CONFERENCES
PEER NETWORKS
INITIATIVE
EDUCATOR RESOURCES
LIST OF ECE PROGRAMS

New Directions in Professional Development 2011-2012
We are moving toward new models of professional development. Based our the capacity of our agency to plan a large conference and current thinking about best practice in professional development, we will regularly update these pages with links to professional development opportunities.

To read more about the philosophy around this decision, see Rethinking Conferences by Margie Carter.

Summer Learning Opportunities
  1. Pre-Conference Institute prior to PCAEYC 2012 Conference:
     Administrator to Innovator: Transforming your program to support reflective teaching
     February 29 - March 2, 2012
     Seattle, Washington

  2. International Innovations in ECE Forum
     July 13-15, 2012
     Victoria, BC, Canada

  3. Watch your email for news about the Bing Institute at Stanford University.
     Learn a bit about last summer's offerings from Bing.

  4. Early Childhood Jewish Gardening Conference
     Additional details will be available soon. Take a look at last year's program.

  5. NAREA: Giving Visibility to Creative Thinking and Collaboration in Our Schools and Communities
     June 22-24, 2012
     Portland, Oregon

Questions? Contact Ellen Brosbe, 415.751.6983 x 153.

ECE Directors Mifgash
Directors of early childhood education programs gather to network, learn with and from each other and share successes and challenges with colleagues. The theme of "exploring our core" values was the theme of our 2010-11 meetings. Our goal includes building colleagial relationships, nuturing our skills as reflective practitioners, leaders and mentors, and advocating for the profession of early childhood Jewish education has created a "community of practice"

The 2011-2012 Mifgash Calendar

Tuesdays from 1:30-3:15
at the Bureau of Jewish Education
601 14th St. San Francisco

September 20, November 8, January 10, March 13, May 8

Contact Ellen Brosbe, 415.751.6983 x 153.
INITIATIVE

Focus on Excellence in Early Childhood Jewish Education
What makes a school excellent? What makes a Jewish early childhood program excellent? How do we measure success?

Working together with Jewish early childhood programs, we developed a set of guidelines that characterize best practice in early childhood and Jewish education. Creating these benchmarks has the potential to help schools identify their strengths and weatness and work in the pursuit of excellence. The program also serves as a guide for parents, community leaders and fundres as we work to maximize the potential of Early Childhood Jewish Education.

The Focus on Excellence Instrument was piloted in 2009-2010 by
Gan Israel, San Rafael
JCCSF, Helen Diller Family Preschool
Peninsula Temple Sholom Preschool, Burlingame

2010-2011 Participating Schools
Gan Israel, Petaluma
Sherith Israel/Marin Day/Bright Horizons
Chai Preschool, Foster City
Gan Aviv Preschool, South Peninsula Hebrew Day School, Sunnyvale

The Focus on Excellence Tool is available in electronic format to all interested schools.

For further information or questions, contact Ellen Brosbe, 415.751.6983 x 153.

Focus on Excellence in Early Childhood Jewish Education is a partnership between the BJE and the Early Childhood Education Initiative of the Jewish Community Federation. This project is made possible by a grant from the Jewish Community Endowment Kohn Fund of the SF-based Jewish Community Federation.

Links

Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties Early Childhood Education Initiative

Rethinking Conferences

URJ: Union for Reform Judaism

The Association of Jewish Libraries