Congratulations to the June Employees of the Month, Kindergarten Readiness committee: Shanon, Katie, Rylee, Zulma, Courtney, Heather, Glenda, and Linda!

Almost 50 percent of children in Orange County are not considered kindergarten ready. During the pandemic, it was even more difficult for some children and their families to acquire the basic knowledge, social competencies, and communication skills to succeed in school. To help Orange County families, the Kindergarten Readiness committee was responsive and took the initiative to offer a breadth of resources and educational opportunities. The committee has displayed exceptional service to the public by creating a webpage with information and activities featuring social media content, a Rhyme of the Month with an accompanying parent handout, Book Lists on Feelings, Math, Movement, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, and more!

On Wednesdays, the committee offers children and their families a virtual storytime. During storytimes, the storytellers provide parents and caregivers with the tools needed so that they can feel confident using the same strategies on their own.

The committee has created a Kindergarten Readiness Binder for staff. The binder provides the common language and framework for teaching Kindergarten Readiness skills and how they can be best applied by families. Each month, the committee shares resources with library staff to continue building a systemic knowledge base to better serve Orange County families. Under their leadership, OC Public Libraries now has a model for providing storytimes and programs that support families in developing the skills necessary to be considered kindergarten ready.

The Kindergarten Readiness committee has done a fantastic job, while maintaining a positive, can-do attitude. It is evident that the committee takes great pride in their work, but most importantly they are committed to the academic success of children in Orange County. A special thank you to the Kindergarten Readiness committee!