Palmetto Basics Dec. 2017

The Basics initiative was initially created in Boston. The Boston Basics campaign is a joint initiative of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University, the Black Philanthropy Fund, the Boston Mayor’s Education Cabinet, the Pediatrics Department at Boston Medical Center, and WGBH Public Broadcasting. The Palmetto Basics Campaign is a member organization of the Basics National Network.

Locally, the Palmetto Basics are spearheaded by

Greenville County First Steps – Pickens County First Steps – Spartanburg County First Steps THANK YOU TO THE PALMETTO BASICS LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR THEIR DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE. Karen Allen, Greenville County Library System Lauren Briles, Primrose School of Greenville Laura Caligan-Gilliam, The Graham Foundation Debbie Cooper, Community Foundation of Greenville Natalie Dougherty, Bon Secours St Francis Health System Jennifer Harrill, United Way of Greenville Tobi Kinsell, United Way of Greenville Amanda Lecaroz, Greenville County Schools

Derek Lewis, Greenville First Steps Tobita McKinney, SHARE Head Start Jamie Moon, Institute for Child Success Tom Moran, Greenville Health System Danna Rohleder, Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees Ansel Sanders, Public Education Partners Karen Sparkman, Greenville County Schools

The quality you expect and the compassion that can only be found here.

Need a doctor?

Visit BonSecours.com/Greenville or call 864-610-5639.

During these early years of brain growth, infants and toddlers absorb massive amounts of information from interacting with other people. This early learning becomes the foundation for all future learning.

The Basics are five fun, simple, and powerful ways to help all our children become the happiest and most successful they can be!

Let’s seize the opportunity!

A CHILD’S HAVEN A Child’s Haven is a behavioral health program with the mission of providing support and education to children and parents struggling with limited resources, abuse and neglect. Team members at A Child’s Haven are helping families Maximize Love and Manage Stress everyday through their programs and individualized support system they provide each family. Their goal of creating positive and trusting relationships is creating positive change within our community.

FAMILY CONNECTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA We MAXIMIZE LOVE AND MANAGE STRESS by working to support inclusion for all. More involvement=more LOVE. Connecting parents with resources statewide and in the community is a focus of Family Connection of South Carolina. Resources reduce stress and improve family health.

-MELISSA SANDERS, FAMILY EDUCATION MANAGER

-REID T. SHERARD, BOARD PRESIDENT & PARTNER, NELSON MULLINS

SIMPSONVILLE UMC PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN BON SECOURS ST FRANCIS HEALTH SYSTEM Creating a healthy, positive environment in the early years of life has an equally positive influence on cognitive/language, social/emotional, and physical domains of human development. This includes a reduction in obesity, heart disease, and delayed learning. Bon Secours is committed to the early investment of children reaching their potential through the messaging of the Palmetto Basics.

-NATALIE DOUGHERTY, COMMUNITY BENEFITS MANAGER

Good Help to ® Those in Need

At Simpsonville UMC Preschool & Kindergarten, one of the ways we try to help families maximize love and manage stress is by hosting a monthly parent’s day out or parent’s night out as we have so many families that are without extended family here to give them that much needed date night out. We feel strongly that parents that take care of themselves and are able to nurture their own relationship can be more relaxed which leads to a more loving and stress free home for their children as well as for themselves.

-CINDY HENDERSON, DIRECTOR

KINDERMUSIK OF GREENVILLE

GREENVILLE LITTLE THEATRE

Your child’s vocabulary increases, they learn to recognize patterns, associate words with objects and feel an emotional connection with you as we Talk, Sing and Point, using our unique musical instruments: our voices.

GLT on Tour encourages young people to enjoy theatre in any way that suits them. It’s always wonderful to see young children talking to characters to help them out, singing along with the actors, and pointing to objects or actions that will help the character solve problems.

-ROSALIND CROSS, DIRECTOR

-SAM MCCALLA, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

USC UPSTATE GREENVILLE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION The USC Upstate Greenville School of Education students encourage the children in their class to TALK, SING, AND POINT daily as they discuss the calendar each day. These future teachers also present at early childhood education conferences to share ways to incorporate TALK, SING, AND POINT with child care professionals and other future teachers in South Carolina.

-STACY BURR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

DISCIPLES CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER With 15 nationalities represented in our preschool, English is a second language for many. By pointing to pictures of familiar objects the children are encouraged to repeat the name of the object in English.

This helps them connect new words to objects they represent.

-BARB MCINERNEY, DIRECTOR

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RESPOND TO COMMUNITY NEEDS! A donation to the Basics builds a stronger community.

Give @ www.greenvillefirststeps.org today.

NICHOLTOWN CHILD AND FAMILY COLLABORATIVE The Nicholtown Child and Family Collaborative promotes Count, Group, and Compare by posting it on our Facebook and Instagram accounts, with an example of a way that families could integrate these concepts into their lives. We are also including this concept into our Parent Café, and will have associated activities woven into two out of 12 of our lessons.

GREENVILLE FIRST STEPS We encourage families to find every day moments to count, group, and compare. On our Palmetto Basics Tales children’s CD, there are many opportunities to encourage learning. Families can count the number of rhyming words you hear in a song. Encourage your child to compare the songs and stories and pick their favorite.

ANNE LEE BUCK, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR

-AMANDA MCDOUGALD SCOTT , PROJECT COORDINATOR

SAFE HARBOR GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS We love to build pre-math skills at the Greenville County Child Development Centers by counting, grouping and comparing everyday objects. One of our favorite activities is to count dinosaurs, group them into colors and compare their sizes; this helps to build our children’s math and problem-solving skills.

We embrace the idea that the Palmetto Basics can be used anywhere but often begin at home. For many of our clients, one of our shelters is home. Our shelter staff encourage mothers to count, group, and compare using the household items we all encounter daily – laundry, food in the kitchen, items on the playground, etc.

Amanda Lyons, Child and Family Counseling Program Manager

-AMANDA LECAROZ, PRINCIPAL

COUNT YOUR IMPACT! 15,000 children benefit from Greenville First Steps annually. $17:$1 ROI in economic returns. Count on us and give at www.GreenvilleFirstSteps.org

GREENVILLE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM We provide preschool children with opportunities to Explore Through Movement and Play through our preschool classes (such as story time and Mother Goose on the Loose), interactive play sets in each of our library locations, and a Play and Literacy Center at the Main Library.

-KAREN ALLEN, YOUTH SERVICES MANAGER

PRIMROSE SCHOOL OF GREENVILLE From our infants to our after-schoolers, our children are in constant motion of learning through play. Each day they have activities, such as dancing to music with scarves and shakers, which allow them to EXPLORE THROUGH MOVEMENT AND PLAY!

GHS PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY At our Cystic Fibrosis Center, we recommend regular physical activity for our patients as it provides multiple benefits for those with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). We encourage our younger patients with CF to EXPLORE THROUGH MOVEMENT AND PLAY to set the foundation for a life of physical activity that will in turn help them better manage their Cystic Fibrosis -CHRISTY CLARKE, SOCIAL WORKER

-LAUREN BRILES, OWNER

LIVEWELL GREENVILLE LiveWell Greenville encourages preschools to create and nourish environments that support learning through movement and play. Learning through movement and play supports brain development and enhances a child’s learning.

-BRADY GODFREY, PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR

School-ready.

Life-ready.

COME JOIN IN THE FUN TODAY!

Infants – Private Pre-K and After School

Primrose School of Greenville 404 Houston Street | Greenville, SC 29601 | 864.370.8118 | PrimroseGreenville.com

Each Primrose school is a privately owned and operated franchise. Primrose Schools® and Balanced Learning® are registered trademarks of Primrose School Franchising Company. ©2017 Primrose School Franchising Company. All rights reserved. See primroseschools.com for ‘fact’ source and curriculum detail.

BUENA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL One of the most important things parents can do is read to their children. Studies show that early reading with children help them learn to speak, bond with parents, and read early themselves. We are committed to ensuring that every child has access to books at their home. Recently, Riverside Middle School’s book club donated 209 books to Buena Vista. Each of these books will go into the hands of children to help prepare them to be stronger readers. -TIFFANY WHITNEY, SIC MEMBER

GREENVILLE TECHNICAL COLLEGE We know that education doesn’t happen just in the classroom, so we provide quality children’s books -for students and staff to take home to their families. When parents Read and Discuss Stories they introduce children to diverse worlds – encouraging imagination, empathy, and a sophisticated vocabulary.

-CAROLE WILLIAMS, LIBRARIAN

SHARE HEAD START & EARLY HEAD START SHARE Head Start/Early Head Start supports early literacy skills throughout the program for children Birth to Five. Children are frequently read to and provided opportunities to respond to stories read aloud. We share books with families and provide information on the importance of literacy -TOBITA POSLEY-MCKINNEY, DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT

EASTSIDE FAMILY Y It is one of the best parts of my day when a child stretches up to hand me a book before plopping down in my lap, excited for the story. Parents walk past and see their children bonding over books.

When members walk past and see staff reading with a child, they feel compelled to donate books.

Our participants and our library are flourishing!

-CAROLINE SISTARE, YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES SPECIALIST

DISCUSS THE BASICS. Join your community in sharing the message by becoming a Palmetto Basics Champion at www.GreenvilleFirstSteps.org.