Children Services Administration Team

Jul 2, 2014

June 30, 2014

Dear Anna Coccitti, Dawn Inman, Michelle Hills, Gina Smith, Shannon Kilroy,

Yours are the first faces the children see when they enter SPIN each morning and the last they see each afternoon. How wonderful for the children, their families and all of us at SPIN that those faces are filled with welcoming smiles and love for each child. How many children detain their parents as they need to stop to tell you something on their way in or to show you something on their way home?! You each make yourself a part of every child’s positive preschool experience as you enhance learning and development through your caring ways. Then after all the children are in and where they need to be, you get down to all your other tasks and responsibilities to assure every Children’s Services administrative detail is done to a high professional standard.

This year presented many new challenges your way. Elwyn, the funder of our Preschool Early Intervention programs, completely changed the billing and payment method for the services we deliver. Figuring this out was a huge and extremely important endeavor. As you tackled this challenge, Elwyn would often request additional changes and information, many times giving Michele a one day turn around deadline. Each time she would turn to the Children’s Services Administration team and each time you would accomplish the job within the impossible timeline. For Michele Dwyer, this team has been a lifesaver!

Of course all the other work never vanished as you accomplished all of the new challenges.  You never stopped coordinating and collaborating until every detail of every job was done to the highest quality standard. The flow of work throughout a rigorous school year can be crushing for our teachers and you are all here to help and support them. You know when progress reports are due and you prepare face sheets and envelopes, anything you can do to lighten the load of our amazing teaching staff. You maintain each child’s record impeccably and whenever there is a question about a child’s health status or emergency contact, there is never a doubt with your record keeping. The Children’s Services team you support have all the information they need to be fully productive and efficient as possible as they deliver quality services to each child.

The Children’s Services Management team wrote in their nomination letter about this team that, “Their willingness to take on new challenges and work with each other to problem solve and complete tasks while facing timelines is amazing.  Their ability to be flexible when faced with urgencies and staff asking for immediate help is to be admired.  The team knows the children and the families we serve and are always finding ways to make things go more smoothly or to pass along messages.  No task is too small or too big and every family is treated with respect.”

As far as SPIN’s Pillars go, let’s reflect on how the team of Anna, Dawn, Michelle, Gina and Shannon perform….

People First? Check. Knowing each child’s name and every family, coming in to work in the classrooms no matter what the reason or need whether for a bathroom break, scheduled teacher meeting or if we are shorthanded for any reason.

Professionalism? Check. You take on every challenge and problem in a positive, team oriented approach only seeking to accomplish it together. Everyone in Children’s Services knows they can fully count on each of you and you do everything at the highest professional level.

Productivity? Check. The billing is done on time and outside agencies are asking for us to be part of the team to determine what works best.  Best of all – SPIN gets paid!

Performance Excellence? Check. Elwyn has commended SPIN on our preciseness and quality, the teaching staff think you are tops, your managers just nominated you for the Team of the Quarter and the children and families think you rock!

So now the entire SPIN team, myself included, has the opportunity to acknowledge, thank and praise all of you, our most deserving Children’s Services Administration team, for all of your incredible work and accomplishments. On behalf of SPIN’s Corporate Board, the management team of SPIN and Children’s Services and all of the hundreds of children and families you support each year, congratulations to Dawn, Anna, Gina, Michele and Shannon for being SPIN’s Team of the Quarter for the Spring of 2014! We admire and appreciate you and all that you do!

Warmest Regards,

Kathleen Brown McHale
President & CEO