Sylvie started working for CISS in October 1992. She was among the first 5 members of our team. Over the years, she has distinguished herself by participating in several projects including the creation of the CISS modules that are still offered as training in the community. Today, Sylvie is a resource consultant team leader for the bilingual CISS team. I had the privilege to interview her for our 30^th anniversary and invite you to read her answers below.

Rebecca started working for CISS in September 1992. Her love for travelling motivated her to leave in 1995 to go work in Nova Scotia and she came back in 1997. She also went on a sabbatical to France in 2013-14. However, she has always found her way back home with CISS, where her true passion for inclusion resides. Rebecca is a Resource Consultant Team Leader for our South Team. To know a bit more about her journey, please read the interview I had the chance to do with her.

Marie-Josée started working for CISS in March 1992. She was the second employee to join our program and she is still with us today. Marie-Josée has a French designated position and is a well-known resource consultant in the francophone community as well as the francophone intake coordinator. She is often the first contact with our families in order to determine the needs and eligibility of the children. To learn more about her, I invite you to read her answers to our questions below.

For the month of October to celebrate Thanksgiving, we had 31 days of thankfulness. We used 31 small cups (plastic shot glasses) that we covered in tissue paper and each cup had something to be thankful for inside. Ms. Davis drew a turkey so we could stick the cups on it for the month. Each day we poked a cup and discussed what word was in the cup and why we were each personally thankful for it.

Communication is key to a successful early learning and care environment. Le centre éducatif Cœur des Jeunes has recently leveraged some communication strategies such as emails, ClassDojo, DigibotGo, Zoom virtual meetings and in-person meetings.

Before March 2020, verbal communication was ever-present in our daily practice at Coeur des Jeunes when parents had access to their child’s classes and premises. The centre’s staff and educators were then able to communicate in person. Obviously, daily face-to-face verbal communication is by far the best means of communication and contact with parents when it comes to sharing their child’s daily routines and development. However, the unusual circumstances we are facing since the beginning of 2020 require the use of other methods.

Dear Child Care Partner,

As you prepare to re-open your program, CISS is here to support you. We were pleased to note that the Child Care Reopening Guide (page 7) excluded Special Needs support staff from the cohort maximums. This will allow for the possibility of re-integrating children with special needs as part of the first group back while ratios and numbers are lower.