October Newsletter
2018
Readers of the monthly newsletter will see that October was an extremely busy month at Tri-Valley. So much so that an item or two will be mentioned next month. With that said, I will just highlight a few things and let folks get on to the content. As has become the custom, Tri-Valley Senior Programs held their Foster Grandparent volunteer recognition banquet in October. Unfortunately, early season winter weather limited attendance but those who could make it were treated to a great time. As always, the stories from the worksites are amazing and I truly cherish the opportunity to personally thank the volunteers for the incredible service they provide to children in our area. In addition, I want to make mention of the speaker this year, Sally Erickson. Sally is originally from Ada and has written a book about some of her life experiences. She is somewhat new to public speaking but really held the attention of our group. We held two events for Agassiz Townhomes in October. You will read more later in the newsletter but I wanted to provide a few of my thoughts. The first event was a celebration held to highlight the tremendous collaborations that made the project happen. I will remind everyone that Tri-Valley has not developed a project similar to Agassiz since 2000 and has not had a Housing Department that has developed anything new in well over 10 years. I am the last one around here to have much to do with housing and that experience was short-lived. Needless to say, it took a bunch of help from our friends at Three Rivers Community Action and our local partners to make Agassiz Townhomes a reality. The celebration was amazing and, at least in part, led to a visit the following week from Senator Amy Klobuchar. It was so exciting to say that the Senator was in Crookston and she was not at a large employer or the U of M campus, she was at Tri-Valley! I will close this month with a reminder to benefit eligible staff that our Open Enrollment period started at the end of October. Please review your options ASAP and make your selections as soon as you are able.
In This Issue:
In This Issue:
* CEO News and Notes * Rogers Center Hosts Masquerade Balle * Foster Grandparents are Very Special People * Glencoe Center Hosts Fun on the Farm * Head Start Staff Earn Family Service Credential * Rogers Center Celebrates Teacher Day * Pruneda Earns Her CDA * Fire Department Visits Glencoe Center * Rogers Center Learns to Recycle * East Grand Forks Center Treated to Lunch * Apple Orchard Visits Glencoe Center * Crookston Great Apple Crunch
* Tagline Champs Crowned * Danube Center Happenings * Sen. Klobuchar Visits Agassiz Townhomes * Rogers Center Happenings * Tri-Valley Takes Part in United Way Event * Grandparents Day at LPA Elementary * Fire Department Visits Monticello Center * Agassiz Townhomes Partner Open House * Principal Visits Crookston Center * Rochester Parent Meeting * Monticello Fall Festival * Tri-Valley Board of Directors
Rogers Center Hosts Masquerade Ball The Rogers center hosted a masquerade ball on for their families to promote more male involvement. The families donated decorations, food, desserts, and prizes to have a fun night. They played games, musical chairs, danced and participated in a raffle with prizes that parents donated!
Glencoe Center Hosts Fun on the Farm The Glencoe center hosted their family fun festival “Fun on the Farm” on Friday, September 28. Kids and parents got to pet goats and a baby chicken, climb into a tractor, and sit in a fire truck and police car. Inside the center, kids were able to paint pumpkins, take pictures at the photo booth, play bingo and have their faces painted. Each child left with a donated book and a bag of apples! Thank you to Midwest Machinery Co. who donated the use of the tractor and Goat Shine who provided the petting zoo.
Foster Grandparents are Very Special People What a great photo! Foster Grandparents are very special people. Thank you Grandma Narda and Grandma Shirley for all that you do! From the Fosston School District Facebook page: Grandma Narda & Grandma Shirley skipping to their next class... Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho it’s off to class we go!! We love our Foster Grandma’s at MES!!”
Upcoming Calendar Items: * Nov. 5 - HS/EHS Policy Council Meeting * Nov. 5 - Childcare Informational Meeting * Nov. 10 - MSHS/MSEHS Policy Council meeting
Fire Department Visits Crookston Center The Crookston Fire Department stopped by the Crookston center as they gear up for Fire Prevention Week. The children had the opportunity to meet a firefighter named Ryan. He showed them how he put on all his fire gear and taught them some safety tips about fire. Following the fire safety tips, the kids were able to head outside to explore the fire truck!
Head Start Staff Earn Family Service Credential Three Head Start, Child & Family Programs Family Advocates recently earned their Family Service Credential. Those earning their credential were Avril Kruchten (Monticello), Veronica Hernandez (Brooten) and Erika Todd (Sleepy Eye). Congratulations to you on all of your success!
Are you seeking a career with purpose? Tri-Valley is a rapidly growing organization and is always looking for qualified employees; we seek highly motivated, talented candidates to join our staff. Tri-Valley offers a supportive work-environment and a competitive benefits package to our employees. Apply today at Tri-Valley! https://careers.tvoc.org/
For more information call Nancy Ramon at 1-800-820-7263
Fire Department Visits Glencoe Center
Rogers Center Celebrates International Teacher Day Rogers Center Manager Vanessa Escamilla surprised her teachers with a gift for International Teacher’s Day. Thank you for all the hard work and dedication to the program!
On Wednesday October 10, the Glencoe Fire Department visited the Glencoe center for Fire Safety Week. Fire Fighter Edgar dressed in fire gear piece by piece and talked to the kids about the protective gear firefighters wear. Children also got to practice how to stop, drop and roll to protect themselves. In the end, kids were able to go to the fire truck and explore the equipment!
Rogers Center Learns to Recycle
Pruneda Earns Her CDA Crystal Pruneda from the Grafton center earned her Preschool Child Development Associate Credential (CDA). Congratulations Crystal on all of your hard work!
The Rogers center’s preschool-2 classroom taught their children about recycling. In their curriculum, teacher Monica Ramirez and assistant teacher Anna Rivera talked to the children about reducing, reusing and recycling garbage, and the benefits of doing it for our environment. They also did a visual poster about the topic with the help of all the children. Everyone learned a lot!
Crookston Great Apple Crunch East Grand Forks Center Staff Treated to Special Lunch Nejat Usso, a parent at the East Grand Forks center, made a wonderful lunch for all the staff on October 10 to say thank you for all their hard work. The lunch provided was made by Nejat and is all food from Ethiopian and Somali culture. It included Doro Wat (eggs and chicken in spiced sauce), Injera (an Ethiopian sourdough flatbread), Sambusa (fried triangle dough filled with meat), Anjero (squash) and Rulach (a dessert). It was incredible for staff to experience such wonderful array cultural foods!
Apple Orchard Comes to the Glencoe Center Schmanski Apple Orchard visited the Glencoe center to celebrate “The Great Apple Crunch” on October 11. Owner Ron Schmanski talked to the kids about the different types of apples that are grown in Minnesota and while kids ate a Regent apple from his farm he showed kids how to pick apples from an apple tree. Ron also cut an apple open and talked about the seeds and how apples are grown at the orchard.
(Courtesy of the Crookston Times) In celebration of National Farm to School Month and the Great Apple Crunch event, District 1B Rep. Deb Kiel and Senator Mark Johnson joined Crookston Head Start kids Thursday to take part in a “Legislator to Lunch” visit and the Great Apple Crunch where everyone in attendance takes a bite of an apple at the same time. Child nutrition and the Farm to School / Early Care programs were highlighted on behalf of Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc.
Tagline Champs Crowned The education team of Nancy Mellesmoen (Early Childhood Coach), Amber Athey (Education Disabilities Services Manager), Cindy Scott (Early Childhood Coach), Dee Dee Vos (Early Childhood Coach) and Linda Steinback (Early Childhood Coach) won the tagline competition held at PP&P meeting. The Tri-Valley Head Start, Child & Family Programs Marketing Team put on the tagline competition. Their winning tagline was Tri-Valley: Our Passion – Your Future. Great job to everyone that participated!
Danube Center Happenings The Danube center is continuing to learn about where food comes from and trying new foods that are locally grown. In September, the classrooms tried cooked beets and looked at the raw vegetable. This October they had the Great Apple Crunch and tasted three different colored apples. The center also “farmed” for apples in a scavenger hunt in a classroom. Everyone really enjoyed the apple activities!
Rogers Center Happenings Family Advocate Heidi Campos Esparza from the Rogers center completed her Family Service Credential course and received her certificate. Great job Heidi! The Rogers center staff and children participated in the National Apple Crunch Day to promote farm to Head Start foods.
Senator Klobuchar Visits Agassiz Townhomes Senator Amy Klobuchar heard about the wonderful community collaboration that made Agassiz Townhomes a reality, which led to a tour of the townhomes being the focus of her recent visit to Crookston. In addition to a discussion about the townhomes/ affordable housing in Crookston, community leaders brought forth lack of childcare, immigration and tariffs on ag products forward as concerns.
Grandparents Day at LPA Elementary Tri-Valley Programs Take Part in United Way Event Tri-Valley Senior Programs and Transportation Programs good part in the United Way of Crookston's 19th Annual Soup & Chili Cook-Off & Chocolate Extravaganza on Monday, October 15. Senior Programs showcased chocolate dipped caramels with sea salt and Transportation Programs battled other competitors with their Tri-Valley Traveling Soup. Pictured from transit are Cindy Gjerswold, Christine Meine and Elizabeth Hensrud. It was a great evening with one of the largest crowds ever at the event!
On October 17, Lake Park Audubon Elementary held “Grandparents Day” with an estimated 400 grandparents in attendance. Kristal Abrahamson (Senior Programs Coordinator) attended to recruit Foster Grandparents from that area. What a great turnout. (Photo courtesy of LPA School District)
Fire Department Visits Monticello Center The Monticello center had special visitors on Thursday, October 11. Monticello Fire Department staff came to demonstrate what to do in case of an emergency. After, the kids got to look at the inside of the fire truck!
Rochester Parent Meeting Agassiz Townhomes Partner Open House (Courtesy of the Crookston Times) Although a scheduling conflict led to the postponement of public tours of Crookston’s new, 30-unit townhome complex on North Broadway, various stakeholders, partners and representatives of other agencies who helped make the project a reality gathered in the U of M Crookston’s Bede Ballroom on Thursday to celebrate the (near) completion of the project.
The Rochester center held its last parent meeting of the season in October. They read the book The Kissing Hand and then they did an activity with the parents with a message in English and Spanish saying: “A piece of me I give to you, this special heart because I love you. The heart is you, the hand is me. It shows that we are a family”
Monticello Fall Festival
Elementary School Principal Visits Crookston Center The Crookston center invited Washington Elementary School Principal Denice Oliver to come to Head Start to read with the children in honor of National Head Start Awareness Month and National Principals month. She brought two amazing books to share and left a copy behind so the children could enjoy the story over and over. It was fun to give her a tour and visit about shared services. The preschool children were all smiles as they got to meet their future principal!
The Monticello center hosted their annual Fall Festival on October 18. The families were able to spend time with their children enjoying the different activities the staff prepared for them. After the Fall Festival, the center held a parent meeting utilizing the Ready Rosie workshop, "Words Matter".