts.

As children's music played in the background, the adults created colorful designs of school buses and other early childhood themes. Some of the children decorated their shirts with favorite storybook characters, while others drew the smiling faces of their friends and family members. At the conclusion of the party all the children posed for photographs, and then wore their artwork home! We plan to post the photos as soon as we receive them (via e-mail), so you can see for yourselves what a terrific time they had.

All of the refreshments, decorations, music, T-shirts, fabric markers, and supplies were provided by the Early Childhood Club. Our officers and members worked very hard to plan and organize this event, and we wish to thank them for their dedication. We were also grateful to receive $200 towards our expenses from the Public & Health Council.

Soon after the T-Shirt Party, the club enjoyed a wonderful experience celebrating the NAEYC's "Week of the Young Child" for the very first time on Wednesday, April 5 in the breezeway. Many KCC students stopped by our table, which was laden with free resources from the NAEYC. Catalogs, brochures, pamphlets, and fact sheets were gratefully picked up by students from a variety of backgrounds and majors. A video about the NAEYC's history and mission played in the background as our club members greeted passersby. The table was beautifully decorated with NAEYC kites and other materials, and our lovely club banner was hung in the backround. This event was a terrific way to promote awareness of the need for quality early childhood education services for young children.

A hearfelt thank-you goes out to our Co-Secretary, Theresa Maresco, who was the coordinator for the WOTYC event. She did a terrific job planning and organizing it over a period of several months.

The Early Childhood Club will meet on Tuesday, April 25 from 3 to 4 pm in our new meeting room, V122. We will play a game of "Education Wheel of Fortune," and we will finalize our plans for our May field trip. We hope to see you there!

Minutes Of Our February Meeting

2006-03-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Early Childhood Club welcomed all members, new and old, to our first meeting of the spring semester on Tuesday, February 28 at 3pm in room V118.

After inviting everyone to have some pizza and hot chocolate, our president, Reyna Richman, discussed the club's procedure for electing new officers. She then introduced Mary Gentile, the club's nominee for treasurer, who gave a brief talk about her background and involvement with the club. Mary was elected unanimously, and was then invited to come up to the officers' table for the remainder of the meeting.

Theresa Maresco, club co-secretary, gave us an update on one of our exciting spring projects: a celebration of the NAEYC "Week of the Young Child." Theresa informed us that we will have a table in the breezeway in between the cafeteria and the clusters from 9 am to 3 pm on Wednesday, April 5. Literature will be distributed; our banner will be displayed; and a video celebrating NAEYC's 75th anniversary will be playing on a nearby VCR. Volunteers are needed to help staff the table and perform other tasks. Please leave a note in our suggestion box in V118, or e-mail us at profnleggio@aol.com, if you can help with this event.

Theresa's role as co-secretary is to handle the set-up for meetings, take attendance, and keep club records. We need another club co-secretary to create, xerox, and post flyers; and get the club's mail. Candidates who are interested in the position are currently submitting their names to the nominating committee, and we will report on this next month.

Doreen Brittingham, our vice-president, announced the annual "T-Shirt Party" to be held at our next meeting, on March 28th, at 3pm in V118. Once again children and parents from the KCC Child Development Center will be invited to attend, and we are looking forward to another great experience with them. The club will provide all necessary supplies, including t-shirts in many sizes, fabric markers, music and refreshments. We received special additional funds to our budget for the t-shirt party from the KCC Public & Health Council, which recognized the value of this event for both the club and the child care center families.

The next item on the agenda was our club survey, which Doreen passed out for new members to complete. She welcomed them to participate in any club projects that interest them.

The club's faculty advisor then welcomed students to take free resources from the club's library, which has dozens of NAEYC brochures and pamphlets (to keep) and books on a wide variety of topics (to borrow). Plans were announced for a special field trip for the club on Saturday, May 13 to "A Child's Place," a wonderful early childhood program in Queens founded by KCC instructor Joan Gallagher. A committee will be formed under the leadership of Doreen Brittingham to help organize this event.

The club discussed having a guest speaker at our April meeting to talk about creating and maintaining a portfolio. The faculty advisor will work on this and will report back to the group next month.

Door prizes were awarded as follows: Vanessa Pusey received a pen from NAEYC; Lastenia Catuy won a star-shaped teacher pin; and Nicole Torres received a "circle of children" pin. Congratulations to all of our winners!

The meeting concluded with an impromptu hula-hoop performance by the children who were attending the meeting with their parents. It was delightful to see the little ones dancing, twirling, and rolling the hoops to each other. Several students joined in the fun also!

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on Tuesday, March 28 at 3pm in V118.

Minutes Of Our January Meeting

2006-02-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Early Childhood Club's first meeting of the winter module was held on January 31. Reyna Richman, our President, opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and inviting them to have some pizza, hot chocolate, and free brochures from the NAEYC. The next item on the agenda was a brief review of the club's procedures for nominating and electing officers. Reyna then introduced Theresa Maresco, our nominee for the new Co-Secretary position. Theresa was elected unanimously, and we welcomed her aboard.

Reyna then distributed and discussed our spring calendar of events, which include the Club Fair in February; the annual T-Shirt Party in March; the "Week of the Young Child" event in April; and a possible field trip in May. Volunteers are needed to plan and coordinate all of these events; if you can help us out, please e-mail us at profnleggio@aol.com.

Reyna then shared an item from our suggestion box (located in V118): "Why doesn't the club meet twice a month, instead once a month?" Reyna explained that time constraints prevent us from meeting as a whole group more often. However, the club officers do meet once each month in addition to the general meetings, and members are welcome to attend any time to participate "behind the scenes" as the officers prepare for club meetings and special events. The officers' meetings are held two weeks prior to the general meetings, at 3 pm, in the club room (V125). She announced that the next officers' meeting will be on Tuesday, February 14 and the next general meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 28 at 3pm in V118.

The next item on the agenda was a discussion of after-school program job openings listed on our website, and the monthly job bulletins from the Day Care Council and Bank Street College, which the faculty advisor posts in V115. We then unveiled the latest additions to our club's professional resource library, a wonderful new assortment of books from the NAEYC. We now have dozens of books and hundreds of brochures from the NAEYC on a broad range of topics available for our members. One of the new NAEYC books is about creating a portfolio, and there was a brief discussion about the importance of creating and maintaining a portfolio while enrolled in the ECE Program. We plan to continue this discussion and provide additional resources and information about the portfolio at our next meeting.

Our racks of NAEYC brochures and books are now located in V125, which is our club room. If you need any material or want to borrow a book, please see Nancy Leggio in V115 or send us an e-mail at profnleggio@aol.com.

We concluded the meeting by awarding our three door prizes: A colorful calendar from the NAEYC was awarded to Vanessa Posej; a lovely pen from the NAEYC was given to Helianne Duke; and a book entitled "Caring: Supporting Children's Growth" was awarded to Reyna Richman. Congratulations to all of our winners!

Please join us at our next club meeting on Tuesday, February 28.

Job Openings In After-School Program

2006-01-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

HeartShare One World After-School Program, at P.S. 102 in Bay Ridge, has contacted the Early Childhood Club to publicize the following part-time positions:

1. Group Leader, 5th grade, Monday - Friday

2. Group Leader, 2nd grade, Mondays & Wednesdays

3. Group Leader, 3rd grade, Mondays & Wednesdays

4. Group Leader, 2nd grade, Thursdays & Fridays

Early Childhood students at Kingsborough, who have some prior experience working with children (including student teaching or other field hours), are encouraged to apply. The program's hours are 2:40 to 5:40 pm daily, and the salary is based on experience. Responsibilities include picking children up from the school auditorium; supervising snack; assisting with homework; and planning and supervising children's projects/activities. Group Leaders must also be fingerprinted through the Dept. of Health, but HeartShare will absorb the cost.

The program also welcomes students to use their site for field observations and assignments, such as those required in EDC 23. Their late hours of operation make it convenient for KCC students who are in class in the mornings and early afternoons.

For further information, or to send your resume, please contact:

Patricia DiDino, Site Coordinator
HeartShare One World After-School Program at P.S. 102
211 72nd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11209
Phone: 718-567-2365
Fax: 718-567-2367

Club's First Meeting Of The Year To Be Held January 31

2006-01-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

The Early Childhood Club will be kicking off the new year with its first meeting on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 3pm in room V122.

Our meeting will feature a "portfolio swap" where students can share resources and ideas for creating and maintaining their portfolios. We will also discuss plans for our upcoming spring events, and organize students into committees to work on these special projects. As always, free pizza, hot chocolate, free resources and door prizes will be available to all in attendance.

We hope to see you then!

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, December 13 the Early Childhood Club hosted a multicultural holiday party for current and new members, and an enjoyable time was time had by all.

Classroom V122 was festively decorated with garland, and holiday music played in the background as students created their own unique holiday cards and jingle bell bracelets. Our multicultural buffet included Japanese rice cakes; Polish chocolate treats; African stew with cous-cous; and Italian holiday cookies. Yum!

Teachers from the child care center, as well as staff and faculty from the ECE Program, dropped by to sample some of the food and join in the festivities.

The Early Childhood Club officers and faculty advisor wish all of our members a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Happy Kwanzaa, and a Happy New Year!

Minutes Of Our November Meeting

2005-12-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

The Early Childhood Club held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 29 in V122. We welcomed new members and enjoyed pizza, hot chocolate, and snacks as everyone arrived.

The meeting was chaired by our President, Reyna Richman, who introduced the officers and gave us a report on the success of the City Harvest Food Drive. A special thanks went out to Theresa Maresco for all of her hard work on this event. Reyna then asked everyone to mark their calendars for our Multicultural Holiday Party, which will be held on Tuesday, December 13 at 3pm in V122. Everyone attending is asked to bring a small dish of food (hot or cold) from their culture to share. The club will provide paper goods, beverages, decorations, music, and some fun surprise activities.

The next item on our agenda was a review of the club's newly written policies for selecting, nominating, and electing officers. They were voted on and approved by all in attendance. Reyna announced that Christine Razzak will be graduating soon and is stepping down as Secretary. Jamie Fishcetti was elected Co-Secretary and will become full Secretary beginning in January.

Our meeting concluded with a fun game of "Education Wheel of Fortune." Students divided up into two teams to solve the puzzles, which included "Kindergarten Teacher," "Blackboard Eraser," and "Learning Through Play." The grand prize winner was Yami Rosa, who correctly guessed "Maria Montessori" in the bonus round. She received a tote bag of goodies, including a copy of "Young Children," a 2006 calendar, a book, and a "Circle of Children" pin. All of the other players received a "Teachers Light The Way" key chain as a consolation prize.

We ran out of time, and could not show our scheduled feature for the Fall Fim Festival. We hope to show it at a future meeting.

See you Tuesday, December 13 at 3pm in V122 for our Holiday Party!

City Harvest Food Drive A Huge Success

2005-11-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

Over the past three weeks the Early Childhood Club collected over 60 pounds of canned goods, cereals, pasta, rice, soups, and other non-perishable food items and donated them to City Harvest, a well-known charity which supplies surplus food to homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and food pantries in NYC. Reyna Richman, Doreen Brittingham, and Theresa Maresco helped pack up all the food, and greeted the City Harvest volunteers who arrived by truck today to pick up our three large cartons of donations. Thank you to all the students, faculty, and staff who contributed!

Reminder: The Early Childhood Club's next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 29 at 3pm in room V118.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Minutes Of Our October 25 Meeting

2005-10-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

Our second monthly meeting of the fall semester was well attended and very productive! Our President, Reyna Richman, opened the meeting by welcoming everyone, offering refreshments, and introducing the officers and faculty advisor.

While students enjoyed pizza, hot chocolate, and free resources from the NAEYC, Reyna updated us with news on our latest projects. Our beautiful new club banner was unveiled, and special thanks went out to former co-secretary Jessica Pacheco for acquiring the fabric, and to Jamie Fischetti for helping to decorate it. The banner was used at our table at the recent KCC Club Fair, which was a big success, and is now on display in V115.

Each member then received a free bottle of glue for their workshop supply kit, and a drawing was held for the three special door prizes. Sherline Koseph, Delilah Atanasio, and Allison Ince each won a goldtone pin with the caption, "TO TEACH IS TO TOUCH A LIFE FOREVER."
Congratulations to our winners!

Reyna then informed our members that the club has just been awarded $400 from the Public & Health Council for the annual spring T-Shirt Party. These much-needed funds will ensure a successful and fun event, and are a big boost to our meager budget. A well-deserved round of applause erupted for Reyna and Anna Seale, our treasurer, for doing such a great job at the presentation to the Public & Health Council earlier this month.

Since some students were unaware of the role of the Public & Health Council, our Vice-President, Doreen Brittingahm, explained to the group how student government works at KCC. Doreen also gave a special greeting to all of our new members, and spent time individually afterwards with each one, helping them to feel part of the club.

Announcements were made regarding upcoming classes and workshops our members might be interested in, such as the Violence Prevention course offered by Continuing Ed. at KCC, and the seminar at the Day Care Council on opening your own day care program. Several students are planning to attend these sessions and will report back at the next meeting.

The next item on the agenda was the City Harvest Food Drive. This is the first community outreach project the club has undertaken in many years, and students are very excited about it. Special thanks went out to Theresa Maresco, our liason to City Harvest, who made all the arrangements, and to Antionetta Giannattasio for downloading the flyers. Jamie Fischetti volunteered to be our liason with Scepter, KCC's student newspaper, and will contact them about writing an article about this project. Christine Razzak, our club secretary, distributed flyers about the food drive to the KCC ECE Faculty, and will post additional flyers in the V-building.

The meeting continued with a discussion of various other projects being planned for the coming year, and new members were asked to fill out our club survey expressing their interests. Reyna informed everyone of the location of our new suggestion box, in V118, and we then began work on decorating our collection box for the City Harvest donations.

The meeting concluded with popcorn and the launch of our "Fall Film Festival." This month's feature was a special viewing of two "Bev Bos" videos. A well-known early childhood educator and the author of several popular books for teachers, Bev Bos is an inspiration to everyone who believes in developmentally appropriate, child-centered education.

We look forward to seeing you all at our next monthly meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, November 29 at 3 PM in room V118. In the meantime, please use our suggestion box for your comments and feedback, and please check our bulletin board (outside V115) for updates on club happenings. And don't forget to bring your donations of canned goods and non-perishable food items to our City Harvest collection box in room V116!

Club To Sponsor Food Drive For City Harvest

2005-10-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club is collecting donations of canned goods (soups, stews, tuna, vegetables, coffee) and other non-perishable food items (pasta, rice, crackers, peanut butter, teas, instant drinks, juice boxes, etc.) to be given to City Harvest, a well-known charity which distributes food to homeless shelters and food pantries across the five boroughs.

Beginning Tuesday, October 25, there will be a collection box in the ECE Program Office, V116, where you can leave your donations. Our aim is to collect 50 pounds of food by November 23, when City Harvest will come to KCC to pick up our donations in time for Thanksgiving. With your support, we can reach or even surpass this goal!

For further information please see the club's faculty advisor, Nancy Leggio, in room V115.

Upcoming Events

2005-10-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Please mark your calendars with the following special events:

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18
2 P.M.
Room V123

A representative from St. Joseph's College will visit the Early Childhood Education Program to discuss their degree programs and answer your questions about transfering upon graduation from KCC.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25
3 P.M.
Room V118

The Early Childhood Club will hold its monthly meeting from 3 to 4 p.m., followed by our first ever "Fall Film Festival" from 4 to 4:30 p.m.! Our agenda will include decorating a collection box for our City Harvest Thanksgiving donations; updates on other projects; door prizes; free pizza and popcorn; and free resources. Please join us!

First Meeting Of The Semester A Big Success

2005-09-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, September 27 the Early Childhood Club had its largest turnout ever at a regular monthly meeting (22 students in attendance, many of them new members) and the fall semester is off to a terrific start!

The meeting was chaired by our club President, Reyna Richman, who began by introducing the other officers and faculty advisor. She invited students to enjoy the free snacks and to take home a club pencil, a pair of scissors, and some free NAEYC brochures as she outlined the club's goals for this year. We were then joined by Estelle Miller, director of the KCC Women's Center, who gave a short presentation about the services available and upcoming projects at the Women's Center. Estelle also provided packets of information about the center to all those in attendance, which we were very happy to receive.

Before we took a break to have some pizza, three door prizes were awarded: a goldtone "Circle of Children" pin from the NAEYC was given to Melinda Daniels, Jamie Fischetti, and Jacqueline Contreras. Congratulations to our winners!

Our meeting continued with each student filling out a survey to express their interests in some of our upcoming projects and events: The Club Fair and Banner; The Fall Fim Festival; Field Trips and Guest Speakers; A Scholastic Book Fair; A City Harvest Food Drive; and several others. We also announced two November training events which appear on our website: the free Violence Prevention Course, and the Family Day Care workshop.

We then elected a new Co-Secretary, Jessica Pacheco, who will be responsible for setting up for our monthly meetings. The club warmly welcomes Jessica, who completes our list of officers:

Reyna Richman, President
Doreen Brittingham, Vice-President
Anna Seale, Treasurer
Christine Razzak, Co-Secretary
Jessica Pacheco, Co-Secretary

The meeting concluded with a group of students working together to create a colorful suggestion box, which we hope to place in one of the ECE Program's workshop classrooms.

If you were unable to attend this month's meeting, be sure to join us again on Tuesday, October 25 at 3PM in V118. You can also visit our table at the KCC Club Fair on Thursday, October 20 in the cafeteria.

We welcome your comments and suggestions! Please e-mail us at profnleggio@aol.com.

Job Openings At KCC Child Development Center

2005-09-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

The on-site child care center for parent students at KCC is looking for substitute teachers. If you are an early childhood education major with some previous experience working with young children, and need part-time work, you may be interested in applying for this position.

Children in the center range from 2 to 5 years of age. There are both a.m. and p.m. shifts available, and hours will vary. The salary is up to $10 per hour, depending on experience.

All interested candidates should fax their resume to Prof. Uda Bradford at 718-368-4609. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. The KCC Child Development Center is NAEYC-Accredited, and Kingsborough is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Free Class in School Violence Prevention Available

2005-09-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

A free class in School Violence Prevention is being offered at KCC through the department of Continuing Education. This class is required for Assistant Teacher Certification in New York State, and is especially important for students in Code 18 (Early Childhood Education Majors) to attend.

The next session is being held on Saturday, November 5th from 1:00 to 3:30 PM. Please go to the office of Continuing Education, T4140, to register. The class is being offered at no cost to full-time students in the ECE Program; a current KCC I.D. is required.

We hope that members of the Early Childhood Club will be taking advantage of this valuable opportunity, and we will discuss it further at our next club meeting to be held on Tuesday, September 27 at 3 PM in V118.

Early Childhood Training Opportunities Available At The Day Care Council

2005-09-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in finding out how to start your own child care program? The Day Care Council is offering an informal training session to answer your questions, and guide you through the process. You will learn about the steps to follow to become a NYS registered Family Child Care Provider, or a licensed Group Family Child Care Provider.

Date: Tuesday, November 8
Time: 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Location: 12 West 21st Street, NYC, 3rd Floor
Cost: $10 (includes a continental breakfast)

Applications for the workshop will be available at the Early Childhood Club Meeting on September 27. We hope that some of our members will be able to attend together. For additional information about this and other training opportunities, please go to the Day Care Council's Web site: www.dccnyinc.org

Welcome Back!

2005-09-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Classes will begin today at KCC, and the Early Childhood Club wishes all of its members a very enjoyable and productive fall semester!

We have several fun and exciting projects planned for this term, including our first ever "Fall Film Festival." Please join us to discuss these and other events at our first meeting of the new school year:

Tuesday, September 27
Room V1118
3 to 4 P.M.

The Early Childhood Club is open to all students enrolled in the Early Childhood Education Program at KCC, whether your major is Early Childhood or Educational Studies. We meet on the last Tuesday of every month, except during vacations or finals week. Our group is informal and friendly, and we love to welcome new members.

Our meetings provide free resources, free pizza and beverages, and door prizes for those in attendance. Whether you are a new student or a returning one, this is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with our club officers and other club members. We hope you can join us!

Club Beach Party Postponed

2005-07-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club's end-of-the-term beach party, which was scheduled for this afternoon, has been postponed.

Cloudy weather, and a projected low turnout of members, prompted the decision to cancel today's outing. We hope to reschedule it in the near future.

If you would like to be on the club's mailing list for e-mail alerts and website updates, please contact us at profnleggio@aol.com.

Early Childhood Club To Host Beach Party July 28

2005-07-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club welcomes all members, past and present, to a small beach party to be held on Thursday, July 28 from 3 to 5 p.m. on the KCC beach.

Come and celebrate the end of the summer module and final exams with us! Just bring a towel, an umbrella, and some snacks to share (we'll provide the beverages.) Hope to see you there!

Early Childhood Education Students Honored At Awards Ceremony On The Eve Of Graduation

2005-06-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

The 2005 Fortieth Annual Awards Ceremony was held on Thursday, June 9 in the Performing Arts Center on the eve of graduation exercises at KCC, and the Early Childhood Education Program was well represented among the recipients. Several students received awards for both academic achievement and service to KCC, and three officers from the Early Childhood Club were honored for their valuable contributions to our group this past year.

Early in the festivities Reyna Richman, Doreen Brittingham, and Anna Seale were each awarded the Student Activities Bronze Key and Certificate of Recognition, as their friends and families watched proudly from the audience. It was wonderful to see the hard work and dedication of these three officers acknowledged in a formal way.

Later in the ceremony, Professor Barbara Weiserbs presented awards to two outstanding students from the Early Childhood Education Program. The first honoree was Jessica Romero, who received the Early Childhood Program Award. The second honoree was Samira Dervisevic, who received the Judy Danoff Early Childhood Education Program Award (which is named for the founder of the ECE Program at KCC.) Both of these students are graduating from KCC this year, and we wish them the best of luck in their careers and future studies.

The event proceeded with many other awards from various departments throughout the college, and concluded with special awards for students with exemplary performances both academically and in service to others. It was a very proud moment for us all when Educational Studies major Xu Wang stepped on stage to be presented with the Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship Award. This prize is the result of a statewide competition, and it is a great honor for both KCC and the Early Childhood Program that the winner this year is one of our own students.

Our heartfelt congratulations to all the award recipients for their special achievements!

Club's Last Meeting Ends On A High Note

2005-05-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

Our final meeting of the semester was fun and exciting as we unveiled our beautiful children's literature bookcase, which has a new home in room V117. As always, there was plenty of good conversation as students munched on pizza and perused our professional resource library of NAEYC materials. After door prizes were given out to all in attendance, we had some bittersweet moments as we said good-bye to three officers who are graduating this semester (Rocio, Dawn, and Maria) and welcomed our new secretary, Christine Chan. Christine has been a very active member of the club this past year, and she was elected unanimously.

Certificates of Appreciation were presented by the faculty advisor to our current and future President, Reyna Richman; our current and future Treasurer, Anna Seale; outgoing C0-Secretaries Dawn Hemmings and Rocio Hernandez; and outgoing Co-Vice-President Maria Capitummino. Our current and future Vice-President, Doreen Brittingham, was unable to attend the meeting due to illness, and she will be presented with her certificate at the first meeting next semester.

The club used today's meeting to reflect on its past successes, and to make plans for the coming year. Our membership has grown and we feel we are really making a difference for students in the ECE Program. We were very pleased with the article in the May issue of Scepter about the spring t-shirt party, and everyone was impressed with the detailed annual budget report which Anna presented. We hope that the club will be given an increase in funds for next year, so that we can plan more events and continue to expand our professional resource library.

At the conclusion of the meeting the officers surprised the faculty advisor with a lovely bouquet of flowers, as well as a card and gift. This was a very thoughtful gesture, and is much appreciated.

Please Note: The Early Childhood Club will not be holding any general meetings over the summer, but there will be an officers meeting on Tuesday, June 14 at 3 pm in V125.

We hope you will join us on Tuesday, September 27 at 3pm in room V118 for our first meeting of the fall semester! In the meantime, please continue to check this website throughout the summer for information about the ECE profession, as well as important club news and updates. You can also keep in touch with us via e-mail at profnleggio@aol.com

ECE Student Named A Finalist For Annette Urso Rickle Foundation, Inc. Scholarship

2005-05-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club is pleased to announce that a student in the ECE Program at KCC, Ms. Xu Wang, has been named a finalist in the competition for an Annette Urso Rickle Foundation, Inc. scholarship.

Ms. Wang learned about the scholarship program from this website, and completed her application last month. She will be interviewed by the scholarship committee in early June. We are thrilled that she has been chosen as a finalist, and wish her the best of luck.

Congratulations, Xu Wang!

Final Meeting Of The Semester To Be Held On May 31

2005-05-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club welcomes all members, old and new, to our final meeting of the semester on Tuesday, May 31 at 3 P.M. in room V118. Our agenda will be as follows:

1. Welcome, Pizza, Refreshments
2. Door Prizes
3. Annual Budget Report (Treasurer)
4. Election of New Secretary*
5. Presentation of Certificates of Appreciation to Officers
6. President's Report
7. New Business/Plans for Next Semester
8. Closing

We hope to see you there!

*If you have been an active member of the Early Childhood Club this past year, (minimum attendance - 3 meetings), are energetic, responsible, and have a computer, you can be nominated for the position of Secretary! Please see the club's faculty advisor, Nancy Leggio, in room V115 for further information.

A Letter Of Gratitude From A Former Student

2005-05-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

I recently received the following letter from a former student, who is about to graduate from KCC and who has begun teaching in her own classroom. I found it very inspiring, and thought both students and faculty would enjoy reading it.

Dear Professor Leggio,

Today, I am the happiest teacher!

Two years ago, I came to Kingsborough Community College just to take a few credits in Early Childhood Education. My intention was to add a few U.S. credits to my resume, assuming that my B.A. in Marketing would be more than enough to work as a Teacher Assistant in an early childhood classroom.

When you were my professor in Foundations of Education, you quickly helped me to realize that early childhood is like a "special island" in the field of education. I realized that those little creatures need their individual space and time to learn. Teaching young children means respecting their exploration through play, rather than sitting them in chairs in a strict, drilling environment.

Before I came to KCC, I was ready to assist in an old-fashioned, teacher-centered class, where learning is determined by how many letters and numbers a pre-kindergartener knows, and how far he/she can count. Before I took your class, I did not really know what teaching young children should be like; however, I had a feeling about what was wrong. I guess that is why I actually came to Kingsborough. How unfortunate for children, and how sad for us in the education profession, that so many people don't have the slightest idea about hands-on activities and child-oriented, developmentally appropriate learning.

This past year I became a pre-k teacher for the first time. I know my English is far from good; however I have realized I am not the only teacher in this school struggling with English, therefore I do not feel as guilty!

However, please let me not go off track with the reason why I am writing to you. Your great lessons opened my eyes and took me into a new world of teaching young children. Now, not only do I have to teach my class, I have an even harder job trying to educate parents and other teachers in my school about appropriate early childhood curriculum.

I started with the NAEYC brochures you had given me in EDC 20. I gave them out to all the parents in my classroom, to explain why I allowed children to play instead of sitting them down with workbooks like the other teachers were doing. Then one day I got a phone call from one of the mothers in my class, who is a doctor. She told me she had read the "Play is Fundamental" brochure, and it amazed her. She said in all her years of medical training, no one had ever taught her how important play was for children's development. She asked me to make a list of items I needed in order to teach through play, and offered me $1,000 to pay for them!

I thought I was dreaming. The classroom I was given had only a big chalkboard, chalk, papers, and crayons. Can you imagine what a difference this donation made to my classroom? Can you imagine what a great thing your lessons and NAEYC brouchures that you gave me did for my class? Is there any way I can thank you?

By the way, the parent said this is only the beginning of her help. She saw how passionate I was about making a difference in the school, and she decided to donate another $2,000, to contribute to playful learning. I now have ordered $3,ooo in toys, furniture and supplies from the Lakeshore and Childcraft catalogs! It is wonderful.

Please give my best regards and thanks to Professor Couper, Professor Friedman, Professor Marrus and all the others for their great classes. From each and every one of you, I have learned a lot of things that I am implementing into my teaching.

Sincerely,

Samira Dervisevic

Welcome to Our Photo Gallery!

2005-05-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

We had a great time!
Photos of Club T-Shirt Party Taken by Abe Ginsberg

2005-05-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Rocio Hernandez, Co-Secretary, and friend
Photos of Club T-Shirt Party Taken by Abe Ginsberg

2005-05-07T14:40:00.001-07:00

Reyna Richman, President; Doreen Brittingham, Co-Vice-President; and Anna Seale, Treasurer with children from the KCC Child Development Center
Photos of Club T-Shirt Party Taken by Abe Ginsberg

2005-05-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Tamara and friends designing their club t-shirts
Photos of Club T-Shirt Party Taken by Abe Ginsberg

2005-05-07T14:30:00.001-07:00

Donna Marie creates her t-shirt
Photos of Club T-Shirt Party Taken by Abe Ginsberg

2005-05-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Can I use that yellow one when you're done?
Photos of Club T-Shirt Party Taken by Abe Ginsberg

2005-05-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

Creative art in action
Photos of Club T-Shirt Party Taken by Abe Ginsberg

Minutes of May 3 Meeting

2005-05-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club meeting began at 3 pm with refreshments and a welcome to some new members, who enjoyed perusing our rack of NAEYC pamphlets for resources for their portfolios. In addition, our Co-Vice-President Maria Capitummino had thoughtfully prepared packets of information about our club (which she downloaded from this website), and gave one to each new member.

While students munched on pizza and commiserated with each other about recent mid-term exams, our Co-Secretary Rocio Hernandez took attendance and passed out colorful pencils engraved with the club's name. Then our President, Reyna Richman, chaired a brief meeting to update members on recent news, such as the impending arrival of our donation of new children's books and the new bookcase. We also discussed plans for the next club meeting on May 31, as well as follow-up meetings with the staff of Scepter, KCC's newspaper.

Three door prizes were then awarded to Tamara Iuculano, Danielle Berthayd, and Nadine Lenord. Each received an attractive gold-tone pin depicting a circle of children. The pins are quite popular with teachers, and come from the NAEYC.

At 3:30 pm Jocelyn Baitz, a career counselor from the Career Development Center (C102), presented a workshop on how to develop a resume and write a cover letter. She gave an excellent presentation which included how to effectively list and describe your education, job experience, and special skills/talents so that your resume will be well-received by potential employers. Ms. Baitz encouraged our club members to bring drafts of their resumes and cover letters to the Career Development Center for further personal assistance.

Each student in attendance received a free packet of resources from the Career Development Center, which included a summary of the information presented as well as sample resumes and cover letters. In addition, many great tips on interviewing skills, networking, and other job-seeking strategies were included in the packet. The Early Childhood Club thanked Ms. Baitz for her time and for her many helpful suggestions.

If you missed this presentation, or would like to attend any other workshops offered by the Career Development Center, be sure to stop by C102 to pick up a spring calendar or make an appointment with one of the counselors.

The next Early Childhood Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 31 at 3pm in room V118.

Early Childhood Club Meeting To Be Held On Tuesday, May 3

2005-04-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the Early Childhood Club will take place on Tuesday, May 3 in room V118 beginning at 3pm. After a short business meeting to update you on recent happenings, we will welcome members of the Career Development Center for a workshop on job-seeking strategies.

Free pizza, beverages, and free resources from the NAEYC will be provided. There will be a few door prizes, too! We welcome you to join us.

Early Childhood Club To Receive Large Donation of Children's Books for Resource Library

2005-04-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Early Childhood Club is pleased to announce that it will be receiving a substantial donation of children's literature courtesy of Dr. Diane Person, faculty member of the ECE Program.

Dr. Person's generous contribution was motivated by the club's recent announcement that it is donating a new bookshelf to the ECE Program as part of its ongoing efforts to provide easy access to professional resources for early childhood and educational studies majors.

Many students know Dr. Person from the children's literature course she teaches at KCC, "HUM 81." What you may not know is that she is also an accomplished author, and a well-known expert in the field of children's books.

A former member of the Newberry Award Committee, Dr. Person is an active member of the International Reading Association, and is currently running for office in the American Library Association. She has a brand new book out that was published by Continuum entitled, "Stories of Heaven and Earth: Bible Heroes in Children's Literature." She co-wrote this resource book for teachers, parents, and librarians with her daughter, Hara Person.

The Early Childhood Club wishes to extend its deep appreciation to Dr. Person for her kindness and generosity. Many students will be enjoying her donations of books for years to come.

KCC Public & Health Council Approves Request for Additional Funds for the Early Childhood Club

2005-04-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

The KCC Public & Health Council, an umbrella organization which includes clubs such as the Future Teachers Club and the Early Childhood Club, has approved our request for additional funds so that we may purchase another bookshelf for V117. The shelf will be donated to the ECE Program, and will be used to hold children's literature.

Officers Reyna Richman, Anna Seale, and Doreen Brittingham made the successful presentation on Tuesday, April 12. Their verbal request for $250 to purchase the bookshelf was supported by a well-written proposal which clearly described the club's needs for these additional funds.

The officers explained that the additional bookcase would benefit hundreds of KCC students in both the early childhood and educational studies majors, who are required to take a children's literature course (HUM 81), and who need to use children's books in their student teaching placements. We hope that the new bookcase will arrive sometime next month.

Our heartfelt thanks and congratulations go out to Reyna, Anna, and Doreen for a job well done!

Early Childhood Club T-Shirt Party A Huge Success

2005-03-31T21:30:00.000-08:00

Workshop room V118 was transformed this past week with the giggles and smiling faces of the children from the KCC Child Development Center, who joined us for our first ever "Club T-shirt Party" held on March 29.

After some pizza, juice, hot chocolate and other treats, everybody got busy designing their t-shirt. Multi-colored squiggles, dots, lines and swirls quickly adorned the shirts of the pre-schoolers, who grinned from ear-to-ear as they discovered what they could do with our fun fabric markers. And the best part? They got to wear their artwork home! In fact, many of the children wore their t-shirts to school the very next day, and proudly showed them off to visitors of the child care center.

The adults were just as creative, and as children's music played in the background, our club members and guests developed wonderful captions and child-related designs for their shirts. One read, "Practice what you teach!" and another boldly proclaimed, "My girlfriend is a proud member of the Early Childhood Club." Prof. Barbara Frawley attended the event with her two daughters, and created a fun t-shirt with a play-dough recipe written on the front. She promised to wear it in her EDC 30 class when her students make play-dough!

A reporter from "Scepter," KCC's school newspaper, also attended the event. He interviewed the officers and members for an upcoming article about our club. Abe Ginsberg, Scepter's photographer, took some gorgeous pictures, which we hope to have posted on this website (in our new photo gallery) by next week. In the meantime, anyone who attended the party can have a few photos e-mailed to them by contacting us at profnleggio@aol.com

Our event would not have been such a great success without the hard work and dedication of our officers: Reyna, Doreen, Maria, Dawn, Rocio, and Anna. They put in many hours publicizing and preparing for this event. We had such a huge turnout that we had to carry in lots of chairs from other classrooms to accomodate everyone!

We hope you had a good time and that you will join us at our next meeting, to be held on Tuesday, May 3 in room V118 at 3 P.M. We will be hosting a workshop on resume writing and job seeking strategies, after a brief business meeting. See you then!

Early Childhood Club Meeting And T-shirt Party To Be Held on Tuesday, March 29

2005-03-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

The KCC Early Childhood Club welcomes all members of the Early Childhood Program to our special spring event this Tuesday, March 29, at 3 P.M. in Room V118.

In addition to our regular members, we will have some special guests in attendance that day. Several faculty from the ECE Program will be there with their children, as well as staff and families from the KCC Child Development Center.

Everyone in attendance will be given a plain white t-shirt, which they can decorate themselves, using non-toxic fabric markers. All materials, including the adult and child-size t-shirts, will be provided by the club. In keeping with our program's philosophy, all the children's t-shirts will be ORIGINAL designs, with no restrictions except they must include the words "Early Childhood Club" somewhere on the t-shirt. (Adults can assist younger children who are not yet able to print on their own, and invented spelling from beginning writers is encouraged!)

The adults are free to create their own designs, too, as long as the theme of their t-shirt is child-related. The words "Early Childhood Club" also must appear somewhere on the shirt. We hope everyone will wear their t-shirt on campus, to show their support for the Early Childhood Club!

There will be free pizza and beverages, music, and free resources about the ECE profession and parenting. A short business meeting for club members will follow the t-shirt party. We hope to see you there!

Scholarships Available for ECE Students

2005-03-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Annette Urso Rickel Foundation, Inc. is trying to attract dedicated students, particularly of color, to careers in teaching. The foundation is seeking to identify qualified students interested in becoming teachers, and will award scholarships of up to $3,00 per student annually. They are currently aiming to award up to 20 scholarships in the NYC area for the fall 2005 semester, and the deadline for submitting all paperwork is May 1.

The Early Childhood Club's faculty advisor, Nancy Leggio, has applications and blank letter-of-recommendation forms for any students with a high G.P.A. who might be interested in applying for this scholarship. Please contact her at profnleggio@aol.com, or visit her office in room V115. Additional information can also be found on the foundation's website, www.teachingscholars.org

Updated Children's Literature Library Available for All Early Childhood Students

2005-03-15T13:30:00.000-08:00

As part of our ongoing efforts to provide important resources for members of the Early Childhood Club, as well as all students who are either Early Childhood or Educational Studies majors, we are pleased to announce that a large collection of children's books is available for students to use in Room V117.

A number of courses require students to use quality children's literature in their assignments, such as HUM 81, EDC 28, EDC 30, EDC 91, and EDC 93. We have over 100 children's books, many of them award-winners, in our library. Students must check in with Cecilia in room V116 before visiting the library. Once you have checked in, you will be permitted to peruse the entire collection for as long as you would like. You may then choose up to five books to check out, and books may be borrowed for up to two weeks.

The Early Childhood Club donated a substantial number of these books to the ECE Program several years ago, after hosting a Scholastic Book Fair at KCC. Cecilia has organized the books alphabetically by title, to make it easy for you to make your selections.

If you have any questions or would like to provide any feedback, please contact us at the following e-mail address: profnleggio@aol.com

Early Childhood Professional Resource Library Open for Students

2005-03-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

The Early Childhood Club is pleased to announce that our new collection of NAEYC books for future teachers has arrived, and is available for students to borrow in Room V117.

There are many titles to choose from, on a wide range of topics, attractively displayed on our new literature rack. Books on curriculum planning, classroom management, and starting a day care program are just a few of the choices you'll find there. A special thank-you goes out to our Co-Vice presidents, Maria Capitummino and Doreen Brittingham, for all of their hard work putting the book rack together!

The new books are a wonderful addition to our growing collection of professional resources for early childhood and educational studies majors. They are a nice complement to the free NAEYC brochures which are currently available in V116.

All books must be signed out, and can be kept for up to two weeks. If you would like to borrow a book, please see the club's faculty advisor, Nancy Leggio, in Room V115.

New Semester Begins Tuesday, March 1

2005-02-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

The spring term kicks off this week and the Early Childhood Club wishes all of its members a very successful semester!

There are some exciting things happening at KCC this month. The new free shuttle bus, which will begin running on the first day of classes, is already creating quite a stir among students, faculty, and staff. A long-awaited service, the shuttle will operate on weekdays between our campus and the local subway station. It will ease overcrowding on city buses, and allow KCC students to get to classes on time much more easily.

Our own Co-Vice President, Doreen Brittingham, was instrumental in helping the dream of a shuttle bus become a reality. She was honored last month with a "MY HERO Award" at the Student Life Conference for her many volunteer hours on this project.

Doreen was one of several KCC students who braved the cold weather to stand on the corner of Brighton Beach Avenue & Coney Island Avenue, counting the numbers of students who boarded city buses after departing the subway station. In one short time period, Doreen recorded that over 800 students required transportation to the campus for the final leg of their commute.

The statistics compiled by Doreen and the other volunteers were vital to the creation of the shuttle bus service, which Dr. Regina Peruggi made one of her first priorities when she became Kingsborough's president last year. The club is very proud of Doreen and all the other KCC students who helped make this wonderful new service possible.

The shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes and is free to all students, staff, and faculty. A KCC photo I.D. is required to board. For more details, please pick up a flyer at the Peer Advisor Booth outside the cafeteria.

Meet The Officers - Part One

2005-02-17T15:30:00.000-08:00

The club elected a new slate of officers last month, and we would like to introduce two of them here. Without their hard work and dedication, our club would not be such a success!

Each officer was asked to write a little bit about themselves, including their goals and why they decided to become involved with the club. Our president and treasurer are profiled below, and you will meet our co-vice presidents and co-secretaries in the near future.

President

Hello. My name is Reyna Beth Richman, and I'm 22 years old. I feel that the early childhood community is a stepping stone for everyone's future in the world. Children are humorous, intelligent, sensitive, loving creatures. Our club provides a network for peers that are dedicated to children.

I first learned about the ECE Club when it was discussed in my EDC 20 class last spring, and was eager to be a part of it. I served as club secretary during the fall semester of 2004, and when our outgoing president, Omar Dyer, needed to resign in December (to spend more time with his two young children), I then decided to run for president of the club. I want to share my experiences and goals with other students who plan to have a career with children one day.

I have an outgoing personality, and I like working with people. I chair the monthly meetings, and oversee all of the club's projects and events. I have a lot of new ideas for our club, such providing help sessions for students to work on their portfolios and study together. I think our new portable professional resource library is great, and it was fun to put together.

Our club has several exciting projects planned for the coming spring semester, and I'm proud to be a part of it. I hope to see you at our next meeting!

Treasurer

Hello. My name is Anna Seale, and I'm 27 years old. I was born in Poland, and my major is Educational Studies. I hope to become a history or math teacher one day.

I am delighted to be treasurer of this club. I feel like I am part of a process that is helping to shape and strengthen the future of the education profession.

I enjoy working with numbers, and it is my job to keep track of the club's finances. I handle all of the receipts; place our orders; keep track of deliveries; and make sure we stay within our budget. We have made many wonderful purchases this year to publicize our club, and to help students learn more about the field of early childhood education.

There is a lot of paperwork with this job, but I have a good eye for detail and I enjoy it. The club began with virtually nothing last spring, but now we are well-stocked with supplies and resource materials to fulfill our mission. I am glad to have been a part of that process.

The club is a great way to strengthen my connection to KCC. I staffed our table at the Club Fair last fall, and I'm looking forward to working with all of the other officers on our projects this coming spring!

Brooklyn Reading Council Conference a Huge Success

2005-02-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

The Brooklyn Reading Council held its 25th Annual Professional Conference on Friday, February 4th in the MAC Rotunda, and by all accounts it was a huge success. "It was well-organized, informative, and I enjoyed seeing the generations of teachers I will join once I graduate," said Doreen Brittingham, Co-Vice-President of the ECE Club. "I am particularly interested in the topic of struggling readers, since I was one as a child, and the workshop I attended on that issue was great." When asked if the all-day conference (which cost $15 for students) was worth both the time and expense, Ms. Brittingham replied with an enthusiastic, "Yes, yes, yes! I made connections with future peers, and I would definitely go again."

The conference drew a variety of educators from many different types of settings throughout the five boroughs. Public school teachers, day care teachers, reading specialists, college professors, school principals and parent coordinators were all in attendance. Many college students also participated, and KCC students were joined by student teachers from Brooklyn College, St. Joseph's College, and others. There were a variety of vendors displaying children's books, teaching materials, and other professional resources. The conference program contained dozens of workshops to choose from, and upon arrival each participant received a free canvas bag filled with goodies: posters for the classroom, a children's book, a calendar, literacy resources, and writing materials.

There were many opportunities to make connections with other early childhood and elementary school professionals, and there was much lively conversation during the delicious free breakfast and lunch. Our own table included KCC faculty and students, staff from the KCC Child Development Center, and teachers from various parts of Brooklyn.

The keynote address was given by Laura Kotch, Executive Director of Curriculum and Professional Development at the NYC Dept. of Education. A passionate speaker and advocate for early literacy, Ms. Kotch told her rapt audience, "All kids should have the opportunity to fall in love with books, regardless of where they live." Ms. Kotch told many wonderful anecdotes from her own teaching and parenting, and shared her belief that "reading is one of life's greatest pleasures." She believes that "literacy is a key to open the door and touch the lives of the children we teach," and she challenged each of us to "create children who treasure books as much as we do." Ms. Kotch is sensitive to the needs and struggles of today's teachers, but encouraged us "not to get bogged down in paperwork" and to "fight the good fight." Her passion for literacy is readily apparent, as when she described what a classroom library should look like: "It's not just two bookshelves...it's so much more than that. If done well, a classroom library will make your heart skip a beat." Ms. Kotch finished her speech to a well-deserved round of applause, and the conference was off to a terrific start.

If you were unable to attend with us this year, we hope that we will see you next February for the Brooklyn Reading Council Conference! If you want to learn more about teaching reading and developing early literacy, please visit the New York State Reading Association website at www.nysreading.org.

Job Openings in ECE

2005-02-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a job in the field of Early Childhood Education?

There are many positions available for students who are currently pursuing their teaching degrees. Assistant teachers, teacher aides, tutors, and substitute teachers are needed in day care facilities, preschools, after-school programs, and Head Start centers throughout the five boroughs. You do not need your associate's degree to work in these positions, but some college credit and previous experience with young children is desirable.

There are a variety of job openings, including part-time positions, posted on the bulletin board in the waiting area of the ECE faculty suite (room V115). They are sent to the club by the Day Care Council and the Bank Street College Job Placement Office, and are updated monthly. You are welcome to peruse these job listings at any time. If you have any questions or need any assistance, please e-mail us at profnleggio@aol.com. Good luck with your search!

Club News and Upcoming Events

2005-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

The club met on Tuesday, January 25 and elected the following slate of officers:

President...................................................................Reyna Richman
Co-Vice-President..............................................Doreen Brittingham
Co-Vice President..............................................Maria Capitummino
Co-Secretary...........................................................Dawn Hemmings
Co-Secretary...........................................................Rocio Hernandez

Anna Seale will continue in her role as Treasurer, and Christine Michiko Chan is our new Website Assistant. Congratulations to all of our newly elected officers!

Our meeting was enjoyable and productive. We solidified plans to attend the upcoming Brooklyn Reading Council Conference and the Student Life Conference, and made plans for the spring semester. We unveiled our new NAEYC resource rack of brochures and pamphlets, and provided free scissors for students to add to their "Mary Poppins" bags. (Last semester we provided free glue.) The winners of our door prizes were Faiza, Llalaira, and Maria. Each received a goldtone "Circle of Children" pin from the NAEYC.

The yearbook photographer attended our meeting and took a lovely picture of all the members who were present. We hope to have it available for posting real soon!

The club will be involved in a number of important projects and events over the coming weeks and months. Please mark your calendars!

Thursday, January 27

Student Life Conference: "Don't Get Mad - Get Civil"
KCC MAC Conference Center
1 p.m.

Friday, February 4

Brooklyn Reading Council Conference
KCC MAC Conference Center
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday, February 16

Officers Meeting
Club Room - V125
2 p.m.

(Please note: The club will NOT have a general meeting next month, since there are no classes at KCC during the last week of February.)

Tuesday, March 1

Spring Semester Begins
Club Professional Library Unveiled
Details to follow

Tuesday, March 29

Club Meeting & T-Shirt Party
V118
3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Details to follow

We welcome your comments, feedback and suggestions. You can e-mail us anytime at profnleggio@aol.com. See you soon!

Brooklyn Reading Council Conference to be Held at Kingsborough...Discount for Students!

2005-01-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

The local chapter of the International Reading Association (The Brooklyn Reading Council) is having its annual conference on Friday, February 4th from 8am to 3pm in the MAC Center at KCC. There will be guest speakers and many valuable workshops to choose from! Topics include: teaching reading; multicultural children's literature; and many others. The discounted price for full-time students is only $15 for the entire day of events, and includes a free continental breakfast and lunch.

The club will be attending, and all ECE students are welcome to join us. Registration forms are available on the bulletin board in V115. YOU MUST INCLUDE A PHOTOCOPY OF YOUR STUDENT I.D. WITH THE REGISTRATION FORM in order to get the student discount. The deadline to mail in your form & fee is January 25th, so hurry! If you have any questions, please see Prof. Annie Couper in V115, or send an e-mail to profnleggio@aol.com .

(A special thank you to Prof. Couper for sharing this information with us!)

Helping Children to Cope with Tsunami Coverage

2005-01-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Media coverage of the tsunami in South Asia has been quite extensive. Those of us who work with young children may be wondering how to deal with their questions, confusion, and anxiety about this subject.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children has prepared an excellent article on this important topic, "Helping Young Children After a Disaster." You can read it by logging on to their website: www.naeyc.org.

Coming Soon...Photo Gallery!

2005-01-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

In the coming weeks the club will begin to post photos of ECE students and their work, as well as recent club activities. Watch for updates soon!

Features and Updates

2005-01-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

This website is just in its infancy stage, so please bear with us as we continue to "learn by doing" as John Dewey taught us!

We hope to feature lots of information about the field of early childhood education in the near future, so we invite you to check for further developments in the coming weeks.

Welcome to the KCC ECE Club Website

2005-01-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

This website has been created for the Early Childhood Club at Kingsborough Community College. Our goal is to provide students with an opportunity to network and socialize with other early childhood and educational studies majors. We meet on the last Tuesday of every month in Room V118, from 3 to 4 p.m.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday, January 25th, 2005, where we will unveil our new professional resource library! We will also hold elections for two new officers, and have our picture taken by the yearbook photographer. As always, free refreshments and free resources will be provided to all in attendance. There will be door prizes and a few other surprises as well...so please join us!