Afterschool Quality Standards Project

Quarterly Newsletter

Truman Pierce Institute

October - December 2022

Spotlight on the Standards

Alabama Afterschool Quality Standards

The Afterschool Guide for Creating Outstanding Indoor Games

from the National Afterschool Association

Temperatures are beginning to cool down, but children still need opportunities to get their bodies moving and improve their fine and gross motor skills. Check out these ideas compiled by the National Afterschool Association to continue to incorporate physical activity into your daily programming!

Download the full guide

Social and Emotional Learning

Why a Positive Call Home is Worth the Effort

Best practices for making positive phone calls home a manageable, sustainable routine

by Paige Tutt

For families and caregivers, a positive call home may be the only signal they receive from school about the wellbeing of their child. In this article, you will find seven educator-approved tactics for making positive home outreach—whether by phone, email, or text—an uncomplicated, sustainable, and beneficial practice.

Read the full article

5 Important Social-Emotional Skills for Parents

SEL skills aren't just for kids. Parents need them, too.

by Rebecca Ruiz

Know a parent who is overwhelmed, frustrated, and looking for guidance about how to handle the many demands of parenting? These five SEL strategies can make a big difference!

Pause.
Sleep and eat well.
Practice self-soothing.
Be compassionate with yourself.
Seek help and support when you need it.

Read the full article

Health and Wellness

Let's Get Cooking!

Benefits of Cooking with Kids:

helps kids "get-to-know" different foods
educates and empowers children to make healthy food choices
provides opportunities for all types of learners
promotes self-efficacy and invites curiosity
can improve multicultural awareness and appreciation
helps develop fine motor skills
provides real-world connections to academic subjects such as math, science, and language

Recipe Ideas:

Cooking in the Classroom: 27 Cooking Activities for Kids

70 Easy Recipes Your Kids can Make All by Themselves

15 Recipes Easy Enough for Kids to Make on Their Own

20 Easy Recipes to Make with Your Kids

The Dairy Alliance: Dairy in Schools

STEM ACTIVITIES

Spark Student Interest in STEM Careers

Check out the resources below to elevate your STEM program by providing opportunities for children to explore a vast array of STEM careers!

More Resources:

STEM Careers Video Playlist

Science Buddies Career Discovery Tool

Find Your STEM Passion

Engineer Girl

STEM Jobs

STEM Careers Coalition

How to Teach Your Students About Careers in STEM

As educators, we have a responsibility to introduce 21st century STEM careers to our students early and to stay informed on the large variety of opportunities in STEM fields. Our students' perceptions of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians are often far different from the reality of what STEM professionals look like today. We often say in education that we are preparing our students for jobs that don’t exist yet. Though that may ultimately be true, we are also preparing our students for the jobs that already do exist (many of which we may not even know about).

Read the full article

Staff Support

How Administrators Can Help Ensure Teachers’ Success

Effective Leadership helps teachers feel heard, supported, and capable of weathering the challenges of their profession.

By Joe Mullikin

It is common knowledge that we need to meet students not only where they are academically but also where they are socially and emotionally. This isn’t new, but while we often expect our teachers to approach each child in this manner, many leaders model the opposite behavior toward teachers. What if the issue isn’t staff bringing their baggage or struggles with them, but rather the fact that administrators have never attempted to provide them with a better way of carrying it? What if the issue isn’t about what they’re doing but more about what we as educational leaders aren’t doing?

Read the article to learn about three basic actions that every leader can implement tomorrow to begin to create an environment and culture where educators can have the greatest potential for success.

Read the full article

Find out more!

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grants

$250 or $500 grants for Global Youth Service Day projects focused on ending childhood hunger in America
For youth-led community service or fundraising projects
Application walkthrough and planning webinar on Wednesday, December 7.
Application Deadline: January 16, 2023

Free Professional Development Offerings

We would love to see you at one of our face-to-face or virtual training sessions!

Click the link below to access our calendar of scheduled professional development sessions and to register for the ones that interest you.

Online PD Calendar

Don't see what you

are looking for?

training topic or date.

We want to meet your needs!