GULF COAST COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSOCIATION Head Start/Early Head Start Support Services January 2024 Monthly Narrative Report LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES •
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) The December 2023 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) claim was completed and submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) for reimbursement. In December there were 15 food service days for the month. There were 16 eligible sites and 1,518 eligible children. The number of meals provided: 5,640 breakfasts; 5,719 lunches and 16,374 PM snacks served. Expected reimbursement for the month is $58,009.64. • GCCSA Finance Controller, Angela Stephens read to the children and staff for the January GCCSA Storytime! Ms. Stephens read “What is Money” and “A Penny in My Pocket”. Our Finance Controller wanted children to begin understanding the importance of managing money! Translation was provided. Storytime broadcast live to all sites via ZOOM on their Promethean Boards every third Wednesday of the month. CHILD DEVELOPMENT (CD) • Early Head Start: Threes: Theme 5- “Favorite Tales and Rhymes”- Week 1- Hen Tales- Traditional tales and rhymes are intergenerational. They have been passed down for centuries from mothers, fathers, and teachers. This week the children will hear these tales and will no doubt delight their parents and grandparents by retelling these familiar stories at home. Week 2- Mouse Tales- The children’s focus this week will be on some fun, make-believe mouse tales. Children seem to love mice perhaps because they are small, and children identify with their size or perhaps because they usually appear as both cute and smart. Week 3- Tales of Three- There are many favorite folktales that are built around the number three, such as the three bears, the three pigs, the three goats, and three wishes. This week children will explore two of the most- beloved tales: "The Three Bears” and “The Three Little Pigs.” Week 4- “Jack” Rhymes Research indicates that nursey rhymes are greatly beneficial as children develop early literacy skills. They experience unusual vocabulary, a variety of sounds and a sense of story. This week children will be immersed in nursery rhymes. Brushing teeth after meals is important in • Toddlers: Theme- 4 “Opposites” - Week 4- Big/Little, Hard/Soft- Being able to Head Start correctly use words that describe attributes allows children to communicate more accurately. This week children will practice using big, little, ard, soft.
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CHILD DEVELOPMENT (continued) Theme-5 “Colors” - Week 1- Yellow- Children love colors! They will begin to recognize colors. This week children will about the color yellow. Dress Max in yellow for the week. Week 2- Red and Orange – This week children will learn about the colors red and orange. Dress Max in red at the beginning of the week and in orange later in the week. Week 3- Blue and Green- This week children will learn about the colors blue and green. Dress Max in blue at the beginning of the week and in green later in the week!
Infants: Teachers implemented the Activity Trackers Card to plan activities according to each child’s individual need in both Infant classrooms. •
Raul Yzaguirre The January theme at Raul was “Wheels” Investigation 1: What different types of wheels are there? Investigation 2: How do wheels move? Investigation 3: How can we make our own wheels? Investigation 4: How do they help us?
Play Motions music and movement classes!
• Collaboration Campus Several curriculums are being used in our HISD collaboration sites. The primary curriculum is Savvas, Three Cheers for Pre-K. Savvas, Three Cheers for Pre-K Theme 5: Everyday Helpers. Children participated in activities that explored what every day helpers do in a community.
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Week 1.Quinito’s Neighborhood Week 2. Clothesline Cues to What People Do Week 3. Delivering Your Mail Week 4 A Visit to the Fire Station. Teaching teams provided a parade activity to celebrate community helpers and for the children to share what they learned.
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Stand-Alone Curriculum: Head Start Stand-Alone sites implement the Frogstreet Pre-K curriculum. January theme was: Theme 4- “Choices/Decisiones”. Sub themes students studied: Week 1: Problem Solving/Resolucion de problemas, Theme 5- “Stories and Rhymes/ Cuentos y rimas” Week 2: Nursery Rhymes/cuentos infantiles , Week 3: Traditional Tales/ Cuentos tradicionales, Week 4: Fairy Tales/Cuentos de hadas.
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PlayMotion Music with Mr. 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 movement activities with our students in the classroom every day.
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Children and staff at Pasadena Head Start celebrated 100 days of school.
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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 ongoing sources of continuous, accessible health care and health insurance coverage. Currently Head Start enrollment is at 1282 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 as to whether or not the child is up-to-date on a schedule of age appropriate preventive and primary medical and oral health care, based on: the well-child visits and dental periodicity schedules as prescribed by the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program of the Medicaid agency of the state in which they operate, immunization recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and any additional recommendations from the local Health Services Advisory Committee that are based on prevalent community health problems. •
The nutrition team continues to hold bimonthly check-in meetings with our vendor Healthy Lunch Box to express strengths and concerns. The meetings have been very productive, and improvement has increased.
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Standalone centers are in the process of enrolling their center with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for lead in drinking water testing.
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SPECIAL SERVICES (SS): Number of Children Identified with a Disability Enrolled: •
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 January 2024, it was determined 80 Head Start children and 7 Early Head Start Children are enrolled in the program that are identified with disabilities. GCCSA has a total of 87 children identified (5.7%). 58 children are identified with a speech impairment, 14 with Autism, 13 with Non-Categorical Early Childhood and 2 with Other Health Impairment. In addition, the Special Services Department has 163 suspected Head Start children enrolled and 1 suspected Early Head Start children enrolled.
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The Special Services Manager met with Ms. Cherry Peipelman, Coordinator 1 for the South Division for HISD and Mekea Simon Coordinator 1 for the South Division for HISD to continue following up on all children referred to HISD. This is to ensure children are evaluated and provided with the services they need.
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IDEA is 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 Education Agency (LEA) holds the authority to identify children with disabilities. Please see the “Identified Children Per Campus” chart showing the number of children with disabilities per center.
Suspected Children: •
GCCSA’s Special Services Department is continuously enrolling children with suspected disabilities and their families for the 2023-2024 program year. As of the end of January 2024, 108 children have suspected speech concerns, 15 children have suspected Autism, 10 children have suspected social emotional concerns, and 32 children with both disability and social emotional concerns for a total of 164 suspected children.suspected children.
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Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings: The department assists with monitoring Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings. MDT meetings are held to ensure that children who are enrolled are given the opportunity to maximize the benefits of the program. For the month of January 2024, the Special Services Department obtained and attended 4 new MDT meeting reports from the agency’s content areas for a total of 66 meetings year to date.
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SPECIAL SERVICES (continued): GCCSA Disabilities and Mental Health Providers Services - (Advance Plus, Carr Speech, Personal Touch, Eaden Counseling, Providential Counseling and ANC-D Psychological Services) The Mental Health Providers have completed Mental Health Classroom Observations. •
ANC-D Psychological Services provided parent training at Garden Villa Head Start. The training provided information regarding hyperactivity and autism. DEPARTMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH: •
The Child Development team and Assistant Director held their monthly ECE meeting with SHINE member to discuss teachers’ CLASS assessment scores.
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The Child Development Specialists in Collaboration with Center Administrators and Human Resources conducted virtual interviews and submitted candidate recommendations to hire Teacher/Teacher Assistants/Teacher Aides.
Site Observation January 2024 Report: •
Site Observation Summary chart indicates the center visits made by the Support Service Associate, Child Development, Family Empowerment, Health, Nutrition and Special Services Specialists for the month of January 2024. All GCCSA Site visits are required to provide support and meet the needs of children and staff at GCCSA Head Start and Early Head Start Centers.
HS/EHS Professional Development: • • • •
Trauma Series Module 300: Strengthening Self Awareness and Self Care to Reduce Stress was held January 5 for all center staff and Specialists. The training focused on reducing stress when working with challenging behaviors. The training was presented by the Center for Optimal Brain Integration – Region IV. A work session was held with Cheryl Angell, MS. ED Early Childhood Education Specialist, Region VI Head Start T/TA with the Child Development team to plan the upcoming professional development that will provide small group coaching. CACFP training was provided by the Support Services Associate one on one to center staff. The Assistant Director attended a webinar on “An Empowering Solution to Human Trafficking’ presented by this webinar is designed to equip educators, parents, and school administrators with the knowledge and tools needed to raise awareness, identify vulnerabilities, recognize signs, and effectively respond to the threat of human trafficking in our communities.
CPR/First Aide: • For the month of January 2024, there was one teacher that attended CPR/First Aide class and received her certification. New Hire Orientation: •
For the month of January 2024 there two hire orientations held. January 17 – 23, 2024 - two Teacher IIIs & one Teacher Aide joined our team. January 29 – February 02, New Hire Orientation there were three Teacher IIIs & one Teacher Aide joined our team. We welcome all New Hires!
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/EVENTS/TRAINING HOSTED BY DEPARTMENT: February 1 February 7 February 12 - 16 February 21 February 26 – 29
Specialists Outcomes Reporting Meetings (MDT I, II & III) Fatherhood Event New Hire Orientation GCCSA Storytime New Hire Orientation
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UPCOMING CONFERENCES TRAININGS HOSTED OUTSIDE OF GCCSA: February 9 February 13 February 16 & 19 February 19 February 21 February 22
GCCSA/SHINE Monthly Update SHINE/GCCSA Early Childhood Education Meeting Professional Development: “Landing & Learning” - Cheryl Angell, HS Region IV T/TA CPR/First Aide Training Office of Head Start Program Specialist Meeting "Re-Establishing Inter-Generational Cooking Education and Improving Diet Quality Through an Integrated Parenting and Healthy Cooking Program for Low Income Families with Young Children” Advisory Board Meeting Joint PC/Board Meeting
REQUIRED TRAININGS: (Training that must occur because of funding or regulatory requirements) • • • • • • • • • • • •
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CACFP Required Training & Bi- Weekly CACFP & Cook Training 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 Conscience Discipline Training (overview) Disability & Mental Health Training & Social Emotional Development for Children ERSEA Training - required annually. Food Handlers Certification Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Health and Safety, Teaching and Learning Environment, Curriculum & Assessment HS/EHS Policies and Procedures Training: Practice-Based Coaching, Effective Classroom Management. Medication Administration Training Orientation for New Employees, Parents & Providers Pedestrian Safety at First Parent Upcoming Technology in the Classroom Training SIDS/ Shaken Baby training.
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