Beginning Fall Semester 2010, email is the official communication medium for Dakota County Technical College. Previously, DCTC asked students to use their MetNet email. This is NO LONGER required. You can use ANY EMAIL that you check on a regular basis.

To ensure we have the most current email in our system:
Please fill out this short form to update us with what email you would like to use.  Email is very important in an online or hybrid course – so please take a moment to update.

Thank you!

Position: St. John Vianney School is looking for a Preschool After Care Teacher.

Responsibilities: Staff and oversee the preschool after care program for St. John Vianney School. Work in a manner consistent with the mission of the parish and school ministry.

Hours: 2:30 -5:30 M-F

Qualifications: Qualifications as outlined in MN.Dept. of Human Services, Rule 3 9503.0031. Demonstrate experience with and knowledge of safety and health codes. Hold a current CPR and First Aid certificate. Ability to follow written and oral instructions, Possess a love of children, ability to work with others or independently as assigned. Dependable and committed to the job. Ability to communicate with others. Possess a willingness to learn new skills or tasks as assigned, and the ability to remain calm and patient in chaotic situations. Must be able to bend, stretch and stand for long periods of time. Ability to lift 20 + pounds, ability to walk up and down stairs, and physical agility to manage children ages 3-5.

Application Instructions: Submit resume with cover letter to Patti Beaudoin via email or mail.

Patti Beaudoin
Email: pattiatsjv@hotmail.com

St John Vianney School
1815 Bromley St
South Saint Paul, MN 55075-1493

This topic can be touchy for some. This week’s radio segment is: Removing Recess…Does It Work? I understand why teachers withhold recess and use it as a “punishment.” However, I personally see recess as a right and not a privilege.

Children, and all people for that matter, need a break between intense learning. We can’t expect children to “sit still” or “be quiet” all day long. Recess gives them a chance to break free from the intensity. They are actually better able to focus when they return.

Recess also gives children a great opportunity to socialize and practice those skills in an informal setting. This can be crucial for some children. Interacting with their peers through play is important.

Finally, we can’t ignore the fact that so many children are overweight and/or obese. We can’t remove gym/phy-ed AND recess from the school day. It’s not all about the academics. Yes, reading, writing, and math are all important. But the recess, phy-ed, the arts, etc. are equally important. Recess can actually improve acheivement! Listen in to hear some research about this.

Last night I took my son and his buddy to the Elko Speedway. The boys, who had been a little crabby on the ride over, we very excited as soon as we drove in. “Oh! Look at those crushed cars! Hey, I see a real race car. Cool!”

The weather was perfect. We found a place to park, ate the picnic supper we had packed, and walk in. We didn’t have to wait in the long line because we had complimentary tickets. I should explain how we got them…my son and husband were at Home Depot a few weeks back. You could play bean bag toss in hopes of winning something. Of course my son wanted to play. He got two bags to try to get the bullseye. Shot 1…He makes it in! Shot 2…It’s in again! Wow, the woman facilitating the game was impressed. She gave him two tickets. My son thought it was cool that he had won two tickets, but thought it would be a bummer not to have three, for the whole family. So he asked her if he could try another time to win a third so his “mom could come too.” She gave him a third ticket

We enter the race area, use the bathrooms, and chose our seats. Front and center…perfect! We had arrived early so we relaxed and ‘people-watched’ while we waited. What amazed me is that a majority of the very small children did NOT have ear plugs in. Why? It’s rather simple to do and fairly inexpensive. I even saw an INFANT during the race, without any ear protection. Why? I didn’t understand because as someone with partial hearing loss, I know there can be consequences to hazardous noises. (My hearing loss is not due to  hazardous noise, but instead numerous ear infections as a young child.) That infant has sensitive, brand new ears. It didn’t make any sense to me.

According to http://www.asha.org/, sounds louder than 80 decibels are considered potentially dangerous. “A NASCAR race car at full throttle measures approximately 130 dB. That is just one car, not a full field of 43 cars with their sounds echoing off of aluminum grandstands.” (http://nascar.about.com) Last night there were 10 cars per race. I had earplugs and so did both boys. Why? To protect our hearing! Granted, they were hot pink, but the boys didn’t mind. They were too involved with the race…cheering on their favorite cars and eating mini donuts and sunflower seeds. We had fun and were safe too. Best of both worlds.

Just thought I’d remind you of some important dates, here at DCTC.

Today, Friday, August 6th, fall semester tuition is due. It’s important that you make payments on time. If payments are not received, you could be taken off the enrollment list in courses.  You don’t want that to happen. If payment is due and you are having financial concerns, be sure to stop in to DCTC Student Services and meet with financial aid.

Summer is nearing it’s end. Fall semester classes begin Monday, August 23rd. I’m looking forward to seeing you all again, as well as meeting new students! You may want to stop in to the DCTC Bookstore  soon for your fall textbooks. That way you can ensure you have one for the first day of class. Not sure which textbooks you need? Click HERE to find out.

You have until Friday, August 27th to Drop/Add classes. This date is important because it’s the only time you can drop a course without financial pentalty. By this I mean that you will get 100% of your $ back for that course. Click HERE to learn more.

Have you registered for fall semester courses? Now is the time if you have not! Contact Jill or I if you need an access code or are unsure of what to register for.

You may be wondering who is going to be August’s guest speaker…wonder no more. This month, I chose to highlight Mr. Fun because his passion is to teach others to have fun. He’s a true kid at heart! His programs are educational and inspiring. I was able to experience one of his programs (Global Games) this last year at an educational conference. It was neat to learn about games in other cultures and to actually participate by using the materials. Some were great fun…everyone was smiling and laughing! And others were, well, a little more challenging for me.

Mr. Fun says, “My name is Mr. Fun for a reason: I’ve been teaching people to play for half my life and I’m always looking for new ways to create smiles. As a Stilt Walker, Juggler, Fire Dancer, Drummer and Instructor, I can turn any good time into a super fantastic time! I can lead parades or provide wandering entertainment as a stilt walker and juggler. I can grab the attention of any size crowd and keep them engaged with my skills as a juggler and fire dancer and I can bring out my huge toy box with enough toys for up to 100 people of all ages to play with and get everyone in the action and have some big time fun!”

Click HERE to learn more about Mr. Fun and his programming.

It’s hard to believe that it’s August already. Our summer Sign Language in Early Childhood class came and went!

As always, I had a blast leading that course.  It’s fun to teach because it’s mainly hands-on, very interactive, and fast-paced. There is some lecture, but also small group, one on one, large group, songs, fingerplays, nursery rhymes, etc.

This year, I was also able to incorporate a new game that I had purchsed: See It and Sign It. I think it went over well with the students. Most of them seem to enjoy getting out of the classroom and using signs through these games. I plan to use them again next year.

I introduced two new songs this year to the students in this class: Itsy Bitsy Spider and It’s Raining, It’s Pouring. We also learned some nursery rhymes: Jack & Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and This Little Piggy. A class favorite for the early childhood classroom was the calendar song Days of the Week. The students learned many signs to use in early childhood classrooms and hopefully even in their personal lives.

Thanks for making this class so enjoyable to teach!

Looking for new recipes or healthy alternatives? I want to share this wonderful recipe with you. This Chicken ‘n’ Spinach Pasta Bake is absolutely delicious! I’m not a huge fan of spinach and to be honest, I wasn’t sure that my son or husband would go for it either. However, both of them eagerly had seconds!

This recipe is easy to prepare, but is somewhat time consuming. You could however, prep the ingrediants in the morning before work/school, place dish in the fridge for the day and then pop it into the oven for supper.

I like it because it tastes like a meal straight from a restaurant and is healthly. Serve with garlic bread and even a salad. Enjoy!

Click HERE for recipe.

 Advent United Methodist Church

Early Childhood Care Provider Position Description

Position purpose: To be responsible for providing childcare and age appropriate activities for children from infancy through 2^nd grade during church-sponsored weeknight activities when the parents remain in the building. The Early Child Care Provider is also part of a team that provides occasional Saturday night and/or Sunday morning childcare for children from infancy through age three during worship services.

Reporting functions: The Early Childhood Care Provider reports to the Early Childhood Program Supervisor for administrative and to the Staff Parish Relations Committee for personnel and compensation matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide for the safety of children – the children are to never be left alone in the nursery without a staff early childhood care provider in attendance.
• Provide care and age appropriate activities.
• Review and comply with the Early Childhood Room Policies and Procedures.
• Provide a copy of the Early Childhood Policies and Procedures to parents of children new to the nursery.
• Maintain the check-in system and assure that all parents log in their children, paying particular attention to children with special needs (allergies, etc.).
• Ensure that parents leaving a child in the room take a pager with them.
• Attend quarterly childcare staff meetings.

Hours: The following times are schedule possibilities.  Scheduling is handled by the EC Supervisor and is negotiated through her.

• Sundays from 8:45 a.m.-12 p.m.
• Saturday evenings 4:45 – 6:15
• Second Tuesday of the month from 6:15-8:30 p.m.
• Wednesdays (September through mid-May) from 6:15 – 8:30 p.m.
• Special evening services (Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, etc.)
• Weekday class sessions

Qualifications

• Experience in working with children / background in child development.
• Ability to pass a background check.
• Current First Aid and Infant CPR certification.
• Ability to attend Childcare Staff meetings as scheduled.

Pay Rate

• Pay is commensurate with experience.  Starting pay is $9.50/hr

Training/Resources Provided

• Professional magazines/resources as available
• Quarterly nursery staff meetings
• Support from the Early Childhood Ministry Team
• First Aid and Infant CPR renewal training as needed

Rev. Cindy Yanchury
Advent United Methodist Church
3945 Lexington Ave. So.
Eagan, MN  55123
651.454.3944   x12

I am not endorsing this position, simply passing the information on to you.

On MenTeach.org, there’s an article by Laura Clark – Daily Mail, entitled Primary schools launch drive to recruit more male staff. I found it very intriguing and want to share a few excerpts from it.

• A major new drive to recruit more male staff to primary schools was launched today as it emerged just one in eight teachers is a man.
• Experts said the shortage of male primary teachers was affecting boys and denying them vital role models.
• A sixth of single mums said their children spend less than two hours a week with a male role model such as a father figure, teacher or relative.

If you’d like to read the entire article, which I recommend doing, just click on the link above