Keynote Description

"The School Readiness Connection"

Keynote Presenter: Constant Hine

There is currently a great deal of focus and attention to ensure our schools are successful with a special attention on school readiness.  Our real challenge is to ensure that children are successful, because when children are successful then schools are successful.  This session will remind us that school readiness is important and must include a holistic view of what makes children successful: at home, in school and in their lives.  It is equally important to examine what the schools provide once the child is there.  School readiness is a reciprocal relationship between the child, the family and the school.  

This talk will identify specifically what the strong foundation the child needs to brings to the school experience. An outline of specific practices that can be implemented by schools to support each child’s success will also be discussed. 

We will examine our roles as educare and educational professional to support this reciprocal relationship between children and schools.  We will clarify our role in preparing children for school and helping schools receive and meet the needs of young children.  This is a relationship that will only succeed if we learn to “communicate to connect”, not from positions and attitudes that create further separation and barriers.  The children, families, schools and the community need us to help prepare our children and our schools so each child can succeed.

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