What's Happenng
NEW! Special FILM SCREENING for CNC
CMAS is proud to present this recording of a special CNC film screening and panel discussion of the award-winning film, Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years, with co-producers Debbie LeeKeenan and John Nimmo, as well as featured teacher Nadia Janobeta. The film shifts the focus away from the talking heads of experts and on to the voices of teachers committed to equity and diversity on a daily basis. By taking viewers into diverse early childhood classrooms, the film seeks to demonstrate the importance of teacher reflection on identity, context, and practice in anti-bias education and provides a much-needed resource for teacher education and professional development.
NEW! CMAS Tutorial: Activity Planning for Mixed-Age Groups
Some CNC programs choose to use mixed-age grouping to allow for flexibility or accommodate families when there is limited space and/or staffing. But it also means that staff need to plan with a wider age group in mind… so a child-centred approach can be especially important! In this tutorial, we’ll talk about the benefits, challenges, and important considerations to keep in mind when planning activities for children of different ages. Participants will go back to their programs feeling more confident, with new strategies and promising practice. 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.
NEW! CMAS Webinar Series: Modelling Flexible Ideas About Gender in an Early Childhood Setting
We come from different families. We come from different cultures. We grew up in different decades. We each have our own individual experiences. We probably all see and experience gender in a slightly different way. Gender “refers to the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex” (American Psychological Association).
CMAS is pleased to present an opportunity for CNC staff to learn more about Modelling Flexible Ideas About Gender in an Early Childhood Setting. This two-part webinar series will include information about gender and child development, and will centre around the ideal of creating the best possible environment for nurturing the social and emotional development of children of all genders. Watch Part 1 and Part 2.
Note that live sessions are only open to CNC-funded programs that are working with CMAS, but the recordings will be available online for everyone this fall.
National Indigenous History Month: Honouring Lives Lost
The CMAS team would like to acknowledge and honour the 215 children whose lives were lost and remains were recently discovered at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. We offer our sincere condolences to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in BC, as well as the families and communities across Canada who continue to suffer not only the intergenerational trauma inflicted by the residential school system, but ongoing racism and discrimination.
As June marks National Indigenous History Month, it is especially important for the CNC community to stand with the Indigenous peoples in Canada and listen.
It can be difficult to find our path towards reconciliation or the words to share with children and families, but it’s important to reflect on how we can talk to children and families about the events and the trauma that is resurfacing among Canada’s First Nations.
We urge all of our programs to review the teachings of Elder Brenda Mason and Lori Huston, RECE, who joined us in February to discuss the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. This 3-part webinar series and associated articles can help support a deepening of our understanding of what it means to honour the knowledge and skills of Indigenous children and families as we reckon with the past and find our way forward.
NEW CMAS WEBINAR: Developing Engaging, Child-Centred Activities for Your CNC Program
How do you plan activities for your CNC program? We all do our best to make our CNC programs child-centred, but sometimes program planning can be a challenge! In our most recent webinar, Jackie Cunningham talks about why engaging, child-centred curriculum is so important, where to start with emergent program planning, how to use developmental domains to build on curriculum and learning, and inspiring project-based activity ideas.
CMAS Tutorial: What is the Difference Between Emergent Curriculum and Child-Centred Programming?
The terms “child-centred programming” and “emergent curriculum” are often used interchangeably. But have you ever found yourself wondering what emergent curriculum means? Or maybe you wonder how a child-centred program is different from an emergent curriculum? Our newest tutorial provides a quick overview of child-centred programming and emergent curriculum, help in understanding your role as a facilitator of children’s learning, and some tips for expanding on children’s interests. At the end of the tutorial, you’ll also find resources, references, a Facilitator Guide and Questions for Personal Reflection/Group Discussion so that you can easily facilitate your own team training.
CMAS WEBINAR: Colouring Outside the Lines with Bookmates
In this webinar recording, Bookmates joins us to explore the idea of creativity as an important bridge to learning and development for young children. This session is designed to share practical skills, tips, and resources for how CNC staff can engage children with open-ended process art activities to extend literacy concepts.
Now available online!
Do you work with newcomer children and families?
Having a newcomer child in your care presents unique challenges. It’s also an exciting opportunity to learn, to grow and to have a lasting impact on a child’s life.
Written by child care and diversity expert Julie Dotsch, with strategies and ideas from caregivers working in the field of newcomer child care, Supporting The Settlement Of Young Immigrant Children And Their Families, is now available online for free!
New Virtual Café Sessions in April!
Virtual Cafés are back and there are lots of new topics planned for this month. The CMAS team is looking forward to sharing ideas and learning from one another again.
Here’s what we have planned:
- NEW! Primary Care and Consistency in CNC
- NEW! An Interview with Zakia Labonee: Visual Supports for Parent Orientations
- NEW! Fine Motor Development: Toddler/Preschool
- NEW WEBINAR: Colouring Outside the Lines
- NEW! Sign Language for CNC – A Hands on Experience with Mina Shikur
- NEW! Transition Tips for CNC
- NEW! Fine Motor Activities for Infants
We’re also planning two new sessions specifically for SDRs:
- NEW SDR Session: Changing Routines – Opportunities and Challenges
- NEW SDR Session: Managing Team Anxiety – Returning to Care
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 CMAS WEBINAR: Learning As We Go – Literacy Strategies to Support Young Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Bookmates joins us for this important webinar to talk about early literacy resources, tools and strategies that support early learning during challenging times such as we are currently experiencing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s an opportunity for participants to hear about; possible long term repercussions of physical distancing on preschool development, evidence based research on increased anxiety/frustration, sedentary behaviours and screen time our early years population may be experiencing, the importance of relationships in a socially distant world, and literacy strategies and children's books designed to mitigate some of the challenges facing children in 2021 and beyond.