Community Outreach Inclusion Update

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! We are thrilled to kick off another inspiring year with our Community Outreach Inclusion Program team and community partners. Our team and partner educators have already been hard at work in the classrooms for over a month, establishing strong routines, nurturing connections, and setting the stage for an incredible year ahead.

Here's a snapshot of our growing community, our expanding team, and how we are grounding our daily work in high-quality inclusive practices:

• Program partners: This year, we are proud to expand our reach and provide itinerant services and coaching support across 7 different locations, supporting 14 total classrooms. Our vibrant network of program partners includes childcare programs, community preschools, and family childcare homes, reflecting the diverse early learning environments across our community.
• COIP team growth: Our team has welcomed some new faces as we expand our reach to meet the growing needs of our program and the community! Our team now features 3 early childhood itinerant special education teachers/coaches (Ms. Ally, Ms. Jess, and Ms. Lori), 2 itinerant speech therapists (Ms. Jess and Ms. Bella), and 1 special education paraprofessional (Ms. Bisi). We are also very fortunate to have Ms. Shuo, our behavior analyst, bringing her expertise to our team.
• Pyramid Model practices and collaborative goals: Over the past 2 weeks, our team has been conducting the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) in every program partner classroom. The TPOT provides a clear baseline of Pyramid Model practices in action, which teachers and coaches use collaboratively to develop individualized teacher action plans and professional growth goals.
• Flexible learning and coaching integration: Professional development is already in full swing! All of our program partner teachers (and more than half of our classroom assistants!) are participating in Pyramid Model eModule training on self-chosen timelines. These flexible modules are integrated into and directly supplement our coaching work during weekly team meetings.

Our September 15 VEC Alliance had our largest crowd ever, with 44 early childhood educators from 12 different community early childhood programs eager to learn from our guest presenter Laurel Mateyka about how the environment shapes early learning and inclusion. The training focused on how physical, social, and temporal environments directly shape child engagement, emotional safety, and belonging. Grounding classroom design in Pyramid Model Tier 1 practices creates an environment where every child feels welcomed, secure, and ready to learn. Here are some key takeaways and strategies from the presentation:

1. Be the "thermostat", not the "thermometer": Adults set the emotional climate of the classroom. A "thermometer" reflects the heat in the room (raising their voice when a child screams or reacting out of frustration), whereas a "thermostat" sets the tone by lowering their volume to a whisper voice, staying objective, and taking a strategic breath. Let the children "borrow" your calm to self-regulate!
2. Reduce physical and visual noise in the environment: Choose calm, neutral rugs rather than visually overwhelming patters, maximize natural light, and provide cozy "safe spaces" or quiet corners that children can choose to go to when they need a break. Take a self-assessment of your environmental print to make your space less visually "noisy" - if you don't refer to it with the children, take it down!
3. Create a welcoming and inclusive climate: Establish welcoming entry routines like greetings at the door, feelings check-ins with visuals, and flexible seating choices. These small, intentional practices communicate to every child that they belong.
4. Predictable schedules reduce anxiety and build independence: Utilize visual daily schedules, first-then boards, visual timers, and step-by-step task strips for daily routines. Pair routines with engaging call-and-response attention getters to build community and keep transitions smooth.

Sensory Strategies to Support All Students (ECPL webinar)

October 6, 4:00-5:30

https://web.cvent.com/event/78029247-8ca7-4bcf-bbe9-c59bd471cde5/summary

Strategies to Support High-Quality Inclusion: General Classroom Modifications (STAR NET webinar)

October 8, 3:30-5:30

https://starnet.org/events/2707-high-quality-inclusion-general-classroom-modifications/

Vitalize Your Emotional Wellness Through the POWER OF PAUSE (ECPL webinar)

October 14, 4:00-5:30

https://web.cvent.com/event/691148fa-92c6-4c8b-9456-096b52943eaf/summary

What's Your Super Power? Effective Behavior and Classroom Management Strategies (ECPL webinar) **given by our friend and yours, Tweety Yates!

October 22, 4:00-5:30

https://web.cvent.com/event/4e7be37f-9984-47e9-a8d2-39e446f1030a/summary

Intervention Techniques for Working with Trauma-Impacted Young Children: Strategies for the Classroom and Other Settings (ECPL webinar)

October 27, 4:00-5:30

https://web.cvent.com/event/89afe7b1-f0ec-44a4-ae41-5fbd2cfda44f/summary

Music Across the Curriculum: The Lion and the Mouse (STAR NET webinar)

October 28, 5:00-6:30

https://starnetiv.org/event/music-across-the-curriculum-the-lion-and-the-mouse-live-webinar/

Stop Spinning in Circles: How to Make Your Circle Time More Developmentally Appropriate (STAR NET webinar)

November 9, 3:30-5:00

https://starnetiv.org/event/stop-spinning-in-circles-how-to-make-your-circle-time-more-developmentally-appropriate-live-webinar/

Be sure to check out STAR NET's "on-demand" webinars - register and watch them at a time that works for you! https://starnetiv.org/on-demand/

*October 13 VEC Alliance: Beyond "Good Job": Meaningful Positive Feedback to Shape Behavior

Join us for an interactive training on how to replace phrases like "good job" with intentional, positive language and specific, descriptive feedback to actively prevent challenging behaviors before they start. Participants will learn, reflect, and practice how to use their own language to clearly reinforce classroom expectations, boost young children's intrinsic motivation, and foster secure, supportive teacher-child relationships.

Join us for dinner and raffle prizes!

Click to RSVP: October 13 RSVP VEC Alliance