NACOG Head Start Connections
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NACOG Head Start Connections |
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In this issue: "Growth & Change", PRISM Evaluation, New Facilities, HS Recruitment, Welcome Fredonia, NACDAB News, Community Partnerships, Early Head Start, Education, 35th Anniversary Celebrations, Transitions, Dollar Per Child Campaign, NACDAB Executive Board |
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| Chino Valley | |||||
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| After much negotiation and collaboration among community leaders, the NACOG Head Start staff and Victory Adult Literacy program, the dream of opening a new facility in Chino Valley was finally realized. Thanks to the tireless labor of all who worked so hard to see this project completed. The new Head Start / Victory center opened its doors for business in mid-January. Their official grand opening was held on February 22nd. Many distinguished guests, including Head Start parents, were in attendance at the ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the joyous occasion. Congratulations to all for a job well done! | |||||
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| Attention all
Parents! It’s recruitment time for the new school year once again, & we need
your help. It has been proven many times over that you are the best
recruiters we have. As a program we are asking that each of you talk to your
neighbors, co-workers and friends & help to bring them to Head Start. Please
stop by your local center or home base program & pick up an application or a
flyer that you can share with someone else. With your help, our Head Start
program will be well on its way to full enrollment before school even starts
next year! Spread the word about the many things that Head Start has to
offer & the ways it has helped you.
“Everyone Needs A Partner” |
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Fredonia Head Start |
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The "old" Fredonia fire House. |
This is the front entrance of the "new" center. It is quite a transformation! | ||||
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The Town of Fredonia has put an old
building to good use !! Over the past few months, the Town has contributed
to our new NACOG Head Start expansion program by providing the facility.
They have also made some important improvements to the street in front of
the building. The Town was assisted by the Arrow of Scouts who donated many
hours of “sweat equity” in helping to cover a large irrigation ditch which
ran in front of the new center, providing for a safe environment for our new
students, families, and staff. Additional support from the school district helped the Fredonia Head Start Center open its doors on Wednesday, March 21, 2001 to the anxiously waiting families of the community. The support that has been shown by that community has been overwhelming and we are elated that we are up and running!! When our center is fully operational we will have a full day class of 18. When the school year begins in the fall we will also offer a home-base program. Congratulations to all who have had a part in this important program and to our “far-away” staff who are doing an AWESOME JOB!!!!! |
The classroom before construction. |
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Beautiful view from the new classroom. |
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Fredonia staff members Stephanie Bundy (Teacher Aide), Elaine Burgess (Family Advocate), and Sharon Goodman (Lunch Aide).
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Members of the 2000-2001 NACOG Head Start Executive Board attended the 17th Annual Parent Training Conference, December 8th -12, 2000 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The conference was sponsored by the National Head Start Association (NHSA). Executive Board members in attendance at the conference were KoRenda Smuin-Breiner, NACDAB Chairperson from Prescott and Elizabeth “Buffy” Taylor, Secretary, from Eagar. Also in attendance were staff members Karen Waterfall, Prescott Family Advocate and Ruben Calvillo, Parent Involvement Specialist. “I really enjoyed going to the Training Conference because it gave me an opportunity to learn some innovative things about the Head Start program, such as new initiatives and legislation pertinent to our programs. It also gave me a chance to meet some of the staff from NHSA,” said KoRenda. |
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 Black Canyon City Head Start The start of a new and wonderful Community Partnership is on the horizon for the Black Canyon City (BCC) Head Start program. A dentist from Phoenix will be visiting twice a week to provide services to the Head Start children and the community of BCC. BCC Head Start children recently received “free” dental exams compliments of Dr. J.M. Sellett, D.D.S. Dr. Sellett is in BCC Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:00AM to 5:00PM. He and his wife, Linda, opened the Black Canyon City office in June of this year. The office is located at 34501 Old Black Canyon Hwy. (next to the Tourist Office). Head Start staff and families would like to thank the Doctor and his wife for the TLC with which they treated the children. Dr. Sellett asked that we thank the community of Black Canyon City for allowing “him” to serve the dental needs of its residence. This is just the type of charitable spirit that personifies Dr. Sellett and his wife Linda. Thank You! |
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NACOG Early Head Start’s Curriculum Definitions for curriculum vary, especially when looking at a curriculum for infants and toddlers. Many people consider “everything infants and toddlers do” as curriculum. For EHS, curriculum is a written plan. This plan includes a philosophy statement that is based on parent and staff beliefs about how infants and toddlers develop. This curriculum also outlines goals and objectives that can be tailored to meet the needs of each child. In the NACOG EHS Program, staff and parents identify goals for their children through a system of screening, assessment, anecdotal notes, monthly parent/teacher conferences and home-visits. Through this process, individualized goals and objectives for each child are established. Staff uses many resources to plan activities that meet the identified goals and objectives. One of these resources is the Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers, which is used as a framework for planning appropriate activities. One of the philosophies noted in the Creative Curriculum is that parents are the primary educators in their child’s development. While staff must have a written plan for infants and toddlers, they must also be able and ready to adapt to better meet the children’s individual needs during the experience. For example, if a child is tired, he/she may not respond as if rested. A caregiver may choose to allow for rest time rather than initiate a planned activity. Helping parents to recognize opportunities to engage children in activities, which will support their role as primary educator, is also essential to curriculum implementation. Because NACOG Early Head Start believes this to be an essential aspect of good curriculum, we will be offering parents opportunities to participate on focus group committees that will meet to discuss and further design the EHS curriculum. We also will be creating an EHS Technical Advisory Committee. This committee will be comprised of staff, parents and experts from the infant/toddler field. The group will meet on an ongoing basis throughout the year to address EHS concerns events and new developments within the infant/toddler arena. |
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New Directions: Assessing the Outcomes of Head Start Earlier this year the Head Start Bureau outlined new legislative changes in the areas of measures and outcomes, accountability, and program improvement. Major emphasis was placed on assessment, tracking, and utilization of data on child and program outcomes. What does all this mean and where is the field of Early Childhood Education headed? Basically, Head Start is being asked to demonstrate that our program makes a difference in the lives of the children and families it serves. It will be key for us to be able to show how our children are progressing and what the changes in our families, programs and communities are because of what we do. The areas that Head Start is being asked to track and document include Language Development, Literacy, Math, Science, Creative Arts and Physical Development & Movement. NACOG Head Start already has systems in place to answer questions regarding curriculum and areas of accomplishment for children. Our Head Start teaching staff have always focused on areas of cognitive, social / emotional and physical growth when planning classroom learning activities for children. NACOG Head Start has a written curriculum, The Creative Curriculum, which is used in both Head Start and Early Head Start. The Creative Curriculum is consistent with Head Start Program Performance Standards and is based on sound child development principles. NACOG ensures that through ongoing child observation, screening and assessment, staff and parents follow children’s progress from arrival at Head Start to the time they leave. This information is used to individualize the curriculum for children, to determine what the outcomes are, and how children’s skills develop over a period of time. Although Head Start is now mandated to track educational outcomes, at NACOG this information has always been recognized as the key to quality in Early Head Start and Head Start classrooms. |
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Navajo County The Winslow, Snowflake, and Holbrook Head Start centers are hosting a celebration in recognition of the 35th Anniversary of Head Start. It will be held at the Navajo County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on May 19, 2001. It is free to the public. It will be a drug and smoke free environment. There will be free games, door prizes, a Child Find, and entertainment as well as food vendors. The centers are hoping to have a live remote broadcast on site. Community Service Organizations have also been invited to set up information/display booths. Flagstaff Festivities In celebration of the 35th anniversary, Clark Homes / Federated Head Starts are hosting a 2 week open house. Many local partners including Flagstaff’s mayor have been invited to come and get a close and personal look at the program. “We don’t just want them to come in and observe, but rather to be a part of the fun and see what Head Start has to offer the families of the community”, said Ms. Anamarie Lopez, Center Director.In addition to this event, the Flagstaff Head Start centers : Clark Homes/Federated, Siler, Cogdill and Ponderosa will get together on Friday, May 4th for a “Fabulous Fun Day” at the NAU dome. A highlight of this event will be the display of the Flagstaff center’s quilt which was created by the Head Start children. The day’s festivities will end with a round of “Happy Birthday” to Head Start and a delicious cake. The local media will also be on hand to cover the event. Prescott Open House Prescott celebrated the anniversary of Head Start with an Open House on Friday, April 6, 2001. Based on both the number of people that came to the center that evening and the very positive comments that were made, it was a huge success. The center entertained several alumni, community representatives, former teachers, staff, parents and their children. There were over 200 in attendance. The celebration was combined with transition and recruitment activities. A transition display was set up and kindergarten packets were available from each school in the area. Principals and kindergarten teachers were also invited to attend. Applications and recruitment brochures were available as well as a display of Head Start curriculum materials. Cake, punch and coffee were served at the reception. It was a fun-filled evening for all, especially the Head Start staff who take great pride in their center. |
Flagstaff The Clark Homes Head Start program has been busy preparing children and families for transitioning into kindergarten. Local representatives from private, public, charter, & religious schools have been coming to speak with parents about their programs. Parents appreciate these opportunities to learn about the options available for their children and as a result, these events have large turnouts. The children also had opportunities to visit the local schools and to receive tours of the library, and kindergarten classes. All Flagstaff Head Start centers have been working together to help ensure that children and parents get an opportunity to visit the school their child will be attending. During the spring, Head Start staff also assists with kindergarten registration. Prescott Transition has been a continuous process and journey throughout the entire school year for the Prescott Head Start center. During these last couple of months the children, parents and staff have been interacting with the schools by visiting the classrooms, touring the school and eating in the cafeteria. Staff along with parents provide as many opportunities as they can for social interaction and communication so that the children can adjust to their new environment. Many opportunities are also provided for parents to meet with principals and teachers on a one-to-one basis. This helps ease the anxieties and clarify expectations. Head Start staff is available at all times to help guide and bridge the gap between Head Start and kindergarten. |
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Chairperson, KoRenda Smuin-Breiner Vice Chairperson, Misty Padilla Sec./Tres., Elizabeth “Buffy” Taylor Navajo Co. Rep., Cynthia Chatham Gardner Coconino Co. Rep., Johnny Sedillo Yavapai Co. Rep., Heidi Durette Alternate, Tom Soto Alternate Erica Argust |
The fund raising efforts throughout our NACOG Head Start service area was phenomenal! The enthusiasm and creativity demonstrated by all involved in this wonderful cause has been outstanding. On behalf of National Head Start Association (NHSA) and the Dollar per Child campaign we would like to extend our thanks to all our Head Start families. This year we have surpassed the prior years total by approximately $3,000 for a grand total of $9,025.00 Great Job!! Thank you, Ruben & Shirley, Co-Chairpersons |
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NACOG
Head Start Executive Board members Attend National conference