As the days are getting shorter and the holidays are approaching, we hope that you and your family are able to find things that you are grateful for.

Ways to Support the ECCS

As you plan your year-end giving, please consider making a donation to the Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington.

Did you know that the ECCS does not receive funding from the Town of Southington or the Board of Education? Our work to support the parents and caregivers of Southington’s youngest citizens is funded primarily through grants we have applied for.

Receiving contributions from individuals like you helps support our operations and allows us to show our larger funders that there is strong community backing for this work.

There are many ways that you can support our work -

Volunteer or serve on the Board of Directors
Get us something from our wishlist
Advocate
Donate online
Like and Share our social media posts

Facebook @ECCSouthington

Instagram @ECCSouthington

Threads @ECCSouthington

X/Twitter @ecc_southington

Importance of Play

Play is fundamental to children’s development, offering essential opportunities for growth beyond what a traditional seated classroom can provide. Through active, hands-on play, children engage their curiosity and enhance cognitive abilities, learning about the world around them in meaningful ways. Movement fosters creativity, resilience, and social skills as children interact with others and respond to dynamic environments. Outdoor play also has physical benefits, such as promoting health and reducing stress. By encouraging both structured and unstructured play, caregivers and educators can nurture children’s development, laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning and well-being.

You can learn more about the importance of a play-based childhood and how to support childhood independence at our upcoming Community Cafe on November 21st.

Kindergarten and PreK Registration for Fall 2025

Thank you to everyone who attended the Preschool Showcase on Saturday, November 9th, we talked to lots of parents about their options.

Was your child born in the fall? As of last year, the cut-off date to start kindergarten was changed so the child must be five years old by September 1st (previously it was January 1st). The State Legislature mandated that school districts allow parents to request an exception if they want their child, who will turn five years of age between September 2 and January 1, to enter Kindergarten. The Southington Public Schools will host screening sessions for families seeking a waiver using an age-based evaluation (so it doesn't matter if you wait until your child is older to be screened). This exception process may be eliminated if the State Legislature changes the law in a future legislative session.

Preschool and nursery school programs are still allowed to follow the January 1st cut-off date, although this may vary by program. This means that children with fall birthdays who start in a PreK-3 program before they are three will not be able to move up to kindergarten after two years of preschool without applying for an exception. Families in this situation will need to decide if they will look at the January 1st cut-off (and potentially attend 3 years of preK) or the September 1st cut-off (starting a year later) when making the decision about when their child will start preK.

If your child will attend a school-year based nursery school or preschool in the fall of 2025 don't wait until the spring to register. Some programs are giving tours and taking registrations now, others will start in January or February. Now is the time to research preschool options.

The ECCS website has a summary of the kindergarten registration process. The Southington Public School district has not yet announced the dates for the kindergarten waiver screenings, parent information session, or registration. The ECCS will share those details on our website, in our December newsletter and on social media once they are available.

ECCS Community Café: Encouraging a Play-based Childhood

Join us for our third Community Cafe on November 21 at 5:45. This event is for parents, grandparents, foster parents, childcare providers and other caregivers. Dinner will be provided. Childcare is available if requested during registration. The goals are to:

Learn about the impact of play on a child's development.
Hear about what happened in society over the last 50 years that discouraged parents from allowing their children to play independently and why attitudes are now changing towards more play.
Learn about CT legislation which gives parents more freedom to allow their children independence, and the requirement that schools provide younger students with time for play during the school day.
Discussion of challenges or limitations your family has faced around this issue.
Brainstorm how the Southington community can encourage all children to play safely and independently.

This free event is funded by a grant from the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood as administered by the Connecticut Children’s Collective (CTCC).

Children’s Mental Health in Southington – a lunchtime webinar.

Join us at lunchtime on November 22, 2024, 12 - 1 pm , for the Children’s Mental Health in Southington webinar. We will discuss important topics related to mental health in children and families in our community. This online event is a great opportunity to gain valuable insights and find resources. Have questions? You can submit them in advance when you register.

Speakers are:

Holly Hanson, LMSW – Southington’s Senior Community Health Outreach Coordinator
Emmanuel Silva De Sousa – Practice Manager and Lead Early Childhood Specialist at Integrated Wellness Group (and an ECCS Board Member)
Joanne Kelleher – Executive Director of Early Childhood Collaborative of Southingon

The webinar will cover:

What is mental health in children and why is it important?
Trends and statistics
Local Treatment Options and Assistance
Finding help
Future classes and events
Your questions

Can’t make it? Register anyway as we will record this and send you the link for viewing later.

This webinar is part of our Southington Community Well-Being Grant Initiative through the Bradley Henry Barnes & Leila Upson Barnes Memorial Trust at the Main Street Community Foundation.

Other Upcoming Events

ECCS Office Hours at the Southington Public Library – The Library will be closed starting November 18 as they move into their beautiful new building. They expect to reopen on Monday, December 2 with a grand opening celebration on December 7 at 10 am. The ECCS Office hours will resume after that.

There are lots of holiday events coming up through the end of the year. The ECCS has a list of them as a pinned post on their Facebook page.

We will be exhibiting at these holiday events:

Santa’s Jolly Holiday - Sunday, December 1, 2024, 2 to 4 pm at the Calendar House Senior Center, 388 Pleasant Street. Meet Santa, write a wish list, face painting, do balloon art, and more! This is a FREE event for Southington residents.

Bright Lights Christmas Festival - Friday, December 6, 2024, 5:30 - 8 pm in Downtown Southington. Join us Downtown for FREE Family Activities on and around the Town Green. You can enjoy Polar Express Children’s Train Ride, Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt, Letters to Santa, a Christmas-themed tag sale and music at the First Congregational Church, and more! Stop by the American Legion to say Hi to Santa and the ECCS.

About Us

The Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington is a group of committed educators, parents, grandparents, healthcare and childcare providers, business owners, civic organizations, and members of the community who are deeply invested in the growth, development, and academic success of young children in Southington.

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