Head Start Family Newsletter - October 2023

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Attendance Critical in Head Start

From the moment your child steps into his or her Head Start classroom, the day is carefully planned to maximize learning. A healthy breakfast and a class meeting are two ways the teachers prepare the students for the day ahead. Being on time and present for the full day is key to school readiness.

Regular attendance is also critically important in our quest to build lifelong learners. Preschool is a time for building the social, emotional, cognitive and language skills needed for school readiness. Many of these skills build on one another so absent children may miss the foundational skills needed for the next skill. Additionally, following the predictable daily routine helps to build confident and eager learners.

Missing 10 percent or more than two days a month of preschool can impact a child’s learning and take them off track for developing attendance habits critical to success in school. If a problem emerges with health, food, transportation, housing or anything else, please call your family service assistant so we can assist. We

want to make sure that your child and family is set up for success.

Please help your child become a lifelong learner by getting him or her to school each day, on time! These early experiences last a lifetime.

Upcoming Days Off

X Oct. 13: Records Day, No School

X Oct. 16: Home Visit Day, No School

X Oct. 23-27: Fall Break, No School

X Oct. 30: Home Visit Day, No School

X Nov. 7: Election Day, Dismiss at 11:30 a.m.

X Nov. 10: Veterans Day, No School at Central, Griswold, Hopkins-Locke

X Nov. 20-24: LaGrange Closed

X See page 8 for Thanksgiving closures.

News from Lorain County Community Action Agency Head Start • October 2023 Head Start Works! www.lccaa.net 1-888-245-2009 Head Start Family News

Make Attendance a Priority This Year Great Apple Crunch Planned for Oct. 12

It is our hope that you had a safe and happy summer and that your child is ready for the school year. We look forward to a new year, filled with learning, wonderful activities, participation and great outcomes.

We want you to know just how important it is to ensure your child is here every day, and all day. The staff spend many hours planning so that all children will have every opportunity to grow and meet or exceed widely held learning expectations. Please make your child’s attendance a priority, we believe you will see positive outcomes for your child.

We love connecting and communicating with you throughout the school year. We will use different forums and tools to do that. ClassTag is one tool we use to send out messaging, and inform you of events or activities coming up. The past several years we have used this newsletter to communicate information each month. We will be doing five editions of this newsletter this year. Stay up to date on breaking news using your ClassTag account.

Will you help us to spread the good news of Head Start? We want to serve all eligible children and families in Lorain County. We can do that with your help by telling friends, family and community about our program. Thank you and we wish you well this program year!

Crunching is coming to LCCAA Head Start classrooms on Oct. 12. Once again, students and staff will participate in the Great Apple Crunch along with hundreds of students across the Great Lakes region. Last year, more than 1.2 million locally grown apples were crunched. Anyone who wants to show support for local farmers and school food can join by registering for the crunch at https://cias.wisc.edu/our-events/applecrunch/

Upcoming Screenings

Head Start students receive a wide variety of screenings to protect their health. We’re grateful for the partners that make these screenings possible.

See your Family Service Assistant for details and important forms. Here are some upcoming dates:

X Oct. 31: Dental at Griswold

X Nov. 1: Dental at Hopkins Locke and LaGrange

X Nov. 2: Lead at Firelands and Wellington

X Nov. 3: Lead at Central Plaza

X Nov. 8: Lead at Hopkins Locke

X Nov. 9: Lead at Griswold and LaGrange

X Nov. 15: Make up for Lead Screenings

X Dec. 8: Make up for Dental Screenings

Scan

this code to see the latest menu for most of our Head Start Centers.

First Days Full of Learning, Friend Making

Friends were made, foods were tried and learning continues.

LCCAA Head Start welcomed students back in early September. Most classrooms were phased in to make the transition easier for young children.

Firelands students returned to a new space. The classroom relocated over the summer due to changing needs in the school district. The classroom is also pictured on our front page.

Central Plaza students learned about their school family and made friendship bracelets. Students also enjoyed meals together, playground time and many welcoming hugs!

For more photos, please visit our Facebook page.

October is Head Start Awareness Month

Head Start programs support growth and learning for all members of your family. Since 1965, more than 37 million children have benefited from Head Start. Every October, we celebrate Head Start’s historical roots, current impact and lasting legacy. During Head Start Awareness Month LCCAA appreciates your help sharing the program with the community. In Head Start and Early Head Start, infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children are supported across all domains of development, and enrolled pregnant women receive assistance with health and wellness. From birth to age five, programs support learning through play, and relationship building creates a strong foundation for becoming lifelong learners. We use curriculum that is based on strong scientific research while also supporting social and emotional development. Children learn healthy habits that will make them thrive and staff support the physical, social and emotional well-being of all family members. Children with disabilities and delays are fully included. As needed, families are helped with goals ranging from employment to medical connections. Meanwhile, parents participate as leaders in the program giving input on activities and operations.

LCCAA is proud to offer Head Start in directly-oper-

ated centers, through school district and childcare partnerships and in our home-based program. LCCAA has been providing Head Start in Lorain County since 1966 and continues to be the county’s only provider.

Wear your Head Start T-shirt or the Head Start colors (red, white and blue) this month to show your pride. Follow events across the nation by visiting The Family Room Blog by the Office of Head Start: https://www. acf.hhs.gov/blog

Upcoming Spirit Days

X Oct. 3: Head Start Pride Day: Wear your Head Start T-shirt or Head Start colors (red, white and blue).

X Oct. 6: Wear pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

X Oct. 19: Wear purple for Domestic Violence Awareness Day

X Nov. 1: National Author’s Day: Dress like your favorite book character

The Head Start blocks logo symbolizes the power of the program.

The vertical stripes represent the child and the parent. The arrow pointing upward represents the direction out of poverty and on to the future.

X Nov. 3: Music Day: Wear a T-shirt with your favorite band/ group

X Dec. 8: Pajama Day

Picture days at Hopkins-Locke are October 16 and 17.

Ask your child’s teacher about other picture days.

What to Expect at Conferences, Visits

Home visits and conferences supplement the casual, daily conversations between teachers and parents. These meetings provide more comprehensive information about children’s progress and allow time for deep conversation.

Home Visits - Teachers conduct two home visits a year for each student. Visits are recommended to take place in the home, but may take place at the school or another location at the request of the parents. Family Service Assistants are required to complete visits which are family focused and goal oriented.

Conferences - Teachers hold parent

LCCAA Head Start

Classrooms are closed Oct. 16 and 30 so staff can conduct home visits. conferences as needed, but no less than two times per program year. These individualized meetings give parents and teachers the opportunity to discuss the child’s progress, routines, activities and behavior. Parents have the opportunity to learn about the curriculum, classroom learning environment and the instructional materials used in the program.

According to the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, when parents are engaged and partner with their child’s learning program, everyone wins: “Students do better in school and in life. Parents become empowered. Teacher morale improves. Schools get better. Communities grow stronger.”

We expect parents will take advantage of these activities and use these events as learning opportunities that support teaching staff-child interactions and foster communication and conversations that support your child’s learning.

Classes Will Read for the Record Oct. 19

Head Start annually participates in a global reading experience designed to promote both early language and social-emotional development.

Jumpstart has organized the event for 18 years and more than 24 million people have participated. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of books have been distributed to children in underserved communities.

Head Start will read With Lots of Love on Oct. 19, a week before the global event on Oct. 26 for which two

million readers are estimated.

With Lots of Love was written by Jenny Torres-Sanchez and illustrated by Andre Ceolin. It’s a beautiful, lyrical story about a girl who moves from her home in Central America to the United States, and everything she leaves behind and longs for—especially her Abuela—as she makes a new life.

LCCAA has always invited guest readers for this event. Please contact your child’s teacher if you would like to read.

Emily’s First 100 Days of School

Emily’s First 100 Days of School by Rosemary Wells will help ease the first few days of school nerves. Count up to 100 with a class of forest animals! Each day of school for Emily adds one number so there are chances to see the numerals and count objects. Children need lots of practice counting objects with one to one correspondence and connecting quantities to numerals to gain a solid number sense.

You are sure to find this and many of Rosemary Wells’ other 60 books at your closest public library.

Home-Based Socializations

Oct. 6: Preschool Socialization, 10 a.m.

Oct. 20: Preschool & EHS Socialization, 10 a.m.

Nov. 3: Preschool Socialization, 10 a.m.

Nov. 17: Preschool & EHS Socialization, 10 a.m.

Policy Council Elections Held Committee

Officers and representatives have been elected for the 2023-24 Policy Council.

Head Start requires convening of a Parent Policy Council for each program throughout the country. Parents are encouraged to participate to help make decisions about the program. Parents are elected at the beginning of each year during each center’s parent meetings. Policy Council met Sept. 18 and elected officers for the year.

Melinda Matthews, a parent from Griswold, was elected President. As president, Matthews also has a seat on the LCCAA Board of Directors.

Coreasa Portis, a parent from Central Plaza, was elected Vice President. Secretary will be Genesis Rodriguez and Chrystine Masarik will be Asst. Secretary. Both are from HopkinsLocke.

Other members are Tabatha Smith from Central Plaza, Kaitln Fisher from Firelands, Roberto Hoyle and Veronica Belen from HopkinsLocke, Tana Panter from LaGrange and Precious Lara from Wellington. Alternates are Amanda Bruce from Firelands and the following Hopkins-Locke parents: Damaris Guevara, Jalisa Campbell and Nateisha Fitzgerald.

Make a Plan to Vote Nov. 7

LCCAA encourages all Lorain County residents to exercise their right to vote this fall.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 10 and in Ohio, you can now register online if you have all your information. Visit www.ohiosos.gov to check, update or start your registration. You can also request an absentee ballot for any reason.

Visit the Lorain County Board of Elections at voteloraincountyohio.gov to check your polling place and view a sample ballot. You can also update your registration or request an absentee ballot at that site.

Ohio has a new, more restrictive, voter ID law. When you vote, you must show an unexpired photo ID such as: an Ohio Driver’s License, State of Ohio ID card or military ID. You cannot use an out of state license or a utility bill. For a complete list, visit www.ohiosos.gov. Ohioans who are 17 or older can receive a free state ID from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles if you do not have a valid Driver’s License and can provide proof of your identity.

Early Voting begins Oct. 11 and continues through Nov. 5. Hours expand as the election nears. For a complete list, visit voteloraincountyohio.gov. Polls on Election Day, Nov. 7, are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

LCCAA encourages you to get registered and make a plan to vote.

Meetings

If you would like to join one of our committees, contact your Family Service Assistant.

Parent meetings are held monthly at our larger centers and every other month at our smaller centers

X Oct. 9: Safety Meetings, 8:30 a.m. at Griswold, 10 a.m. at Hopkins-Locke

X Oct. 19: Education Advisory Committee, 9 a.m., Central

X Nov. 16: Health Advisory Committee, 9 a.m., Central

Head Start students will be dismissed at
on Election Day. LCCAA offices will close at noon.
11:30 a.m.

LCCAA Opens Produce Pickup Center

LCCAA has opened a Produce Pickup Center in the former Bike Shop at 204 W. 10th St. in downtown Lorain.

Lorain County residents living at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($60,000 annually for a family of four) are eligible to order from the pantry. Ordering windows are open from 8 a.m. Monday to 11 p.m. Sunday or until all appointments are full. Pickups are the following Wednesday and Thursday.

“Prices keep creeping up,” said CEO Jackie Boehnlein. “Making ends meet and putting food on the table is a new kind of difficult.”

The center focuses on fresh produce which can be hard to get. In the beginning, pre-packaged boxes will be distributed but choice ordering will be introduced soon.

“We know there is a great need for food in Lorain County and we are anxious to supply fresh produce to as many people as we can,” Boehnlein said.

Appointments must be made via the online system and honoring appointments is critical.

Those picking up are also asked to approach the Produce Center using Reid Avenue and West 10th Street and not cut through the parking lot at 936 Broadway Ave. Please follow all signs and staff instructions. Staff will

bring food orders to your car.

LCCAA operates the Produce Center in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio and Food Forward Lorain. A start up grant also came from the City of Lorain.

Raised beds next to the facility will supply some produce. The beds and accompanying hydroponic system were made possible by a Healthy Places grant from Lorain Public Health.

Youth assigned to LCCAA’s Youth Services program staff the center and have also worked on the raised beds. Visit www.lccaa.net/programs/produce_center for more information or to place your order. Contact Center Manager Deirdre Paynter at 440-457-0327.

Elyria residents can pick fresh produce from our garden next to the South Side Library Branch at 340 E. 15th St.

Watch for the ground-breaking of the new South Side Center.

Winter Crisis Program Begins Nov. 1

LCCAA and the State of Ohio have multiple programs to help you heat your home this coming winter. Each program has a slightly different set of requirements and procedures. Here’s what you need to know.

Emergencies only. Appointment required.

Beginning Nov. 1, the Winter Crisis Program will help you if your primary heating source is disconnected, a disconnection notice has been received, or you have less than a 10-day supply of bulk fuel.

Appointments for Winter Crisis can be made only online beginning Oct. 18. All appointments will be conducted over the phone.

If you receive a disconnect notice during the crisis period, make an appointment right away. If you make an appointment for at least 48 hours before your scheduled disconnection AND you enter your utility account number, the utility will put a hold on the disconnect while you are waiting for your appointment. If you miss or reschedule your appointment, the hold is removed and you may lose service.

Winter Crisis will operate through March 31, 2024.

Apply online. No appointment needed.

HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) helps you pay to heat your home during the winter.

PIPP (Percentage of Income Payment Plan) reduces your utility bills to a percentage of your income.

For more details on all these programs, please visit www.lccaa.net/programs/energyservices.

X Thanksgiving lunch will be served on Nov. 17 to all centers supplied from our central kitchen, including a Try Day experience with sweet potatoes.

X LaGrange Head Start is closed Nov. 20 to 24.

X Firelands and Wellington Head Start are closed Nov. 22 to 24.

X Central, Griswold and Hopkins Locke dismiss at 3 p.m. on Nov. 22 and are closed Nov. 23 and 24.

X LCCAA offices are closed Nov. 23 and 24.

Save the Date! Dec. 15

Families will be invited to join our centers in some fun winter activities.

Applications for the Mary Lee Tucker Clothe a Child fund are due October 13.
your Family Service Assistant for details.
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