Early Childhood educators present at regional conference

Two Early Childhood educators from Winona Area Public Schools shared their expertise on a regional stage this month.

Denise Van Etten, school psychologist for Early Childhood, and Nicole Galewski, Early Childhood teacher at Goodview, presented at the Midwest Pyramid Model Conference in Illinois, where educators from Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota gathered to learn from one another.

WAPS has been implementing the Pyramid Model for the past six years as part of its commitment to nurturing the social-emotional development of its youngest learners. The Pyramid Model is a nationally recognized, step-by-step framework that supports children in building strong social-emotional skills. The model emphasizes warm, responsive relationships and supportive environments to help children feel safe, connected and ready to learn. It also aligns closely with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), used throughout WAPS.

During their session, Van Etten and Galewski shared insights from WAPS’ implementation journey, offering practical strategies and lessons learned that can benefit districts across the Midwest.

A highlight of the conference included meeting “Tucker Turtle,” the mascot of the Pyramid Model and the beloved character from the social story Tucker Turtle Takes Time to Tuck and Think. This story is commonly used in WAPS Early Childhood classrooms to help children learn ways to calm their bodies when they feel upset or overwhelmed.