I had the opportunity through an Alumni Invitation to attend the EPCC Summer 2024 Retreat. The location was in Auburn, California at the Mercy Center. It was exciting to see old friends and make new friends.

A child will react to a good humored request faster than an order, a calm voice rather than an excited or frustrated one. Modeling working together as a family helps a child to feel part of a whole and more willing to participate.

When I think about civility, I see it as the glue that maintains the unity of our society in much the same way that mortar binds the bricks of a building. It is a vital part of our civilization in its constant evolution.

David Brooks begins this book by looking at the virtues our culture values – outward values such as ambition, creativity, status. He calls those resume values.

In this month’s Dear Olive Branch, we determine that “Civility is treating others with kindness and respect.” By simplifying the definition, it becomes easier to strategize around a complex topic.

So, we come to the difference between aggressive behavior and bullying. Aggression can be attributed to normal development of language, social and self-regulation skills. All bullying behavior is aggression but not all aggression is bullying.

In her most recent book, Michelle Obama shares with the reader some wisdom from her own mother about parenting and teaching responsibility.

The story unfolds… when a kind neighbor with a car, took Gogo, her family, and especially her six-year-old great granddaughter, to the voting poll where she was able to successfully vote.

We are living through troubling times. Our stress and worry affect the children in our lives as well. Using this book can help you open up a discussion with a group of children or with one child who is struggling.

To “assume responsibility” may sound a little like simply following the rules society has imposed on certain everyday paradigms, but it is really about children learning to assume responsibility for and among themselves.

A child will react to a good humored request faster than an order, a calm voice rather than an excited or frustrated one. Modeling working together as a family helps a child to feel part of a whole and more willing to participate.

The children built a voting booth out of blocks and a chair so they could all have turns voting. Then they had the rest of the morning to vote.

In this month’s Dear Olive Branch, we explore both visible and invisible aspects of taking responsibility for ourselves: setting or recognizing boundaries, personal space, and problem solving.

The Significant 7 is a list of beliefs that a child forms about themself over time. How does that happen? Caring adults provide opportunities for children to take responsibility and then talk together about how it went.

In this month’s Dear Olive Branch, we framed the query that we want to address, which is “How do we BE our most authentic selves as educators?”

This column is a resource that providers can share with their community. EPCC wants to empower providers to build strong relationships with their families.

As we face a new world, our programs must reflect the new times. How do we best meet the needs of children and families now? What do we need to meet the current times? Are we up for the challenge?

CaAEYC’s Professional Development Committee is composed of 10 members from around the state with diverse roles and experiences in early learning.

What's on my mind as a teacher? I want to protect this new generation who, without having wanted to, often face challenges for which they are not prepared.

With the Peace Table we are giving children strategies to be better able to manage relationships by listening to each other.