HANDBOOK FOR HEAD START
PARENTS FROM EDUCATION
What is
Head Start?
Head Start is a Federal program
for preschool children from low-income families. The Head Start program is
operated by local non-profit organizations in almost every county in the
country. Children who attend Head Start participate in a variety of educational
activities. They also receive free medical and dental care, have healthy meals
and snacks, and enjoy playing indoors and outdoors in a safe setting.
Head Start helps all children
succeed. Services are offered to meet the special needs of children with
disabilities. Most children in Head Start are between the ages of three and
five years old. Services are also available to infants and toddlers in selected
sites.
What
the Head Start program offers your child?
Head Start provides children with activities that help them grow mentally,
socially, emotionally, and physically. The Head Start staff recognizes that, as
parents, you are the first and most important teachers of your children. They
will welcome your involvement in Head Start activities, and will work as
partners with you to help your child progress.
Head Start staff members offer
your child love, acceptance, understanding, and the opportunity to learn and to
experience success. Head Start children socialize with others, solve problems,
and have other experiences which help them become self-confident. The children
also improve their listening and speaking skills.
The children spend time in stimulating
settings where they form good habits and enjoy playing with toys and working on
tasks with classmates. Your child will leave Head Start more prepared for
kindergarten, excited about learning, and ready to succeed.
Your Head Start child will also
be examined by skilled professionals for any health problems. Professionals
will arrange vision and hearing tests and any needed immunizations. Head Start
offers a nutrition assessment and dental exams as well. Children with health
needs receive follow-up care.
What would be your child's routine in a Head Start program?
When the
children arrive at school, they are greeted warmly by their teachers. They put
whatever they have brought from home in their own cubby every day. Classroom
time includes many different activities. Some teachers begin the day by asking
the children to sit in a circle. This encourages the children to talk about an
idea or experience they want to share with others. The children are encouraged
to choose what activity he or she would like to work on each day. They may
choose among art, playing with blocks or table toys, science activities, dancing
to music, looking at books, or pretend housekeeping. Children can switch
activities if they prefer another challenge.
Each day, they have time to work in a
small group with other children and to play outdoors on safe playground
equipment.
What
can Head Start offer your family?
Head Start offers you a sense of
belonging, other support services, and a chance to be involved in activities to
help your whole family. You can take part in training classes on many subjects,
such as child rearing, job training, learning about health and nutrition, and
using free resources in your own community. Some parents learn the English
language; others learn to read. Head Start also offers assistance to parents
interested in obtaining a high school General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or
other adult education opportunities.
If you have a family member with
a special problem, such as drug or alcohol abuse, job loss, or other family
crisis, your family can receive help through Head Start.
Head Start staff members refer families
needing help to medical, social welfare, or employment specialists they know in
the community, and will follow up to be sure you receive assistance.
You can become a Head Start
volunteer and learn more about child development. This experience may later
qualify you for training which can help you find employment in the child care
field.
You can also have a voice in the
Head Start program by serving on various committees. Parents' experiences in
Head Start have raised their own self-confidence and improved their ability to
make decisions.
PARENT
CONFERENCES/PROBLEM SOLVING WITH TEACHERS
If at any time you
have concerns, a conference with the teacher is strongly recommended. Talking
with the teacher encourages good communication and can alleviate many
misunderstandings. Arrange for an appointment with the teacher first. You may
contact the preschool president if you wish to arrange a 3-way conference.
PROCEDURES FOR ARRIVAL
AND DEPARTURE
All children must be escorted to their teacher or assistant and signed in upon arrival. No child is permitted to enter the Preschool from the parking lot without an adult escort. Sign in/out sheets are located in your child’s classroom. Every child must be left with a staff member who has acknowledged the child’s presence. At the end of the day, children are signed out and escorted to the car. No child is to be in the parking lot unaccompanied by an adult. At all times a child’s safety is to be considered the most important factor. Parents are responsible for their children during dismissal.
Children are only released to persons specified on application forms. If parents wish any additional persons to be authorized to pick up their children, a list must be given to the office in writing. In single-parent families, if a non-custodial parent is not allowed to pick up the child, a copy of the court order must be on file at the Preschool. An occasional change in authorized pick-up must be noted in writing to the child’s teacher BEFORE the person comes to pick up your child. Staff members are expected to verify the identity of an authorized person unknown to them by examining the driver’s license before releasing a child.
CLOTHING AND
BELONGINGS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
All preschool children should be dressed in comfortable clothing which can be easily manipulated by children. This will increase their independence. Shoes should fit comfortably and be of athletic type with non-skid bottoms. PLEASE no dress shoes. These are not appropriate for playground and are not safe. P.E. will require rubber-bottom athletic shoes and pants, please, no dresses!
Children will be outdoors in suitable weather. Please dress them appropriately for outdoor play. It is expected that a child will be well enough to go outside if they are well enough to go to school. Please plan on the outdoors as an integral part of the day.
A change of appropriately sized clothing which spans the seasons should be left with your child’s teacher. If your child should need to use this change of clothing, please return a replacement set to the preschool as soon as possible to continually keep a set on hand.
MEDICATION
No child may have in his or her possession medication of any type. Medication can only be administered when a medication permission form has been completed at the office. All medications are stored in the refrigerator or in the office in a locked box not accessible to children. Absolutely no medication is to be stored in a child’s book bag.
All medication must be in the original container and labeled with the child’s name, name of medication, dosage and time given. Prescription medicine must be in the original container with the prescription label affixed.
SNACK
Preschoolers are provided with an afternoon snack each day. A daily snack which meets nutritional requirements. The monthly snack menu is reviewed by a nutritionist for advice in its preparation.
HOURS
The school hours of operation are from 7:30 a.m., classes begin promptly at
7:45 a.m. and end at 1:45 p.m. The Wednesdays Early Dismissal time is
SAFETY
Policy
The safety and security of our children is a priority for everyone.
Procedures
1. Parents are asked not to leave any child in the
parking lot, or in an automobile, without a supervising adult present.
2. Parents are asked to bring their child right to the classroom door and
personally hand them over to the supervision of the staff, before leaving.
3. Parents are requested to give an extended written list of those persons who
may pick up their child, as well as identifying if there are any persons who do
not have permission to do so.
4. In recognition of the fact that a situation may occur necessitates someone
other than those on the list to pick up the child, the parent should call the
school and will be required to give a code word, agreed upon in the first week
of school, to verify the parent’s identity to the staff.
5. Parents are asked to use the class list as a possible source of emergency
pick-up persons, as then the staff will more easily be able to verify the
identity of the alternate pick-up person.
6. Staff will not allow any child to leave the school with an alternate
pick-up, if the child does not want to go with that person. In this case, the
staff will have the child remain at the school and notify the parent.
7. Staff will keep a note in the daybook of any changes in regular pick-ups.
8. This policy will go out with the parent pack to all parents before the start
of the school year, so that families have a good span of time in which to
organize possible pick-up alternates.
9. Parents are requested to bring their children on time to class, as this
maximizes the enjoyment time for each child, allows the staff to help each
child to gain the most out of each session and minimizes the disruption to
other children.
PARENT OBSERVATION OF THE CLASSES
Observation of a class in session by a
parent/guardian, prior to the child’s enrollment in the school may be arranged
by appointment after January. Parents with children enrolled in the preschool are
welcome to observe their child in the class. It would be appreciated if the
parents would wait until after the children are well settled into their school
environment. Advance notification to the staff is appreciated in order to
minimize class disruption and to ensure that the children are not scheduled for
a fieldtrip.
PARENT PARTICIPATION IN CLASS:
Every day a parent in the
3 and 4 year old program has the opportunity to spend the day with their child
in the classroom (without siblings). The children enjoy spending time with
their parents and introducing them to their friends and favorite
activities. Parents are also able to see
their child in action, watching how their child interacts in a social
environment and how and what they are learning in class. Parents rotate days,
with each family being assigned approximately 5-7 times a year (depending on
the class size). When parents are helper in the class, they are also
responsible for providing the snack (guidelines are provided).
Parent Board:
Become a member of the
board of directors, serving as the president, vice-president, treasurer,
secretary, registrar, room parent, newsletter coordinator, health and safety
coordinator, ways & means, building & grounds, publicity, scholarship
chair, web page coordinator, corresponding secretary, or parent education and
hospitality.