2021 Virtual Conference
“Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times”

Annual Virtual Conference March 6th, 2021

6 Hours BFTS Credit

Keynote: Eric Litwin

Interactive Virtual Event

*Participants will receive 6 hours approved training credit from Bright From the Start

  • 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM – Eastern Standard Time
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EVENT REGISTRATION

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Registration
Event Brochure

Live March 6, 2021

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Georgia Preschool Association is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization ID #58-126568
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Annual Conference

When: March 6, 2021 | 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
(Eastern Standard Time) GPA will offer a one-day virtual conference on March 6, 2021 that would include one large group session with a featured speaker and five one-hour sessions with choices for each session.

Registration Form: Register | Event Brochure: Here

One-Day Virtual Event

The event will be LIVE streamed via the ZOOM platform. Get ZOOM

ACCESS INFO

Once you register & buy ticket, you will be emailed our webinar password.

Featured Speaker
Eric Litwin

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Eric Litwin

Writer, Musician, Storyteller, Educator
Featured Speaker

Visit his website:
www.EricLitwin.com

Eric Litwin

Published Author: Books include The Power of Joyful Reading, Pete the Cat I Love My White
Shoes, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes,
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas, Groovy Joe Ice Cream and Dinosaurs, Groovy Joe Dance Party
Countdown, The Nuts Bedtime at the Nut House, The Nuts Keep Rolling, The Nuts Sing and
Dance in Your Polka Dot Pants, If You’re Groovy and You Know It Hug a Friend

Songwriter/Recording Artist: Albums include The Big Silly, Smile at Your Neighbor, and seven
The Learning Groove albums (produced with Michael Levine)

One-Day Virtual Conference Times & Access
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

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ZOOM ROOMS
Members Meeting

2021 Workshop Descriptions

“Ordinary Heroes In Extraordinary Times”

1. The Power of Joyful Reading - Eric Litwin and Dr. Gina Pepin
Get ready to sing, dance, and fall in love with interactive literacy. Eric and Gina’s presentation is fun and practical. Based on their new book, The Power of Joyful Reading, these educators will show you how to use simple techniques such as music, movement, call and response, and repetition help children learn to read and fall in love with books. They will also demonstrate how to turn your classroom into a reading playground. With his guitar and dynamic singing voice, Eric will have everyone singing, dancing and grooving. And Dr. Gina will provide make and takes you can use in your classroom right away.
2. Teaching Like a Reading SuperHERO - Eric Litwin and Dr. Gina Pepin
This workshop explores how to put the ideas from The Power of Joyful Reading to work in your classroom. Learn simple-to-use shared reading techniques to help children develop their basic reading skills and knowledge. Explore how to lead them to love books, enjoy reading, and see themselves as readers! Eric and Dr. Gina demonstrate how to weave these experiences into your daily routines, activities, and lessons throughout the day, day after day, all year long, even in your virtual classroom. Over time, these little changes have big reading outcomes.
3. Read Me a Story, Tell Me a Rhyme! - Lynda Weaver
Emergent literacy is all the verbal and nonverbal language a child experiences. Talking, reading books and engaging children in oral activities build a strong foundation for literacy development. Highlights of this workshop will include: Songs, finger plays, and nursery rhymes with props and actions, and vocabulary-building games. We will explore age-appropriate activities that allow toddlers to draw, make books and share their own stories. We will learn how to create cozy spaces to explore and share books. We will discover stories they’ll want to hear again and again.
4. Supporting the Identification, Learning, and Families of Preschoolers with Autism: Update on Research - Laura Dilly
With the rates of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) reaching 1 in 54 children, preschool teachers are on the frontlines in assisting families in identifying and finding the help they need for children with ASD. This presentation will provide information on current research regarding the core symptoms of ASD, including those in girls and bilingual children. Resources for families in Georgia with concerns regarding ASD will be reviewed. Common family reactions to adjusting to a new ASD diagnosis will be discussed. Finally, resources for classroom accommodations will be touched on.
5. Culturally Curious: Promoting Inquiry in the Selection and Utilization of Multicultural Children's Literature - Quintin Bostic

In this workshop attendees will engage in fun, energetic, and critical conversations surrounding the selection and utilization of children’s literature in the classroom. Thinking through the lens of multicultural education, the presenter will guide attendees through powerful discussions and activities focusing on topics such as:

1) How to engage in critical conversations with children about various identities (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientation),

2) How to connect book selection and use of the book to learning standards, and 3) Resources that can be used to help in the book selection process.

6. Legal Issues Facing Our Schools - Keeping Up with the Law (Directors Only) - Matthew Clarke
Directors can come together to discuss legal issues faced by preschools, teachers, and families, for example, child safety, custody disputes, labor laws, etc.
7. Can You Do It? Neither Can They! - Santrecheel Graham
One of our responsibilities as early childhood professionals is to model behaviors that we would like children to imitate. However, we often ask children to demonstrate behaviors and skills that we have not mastered ourselves. The purpose of this workshop is to generate discussion and reflection about the behaviors that teachers often ask of children but cannot achieve themselves.
8. Effective Discipline for the Young Child - Sharon Egan
The focus of this workshop will be centered on the importance of understanding the true meaning of discipline; identifying and understanding the cycle of (mis)behavior and communicating effectively with the young child. Participants will walk away with key proactive and positive discipline strategies and techniques that will allow them to teach more (and with more energy) while continuing to build and maintain strong and healthy relationships with children.
9. Before Pencil to Paper - Writing Readiness - Merry Bentley-Barlow
Wondering when is the right time for young children to put pencil to paper? What are the areas of development necessary for children to become emergent writers? We will explore the gross motor and fine motor skills, spatial reasoning, motor planning, and cognitive development necessary for writing success.
10. Everyday Science and STEAM - Danny Darby
Learn how to set up a science interest center and plan informal and formal science learning activities. Learn the basic process skills that children discover through science, (Observing, classifying, experimenting, predicting, drawing conclusions, and communicating ideas) and how to implement science throughout your classroom and day.
11. One, Two, Fwee: Number Sense for Toddlers - Linda Travers
Do toddlers and math mix? We will learn how young children develop number concepts and number sense. Through a hands-on approach, we will explore ways to help children learn about sets, counting, and number rules.
12. Director’s Roundtable (Directors Only) - Hope Long
Directors of Early Childhood educational programs wear many hats – supervisors, curriculum coordinators, office administrators, safety experts and more. Directors are responsible for the safety and education of children, establishing good relationships with parents and leading a staff in providing quality care for children. As Directors, we have a wealth of knowledge that we have gained from first hand experiences working with parents, children and teachers. We’ll have a series of discussions at covering relevant preschool topics! Come with an open mind, a willingness to share and a smile!
13. Managing Emotions: Teaching the Skills of Self-Regulation - Kenneth Hoats
A child’s ability to manage emotions and self-regulate predicts better performance in school, better relationships with others and fewer behavioral difficulties. We will explore how teachers can instill self-regulation by supporting, coaching and modeling. We will discuss how a your ability to effectively teach emotional regulation is largely dependent upon the ability to emotionally regulate yourself.
14. Learn as You Play: Activities in Literacy, Math, Science and Art - Debbie L Markland and Shann Acevedo
Playing is fun and learning can be too! We will share hands-on activities in math, science and literacy that teachers can take back to their school to use in their classroom or share with peers. We will share videos of children actually doing these activities and we may even have you play along too! There will be time to connect and share our ideas with each other!
15. Come Together: Cultivating Cultural Tolerance and Building Relationship Skills Among Preschoolers - Cheryl Turner, Ed.S.
An essential element of social emotional learning is built on the foundation of empathy and relationship building, where we guide and cultivate children’s understandings of diversity and cultural tolerance. This session will present strategies for addressing the questions that naturally curious children have. We will address techniques for fostering children’s healthy attitudes toward diversity and tolerance and for supporting children’s abilities to form friendships and work cooperatively.
16. Dyslexia: The struggle is real! - Pam Kurkoski & Jennifer Toppel
Have you wondered about one of the children in your class and who isn’t progressing? Could it be dyslexia? Learn about the red flags of dyslexia and the next steps for that child. In the meantime, learn the components of language and literacy to help children who struggle, as well as supporting your whole class.
17. Building World Knowledge Through Informational Texts - Gary Bingham
Young children’s desire to figure out how things work around them can be leveraged to support meaningful scientific inquiry and guide exploration. Science themed books are powerful tools for building children’s understanding about, and interest in the natural world. Such texts not only contain discourses and vocabulary used by those in the scientific community but they also highlight the scientific process. This workshop provides a framework for using informational texts to support scientific investigations while simultaneously building children’s language and literacy development.
18. Books You Can Count On for Spring - Donna Moyer
Books aren’t just for reading! This workshop will prompt you to see how your favorite classroom books are much more than just language & literacy. The session integrates classic children’s literature with math activities to achieve preschool standards and goals. Based on the books you and your children treasure, you’ll discover math extension activities for large group circle time, small groups at the teacher’s table, as well as independent centers. You’ll find plenty of inspiration in this session as you return to the classroom with dozens of ready to use and easy to implement ideas!
19. It Takes A Village: Schools and Families Partnering Together for Learner Success Cheryl S Turner, Ed.S.
It takes a village to help our children thrive in school and it is up to us as educators to welcome our parents and families into that village. That has never been more relevant than during these current times, as we balance schooling and childcare with the safety and public health concerns within our communities. Working together is now essential. This session will focus on strategies for communicating that will position parents to become knowledgeable partners and invaluable resources. We will examine the importance of healthy, productive family-school partnerships and effective strategies for building and sustaining them.
20. Come Join the Circle: Discovering the Steps to an Engaging Morning Circle - Teresa Dixon
During this session participants will identify the components of the morning meeting/circle time in an early learning classroom. View and discuss recorded morning meetings/circle time from a regular Pre K classroom and discuss ways to conduct a virtual morning meeting/circle time in the early learning classroom.
ZOOM ROOMS
Members Meeting

Participation Validation & Evaluation

BFTS Certificate

To receive BFTS certificate of hours:
Participants will need to complete and submit the Evaluation Form. Please use the button titled: “Evaluation Form” below.

Apply for additional CEU Credit:
Participants will need to fill out the “Evaluation Form” and submit. Then additionally email: trainingwithgpa@gmail.com and let us know you want to apply for CEU credit.

Once received, allow up to one week for the certificate to be sent to you!

Evaluation form

 

Membership Business Meeting

4:15 will be a Membership Business Meeting: MEETING LINK | BALLOT LINK

Thanks to All Our Valuable Partners Who are Making This Possible!

Brought to you by Georgia Preschool Association

Thanks to all Our Sponsors & Partners

Mailing Address: c/o Angie Yount, P.O. Box 801567, Acworth, GA 30101

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Event FAQ's
Exhibitor Hall

Our March 6, 2021 conference has been approved for 6 hours credit from Bright from the Start and for 1 CEU. A CEU Application and Evaluation Forms must be completed and returned to ProSolutions to receive your 1 CEU.

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Georgia Preschool Association

Dedicated To Education For All:
Teacher | Children | Parents

GPA Membership

Save the Date
Annual Conference: March 6, 2021

Our annual conference provides staff training, as well as gathering of preschool professionals, coming together to share ideas, techniques and the importance of providing quality and developmentally appropriate education for young children.

Outstanding, hands-on training is provided by experienced keynote speakers and presenters who address various interests and training requirements of teachers of young children. A large number of exhibitors are represented who bring all the latest teaching techniques and materials for conference attendees to view, experience and purchase.

Each year we strive to improve on the Conference, so keep your ideas coming! Pass the word to your friends and invite those who have never attended one of our conferences.

Updates on Facebook
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GET GEORGIA READING

Children across Georgia are getting ready to return to school next month. So now is the time to start thinking about how we can work with parents to ensure that their children show up for school—on time—every day. We want all students to learn and thrive this year. www.getgeorgiareading.org

 

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Ronald McDonald House

Your membership in GPA has helped to sponsor a room at the Ronald McDonald House! Our support will maintain a room throughout the year by underwriting the costs of utilities, linens, cleaning, painting, carpet, repairs and more! www.armhc.org

 

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Atlanta Speech School

Thank you to the Atlanta Speech School for your support and partnership with the Georgia Preschool Association! For opportunities for training please visit Read Right From The Start. www.atlantaspeechschool.org

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SIGHT WORDS

We are excited to introduce you to Sight Words And Phonemic Awareness , a Website designed for parents and teachers to use. It is a new resource sponsored by the Georgia Preschool Association and designed to help children learn to read. This site is designed to help learners who are Pre-K and above. www.sightwords.com