Welcome to the Marazon

The Marazon Spotlight for this newsletter is on Lisa Poggi and her staff at Apple Tree Nursery School on the campus of the University of Toledo.

For over five years now, Apple Tree Nursery School has been a model Marazon program. It has also been a field site model for participants who attend the Marazon Institutes held in Toledo, Ohio. Lisa Poggi, along with her staff of 23 teachers and an Assistant Director, provide high quality child care for University of Toledo students and faculty. Her NAEYC accredited program provides for the care of children from six weeks to Kindergarten. The new 16,000 sq. ft. state-of-art building serves 24 infants, 24 toddlers, 28 preschoolers, and 20 Kindergarten children.

What makes Apple Tree so unique is the design of each "age-group" suite in which there is an observation area adjoining the rooms of the suite. This observation area is designed for parents and visitors to observe children without disturbing their activities. Each classroom has access to age-appropriate playgrounds, which strive to reflect the natural environment. This is done through sand and water pits that are built right into the ground. Traditional primary-color play structures will not be seen at Apple Tree. Instead, a tunnel which passes through a hill, together with the children, the trees, and the plants, make up the natural outdoor environment.

Ms. Poggi reports that what she likes best about Marazon is that it makes her job so much easier. She also says it makes her teachers' jobs easier noting the following benefits of using The Marazon System in program-wide. "I know that they (staff) have the tools to keep them focused on children. I can visibly track their individualization through their posted plans. I can also pull out their notebooks to review anecdotal records. The System helps my staff create the evidence that I need as a supervisor." Ms. Poggi also likes the fact that The System helps her to show parents how a teacher focuses on a particular child. Even a director who doesn't know a child can go right to this evidence and sound knowledgeable about a child's interests and needs. Thank you Apple Tree for implementing Marazon so competently and thoroughly.

AIR FORCE DESIGNATES 11 MORE BASES AS MARAZON MODEL SITES
(Vol 6, Issue 1, Fall 99)

Air Force has added eleven new bases to its current list of model Marazon programs which now brings to total of Marazon models to 22 bases. The newest Air Force Base model Marazon programs include Los Angeles, Tyndall, Cannon, Whiteman, Grand Forks, Anderson, Yokota, Hickam, Aviano, Charleston, and Keesler. These eleven bases sent representatives to the eight-day Trainer of Trainers Institute held the weeks of May 18-27, 1999. As with the first eleven models, we look forward to working closely with these newest models offering technical assistance through telephone contact, e-mail, on-site visits, and future Marazon training events.

The original model sites include the Air Force Academy and the following Air Force Bases: Andrews, Bolling, Eielson, Hurlburt, Kelly, Midenhall, Peterson, Ramstein, Robins, and Seymour Johnson. These models sites have been implementing Marazon across various areas of their programs including child care, enrichment, school-age, and family child care. A few programs are now challenging themselves to see how Marazon will work in their Youth Programs. Kelly Air Force Base has recently received highest honors for its Child Development Program, being acknowledged as "Best in Air Force" once again this year. Eielson Air Force Base received "Best in Air Force" highest honors for its School-age Program. Congratulations to both of these great programs and their dedicated staff.

Several U.S. Navy and Army early childhood programs have received training and are currently implementing The Marazon System. These programs include Walter Reed, Fort Carson, Fort Irwin, Dahlgren Naval Station, and Indian Head Naval Station. Welcome aboard!

MAPS for life sponsored a regional Marazon Workshop on July 7, 1999, from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. University of Toledo's Apple Tree Nursery School staff, long-time Marazon practitioners, helped with the presentations while Medical College of Ohio's Early Learning Center hosted the training event for over 100 teachers and administrators. In attendance were Auroa House, Inc. the YMCA's of Greater Toledo, as well as the staff from Apple Tree Nursery and MCO's Early Learning Center. Future regional training events are being planned.

Air Force has designated eleven bases to become model sites for The Marazon System. Additionally, in June 1997, Air Force began to offer a series of opportunities for selected staff to be trained in The Marazon System. Since June 1997, seven Marazon Institutes have been held at Air Force Bases both stateside and abroad. Participants at these Institutes included Flight Chiefs, Command Specialists, Directors, Coordinators, Trainer and Curriculum Specialists, Supervising Teachers and Lead Teachers. Seven months later, in January 1998, eleven bases were invited by USAF to serve as model Marazon implementation sites. The first USAF base to fully implement The Marazon System across all of its Family Member Programs was Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The Kelly implementation model relied heavily on those individuals who had attended one of the 4-day Marazon Institutes. Those who had attended the Institute were asked to serve as Coaches/Mentors in their respective program, i.e. Child Development, Family Child Care and School-Age. The roles and responsibilities of the Mentors and Coaches were first outlined in a September 1997 meeting. At that time, all Kelly AFB staff and administrators received fourteen hours of large group training by Renee Marazon. Small group interactions throughout the training were facilitated by Kelly AFB Coaches/Mentors. Every staff member was assigned to a Coach/Mentor for ongoing technical assistance. Two follow-up trainings occurred in October 1997 and January 1998. The training sessions were conducted by Renee and small groups were once again facilitated by Kelly AFB Coaches/Mentors. By January 1998 all Child Development Coaches/Mentors and School-Age Staff including five Family Child Care Providers had been trained in The System. Kelly Air Force Base received highest honors in July 1998 when its Child Development Program was acknowledged as "Best in Air Force."

Maps for life is thrilled to introduce The Marazon Spotlight to our Newsletter! We will be recognizing specific Marazon practitioners and their experience with The Marazon System. If the thought of having your name printed in the Marazon Newsletter entices you or if you know a fellow practitioner who deserves acclaim for his or her efforts in implementing The Marazon System, please fax your anecdotes, stories, and experiences to (419) 661-1945! please title your fax Marazon Spotlight.

Our first spotlight is on Katie Klank from Romeo Community Schools in Michigan. Katie uses her talents and gifts in the Four Families School Readiness Program. Katie uses her talents and gifts in the third of four such Readiness Programs in the State of Michigan. The Romeo Readiness Program was the first program in Michigan to begin using The Marazon Home Visitor System.

The 98-99 academic year marked the first anniversary of The Marazon System in Romeo Community Schools. Ms. Klank was the person responsible for bringing The System to her program. "When I contacted MAPS for life, I was able to talk directly with Renee Marazon and two days later she was at Romeo Community Schools! I was stunned at the personal response we received from MAPS for life.

Katie appreciates the fact that The System is practical, understandable, and precise for both the parents and the professionals who use it. She feels that The Home Visitor System is "on target with what parents can do by themselves, for their own children. Even more importantly, The System gives parents recognition for what they are already doing with and for their children. This makes our parents feel good about themselves", says Katie.

MAPS for life treasures everything you are doing for families in Michigan, Katie!

TRI-COUNTY HEAD START OF DURANGO, COLORADO TO BECOME FIRST HEAD START MODEL MARAZON SITE
(Vol. 5, Issue 1, Spring 1999)

Lindsay Bryant, Child Development/Disabilities Specialist for the Durango Tri-County Head Start Program is very excited about expanding their implementation of The Marazon System to become the first Head Start model site. Lindsay comments. "I am sold on The System because I believe it is the best way to facilitate individualized growth for children and families. We are presently using The System in 11 of our centers to varying degrees of proficiency. My goal is to have all of our teaching staff using it correctly in program year 1999-2000." Lindsay is excited about becoming the first model Marazon site in a Head Start Program nationwide. MAPS for life wants to wish you continued success on your new journey. We are behind you 100%.

The Marazon Spotlight for this newsletter is on Marie Vasquez-Cropper, owner and director of A Child's Way. Ms. Vasquez-Cropper provides dynamic leadership and direction for her child care center which serves families with children from six weeks to six years of age.

Ms. Cropper had this to say about The Marazon System. "As a director, The System makes my job easier because it communicates children's development to parents in a joyful language. Our families appreciate the uncomplicated language of their children's development, the support they receive from us, and the degree to which we invite their input into our planning and assessment practices."

Ms. Vasquez-Cropper explained that they use The System for several reasons including the emphasis it places on the development of the whole child and the way it allows her staff to utilize their training and grow in their knowledge of child development. The System frees her staff to plan for children using their knowledge of each child and their own creativity and knowledge of child development. She noted that her staff are not restricted by lesson plans an curriculum materials and activities that do not suite the individuality of their children. The System encourages her staff to respect and celebrate each child without trying to "fix" a child. It also allows families to view the benefits of a play-based curriculum and encourages them to support their children in the same way at home.

Molly Bernhardt, Education Coordinator for the program believes that "The Marazon System provides a sense of consistency throughout the center as children transition from room to room. It also allows teachers to know the children and their needs much more accurately. Marazon allows our educators to be themselves, and to support and enhance those gifts that each child possesses." A Child's Way is well on "its way" to becoming and approved Marazon Model Site. And so we say, "Way to go A Child's Way!" Keep up the good work!