GULF COAST COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSOCIATION
Head Start/Early Head Start Support Services Monthly Narrative
December 2024
LEADERSHIPACTIVITIES
• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) The November 2024 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) claim was completed and submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) for reimbursement. In November there were 15 food service days for the month.There were 17 eligible sites and 1,518 eligible children.The number of meals provided: 5,162 breakfasts; 5,243 lunches and 16,372 PM snacks served.
Expected reimbursement for the month is $56,843.45.
Congratulations to Pasadena Head Start Classrooms 9, Ms. Lisa Cardenas & Ms. Sandra Hall) (1st place winner and Classroom 8 - Ms. Veronica Reyes & Ms Monica Sandoval (2nd place winner) for the Christmas door decorating contest.
TANS – The Department of Agriculture will be moving to a new electronic system called Texas Automated Nutrition System (TANS). A series of training webinars will be presented to agencies to prepare for implementation.
RegionVI New DirectorMentorProgram – TheAssistant Director presented to new Head Start Directors at the New Director Mentor Program’s virtual session. She shared successful strategies used in our program, challenges and also presented an overview of the GCCSA Head Start and Early Head Start program.
City of Houston Health Department/GCCSA Partnership – The Health & Nutrition Manager and Assistant Head Start Director met with Coby Murray, Community Liaison for the City of Houston Health Department to discuss a possiblepartnershipwiththeirLead -BasedPaint HazardControl Program.This program provides eligible families free lead inspection, painting, vinyl siding installation, window and door replacements and minimal structure repair.
TXWORKS Internship Program – The Assistant Director attended the information meeting about the TXWORKS Internship Program.! Through this program, participating TXWORKS employers are eligible for reimbursement for a portion of the costs associated with paid internships.
A Subpoena was received from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. We submitted information on the two children as requested.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT (CD)
• Early Head Start- Themes taught for this month were: Toddler- Theme 4- Opposites Week 3- On/Off, Open/Close Being able to correctly use words that describe location, and position allows children to communicate more accurately. This week children will practice using on, off, open, close. Week- 4- Big/Little, Hard, Soft. Being able to use words that describe attributes allows children to communicate more accurately. This week children will practice using big, little, hard, soft. Theme 5- Colors Week- 1- Yellow- Children love colors. They will begin to recognize colors and understand that there are variations. This week children will learn about the color yellow. Dress Max in yellow for the week. Threes- Theme 4 – Safe and Healthy Me- Week 3- Eating Well- It is often difficult to get little ones to eat well. They sometimes don’t like vegetables because
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(CD) (continued) they can have a bitter taste or meat because it is difficult to chew. This week, we will learn why it is important to eat food from all food groups and to eat three meals a day at generally the same time each day. Week 4-Active Me- Three –year –olds love to run, climb, jump, and spin at every opportunity. Their desire to move makes this a great time to encourage fitness habits that will last a lifetime. This week children will learn why it is important to get moving. Theme 5- Favorite Tales and Rhymes- Week1 Hen Tales- Traditional tales and rhymes are intergenerational. They have been passed down for centuries from mothers, fathers, and teachers. Most everyone knows the story of The Little Red Hen and The Sky is Falling (Henny Penny). This week children will hear these tales and will no doubt delight their parents, and grandparents by retelling these familiar stories at home.
• Infants- In these two classrooms the teachers implement the Activity Tracking Cards to plan for each child according to their individual need.
• Frogstreet Pre-K Curriculum: Theme 4: Choices/Decisiones. Week 1: Make Choices/Yo tomo decisiones, Week 2: Healty Choices/Decisiones saludables Week 3: Healthy Habits/ Habitos saludables, Week 4: Winter Break, Week 5: Winter Break.
• Raul Yzaguirre and RYSS STEM HS Teaching Strategies Theme presented to the children was “Boxes”. Week 1: What can we do with boxes. Week 2: What are the characteristics of boxes? Week 3: Which jobs involve boxes? Week 4: How are boxes made? Week 5: How can we move boxes?
• Play Motion Music with Nick Young has begun. Weekly live music and movement and access to PlayMotion Music curriculum online. This is a comprehensive, multimedia, online curriculum that is used to lead active, engaging and joyful interactive music and movements activities with our students in the classroom.
• Reveille Head Start’s local church sponsored a celebration for all the children at the center.
• The Child Development team and the Center Administrator have supported successfully to review CLI Engage BOY assessment for all sites
• The Child Development Specialist team continues to provide individualized coaching, and guidance to teachers and assisting with CLI Engage, planning Individualized Coaching Plan for all teaching staff, based on recent CLASS score.
• TheChildDevelopmentteamcompletedthe10%oftheFolderMonitoringChecklists for all sites.
• The Child Development team lead the following initiatives in the classroom: KinderMusik, Play Motion and Jump Bunch programs for 2023-2024 school year at all sites.
HEALTH & NUTRITION
(H/N):
• Head Start program requires within 30 calendar days after the child first attends the program, the parent must be consulted to determine whether each child has ongoingsources of continuous, accessible health care and health insurance coverage. Currently Head Start enrollment is at 1294 and EHS is at full enrollment of 80.
• Within 45 calendar days after the child first attends the program a program must either obtain or perform evidence-based vision and hearing screenings. Within 90 days HS must obtain determinations from health care and oral health care professionals to establish if the child is up to date on a schedule of age-appropriate preventive and primary medical and oral health care. This is based on the wellchild visits and dental periodicity schedules as prescribed by the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program. EPSDTis apart oftheMedicaid agency. Texas HealthSteps is ourstate’s EPSDT program Immunization recommendations are issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and any additional recommendations from the local health agencies and the GCCSA Health Services Advisory Committee based on prevalent community health problems.
• Nutrition Team continue to host monthly meetings with The Healthy Lunch Box Provider. This gives the Center Administrators an opportunity to provide feedback on the quality of the meals served to our stand-alone centers.
• Health Specialist continue to complete vision and hearing screenings for the new and returning students.
• The Nutrition Team coordinated Christmas food learning activities for Reveille, Richie, Rucker, Thompson, and Woodson. Children created their artwork using food items.
• A new partnership was established with The Women’s Fund. A nonprofit organization focused on providing health education to women.
SPECIALSERVICES (SS):
• Head Start and Early Head Start requires that 10% of the Funded Enrollment includes children with disabilities. Head Start only recognized children with a disability that are eligible for services under Individuals With
• Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).At the end of December 2024, it was determined 53 Head Start children and 5 Early Head Start children are enrolled in the program that are identified with disabilities Forty- Seven (47) children are identified with a speech impairment, 4 withAutism, 6 with Non-Categorical Early Childhood and 1 with Orthopedic Impairment.
• IDEAis a law that makes available free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children who are identified with a disability. The Local EducationAgency (LEA) holds the authority to identify children with disabilities. Please see the “Identified Children Per Campus” chart showing the number of children with disabilities on the previous page.
• As of the end of December 2024, the Special Services Department has 190 suspected children enrolled in our Head Start program and 4 suspected children enrolled in our Early Head Start program. 127 children have suspected speech concerns, 22 children have suspectedAutism, 10 children have suspected social emotional concerns, and 34 children with both disability and social emotional concerns.
• Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings: The department assists with monitoring Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings. MDT meetings are held to ensure that children who are enrolled or who have applied are given the opportunity to maximize the benefits of the program. For the month of December 2024, the Special Services Department obtained and attended 0 new MDT meeting reports from the agency’s content areas for a total of 26 meetings year to date.
GCCSADisabilities and Mental Health Providers Services - (Advance Plus, Carr Speech, Personal Touch, Eaden Counseling, Providential Counseling andANC-D Psychological Services) The 2024-2025 program year is a bidding year and therefore the Special Services Manager and other staff members worked with the Procurement team and have accepted a proposal for the new Mental Health Provider, Marshall Counseling Services. The Special Services Department is still in need of additional Disability and Mental Health Providers therefore the RFP was reposted
• Mental Health Provider,ANC-D Psychological Services conducted a parent training at our Lockhart, Reveille and Pasadena Head Start location titled “Issues of Mental Health in Early Childhood”. Mental Health Provider, Eaden Counseling and Consulting conducted a parent training at Rucker Elementary titled “Behavior Problems: What to do.”
Children enjoy Jump Bunch activity
DEPARTMENTACCOMPLISHMENTS:
The Child Development Manager reviewed the children’s beginning of the year assessment progress report by center with each of the CenterAdministrators. Center Administrators also shared their thoughts on the Teachers’Success Review.
StoryTime December 2024: Nutrition Specialists, Ms.Andrea Velez and Ms. Tolu Ojo read to the children and staff “Me Encanta El Invierno I love Winter” written by ShelleyAdmont. The winter story was bilingual, Ms.Andrea read in Spanish and Ms. Tolu read in English. The children and staff enjoyed the winter story.
Child Development Specialists are gearing up for the second round CLASS Observations to be held in January 2025.
CLASS FALLSCORES:
Site Observation December 2024 Report: The Site Observation Summary Chart indicates the center visits made by the Child Development, Family Empowerment, Health, Nutrition and Special Services Specialists for the month of December 2024.All GCCSASite visits are required to provide support and meet the needs of children and staff at GCCSAHead Start and Early Head Start Centers.
HS/EHS Professional Development:
• Congratulations to Ms. Ceairra Handy and Ms. Jesennia Guzman! Both of these outstanding teachers attended the 2024 Summer CDAclass and have completed all of their requirements! They have both received their Child Development Associate credentials.
• The Nutrition team is working with FSS to develop a comprehensive training on the CACFP Enrollment Form to be held January 28th and 30th
UPCOMINGACTIVITIES/EVENTS/TRAINING HOSTED BY DEPARTMENT:
January 7
January 13
January 14
January 15
January 16
January 21
January 28
January 30
Fun Run 60th Anniversary Committee Meeting
GCCSAHead Start/Early Head Start Management Team Meeting
Employee Benefits Broker RFP Evaluation
GCCSAStoryTime
Standing Meeting HS/EHS/CACFP
ERSEACommittee Meeting
HS/EHS & CS StandingAssistant Director Meeting
CACFP Enrollment Form & Training – Center Administrators
Fun Run 60th Anniversary Committee Meeting
GCCSABoard Meeting
CACFP Enrollment Form Training - FSS
January 6-8
Mental Health Mandatory Training
January 10 SHINE Data/Insight Implementation Call
January 14
Texas Department ofAgriculture TANS Talk Webinar
January 16 BabyTalks Series: Strategies for TeachingAmerican Sign Language
January 20
Martin Luther King Holiday
January 22 GCCSA/SHINE ECE Monthly Meeting
REQUIRED TRAININGS:
• CDA Training
• Civil Rights Training (annual)
• CLASS and Teacher Success Rubric
• Training for new and returning staff.
• Child Abuse and Neglect Training annually
• CPR & First Aid Training
• Coaching and Mentoring Strategies CD Specialists & Teachers
• ERSEA Training - required annually.
• Food Handlers Certification
• Medication Administration Training
• Orientation for New Employees, Parents & Providers
• Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Health and Safety, Teaching and Learning Environment, Curriculum & Assessment
• Pedestrian Safety at First Parent Upcoming
• Technology in the Classroom Training
• HS/EHS Policies and Procedures Training: Practice-Based Coaching, Effective Classroom Management.
• CACFP Required Training & Bi- Weekly CACFP & Cook Training Conscience Discipline Training (overview)
• Disability & Mental Health Training & Social Emotional Development for Children
• SIDS/ Shaken Baby training.
