| What's Happenng

What's Happenng

Online security considerations for CNC staff and programs supporting families remotely.

Organizations are responsible for managing their own online presence. Given that security risks can arise through the use of various online platforms and practices, we encourage you to carefully consider what works best to meet your organizational needs. To bring this important issue to the forefront, in December, we provided you with two important documents to support your CNC team in delivering safe and secure online supports: The Importance of Secure, Safe, and Professional Online Interactions, and Online Interactions Considerations Checklist. We are also hosting Virtual Cafés on online security to raise awareness and help identify measures to help keep yourself, your organization, and your CNC families safe. If you are offering online supports and/or services for children, we encourage you to attend a session.

NEW! January Virtual Cafés

To support CNC professional development, share promising practices, and provide opportunities for CNC programs to connect, Virtual Cafés have started up again this month. 

January topics will include:

  • NEW! Effective Communication with Parents                 
  • NEW! Self-Care for CNC Staff                                      
  • NEW! How does your CNC team support parents?   
  • NEW! Monthly SDR Session: Supporting your team while working remotely   
  • NEW! Program-to-Program: An Interview with NYCH – How one CNC program uses technology to connect with parents
  • NEW! Program-to-Program: An interview with JIAS: How one program uses social media to promote and encourage their programming
  • NEW! Responding to Children’s Fear
  • NEW! The Science of Resilience
  • NEW! Program-to-Program: Red River College Shares Ideas for Child-Centred CNC
  • NEW! Supporting Newcomer Parents Who Have Children With Special Needs
  • NEW! Webinar: Beyond Observation; Bringing Your Skills into Practice
  • Program-to-Program – Nursery Rhymes with Ivanka  
  • Virtual Security and Safety for CNC Staff                         
  • Virtual Security and Safety for CNC Administrators        

Check your email for the schedule and registration information or contact info@cmascanada.ca.

Note that these sessions are only open to CNC-funded programs that are working with CMAS.

NEW! French tutorials now available

To better serve our French programs, three new tutorials are now available in French:

  • 10 Simple Ways to Encourage Language in Newcomer Children
  • 3 Simple Visuals For Every CNC Program
  • How Your Early Learning Environment Impacts Behaviour

You can find them in the Learning Centre.

VIRTUAL CAFÉ SESSIONS FOR December 7-10, 2020


Topics for these sessions include:

  • Importance of Virtual Security and Safety
  • Program-to-Program: Nursery Rhymes with Ivanka Gotcheva
  • Loose Parts and Open-ended Activities
  • Simple Science Activities: Ways to Bring Science into Your Program

Check your email for the schedule and registration information or contact info@cmascanada.ca.

Note that these sessions are only open to CNC-funded programs that are working with CMAS.

CMAS Webinar: Resolving Conflict at Work with Karen Minty

Do you know how different personality styles behave under stress? How does your team resolve conflict under stressful situations? Karen Minty explains the basic needs of each personality style, and appropriate strategies to deal with difficult behaviour to quickly diffuse situations and prevent further conflict in this Resolving Conflict at Work webinar.

VIRTUAL CAFÉ SESSIONS FOR NOVEMBER 23-December 3, 2020

Topics for these sessions include:

  • Importance of Virtual Security and Safety
  • Share your ideas: Tips for using Zoom
  • Share your ideas: Tips for using WhatsApp
  • Share your ideas: Tips for using YouTube
  • Share your ideas: Tips for Virtual Sessions with Children and Parents
  • Share your Ideas: Materials and activities to share with parents 
  • Loose Parts and Open-ended Activities
  • Storytelling: What’s Your Favourite Story?
  • Positive Guidance
  • Simple Science Activities: Ways to Bring Science into Your Program

Check your email for the schedule and registration information or contact info@cmascanada.ca.

Note that these sessions are only open to CNC-funded programs that are working with CMAS.

CNC Pandemic Response: The Importance of Connecting with Parents

COVID badgeThis tutorial has been developed in response to challenges faced by CNC programs during the pandemic. Public health directives that limit face-to-face interactions between CNC staff and parents during drop-off and pick-up each day may have a serious impact on our ability to have important conversations and moments of connection with families. Many parents are feeling anxious, so it’s more important than ever to find ways to connect and share important information. 
In the CNC Pandemic Response: The Importance of Connecting with Parents tutorial, you have an opportunity to explore why it is so important to connect with parents each day, and strategies to build relationships, connect and share information with parents - even when face-to-face interactions are limited. At the end of the tutorial, you’ll also find resources, a facilitator guide and added group discussion questions so that you can easily facilitate your own team training.  

Virtual Cafés are back! Sessions for November 9-19, 2020

Our team is looking forward to sharing ideas, learning from one another and spending time together online again over the coming months. We’re getting things started by offering repeat sessions of some of the most popular topics from the spring, including Loose Parts, Physical Activities in Small Spaces, The Importance of Virtual Security and Safety, Storytelling, Positive Guidance, and Simple Science Activities. Check your email for the schedule and registration information or contact info@cmascanada.ca (Note that these sessions are only open to CNC-funded programs that are working with CMAS.)

CMAS Webinar: The Importance of Play in Challenging Times

The transition back to CNC after pandemic closures can be stressful for everyone, and for some, it’s hard to imagine how to plan play-based learning and still meet provincial directives. In this webinar, CMAS consultant Jackie Cunningham provides CNC staff with 10 tips for keeping the focus on play during these challenging times, activity ideas to try, and a simple tip sheet you can share with your team!

Special Needs Tutorial Series: Just added

Have you ever wondered about how an Individual Program Plan (IPP) works? Do you know how to write long- and short-term goals? 

The first tutorial in the two-part special needs series provides a step-by-step guide to writing an IPP, and an opportunity for CNC staff to learn about the different parts of an IPP, why they’re important, and how they work together to support a child. At the end of the tutorial, you’ll also find resources, references, a facilitator guide, and added group discussion questions so that you can easily facilitate your own team training.

The second tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to writing an IPP, and an opportunity for CNC to review the sample IPP template and examples, as well as gain insight and confidence in writing long- and short-term goals that really support their programming and provide a clear direction for helping a child and family. This tutorial also offers resources, references, a facilitator guide, and added group discussion questions