1 (Issue #1, Volume 12)
February 2009
The GLEAMNS Herald
HEAD START PROGRAM ~ PO Box 1326 ~ GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA ~ 29648
(864) 223-8434
www.gleamnshrc.org
The Director’s Corner...
Elaine F. Kennedy
Working Together
We are excited about the start of a new
year. We conquered several challenges in
2008, and we are preparing to implement
new strategies to improve Head Start
services in 2009.
GLEAMNS Head Start is a place where
everyone is special.
Our centers are
organized to enable teachers to teach and
students to learn. The efforts of the staff
to create a climate for learning are
reflected in the accomplishments and
achievements of our
children.
Our educational goal is
to make learning so
exciting and fun that
students will experience the joy of
discovering new ideas and building new
skills. As children discover, it is our hope
they will develop a love of learning that
will create lifelong learners.
Parents, we must work together in the
educational process for children. I realize
there will be times parents will need to
speak to their child’s teacher.
We
welcome the opportunity to talk with
parents and offer our services. However,
we ask all parents to follow proper
procedures. If you are concerned with a
classroom situation, you should begin
with the teacher.
The teacher has
firsthand knowledge of your child’s
abilities and the daily activities.
If your concerns are unresolved after
meeting with the teacher, you should
contact the Center Coordinator.
The
Center Coordinator will then work with
you and the teacher to resolve the
problem.
If there is still no resolution, the Area
Manager should be contacted. When all
else fails, the Head Start Director would
then be contacted.
We are expecting great results in 2009.
Have a wonderful year!
Weekly Chats with the Director
To
improve
our
services
and
communication with parents
and those in the community,
we will be implementing
“Chat with the Director”. Each
Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.
will be set aside for the Director to chat
with parents and those in the community.
Interested persons will be able to go to
the agency’s website and access the link
for the weekly chats. Persons will have
the opportunity to ask anything about our
centers and program. I hope you will
drop by for a chat.
Harvard University Educational
Opportunity
Harvard University announced from now
on, undergraduate students from lowincome families will pay no tuition. If
you are or know of a family earning less
than $60,000 a year with an honor
student graduating from high school soon,
Harvard University wants to pay the
tuition.
For more information, call the school’s
financial aid office at (617) 495-1581 or
visit Harvard’s financial aid website at:
2 (Issue #1, Volume 12)
February 2009
http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu.
Inclement Weather
There is always
inclement weather
months. Therefore,
staff and parents
Weather policy.
the possibility of
during the winter
we wish to remind
of our Inclement
In
cases
of
inclement
weather, Head Start centers
will operate in accordance with the
School District in the county where the
Head Start Center is located. Information
on agency closings or delayed openings
will be communicated to radio and
television stations by 6:30 a.m. and
posted on GLEAMNS Internal Website.
The following radio and television
stations will be notified of our center
delays or closings:
Radio Stations
WCRS 1450 AM
WCRS 94.1 FM
SUNNY
103.5
FM
WZLA 92.9 FM
WLMA 1350 AM
TV Stations
WYFF-TV Channel 4
WFBF-TV Channel 6
WSPA-TV Channel 7
WIS-TV Channel 10
WRDW-TV Channel
12
WJMZ 107.3 FM
extremely important for parents to assist
us with our in-kind efforts.
One of our methods for generating in-kind
is the homework sheets. These sheets are
sent home Monday-Thursday with a
learning activity for parents to assist
their child. Once the learning activity is
completed, the parent should sign the
homework sheet and indicate the number
of minutes spent in completing the
activity. Parents, this is a simple way to
help your child with his or her education
and help the program to meet our in-kind
requirement.
Additionally, parents and those in the
community can help increase our in-kind
by volunteering in the center or classroom
and donating items that directly benefit
the Head Start program.
Recruitment for our 2009-10 school year
started December 1. Children are eligible
to participate in Head Start if they are
from families with incomes below the
federal poverty level or if their families
are
eligible
for
public
assistance.
Children must be three years old on or
before September 1.
For a listing of
centers in your area, go to our website at
www.gleamnshrc.org.
In-Kind
The federal government provides 80%
funding for Head Start programs, and the
remaining 20% must come from a “local
match” or “in-kind” contributions. This
local match or in-kind may be in the form
of monetary contributions, donations of
goods or services, or volunteer hours.
If programs fail to obtain
and
document
the
required
20%,
Head
Start funding may be
reduced. If funding is reduced, this will
mean a decrease in the number of
children served.
Therefore, it is
Annual Recognition Luncheon
Each year we have a recognition luncheon
to honor parents, volunteers, and staff
who
have
made
an
outstanding
contribution to the program. This event
will be held March 13, 2009, at the
Brookland Banquet and Conference Center
in West Columbia, South Carolina,
beginning at 12:00 noon.
Andrea
Giggetts, motivational speaker from
Jacksonsville, Florida, will deliver the
keynote address.
Ms. Giggetts has
provided many workshops and seminars
for the Head Start community. She is a
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February 2009
dynamic speaker, and her messages are
very encouraging and uplifting.
Job Vacancies
We
are
now
actively
substitutes,
teacher
assistants, teachers, and
custodians for our 200910
school
year.
Qualifications
for
these
positions are listed below:
recruiting
Teachers must have three years of child
care experience and a BS or AA degree or
certificate in early childhood education or
a related field.
Substitutes and Teacher Assistants are
required to have one year of child care
experience and a high school diploma or
GED.
Custodians must be able to perform
cleaning tasks and operate various types
of cleaning equipment to care for and
maintain assigned buildings and related
facilities.
A High School Diploma or
equivalent skills are required.
For additional information on job
opportunities, visit our website at
www.gleamnshrc.org.
Parent Reminders
Carol Bush, FCP Liaison
Often it is difficult to keep up with day-today chores. However, we all must stay
mindful of our responsibilities as the
caretakers of our children and look out
for their best interests.
Parents, we are asking that you inform
your child’s Center Coordinator and/or
Case Worker when there are changes in
your address, telephone numbers, contact
persons, etc.
We have had children
become ill at school and have been unable
to locate parents due to changes in phone
numbers.
Please check your child’s book bag daily
for information sent home to you. We
wouldn’t want you to miss an important
event at the center or not be informed of
center closings because you forgot to
check your child’s book bag. If there is
information that you need to provide to
us, we ask that you return the
information promptly.
In order for us to keep up with
absenteeism, please send a note to school
explaining the reason your child is absent
from school. If the absence is due to
sickness and your child saw a doctor, then
a doctor’s excuse will be fine.
And finally, you will be receiving an
Intent to Return letter asking you to let
us know where your child will be
attending school next year. If this is your
child’s first year in Head Start, we hope
he or she will return to our program next
year.
If your child will be attending
kindergarten, we wish him or her much
success and hope all children’s Head Start
experience will enhance their journey
through education.
Parent Involvement
Michael Raiford, Parent Involvement Liaison
Family Cluster
The first annual family cluster took place
on November 21, 2008. The event’s theme
was “Dress for Success”. Parents received
information on how to prepare for the
challenges of getting their dream job.
They were introduced to seminars that
focused
on
effective
resume
writing,
appropriate
attire
for interviews, how
to write a knock out
cover
letter,
best
interview practices, and
how to make a stunning first impression.
The presentations were conducted by
Michael Raiford, Nicole Moss, and Nerixsa
Robinson.
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The Family Cluster Committee would like
to thank all the parents and staff who
attended. Our next Cluster will be held in
March. The topic for the cluster will be
“Building Healthy Relationships and
Marriages”.
Parent-Teacher Conferences and Home
Visits
Regenia Leonard, Education Liaison
Parent-Teacher Conferences and Home
Visits between parents and teachers are
an important element of early childhood
education. At the preschool level, the
parent-teacher conferences and home
visits are a critical time for teachers to
truly collaborate with parents. These
events provide an opportunity for parents
to ensure their child is receiving the
proper foundation for developmental
growth.
GLEAMNS Head Start conducts parentteacher conferences and home visits to
engage parents in the educational process
of their children. These
conference and home visits
allow teachers to update the
parents on how their child is
doing in the areas of social,
physical,
emotional
and
educational development.
Parent-teacher
conferences
and home visits also provide an
opportunity for parents to ask any
questions about their child or the Head
Start program. Additionally, the visits
allow parents and teachers to form a true
partnership, strengthen the lines of
communication, provide a broad view of
the program, and discuss their goals for
the year.
Parent-teacher conferences and home
visits are scheduled two times during the
school year. However, teachers are to
meet with parents at any time necessary.
2nd Home Visit
Month of March
February 2009
2nd Parent-Teacher Conference
Month of April
The classroom teachers would like to
remind parents to check their child’s book
bag for homework assignments and be
sure to return the home activity form.
Travel Safety
Monica Foster, Transportation Liaison
When traveling by vehicle for winter
travel, be sure to plan ahead. This is the
time of year when weather conditions can
change drastically. Know where you are
going. For longer trips, get a weather
forecast and a map. Stay on well traveled
roads, especially at night.
Inform family members of your plans and
cover as much ground as possible in
daylight hours. If you have a cell phone,
take it with you but refrain from using it
while driving. Please note in many states
is now unlawful to use cell phones while
driving.
When on the road, keep doors locked,
windows rolled up as much as possible,
and keep at least a half tank of fuel. For
long trips, plan to have your vehicle
serviced and consider keeping the
following items in a safety kit:












A thermal blanket
Gallon of water
“Help” sign and reflectors
Duct tape
A set of jumper cables, tire gauge,
and work gloves
Hand tools
Flashlight (Check batteries before
traveling)
Towels and toilet paper
Disposable raincoat
Spare change for a pay phone
A comfortable pair of shoes
A basic first aid kit
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If you don’t have to travel alone, then
don’t. A road trip is more fun when
shared with others.
Be Safe --- Stay Safe.
Health News
Mary Williams, Health Liaison
Employee Recognition
We would like to congratulate all our Case
Workers for an outstanding job in
obtaining 100% compliance for the 45day
screening
requirements.
Additionally,
we
congratulate
the
following Case Workers for obtaining
100% compliance for the 90-day exam
requirements:
Tracy Baldwin
Jocalandra Brunson
Tammy Coleman
Bessie Collins
Barbara Cunningham
Kyshon Dewalt
Mary Dixon
Crystal Dones
James Duncan
Jarsalyn Eichelberger
Amye B. Frazier
Kelli Freeman
Tiiu Goode
Ann Holiday
Brandy Jeffcoat
Wanda Jones
Kathy Love
Dana Lyons
Shontele McPherson (Lexington)
Vivian Miller
LaCheryl Mobley
Gwen Moore
Nicole Moss
Tyesha Nelson
Shinque Pugh
Nerixsa Robertson
Mary Singley
Charlene Sumpter
Sylvia Thomas
Makeyla Thompson
Libra Wilmore
February 2009
To Our Parents or Guardians
We thank you for your support in helping
us to reach 100% compliance with our
screenings and exams for 2008. We ask
for your continued support in keeping
your child’s immunizations current and
taking your child for the recommended
follow-up service for screenings, physical
and/or dental exams. It is critical that all
children receive the recommended dental
follow-up prior to the child leaving the
program in May. Our staff will be glad to
assist you in making appointments and
with transportation, if needed. Be sure to
keep all appointments and arrive on time.
Again, thank you for your support!
“Wishing all of you a safe, healthy and
rewarding 2009 Head Start Year”!