Center benefits parents
Childcare program helps teach youngsters
By Shelley Ball
Of The Print
In order to better meet the
needs of its pupils, the Child
Development Center at
Clackamas Community Col
lege has divided the children'
into two groups, according to
Supervisor Myra Lunn.
The two groups are In-
fant/Toddler (six months to
two and a half years) and
Preschool (two and a half to
five years) according to
Chairperson for Family and
Human Services Carolyn
Knutson.
Knutson explained that
because of budget and staff cut
backs the Early Childhood
Education Program was drop
ped, in order to still meet the
needs of students, the
Childhood Development
Center altered the drop-in
center for more flexible hours,
after which it was merged.
“Before, younger children
were getting lost in the shuffle
of older children, and we felt
we were not meeting their
needs,” Lunn said in regards to
the change.
Lunn explained that hav
ing the children separated into
two groups enables each group
to learn skills geared to the age
of the children.
Parents of infants or tod
dlers can expect them to ex
perience sensory stimulation
through touching, language
development by listening to
music and being talked to by
the teachers and motor
development, according to
Lunn.
Preschool children will
have exercises to improve
hand/eye and balance coor
dination, lessons in problem
solving and will be involved in
cooking projects to learn
measuring principles.
Both groups will be begin
ning socialization and will be
taught by a staff trained and ex
perienced in early childhood
education, according to Lunn.
Fees are $1.25 per hour
for inf ant/toddlers and $1.00
per hour for preschool. The
center is open Monday through
Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 2
p.m. for infants and toddlers,
and 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. for
preschoolers.
Lunn estimated involve
ment of 35 families and enroll
ment of 40 to 45 children in the
center currently.
Parents of children range
from college students to cam
pus employees and even off-
campus community families,
who wish their children to be
enrolled in preschool. “We are
not babysitting children, we are
teaching children,” said Lunn.
Feedback for the center in
previous years has been ex
cellent and there are currently
waiting lists for students and
off-campus parents, which
Knutson attributes to the more
flexible hours of the program.
When asked for her feel
ings
on
the
center,
student/parent
Leeann
Skelton replied, “I trust them.”
Skelton is a full-time student at
the College and has one son
she brings to the infant/toddler
group. “When I bring him in
there, it’s like I don’t exist; you
can usually tell by kids if they
like something,” she said.
Good organization and a
likable curricular program are
additional reasons why Skelton
approves of the center.
“I’m pleased with the
staff,” Lunn said. “They’re
brand new, have a lot of
positive energy and commit
ment, and that’s what makes a
great center.”
Staff for the center consists
of five new teachers, and a
variety of work-study students.
Two of the new teachers,
Karen Robinson and Linda
Dorzweiler, are in charge of the
infant/toddler group. Their
jobs consist of planning ac
tivities, changing diapers,
feeding and rocking children to
sleep, as well as taking them on
walks around the College.
Robinson came to the
center from Portland Com
munity
College
after
graduating from their two-year
program of early childhood
education. She works six and a
half hours, five days a week
and plans to stay until the end
of the fall quarter.
Dorzweiler started work at
the center after working for
Headstart in Clackamas Coun
ty for five years. She chose to
work here because “I didn’t
want to work full time.”
At the center Dorzweiler
works 25 hours a week and is
able to have her own daughter
with her on the job.
Anyone interested in
volunteering time for the center
or registering a child can con
tact Myra Lunn (ext. 378), or
drop by her office in the Child
Development Center located in
the Orchard Center for applica
tions.
Staff photo by Duane Hiersche
ASG sets goals for year
By Kari Gassaway
dent is welcome to apply,
Nastari said. Many of this year’s
ASG officers were Senators last
year.
Of The Print
Pleasing students is the
goal of this year’s new
Associated Student Body of
ficers, according to ASG Presi
dent Paul Nastari. “We want to
serve the needs of the school,”
Nastari said.
Nastari feels the slimming
down of government positions
will create a closer working
group with less inner conflicts.
The number of Senators has
been reduced from 20 to 10;
consequently ASG offices have
also been combined.
All the members of ASG,
plus two advisors, will get
together on Oct. 15 to decide
what they are going to achieve
this year and how. They will
meet in Menucka, a church
retreat near the Gorge.
Nastari feels there are
some misconceptions about
ASG. “It is unfortunate that
some feel that ASG is just given
money to play with,” he said
“We want to provide activités
and events which students can
participate in and enjoy,” said
Nastari.
The new ASG officers
were chosen last April. Presi
dent Nastari and Vice President
Jay Schaller were put into of
fice by student vote, while
Assistant to the President Em
ma Espinal and Activities
Director Stephen Vohs were
appointed by a committee.
The office of Administrative
Assistant will be filled Oct. 5 to
complete the circle of ASG of
ficers.
Ten student senators will
also be a part of ASG. These
senators will be elected through
an application process. The last
date for acceptance of these
applications is Oct. 7. Any stu
"THE MOST SUMPTUOUSLY PHOTOGRAPHED FILM I’VE SEEN THIS YEAR."
william
A rnold Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Staff photo by Duane Hiersche
CHILDREN Enjoy the sunshine at the College child care
center.
page 3
Wednesday, October 6, 1982