Child and Family Center Staff

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    About Us

    Staff at the Madison College Child and Family Center are dedicated to providing all children in their care with high quality early education. When you meet our staff, their devotion and commitment to the education of young children and families will be evident. Our highly qualified and nurturing staff truly respect the needs of all children and families.

     
    All lead and assistant teachers hold Bachelor or Associate degrees and exceed the state of Wisconsin’s requirements for these positions. Each of the teachers has studied child development at the college level and continues to further his/her education with professional development conferences, workshops, or additional college courses.
     
    Using their education and experience, teachers intentionally plan for and observe children, keeping in mind the individual needs of each child within the group. Teachers not only provide developmentally appropriate activities, but are also able to explain “why” the experiences are appropriate for children. Each academic term, teaching staff also use their experiences and education to train and mentor students in the Madison College Early Childhood Education program, as our classrooms are used as practicum sites.
     
    Madison College is committed to retaining our outstanding teachers. Not just anyone who loves children can be a good teacher. For this reason, our staff members are well compensated and provided with regular professional development opportunities to further increase their skills.
     

          Message from our Director, Cigdem Unal

     

    Cigdem Unal, Center Director

    Photo: Cigdem Unal

     

    Dear Families, Guardians, and Other People in the Child’s Life:

     

    I would like to welcome you to the MATC Child and Family Center as we start the Semester, and introduce myself as the Director of the Madison College Child and Family Centers.

    I have a B.A. and a M.A. in Education and working toward a second M. A. degree in Preschool Administration from UW-Milwaukee. I have been working with young children and their families and teachers for over 17 years. I started working at the Madison College as of August 3, 2009. Before that I had worked as the Director of the Children’s Centers at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education.

    Other than that I feel like I have done a little of everything in early childhood field. I have been a NAEYC Assessor, toddler, preschool, afterschool, summer school teacher, cooperating teacher for MATC, Edgewood College and UW-Madison, trainer, presenter and instructor. I have also started state-funded 4-K programs in collaboration with the School District in my previous position.

    I find it incredibly rewarding to share the moments as children unravel the mysteries of the universe.  I believe in communities’ investment in the well-being of young children and families.  I strongly believe in partnerships and collaborations among early childhood programs, families, and community to create strong support systems and safety nets for children.

    I divide my time between Truax and Downtown Child and Family Centers. Please stop by at the office to say hello! I am looking forward to getting to know you and your family. My office phone number is (608) 258-2423. The best way to reach me is by e-mail at cunal[at] matcmadison [dot] edu I am always looking for families to join the Parent Advisory Board, please let me know if you are interested in joining us.

    I thank you for choosing the Child and Family Center as a safe, warm and happy environment for your child(ren).  We are pleased to serve you in any way we can. We look forward to a wonderful year full of learning experiences.

     Cigdem

     

    Cigdem would also like to share with you Simply Sensational Sensory Activities for Preschool Children PDF,  226KB. Check out some fun activities to experience with your children!

     

     

      Meet our Truax Site Staff         Meet our Downtown Site Staff

     
     
                      
    Please review STAFF Handbook (PDF, 133KB) which has additional pages that strictly pertain to staff and their responsibilities here at the Madison College Child and Family Center. The Center also has a handbook that the teachers and staff should be comfortable with and review is our FAMILY Handbook. (PDF, 363KB) 
     
    T-Net Training Network (The Registry) is the statewide, profession-wide, free web-based interactive training calendar for anyone in the field of child care and education in the state of Wisconsin. From the T-Net website, events and trainings may be sorted according to area of the state, date, topic, sponsor, or presenter. Those looking for training to attend can create a personalized calendar or training "shopping cart" by selecting only those events in which they are interested. Agencies offering training are encouraged to register as sponsors and post their event information directly on the interactive T-Net web site. Trainers can print barcode verification labels from the T-Net site.
     
     
    Last Modified: November 2, 2011