Welcome to the Spring 2010 issue of yblive
The first few months of 2010 has been very busy here in youngballymun . Key developments include opening a the new service base in the shopping centre for our Write-Minded and Incredible Years services, the appointment of Antoinette Gibb as our Highscope coordinator and getting the evaluation dimensions of the work activated.
Focus on Services
In this issue, we focus in on 3,4, 5 Learning Years and we unpack some of the elements of our evaluation work which is now underway in tandem with the services and with the work more generally.
3, 4, 5 Learning Years
Our work with early year’s service providers in Ballymun has two key elements – applying Siolta, the national quality framework and introducing Highscope as curriculum and a way of supporting children’s learning and development.
We developed 3,4,5 Learning Years with a range of local early years providers and advisors in Ballymun. In setting up the service we established a new partnership with Barnardos, which allows their expertise as a national voluntary organisation to inform the development of services in Ballymun.
Just over a year ago with Barnardos, we recruited Joanne Waters as Siolta coordinator and more recently colleague Antoinette Gibbs joined Joanne as the team member with responsibility for the implementation of Highscope.
In this issue both Joanne and Antoinette tell us more about their work with 3,4,5.
We also get a flavour of what starting to implement Highscope is like from an early years’ point of view - Martina Deevey from Axis crèche and Gladys Hand from Born Free tell us what they have been doing in the Highscope field.
Evaluation
We are rich in evaluation expertise in youngballymun. We have a number of Board members with strong research backgrounds including Barbara Dooley, Pauline Faughnan and John Sweeney. Gemma Cox, youngballymun’s research and evaluation manager leads on the implementation of the research and evaluation programme. We also have the international Expert Advisory Committee members, chaired by John Sweeney, who meet us regularly to advise on evaluation design and methodology. The evaluation of youngballymun is now underway with a team headed by Dr. Sinead Mc Gilloway of NUIM.
Gemma Cox, John Sweeney and Sinead McGilloway introduce us to the rigours of research and evaluation in this issue.
60 Second Bulletins
A quick update from our services on activity during the Spring of 2010.
Out and About
We remind everyone about our new premises in the Shopping Centre, hear about the Book Exchange, and get an update from the Jigsaw Learning Network in the Kingdom of Kerry.
Highlights
We celebrate Incredible Parents and Incredible Teachers, we learn more about the Write-Minded Transitions seminar and the next phase in the development of the Wrap Around Facilitators programme.
The Last Word
The Last Word for Spring 2010 is given to Professor Tim Shanahan from the University of Chicago who joined us recently for a day of literacy framework mentoring with the Write-Minded team Martina Gannon and Duana Quigley. The good news is that Tim will be joining us for a week of literacy and learning later in the year, in September.
Whilst 2010 is not without its considerable challenges, it is also a year of real focus on the vision and goals of youngballymun – to deliver in real and measurable terms on learning and wellbeing outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, young people and families in Ballymun.
Eleanor McClorey, CE, youngballymun
