Head Start Family Newsletter- March 2021

Head Start Family News News from Lorain County Community Action Agency Head Start • March 2021 Director’s Corner

Exciting Times Ahead for LCCAA Head Start Hello Head Start Families!

I am so excited to announce the partial re-opening of Head Start classrooms!

We begin Tuesday March 2nd and will be a hybrid model for now with in person learning on Tuesdays and Thursdays (see your center for specific times).

We are focusing on children who are transitioning to kindergarten first to ensure these children receive as many learning opportunities as they can to prepare for kindergarten.

This structure is hopefully temporary. We want to get back to providing regular services as soon as we can; however, we must keep safety a priority for all.

Your Family Service Worker will contact you and provide additional information. We are looking forward to seeing the children once again!

I am also excited about Dr. Seuss month! We celebrate Dr. Theodor (Ted) Seuss as he is a beloved children’s author, illustrator, poet, animator and filmmaker. He was born on March 2, 1904 and wrote more than 60 books. I believe his writings bring out the child in all of

us encouraging us to explore life and have fun doing it!

The Head Start staff have some great things planned for this month and I know you will want to do the same at home. What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book? There are so many to choose from but my favorite is Oh, the Places You’ll Go! It talks about the possibilities of life adventures. We are coming up on one year since the COVID-19 crisis began. This quote from the book provides me with hope the crisis will soon be a thing of the past: Out there things can happen, and frequently do, To people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry, don’t stew.

Just go right along, you’ll start happening too! ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Shauna Matelski, Ed.D. Head Start Director

Details on Hybrid Learning

Our new hybrid program for students preparing for kindergarten will include in person learning two days a week and virtual learning two days a week.

All in person classes for the hybrid model will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Wellington’s hybrid students will have virtual learning on Mondays and Fridays.

All other hybrid students will have virtual learning on Wednesdays and Fridays.

New procedures implemented in the fall will continue including curbside drop off and pickup, temperature checks, and hand washing as soon as children arrive.

During in person instruction, children will be required to wear

Head Start Works! www.lccaa.net 1-888-245-2009

masks. LCCAA will provide masks if needed and assist the children.

Most centers will be operating on shortened hours: Hopkins-Locke, Cascade and Griswold centers from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., LaGrange from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wellington from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Firelands from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

March is National Nutrition Month

LCCAA Head Start supports the entire family and the inclusion of quality nutrition services is a vital part of meeting our families’ needs.

National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

During March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.

“We empower our families by helping them to learn what their children need,” said Health and Nutrition Manager Rebecca Rodriguez. “We also show them how they can be nutritionally balanced while still having budget-friendly meals that aren’t hard or time consuming to prepare.”

Nationwide, Head Start Programs must implement a nutrition program that meets the nutritional requirements and feeding needs of each child. They must serve a variety of different foods, taking into consideration the ethnic or cultural preferences of the child, as a means of broadening each child’s food experience and willingness to try new things.

The nutritional portion of the LCCAA Head Start Program is funded by USDA Food and

LaGrange Head Start teacher Trinity Barajas passes oranges to her students in a family style meal held just before the COVID-19 crisis closed LCCAA Head Start centers last spring.

Consumer Services Child Nutrition Programs. LCCAA Head Start typically provides breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack. During virtual learning, these meals are distributed in special pick up days.

To build healthy eating habits, all toddlers and preschool children eat “family style” with classroom staff and volunteers when they are in centers. Children often help distribute items and serve themselves from larger bowls of food they pass among their friends.

LCCAA Head Start works to introduce new foods by building classroom activities around Try Days.

Children are offered the opportunity to touch a whole cantaloupe, examine it and smell it before they try cantaloupe chunks, for example.

Both children and parents have been offered multiple chances to try the new food. Popular items have been added to the LCCAA menu.

For more tips for National Nutrition Month, visit https://www. eatright.org.

Book of the Month: A Very Special Vegetable

Join us in early April for a Book Club discussion of A Very Special Vegetable, a bilingual tale written by Anna W. Bardaus and illustrated by Carolina Farias.

A peddler’s seed brings a whole town together and turns into a magical surprise in this whimsical re-imagining of two classic vegetable folk tales (The Enormous Turnip, Jack and the Beanstalk).

While on the hunt for the perfect vegetable, Niko runs into his friends who suggest different delicious and healthy foods. He soon realizes that he needs all the vegetables to make the most satisfying meal.

Books will be sent home soon. LCCAA Head Start Book Club meets by Zoom. Our March 1 meeting will feature the book I Need A Hug by Aaron Blabey. Log-in instructions are always posted on ClassTag.

Dr. Seuss Week Includes Nutrition Piece Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

LCCAA Head Start will celebrate the life and work of prolific children’s author Dr. Seuss with special events this week and activities that have been sent home.

On Tuesday, classes will read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Students are invited and encouraged to wear red or blue while attending in-person or virtual learning and to use the Goldfish® sent home for math activities.

On Wednesday, all virtual events will include the story Wacky Wednesday. Students are invited to wear their clothing backwards, or create crazy hair styles and other expressions of wackiness.

On Thursday, classes will read Fox in Socks. Both hybrid students and virtual students are encouraged to decorate the socks sent home and show off their creativity!

Green Eggs and Ham is both a favorite book and a fun food. The book helps students practice rhyming words and learn that trying new foods can be fun. The recipe at right was sent home with family Care Bags.

Wear green while you’re whipping it up!

Please share photos of your child enjoying these activities on ClassTag or Facebook.

Stages of Development Matter in Eating Too “When do I begin to feed my baby solid food?”

This is a question asked by many new moms. There are certain skills that an infant needs to have before introducing solid foods. Some of the skills you will want to see are: XX Ability to move tongue from side to side.

XX Sitting with support.

XX Swallowing soft foods without choking.

XX Opening mouth when seeing food.

These skills usually appear between 4 and 6 months.

The recommendation for formula-fed babies is to begin with iron-fortified infant cereal (limiting rice cereal).

The recommendation for breast-fed babies is to begin with pureed baby meats to add more iron and zinc to the baby’s diet.

Between 6 and 8 months you can introduce pureed fruits and vegetables. Add them one at a time so you can monitor for potential allergies. Once your baby is accustomed to these new foods, you can move on to denser, mashed or strained foods. These are often marketed as “Stage 2.”

At around 8 to 12 months babies develop their pincer grasp and will be able to pick up food with their fingers.

At this time, you can introduce finger foods such as unsweetened cereal, toast or crackers.

Your baby will also want to begin to experiment with the spoon and will be able to feed him or herself between the ages of 15 and 18 months. A sippy cup can be introduced at about 11 months of age.

Partner Spotlight: Pisanick Partners Pisanick Partners, LLC is a nutrition and operations consulting firm that supports school and early childcare centers in the management of their food service operations.

Their decades of experience in child nutrition and food service operations management make them uniquely qualified to assist their partners in not only meeting all state and federal program mandates, but to also support and guide health and wellness initiatives.

Pisanick believes “it’s only nutrition if children swallow it” and that “the cafeteria is an extension of the classroom.” They love to support

programs in feeding children with locally sourced ingredients, making more “from scratch” recipes, and offering more choice and variety.

Marge Robison, MPH, RDN, LDN, is a registered dietitian with Pisanick Partners, LLC and has supported LCCAA Head Start for the past six years in its mission to provide quality wholesome foods in order to foster healthy lives for the children and families they serve.

She is proud to have supported the LCCAA Head Start food service staff in adding many from scratch menu Dietician Marge Robison hands items and introducing the popular Try out samples of kiwi during a Try Day at Hopkins-Locke Head Start Day program.

Dealing with Food Allergies in Head Start LCCAA Head Start’s central kitchen feeds hundreds of students every day. While feeding your child at home may be challenging at times, balancing the needs of each student along with federal and state regulations is a full-time job in the kitchen.

Food restrictions managed by Head Start nutrition staff include medically diagnosed allergies, food sensitivities and parent preferences. One common substitution is soy or lactose free milk.

Health and Nutrition Manager Rebecca Rodriguez and her staff have worked with dietician Marge Robison and Pisanick Partners since 2015 to build nutritionally dense menus with more homemade items. Robison consults with every Head Start parent before enrollment is complete to discuss food allergies and restrictions

and learn precisely what each child needs.

Children with food restrictions receive substitute items prepared in a separate station with dedicated dishes and utensils, Rodriguez said. Staff also work to make sure children don’t feel singled out when they need to eat something different.

“We try to get as close as we can to what’s on the menu,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve given it a lot of attention because it is so prevalent but also to keep improving our operations.”

Rodriguez and Robison also work closely with parents to help them understand the difference between an allergy, a sensitivity and something a child just doesn’t like. They can also provide information on substitutions available in stores that will provide good nutrition.

Smart Food Choices: Go, Slow, or Whoa! young age.

Think of the healthiest foods as “go” foods. These are foods like steamed or raw veggies, protein like chicken and skim or low-fat milk that are good to eat almost anytime and healthy for our bodies.

Foods that are OK to eat sometimes are “slow” foods. Foods Healthy eating habits are like hamburgers or pancakes aren’t important to teach your child at a off limits — but they shouldn’t be

eaten every day. Limit these types of food to a couple times a week for your child.

Some foods should make you stop, think, and say, “Whoa! Should I eat that?” These foods are the least healthy and can cause additional health problems in the future if eaten often. “Whoa!” foods are once-in-awhile foods, like French fries or ice cream.

Picky Eating Habits are Temporary From a publication by the USDA

Do any of the statements below remind you of your child?

“Ebony will only eat peanut butter sandwiches!”

“Michael won’t eat anything green, just because of the color.”

“Bananas used to be Matt’s favorite food, now he won’t even touch them!”

Your child may eat only a certain type of food or refuse foods based on a certain color or texture. They may also play at the table and may not want to eat.

Don’t worry if your child is a picky eater. Picky eating behavior is common for many children from the age of 2 to 5 years. As long as your child has plenty of energy and is growing, he or she is most likely eating enough to be healthy. If you have concerns about your child’s growth or eating behavior, talk to

your child’s doctor.

Coping with Picky Eating

Your child’s picky eating is temporary. If you don’t make it a big deal, it will usually end before school age.

Try the following tips to help you deal with your child’s picky eating behavior in a positive way.

Let your kids be “produce pickers.” Let them pick out fruits and veggies at the store.

Have your child help you prepare meals. Children learn about food and get excited about tasting food when they help make meals. Let them add ingredients, scrub veggies or help stir food.

Offer choices. Rather than ask “Do you want broccoli with dinner?” ask “Which would you like for dinner, broccoli or cauliflower?”

Enjoy each other while eating family meals together. Talk about fun and happy things. If meals are

Home-based student Madelynn Harned wasn’t picky at all when it came to the Veggie Barley Salad sent home last month for Try Day To Go. times for family arguments, your child may learn unhealthy attitudes toward food.

Offer the same foods for the whole family. Don’t be a “shortorder cook,” making a different meal for your child. Your child will be okay even if he or she does not eat a meal now and then.

Stomper’s Reading Club Returns Daddy Hair Care Will Be Virtual LCCAA Head Start students will again have a chance to read their way to a Lake Erie Crushers game by participating in Stomper’s Reading Club.

During March students who read at least three books will receive a free ticket to Head Start day at the Crushers stadium on June 13 at 2:05 p.m. Other prizes include a free drink at the stadium and a BOGO Cedar Point ticket.

The kickoff of Stomper’s Reading Club in LCCAA Head Start coincides with Read Across America Day, March 2.

Stomper typically visits Head Start centers to encourage participation in the club. This year, he sent a video which families can view on ClassTag, Facebook or www. lccaa.net. For more information on Stomper’s Reading Club, please contact your teacher, family service worker or home visitor.

LCCAA Head Start will host two virtual Daddy Hair Care events this month.

This popular event will take place via Zoom this year with events planned at both 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24. Log in credentials are posted on ClassTag or available from your Family Service Worker.

Licensed cosmetologist Tieya Riggins from Nattruelly Mee Studios will lead the morning session. Hair Love’s Kimyatta Hawthorne, also a licensed cosmetologist, will lead the afternoon session.

In this class, dads and other father figures will learn the basics of braids, twists and ponytails.

Men should log in with their hair model (daughter, granddaughter, niece, etc.) a brush or comb and some ponytail holders.

All participants will receive a hair care kit following the events.

Utility Help Procedures Changing Soon Lorain County Community Action Agency manages a range of energy services programs designed to help low-income residents stay warm, stay healthy and stay connected. During 2021, LCCAA will be updating procedures to make services more accessible and more efficient.

“We have seen a major jump in demand for crisis services over the past year,” said Planning and Community Services Director Bobby Taylor. “New procedures at the state level will allow us to focus staff time on true emergencies.”

Taylor noted that only certain requests require an appointment – currently being conducted by phone due to COVID-19 – and that most services can be accessed by completing an Energy Assistance Application with the State of Ohio online or by mail. Applications are found at energyhelp.gov and can be completed there or printed for mailing.

Programs managed at LCCAA include: Winter Crisis – for people who are without heat or who have received a disconnect notice. This program operates from Nov. 1 to March 31 annually. Households must be at or below 175% of the federal poverty line.

Home Energy Assistance Program – for people who have heat, but need assistance paying their bill. This

assistance is offered once per heating season between October and April to households at or below 175% of the federal poverty line.

Summer Crisis - for people who need air conditioning or help paying electric bills during the summer months.

Additional criteria typically apply for this program offered in July and August to those living at or below 175% of the federal poverty line.

Percentage of Income Payment Plan – for people who want to budget their payments in order to stay out of a crisis situation. Must live at or below 150% of the federal poverty line.

Appointments may be made with LCCAA by visiting app.capappointments.com. Those with a pending disconnection notice must provide an account number to place a hold on the disconnection.

Missing or rescheduling the appointment may result in disconnection.

For now, LCCAA will continue to accept appointment requests for all types of assistance. In the months ahead, non-crisis services will be redirected to energyhelp. ohio.gov to make services more readily available to those facing a genuine emergency.

For additional details on all programs, including required documents, please visit www.lccaa.net.

COVID-19 Related Assistance Available LCCAA is currently offering COVID-related assistance for water bills and mortgages. Rent assistance will resume during the month of March.

For all three programs, applicants must live at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Your inability to pay must be related to COVID-19. Funds are available for a limited time and residents should apply as soon as the programs are opened by going to our website, www.lccaa.net.

Applications for 2021 COVID Water Assistance are ongoing. If you are behind on your water/sewer bill due to COVID-19, LCCAA can pay up to three months.

The new 2021 COVID Mortgage

Assistance began February 16.

LCCAA is giving priority to homeowners who have or have had a COVID-19 related forbearance granted from their lender since April 1, 2020. The home must be the applicant’s primary residence. Up to three months past due payments can be made. A total of 250 applications will be accepted.

The 2021 COVID Rent Assistance program has received new funding which will expand benefits. This program will reopen in March.

Please watch our Facebook page and website for announcements and criteria.

For all these programs, staff time will be dedicated to processing applications. The Agency will not

be taking phone calls due to staffing constraints.

Applications with all required documents will be processed on a first come, first served basis.

Applications waiting on required documents will be passed over and, in fairness to other applicants in need of assistance, not processed until all documents are received. You will receive email status updates as your application is moved through processing.

You will also be contacted by an LCCAA staff member and provided with their contact information as they work to assist you. For security reasons, customers are asked not to send personal information to agency email addresses.

LCCAA Head Start Menu for March 2021 Sent Home Tuesday

Tuesday in Centers 2

Thursday in Centers

3

B

Banana Bread and Apple Slices

L

Cheeseburger, Pickle Chips, Ketchup; Baked Beans, Apricots

Turkey, Ham and Cheese Croissant; Juice, Yogurt, Applesauce, Milk

Lasagna Roll-Up, Steamed Green Beans, Clementine

S

Graham Crackers & Juice

Bunny Grahams and Milk

Diced Pear Cup, Granola Bar

B

Mini Bagels and Applesauce

9

Cereal, Diced Peach Cup, Milk

Cereal, Orange, Milk

10

Mini Wheats, Assorted Melon

Yogurt, Fruit and Granola Parfait

L

Beef and Veggies with Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Diced Peaches Garlic Toast

Turkey Stick, Cheese Stick, Saltine Crackers; Dragon Punch or Juice Medley; Diced Pears, Milk

French Toast Sticks, Sausage Patty, Tater Tots, Tangerine

S

Pretzel Sticks and Apple

Graham Crackers and Milk

Torilla Chips and Salsa

B

Waffle and Applesauce

16

Muffin, Fruit Cup, Milk

17

Smoothie, Bunny Grahams

L

Chicken Taco with Torilla: Tortilla, Chicken, Cheese, Lettuce, Salsa; Mango Chunks

Calzone, Marinara Cup, Apple and Milk

Chicken Drumsticks, Carrots and Green Beans, Pierogies, Tropical Fruit

S

Bunny Grahams, Fresh Orange

Pretzels and Cheese Cup

Graham Crackers, WOWBUTTER, Jelly

B

Cereal and Peaches

23

Cereal, Orange, Milk

24

Yogurt, Berry and Granola Parfait

L

Spaghetti w/Meatballs, Breadstick, California Veggies, Fresh Fruit Salad

Soy Jammer, Juice; Applesauce, Milk

Turkey w/Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Dinner Roll, Seasonal Melon

S

Diced Fruit and Beef Stick

Tortilla Chips and Salsa

Applesauce, Goldfish Crackers

B

Banana Bread and Apple Slices

30

Bagel, Applesauce and Milk

31

Mini Wheats and Assorted Melon

L

Cheeseburger, Pickle Chips, Ketchup; Baked Beans; Apricots

Grilled Cheese; Yogurt; Orange Veggie Juice, Milk

Lasagna Roll-Up, Steamed Green Beans, Clementine

S

Graham Crackers and Juice

Bunny Grahams and Milk

Diced Pear Cup and Granola Bar

4

11

18

25

1

Milk is served daily at breakfast and lunch. Children less than 2 years old are served whole milk. When a specific food allergy is identified, appropriate food substitutions will be provided.

Menu items are subject to change due to food availability or unplanned school closings. Menus are reveiwed and approved by M. Robison, MPH, RD, LD. Equal Opportunity Provider.

Second Harvest Offering Mobile Food Pantries

If your household needs help with food, look for a Second Harvest Foodbank Mobile Pantry near you.

LCCAA Youth Services workers have been assisting at both the Second Harvest warehouse and the drive through pantries since September.

In March, the youth will be at the following events: to 5:30 p.m.

XX March 4: Longfellow Middle School, XX March 25: General Johnnie Wilson Middle 4:30 to 6 p.m.

School, 4:30 to 6 p.m.

XX March 11: El Centro (Oakwood Park), For a complete list of mobile events and other ways to 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

XX March 18: Black River Landing, 3:30 get help, visit www.secondharvestfoodbank.org

Upcoming Events at LCCAA Head Start Cascade Head Start March 1-5: Dr. Seuss Week March 1: Meal Distribution *March 1: Book Club, 2 p.m.

March 8: Meal Distribution *March 8: Conferences *March 11: Parent Meeting March 15: Meal Distribution *March 24: Daddy Hair Care, 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.

March 29: Care Bags Distribution

Hopkins-Locke Head Start March 1-5: Dr. Seuss Week March 1: Meal Distribution *March 1: Book Club, 2 p.m.

March 8: Meal Distribution *March 8: Conferences March 15: Meal Distribution *March 17: Parent Meeting *March 24: Daddy Hair Care, 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.

March 29: Care Bags Distribution

Firelands Head Start March 1-5: Dr. Seuss Week *March 1: Book Club, 2 p.m. *March 8: Conferences *March 12: Parent Meeting *March 24: Daddy Hair Care, 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.

March 29: Care Bags Distribution

LaGrange Head Start March 1-5: Dr. Seuss Week March 1: Meal Distribution *March 1: Book Club, 2 p.m.

March 8: Meal Distribution *March 8: Conferences March 15: Meal Distribution *March 17: Parent Meeting, 11 a.m. *March 24: Daddy Hair Care, 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.

March 29: Care Bags Distribution

Griswold Head Start March 1-5: Dr. Seuss Week March 1: Meal Distribution *March 1: Book Club, 2 p.m.

March 8: Meal Distribution *March 8: Conferences March 15: Meal Distribution *March 17: Parent Meeting, 11 a.m. *March 24: Daddy Hair Care, 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.

March 29: Care Bags Distribution

Wellington Head Start March 1-5: Dr. Seuss Week *March 1: Book Club, 2 p.m. *March 8: Conferences *March 11: Parent Meeting *March 24: Daddy Hair Care, 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.

March 29: Care Bags Distribution

Home-Based Head Start *March 5: Early Head Start Socialization, 10:30 a.m. *March 12: Head Start Socialization, 10:30 a.m. *March 19: Early Head Start Socialization, 10:30 a.m. *March 24: Daddy Hair Care, 11 a.m. & 4 p.m. *March 26: Head Start Socialization, 10:30 a.m. * Indicates a virtual event.