Head Start Family News
Students Return Ready for their Head Start
LCCAA Head Start students are ready to become lifelong learners. Our school families returned to all our centers in phased in events designed to make every child and family feel welcome and ready to learn.
Head Start serves the entire family with services and resources designed to meet each family’s unique goals. Attendance
is critical. We want to see you and your child every day!
Head Start families are also our best advertisement. Some centers still have slots available.
If you know someone who can benefit from a Head Start, send them to lccaaforms.net to start their application.
Acting Roles Made Permanent
Dr. Shauna Matelski has been named President and CEO of the Lorain County Community Action Agency.
Matelski was named to an acting role when prior CEO Jackie Boehnlein left the agency late in 2023. She previously served as Head Start Director since 2011 and has more than 30 years experience with the agency.
At the same time, Assistant Head Start Director Stefanie Drew was elevated to Acting Director.
Drew’s appointment was also made permanent. She, too, has worked for LCCAA Head Start for 30 years in a variety of roles.
New Center Opened in Elyria
LCCAA Head Start has returned to south Elyria this fall reviving what was once a staple for area young people.
Acting CEO Shauna Matelski, Ed.D. and LCCAA Board President Gerald Pippens were joined by directors and board members from Our F.A.M.I.L.Y. and officials from the City of Elyria to cut the ribbon at 107 Oberlin Road. The facility includes two classrooms and will serve up to 20 children thanks to an expansion grant Matelski wrote before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This has been a long time coming,” Matelski said. “We are thrilled to partner with the Taylors and thrilled to be back in South Elyria.
Our F.A.M.I.L.Y. founders Emma Jean and Bobby Taylor Sr. have owned the building since 2019. Before that, it was known in the 1970s and 1980s as the Elyria Neighborhood Center. The Taylors have served thousands of meals out of the kitchen which will continue to operate.
Creating a Family at School
Starting school can be scary for kids and parents because your child will be surrounded by people they don’t know - yet.
Making connections with others is important for social emotional development and independence. In Head Start, we tell students our class is a school family and we are all important members of that family.
Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen and Sandie Sonke demonstrates things that may be similar to or different than our home families. Creating connections and friendships is a big goal for preschool.
Attendance Matters
From the moment your child steps into his or her Head Start classroom, the day is carefully planned to maximize learning.
A healthy meal and a class meeting are two ways the teachers prepare the students for the day ahead. Being on time and present for both of these important daily components is key to a successful day in school.
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.
Help your child become a lifelong learner by getting him or her to school each day, on time!
Mental Health Support Offered
One of the many benefits of Head Start is having access to a mental health consultant in our program. The role of the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant is to support children, staff and families with social, emotional, behavioral and mental health concerns.
LCCAA contracts with Ohio Guidestone to provide these important services in our program. The professionals available are:
Kristie Duffy: Serving Hopkins Locke and East Lorain Horizon, 440-5523169, kristie.duffy@ohioguidestone.org.
Susan Frazier: Serving Griswold and Horizon Education Center in Elyria, 440-522-7272, susan.frazier@ohioguidestone.org.
Pam Kryc: Serving Central Plaza, Westwood Elementary, Firelands Elementary, Horizon Education Center, South Lorain, Little Lighthouse, Home-Based, LaGrange, South Elyria Head Start, 440-616-0254 ,pamela.kryc@ohioguidestone.org.
Parents are Key Partners
We all send our children to school with dreams of academic success. We hope for inspiring teachers who will motivate and challenge. Did you know that creating a partnership with these teachers can enhance your child’s experience even further?
Parent involvement in school has been shown to result in improved reading and math skills, as well as increased confidence and social skills. This is why your Head Start community has many ways for you to be involved.
Aside from your required home visits and parent/teacher confer-
ences, you can increase this partnership in a variety of ways, such as: volunteering in the classroom, completing activity logs or learning links, attending enrichment activities, attending monthly parent meetings, or joining committees.
Please see your teacher or family service assistant to learn more!
Picture day at Griswold is Oct. 22. Pictures at Hopkins-Locke are set for Nov. 14 and 15. Check your site for other dates.
Reflexes Should Develop from Infancy
A quick response to touching a hot stove would be to quickly move your hand away from it. This is called a reflex, and we have many of these automatic natural reactions within our bodies to keep us safe.
Reflexes have been part of our lives since infancy. All human beings start life with primitive reflexes which eventually fade as our bodies and minds develop. Integration of reflexes is a critical but seldom discussed developmental milestone.
Primitive reflexes help infants with basic survival such as the sucking reflex that helps coordinate between breathing and swallowing. Other primitive reflexes relate to head control and distinguishing between moving the head and moving other parts of the body.
As motor, sensory and cognitive skills develop, these primitive reflexes should give way to higher skills. Most reflexes should be integrated by 22 months. Retaining primitive reflexes can lead to developmental delays and studies have estimated as many as half of school-aged children have retained reflexes that are creating issues.
Some of the factors impacting the lack of integration include less floor time for babies, increased screen
time, and lack of exposure to materials. This topic was covered extensively during LCCAA Head Start’s training before school started last month.
Retaining reflexes can create issues for both gross and fine motor development as well as behavior. Some examples:
X Poor posture or decreased balance which can lead to injuries or accidents.
X Lack of coordination creating issues with learning to write or use scissors and, later, learning to read.
X Decreased concentration, attention span leading to behavior issues.
The good news is that with proper therapy these reflexes can become integrated, and the delays minimized.
LCCAA Head Start staff will use what they learned to monitor children in the classroom and stay on the lookout for indications that therapy from one of our partners or simple modifications in our routines may be needed.
If you suspect any developmental issues in your child or would like to learn exercises you can do at home, please contact your child’s teacher. We are your partner in your child’s education, so always share any concerns you may have.
November Try Day to Preview Cooking Class
LCCAA Head Start’s Nutrition
Staff have been working to find creative ways to bring easy, healthy recipes to families at centers and at home.
The program’s Try Days have been a popular way to introduce children to new foods. Classrooms receive the food in raw form and investigations involve all five senses. Sometimes information is shared on how the food is grown or a story about the food is read.
This year’s first Try Day will feature barley during the week of Nov. 4. On Nov. 6, dietician Marge
Robison from Pisanick Partners will be in the lobby at HopkinsLocke so parents can try barley too.
In December, the Nutrition Staff returns with its popular virtual cooking lessons. The Out of the Box series will also feature barley with a recipe for vegetable barley soup shared on Dec. 4. An easy no-knead bread recipe will be shared Dec. 11.
Mark your calendars for these great events held via Zoom. Watch your email or ask your child’s teacher for sign up details.
Great Apple Crunch Planned
for Oct. 10
Crunching is coming to LCCAA Head Start classrooms on Oct. 10.
Once again, students and staff will participate in the Great Apple Crunch along with hundreds of students across the Great Lakes region.
LCCAA students will each receive a copy of Peppa Goes Apple Picking as part of the day’s events.
Upcoming Days Off
X Oct. 11: No School, Planning Day
X Oct. 14: No School, Home Visits
X Oct. 21: No School, Home Visits
X Oct. 28 to Nov. 1: Fall Break
X Nov. 5: No School, Election Day
X Nov. 11: No School, Veterans Day - Wellington and LaGrange will be in session
Wear pink October 16 to promote Breast Cancer Awareness.
Wear purple October 17 to support victims of Domestic Violence.
Last fall, Hopkins-Locke students tried sweet potatoes in a joint Try Day/Thanksgiving event.
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. 10: Dental at Central, Little Lighthouse
X Oct. 18: Dental at Horizon, South Elyria, LaGrange
X Nov. 7: Lead at Wellington, Firelands
X Nov. 8: Lead at South Elyria, LaGrange, Horizon
X Nov. 12: Dental at Hopkins, Horizon
X Nov. 13: Lead at Central, Little Lighthouse
X Nov. 15: Dental at Griswold, Horizon
X Nov. 19: Lead at Hopkins, Horizon
X Nov. 20: Lead at Griswold, Horizon
X Nov. 21: Dental at Wellington, Firelands
X Dec. 10: Lead Makeup Day
Scan this code to see the latest menu for most of our Head Start Centers.
Centers Choose Policy Council Members
Officers and representatives have been elected for the 2024-25 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.
Coreasa Portis, a parent from Central Plaza and threeyear veteran of the council, was elected President. As President, Portis also has a seat on the LCCAA Board of Directors. She works as a phlebotomist at CSL Plasma in Elyria. Last year, she served as the Council’s Vice President.
“I love Head Start. I advocate all the time,” Portis said.
“It’s been wonderful and I want to continue on this journey with my child.”
Genesis Rodriguez, from Hopkins-Locke was elected Vice President. This is her fourth year on the Council and last year she served as Secretary.
“It’s a really nice opportunity,” said Rodriguez, who serves as co-pastor at Iglesia Pent. Llama de Fuego Inc.
“I’ve learned a lot and been able to take a lot of great information back to my church.”
McKayla Williams from Wellington and Janessa
Aponte from Hopkins-Locke will serve as Secretary and Assistant Secretary. Other members include: Robin Krasienko from South Elyria, Amanda Bruce from Firelands, Adrianna Rodriguez from Griswold, Mercedes Williams from Hopkins-Locke, Tana Panter from LaGrange and Ashley Boyd from Little Lighthouse.
Alternates are: Kathleen Brown from South Elyria, Jessica Garcia from Firelands, Dana Maschari and Amarilis Portalatin Torres from Griswold, Megan Hite and Nairelys Perez from Hopkins-Locke, Joe Schlimenti from LaGrange, and Emily Gilbert and Craig Hignett from Wellington.
Read for the Record, Get Wild on Oct. 24
Head Start annually participates in a global reading experience that promotes both early language and social-emotional development. This year, staff are organizing two events to coincide with Read for the Record.
Head Start will read Piper Chen Sings on Oct. 24, the same day as our Wild About Language and Literacy events.
Piper Chen Sings is an empowering story about a girl who turns her performance jitters into confidence when faced with singing a solo at her school concert. The story is inspired by the childhood experience of Grammy award-winning actress Phil-
Home-Based Events
lipa Soo who originated the role of Eliza in Hamilton. Soo wrote the book along with Maris Pasquale Doran. Illustrations are by Qin Leng.
The Wild About events will be held at Griswold and Hopkins-Locke from 5 to 7 p.m. The events will feature food, door prizes and lots of language and literacy activities.
Families at other LCCAA Head Start centers can attend either event. Hopkins-Locke is located at 1050 Reid Ave., Lorain. Griswold is located at 631 Griswold Ave., Elyria. Contact your child’s teacher for more details.
Committee Meetings
Oct. 24: Education & Disabilities Advisory, Central, 9 a.m.
Nov. 21: Health Services Advisory, HopkinsLocke, 9 a.m.
Take Advantage of Agency Produce Center
Residents throughout Lorain County can take advantage of the LCCAA Produce Center every week.
Households 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 center.
The center focuses on hard to get fresh produce items and is hoping to create a choice system in the future.
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.
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. The center has also benefited from extra produce grown in Lorain by Solidarity Farms.
Additionally, an Americorps volunteer has been tending the raised beds in front of the agency’s warehouse to provide some items.
The Produce Center is staffed by
youth assigned to LCCAA’s Youth Services program.
Visit our website for more information or to place your order. Contact Center Manager Deirdre Paynter at 440-457-0327.
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, 2025.
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 our website.
Make a Plan to Vote Nov. 5
LCCAA encourages all Lorain County residents to exercise their right to vote this fall.
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7 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. 8 and continues through Nov. 3. Hours expand as the election nears. For a complete list, visit voteloraincountyohio.gov. Polls on Election Day, Nov. 5, are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
LCCAA encourages you to get registered and make a plan to vote.
Head Start classrooms will be closed on Election Day this year. LCCAA offices will close at noon.
X Thanksgiving lunch will be served on Nov. 22 to all centers supplied from our central kitchen.
X Firelands will be in session on Mon. Nov. 25.
X Firelands, LaGrange and Wellington will be closed Nov. 27-29.
X Central, Griswold, Hopkins Locke and South Elyria dismiss at 3 p.m. on Nov. 27 and are closed Nov. 28 and 29.
X LCCAA offices are closed Nov. 28 and 29.
