EMSB B.A.S.E. Annual Daycare Conference for Professional Development

How do we respond when a child challenges our rules and does not meet our behavioural expectations? Studies show that care and support is needed rather than time outs and punishment. How then do we equip our adults to effectively recognize and deliver that care and support in our school environment? This year’s annual daycare conference will attempt to answer this important question.

The annual daycare conference for approximately 200 B.A.S.E. daycare technicians and educators will take place at Prima Luna Reception Hall on 7301 Blvd Henri Bourassa East, from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. EMSB Student Services will also be offering a workshop with Charlie Appelstein in the afternoon from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm at the same venue, coordinated by Daphna Leibovici, EMSB Violence Prevention Consultant. Some 275 teachers from elementary schools and high schools will be in attendance.

Coordinator of the Annual Daycare Conference and Project Development Officer for B.A.S.E. Daycare, Jennifer De Freitas says, “Daphna Leibovici always praised Charlie Applestein and his work, constantly telling me that he would be a great fit for the daycare staff. She invited me to one of his talks with EMSB childcare workers in August 2014—I was automatically drawn into his message and the way he delivered it using humour and real-life anecdotes. I said to myself—our daycare staff needs to hear this!”

Charlie Appelstein, is a prominent youth care specialist and author whose primary focus is on teaching professionals who work with at-risk children and youth strength-based theories and techniques, which emphasize seeing and praising the positive, rather than flaw-fixing. Appelstein trains and consults throughout the United States as well as internationally, with treatment facilities, foster care associations, parent groups, schools and juvenile justice programs.

Some topics he will cover at the conference are examining the origins of troubling behavior from a number of perspectives, effects of trauma and positive emotions on the brain, dealing with non-motivated, inflexible students and strategies for educators to manage their own behavior first.

There are 30 daycares in the EMSB. More than 3,000 students participate in the B.A.S.E program, which is facilitated by 30 B.A.S.E technicians, 190 B.A.S.E educators, several B.A.S.E advisors and activity animators and various professional activity providers.

One of the pillars of B.A.S.E.’s mandate is to build a professional learning community by promoting a culture of continual professional development and mentoring programs. Thereby expanding the educational, behavioural and professional tools available to educators so they can offer a high-standard daycare service.