February’s Weekly Memos
“Alone we can do so little;
together we can do so much.”
Week of February 2
Program Monitoring Review
As you are aware, this week is our program monitoring review. This morning at the entrance meeting, I shared an overview of our programs. Here is a copy of the presentation that I was proud to present about all our good work! If you would like to log on for the Exit Meeting on Friday, February 6, 2026 at 1:00 PM, please use this link https://stancoe-org.zoom.us/j/86289335147
CARE Attendance Data Entry
Itzel will be working out of class for the next couple of months, and during that time, Maggie Amezcua will be stepping into her role to assist with attendance entry and reconciliation in CARE. Due to training needs, there may be some data entry delays but we are not expecting them to be significant or cause delays to state reporting timelines.
Black History Month
2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month (BHM), a centennial celebration of honoring Black life, history, and culture that began as Negro History Week in 1926, with themes like "A Century of Black History Commemorations" or "Legacy in Motion" reflecting this milestone. This significant anniversary highlights the enduring importance of preserving Black stories, from its origins with Dr. Carter G. Woodson to its growth into a month-long observance in 1976, emphasizing education and cultural appreciation.
PIR Analysis Guide
Here is the current PIR Analysis Guide. Please pull your PIR, complete your analysis and turn in a copy of your PIR Analysis Guide to Jewelee or Chris no later than Friday February 27, 2026.
Help is available when you need it:
Access support from CFS Mental Health & Wellness team at cfs-mentalhealth@stancoe.org
SCOE’s Employee Assistance Program—In the moment counseling support is available by phone 24/7 at 800-295-8323.
CalHOPE: Call or text the CalHOPE Warm Line: (833) 317-HOPE (4673) The CalHOPE warm line connects callers to people who have persevered through struggles with stress, anxiety, depression—emotions triggered by circumstances and events in everyday life. The peer counselors listen with compassion, provide non-judgmental support, and guide you to additional resources that can give hope and help you cope.
Stanislaus County Warm Line—available by phone 24/7. Call 209-558-4600 Stanislaus Co residents can call when they are having a hard time making it through the day but not in crisis, need a caring listener to provide effective feedback to help explore options, or want support, assistance and resources toward recovery.
Stanislaus Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (STAN BHRS) Access Line: 1-888-376-6246
CA state hotline 833-544-2374 that people — particularly older, isolated Californians — can call for local non-medical services, such as food delivery and mental health care.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—available by phone 24/7. No holds and no busy signals Dial 988
Your health insurance. Call the phone number on your card to access a provider who accepts your insurance. You can access a professional at just the cost of a co-pay
Anthem Total Health, Total You-created to help you take care of your health, work on lifestyle changes and connect with specialized health professionals. Services include 24/7 Nurseline, Behavioral Health Resource, Case Management, Emotional Well-Being Resources & Inclusive Care
Carelon Wellbeing provides support with counseling, work-live support, legal services and financial services
Kaiser-Mental Health and Addiction Care Services
Week of February 9
SCOE GO Monitoring Review Results
Bravo Team!!! Your commitment to and passion for serving children and families with excellence was evident to the review teams. Overall, we received 22 strengths and 22 highlights across all areas. Thank you all for the work you do every day to contribute to such incredible results!!
As a part of continuous program improvement, the team also identified a couple of concerns (record keeping & referrals) and a finding for recordkeeping for health data. We will make a plan to address these areas but overall, it was an outstanding result. Here is a summary of the program monitoring review results.
Quality Assurance is requesting feedback on last week’s review from anyone who participated in the review process. Your responses help us make adjustments to ensure the program review process is smooth. Please complete the evaluation no later than Tuesday, February 17th. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X26H6C9
Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting
SCOE GO Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting is Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Please encourage families to attend the virtual meeting! Remind families as you greet them and point out the flyer posted in the classroom. Thank you for your support!
Supply Orders Reminders & Resource
The deadline to submit purchase requisitions in Incident IQ is April 30, 2026. To ensure that this deadline is met, carts should be sent to Jennifer Sandoval, our buyer, by April 10, 2026. Be sure to maximize your site supply budgets by this deadline. Please note that items purchased with state funds must be received by June 30, 2026 and items purchased with Head Start funds must be received by July 30, 2026.
Sites may need items beyond what can be purchased using their supply budgets. Some examples of needs include replacing furniture that is old and/or in poor condition, replacing books and sensory items. If your sites have such needs, please have our buyer, Jennifer create a quote and submit the request by placing the quote in this folder no later than April 15, 2026. Requested items must be reasonable and allowable expenses.
Our Discount Schools Supply Vendor provided these lists as a resource as you consider your needs:
Kindergarten readiness and transition kits, including preschool and PreK achievement solutions ( I can also offer custom kit solutions)
Early literacy resources, including decodables that support the Science of Reading
Social-emotional learning tools and emotional resilience kits
Sensory materials and calming corner essentials
At-home learning kits to extend learning beyond the classroom
Arts and crafts supplies that inspire creativity and self-expression
Play-based learning resources and flexible seating options
Classroom furniture and thoughtfully designed learning environments
Books and resources that help children prepare emotionally and academically for kindergarten
Outdoor play solutions, playground equipment, and vision screening tools
Read Across America Day
CFS was invited to participate in Read Across America the week of March 2-6, 2026 in the mornings. Here it the flyer. The three sites who were designated for CFS were Chrysler Head Start, Muncy Early & Head Start and ML Annear Head Start due to being collocated with Special Education. SCOE employees and board members will have the opportunity to sign up to stop by and read a Dr. Suess book to children during indoor play, outdoor play or meal times. We will develop a schedule based on sign ups closer to the event.
IEEEP Sensory Kits
IEEEP will be delivering a variety of kits out to each site and classrooms. These kits include a Messy Kit and a Sensory Kit. These kits are to promote more sensory and messy play in the classroom.
Infant Sensory Kit:
Giant Washable Fruit Stacker: soft and easy to stack—creating a super-sweet way for little ones to explore sizes and colors, develop gross motor skills
Soft & Safe Flexi Blocks: These soft, safe and incredibly flexible blocks make it easy for budding builders to stack and create!
Light-Up Calming Sounds Machine: Bluetooth compatible, light up calming sound machine to soothe children when it’s time to rest or sleep & helps them wind down. Featuring 30 calming audio options—from white noise to nature sounds and lullabies
Ocean Friends Water Play Mat: Children can experience water without getting wet for tactile and visual fun.
Shake, Spin & Swirl! Sensory Set: Engaging sensory items with a dome to send balls spinning- slide textured, oversize beads along the winding rattle and 3 stackable chunky blocks
Hide & Seek Beehive: Sensory fun designed to help children understand object permanence, our hive includes 5 bees that jingle, rattle, crinkle and squeak.
Multi-Sensory Grabbing Balls: Soft, tactile construction and vibrant, eye-catching colors, the balls stimulate multiple senses at once-inviting babies to reach, grasp, and engage, supports visual tracking, fine motor skills, and sensory awareness. A gentle introduction to hands-on learning, this durable, multi-sensory toy is ideal for tummy time, floor play, and developmental milestones and are an all-in-one teether & rattler.
Toddler Sensory Kit:
Translucent Sensory Pattern Blocks: Use these textured, see-through pattern blocks on any light table—for hands-on sensory fun that really shines! Great for exploring early math, developing fine motor skills and more
Calming Cuddle Bug: Designed to give children a “hug,” for comfort, the textured bug helps reduce anxiety and soothes the senses when kids slip their arms in the cuddle straps and give a gentle squeeze.
Quiet Time Soft & Washable Activity Book: interactive, washable soft book with flaps to lift, shapes to match, laces to tie and so much more
Mix & Match Sensory Spheres: explore creativity and sensory for fun designs in dough, paint and more, mix and match the 4 patterns for different impressions
My First Magnetic Builders: super-safe magnetic builders make it easy for tots to create tons of 3-D constructions!
Emotion Match Puzzle Board: self-correcting pieces to the corresponding images on the board, developing fine motor control as they explore feelings, shapes and colors!
Link & Go! Magnetic Vehicles: safe, fully contained magnets in front and back, so it’s a cinch for little ones to link them together
Preschool Sensory Kit:
Under the Sea! Sensory Blocks: engage the senses and develop fine motor skills, inspire the imagination as kids create majestic seascapes…and discover tons of sights, sounds and textures.
Out of This World! Fidget Board: sight, sound and touch, gives kids an engaging way to calm themselves, improve their focus and more
Sensory Peanut Ball: develops kids’ balance, strengthens their core, and keeps them focused and engaged during activities
Sidney the Sea Turtle: Soothing warm able weighted plushie. Microwave-safe for soothing warmth, freezer-friendly for cooling comfort, and weighted (2.5 pounds) for stress and anxiety relief. Unique wraparound arms/wings that act as a comforting weighted neck wrap. Designed with occupational therapists to bring a sense of grounding to anyone needing a hug (age 2 and up)
Toddler & Preschool Messy Kits: The intended use of the messy kit is to be creative and allow children to get messy in various ways! Provided in the kit, you will find various water play items, art items, items for sand play, along with smocks to keep children’s clothing clean, as well as bins to store the items. These kits can be used at any time- indoor, outdoor, small group, large group, or individualized. You may also include additional items to enhance children’s engagement.
Fire Alarm Inspections
Maintenance will be on site with Al’s Certified to test our fire alarms on the following dates. Staff who are onsite prior to 7:00 AM may hear the alarms during these inspections. Beto will take care of access, CFS staff do not need to take any action.:
2/18/26: Chrysler & Muncy
2/19/26: CF Brown & Sylvan
2/20/26: Oakdale CDC & Oakdale HS
2/27/26: Del Puerto
Help is available when you need it:
Access support from CFS Mental Health & Wellness team at cfs-mentalhealth@stancoe.org
SCOE’s Employee Assistance Program—In the moment counseling support is available by phone 24/7 at 800-295-8323.
CalHOPE: Call or text the CalHOPE Warm Line: (833) 317-HOPE (4673) The CalHOPE warm line connects callers to people who have persevered through struggles with stress, anxiety, depression—emotions triggered by circumstances and events in everyday life. The peer counselors listen with compassion, provide non-judgmental support, and guide you to additional resources that can give hope and help you cope.
Stanislaus County Warm Line—available by phone 24/7. Call 209-558-4600 Stanislaus Co residents can call when they are having a hard time making it through the day but not in crisis, need a caring listener to provide effective feedback to help explore options, or want support, assistance and resources toward recovery.
Stanislaus Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (STAN BHRS) Access Line: 1-888-376-6246
CA state hotline 833-544-2374 that people — particularly older, isolated Californians — can call for local non-medical services, such as food delivery and mental health care.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—available by phone 24/7. No holds and no busy signals Dial 988
Your health insurance. Call the phone number on your card to access a provider who accepts your insurance. You can access a professional at just the cost of a co-pay
Anthem Total Health, Total You-created to help you take care of your health, work on lifestyle changes and connect with specialized health professionals. Services include 24/7 Nurseline, Behavioral Health Resource, Case Management, Emotional Well-Being Resources & Inclusive Care
Carelon Wellbeing provides support with counseling, work-live support, legal services and financial services
Kaiser-Mental Health and Addiction Care Services
Week of February 17
Art of Sculpture Update (Rachel Duenas)
I can't believe we are already into the 3rd week of February(where has the month gone). I know the staff and children have been working hard on their sculptures and just wanted to send a friendly reminder to please have your teachers submit their classroom photo and vignettes by Friday, February 20, 2026, to the google link provided.
We would love to see any photos they may have taken over the course of the study. Those can be submitted via the link below as well. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h_gDre3F3DsgnxyoxXPOeskcibl9sad1?usp=sharin
I am so excited I have been able to go out and visit so many classrooms these last couple weeks, but I still have a handful left I am planning on visiting the remainder of the month 🙂. The things I have been seeing and hearing from the staff have warmed my heart and made me even more excited for the Gala in March!! We can not wait to showcase the sculptures and show all the efforts made by the staff and the children ❤️
If anyone has any questions please let me know.
PIR Analysis Guide
The current PIR Analysis Guide has been recently updated. Supervisors, please use this guide to complete your analysis and turn in a copy of your PIR Analysis Guide to Jewelee or Chris no later than Friday February 27, 2026.
GO Monthly Status Report
Here is the GO Budget Status Report for January 31, 2026.
Supply Orders Reminders & Resource
The deadline to submit purchase requisitions in Incident IQ is April 30, 2026. To ensure that this deadline is met, carts should be sent to Jennifer Sandoval, our buyer, by April 10, 2026. Be sure to maximize your site supply budgets by this deadline. Please note that items purchased with state funds must be received by June 30, 2026 and items purchased with Head Start funds must be received by July 30, 2026.
Sites may need items beyond what can be purchased using their supply budgets. Some examples of needs include replacing furniture that is old and/or in poor condition, replacing books and sensory items. If your sites have such needs, submit requests to supervisors. Supervisors, please have our buyer, Jennifer create a quote. Send your list/cart to Jennifer no later than March 31st and submit your request to Jewelee by placing the buyer-approved quote in this folder no later than April 15, 2026. Requested items must be reasonable and allowable expenses.
Learning Genie Training
Did you know that you can access on-demand Learning Genie Training at your convenience? Here is guidance on how to access free training that is available to you on your schedule.
SCOE Communications Department Updates
Please read and follow this updated guidance regarding public facing flyers such as Parent Meeting and Field Trip flyers
Other Updates from CFS Leads
Reminders regarding contracts and independent contractors
Guidance on purchasing Wellness Materials
Help is available when you need it:
Access support from CFS Mental Health & Wellness team at cfs-mentalhealth@stancoe.org
SCOE’s Employee Assistance Program—In the moment counseling support is available by phone 24/7 at 800-295-8323.
CalHOPE: Call or text the CalHOPE Warm Line: (833) 317-HOPE (4673) The CalHOPE warm line connects callers to people who have persevered through struggles with stress, anxiety, depression—emotions triggered by circumstances and events in everyday life. The peer counselors listen with compassion, provide non-judgmental support, and guide you to additional resources that can give hope and help you cope.
Stanislaus County Warm Line—available by phone 24/7. Call 209-558-4600 Stanislaus Co residents can call when they are having a hard time making it through the day but not in crisis, need a caring listener to provide effective feedback to help explore options, or want support, assistance and resources toward recovery.
Stanislaus Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (STAN BHRS) Access Line: 1-888-376-6246
CA state hotline 833-544-2374 that people — particularly older, isolated Californians — can call for local non-medical services, such as food delivery and mental health care.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—available by phone 24/7. No holds and no busy signals Dial 988
Your health insurance. Call the phone number on your card to access a provider who accepts your insurance. You can access a professional at just the cost of a co-pay
Anthem Total Health, Total You-created to help you take care of your health, work on lifestyle changes and connect with specialized health professionals. Services include 24/7 Nurseline, Behavioral Health Resource, Case Management, Emotional Well-Being Resources & Inclusive Care
Carelon Wellbeing provides support with counseling, work-live support, legal services and financial services
Kaiser-Mental Health and Addiction Care Services
Week of February 23
March Professional Development Day
As a reminder, SCOE GO is unable to participate in the Spring PD Day this year because the PD Date was changed from our Non-Child Day March 13th to March 20th. Since this PD day is connected to the Migrant Head Start Preservice, it was changed accommodate staff who are also attending the Migrant Head Conference. We apologize for this situation. The date for next year has been confirmed and aligns with a NCD.
Art Of Sculpture Q &A (Leah Welch-Jackson)
Q: There are concerns about the clay being hard and the water not making it soft enough.
A: There are various types of modeling clay that can be used for this project. The recommended clay for this project is water based. We understand if this brand was not available, a different brand may have been purchased. No worries, that is the beauty of art! No sculpture is the same and we are excited to see the levels of creativity the children used to make their classroom sculpture! 😊
Q: Does the classroom sculpture need to be made from clay or contain any amounts of clay?
A: Yes, the sculpture should be made of clay but can contain other recyclable pieces you have in your classrooms as outlined in the curriculum. There is no limit to what can be added to the sculpture!
Q: Were there any books included in this study like the Art of Photography?
A: Yes, these books were recommended for purchase at the end of the last program year in April. There are also digital reads outlined in the curriculum for use.
Q: When the vignettes and classroom photos are due?
A: The vignettes are due 2/20/26 however we can extend to take them as late as 2/25/26. The vignettes for the sculpture can be put on the sculpture. They do not need to be separate. If you add them onto the sculpture or around on the poster board then you do not need to submit anything. Please just notify us that the children’s vignettes are added into the sculpture. 😊 Class pictures are due on 2/20/26 as well but we can extend this to 2/25/26 as well. These do not need to be professional pictures! Have fun!!!
Q: Is the poster board the base for the classroom sculpture?
A: Yes. Please, remember, you can design this however the children see fit. It does not need to stay in that shape and size.
Q: When are they supposed to build the sculpture?
A: The curriculum shares the deadline of when the sculptures need to be completed for the gala. Please see the Weekly Lesson Plans.
Q: Do the sculptures have to be the 3ft?
A: No, 3ft is the maximum height of the sculpture.
Special Education Services in Head Start
In January, we alerted you to a new process for special education services that take place at our Head Start sites. To ensure that children are safe while receiving special services at Head Start, special education agencies must verify their staff have received a background check, TB clearance, complete annual Active Supervision Training. In addition, they must submit a signed CFS Standards of Conduct form to the Center Supervisor. Here is a copy of the form and process. As we implement this new process, we are first focusing on providers serving children ages 0-3. This information has been shared with VMRC and their subcontractors. While this process is an important step to ensure children’s health and safety, services should not be interrupted as we implement this process. We will ask Center Supervisors to report on the status of implementation at our March 31st meeting.
Rewired and Inspired
If you have not yet, check out SCOE’s Rewired and Inspired Website for lots of great resources including:
Resources for families Gaming (English/Spanish) and Social Media (English/Spanish)
Engaging Rewired & Inspired Commercials
Interested in hiking with students?
Stanislaus Military Academy and the Rotary Club are planning a couple of hikes and have extended an invitation to SCOE staff to join them. If you like to hike and want to dedicate some time to SCOE high school students, below are the following opportunities.
March 23: Red Hills Hike This hike is a mix of trail, rudimentary/imaginary trail, and cross country. Total elevation gain is about 1,000 ft. Mostly at the end when we head up Mt parking lot.
April 13: Yosemite Climb.
Reach out to Ray Kablanow at rayk@groundzeroanalysis.com for more information.
Help is available when you need it:
Access support from CFS Mental Health & Wellness team at cfs-mentalhealth@stancoe.org
SCOE’s Employee Assistance Program—In the moment counseling support is available by phone 24/7 at 800-295-8323.
CalHOPE: Call or text the CalHOPE Warm Line: (833) 317-HOPE (4673) The CalHOPE warm line connects callers to people who have persevered through struggles with stress, anxiety, depression—emotions triggered by circumstances and events in everyday life. The peer counselors listen with compassion, provide non-judgmental support, and guide you to additional resources that can give hope and help you cope.
Stanislaus County Warm Line—available by phone 24/7. Call 209-558-4600 Stanislaus Co residents can call when they are having a hard time making it through the day but not in crisis, need a caring listener to provide effective feedback to help explore options, or want support, assistance and resources toward recovery.
Stanislaus Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (STAN BHRS) Access Line: 1-888-376-6246
CA state hotline 833-544-2374 that people — particularly older, isolated Californians — can call for local non-medical services, such as food delivery and mental health care.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—available by phone 24/7. No holds and no busy signals Dial 988
Your health insurance. Call the phone number on your card to access a provider who accepts your insurance. You can access a professional at just the cost of a co-pay
Anthem Total Health, Total You-created to help you take care of your health, work on lifestyle changes and connect with specialized health professionals. Services include 24/7 Nurseline, Behavioral Health Resource, Case Management, Emotional Well-Being Resources & Inclusive Care
Carelon Wellbeing provides support with counseling, work-live support, legal services and financial services
Kaiser-Mental Health and Addiction Care Services
PDF Copy of 2-23-26 Memo