Spilyay tymoo., October 11, 1985, Page 3, Image 3

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S P IL Y A Y
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October H , 1985
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Head Start offers introduction to education
Cook’s aide Sherri Smith prepares sandwiches fo r student’s sack Four-year-old Alice Johnson uses building toys to create various shapes,
lunch.
Cirriculum coordinator and Child Development Associates trainer
DQrothy Earl searches catalogue for equipment needed by handi­
capped children.
by Donna Behrend
W arm Springs children, for
the last 20 years, have willingly
arid excitedly attended the four-
hour Head S tart classes offered
at the Com m unity Center. An
increase in the num ber of Head
Start-aged children requiring
care , from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
necessitated the purchase of the
HeadJStart/ Day Care Trailer in
the 4 970s and an o th er in 1982.
Until 1984, however, over­
crowding had not been a serious
problem that couldn’t be resolved
with classroom and teacher shifts.
Last year, 20 children were turned
away. And only through the
W orking W om en’s program ,
which is no longer available,
were those children included in
an afternoon session at the
Com m unity Center.
O vercrow ding in 1985, is a
serious problem .’There are 185
three- and four-year-olds on the
W arm Springs reservation. O f ; for T ribal Council th at it would
those, 121 were accepted into take less than $50,000 to acti­
the Head Start arid Head Start/ - vate a program for the remainder
Day Care programs. Thirty of qf 1985 and $190,000 to con­
the remaining 60 youngsters who tinue thè expanded program in
were pre-registèred werè turned 1986. Tribal C ouncil ap prop­
away. Enrollm ent was priorit­ riated additional monies to begin
ized, With those with low income the trib al preschool program
being accepted first and handi­ thisjfm onth, hopefully within
capped children being second. thè next two weeks.
Calica stated increased Head
Older four-year-olds, too young
for kindergarten, were en ro lled , Start, enrollm ent is due to in­
creased population. “We’re slow­
last.
P aren ts of those children ly getting in to ” ,à population
turned away wrote a le tte r stat­ boom. There has been a five
ing their concern and upon hear­ percent growth increase per year
ingtheir concerns, T ribal Council since 1979. In 1979, 75 babies
asked departm ent m anager of were born as com pared to 110
Education, Training and < Em ­ births in 1984. The birth projec­
ployment, Jody Calica, and Early tion for 1985 is 115. The growth
Childhood director, Cody Soûles, increase, said Calica, “will be
to gather inform ation concern­ more strongly felt as we pro­
ing additional^ classés. “it looks gress.”
Because the program is par­
favorable to provide those stu­
dents a preschool experience,” tially federally funded, certain
said Calica.
regulations m ust be adhered to,
Soules and Calica estimated i such as the teacher/aide ratio.
According to federal standards,
there must be one teacher for
every eight children. However,
Soules stated th a t the ratio is
one adult to every five children
in the three-year-old room s be­
cause of volunteer help from
parents. There are 21 people
currently employed as teachers,
aides and in other positions in
both programs.
Calica said th at the programs
are being held within the budget
and “we’re trying to meet budget
projectioris. . .W e’re going to
find ways to get the children in
the program s.” The new pre­
school program will provide the
same activities as the Head Start
program s. However, there will
be some noticeable differences
in transportation and food ser­
vices to be provided.
Teacher’s. aide Gladys Squiemphen inscribes their names oh (left) A ndrea Selam’s andDesirae Smith’s
Harlan Waheneka concentrates on piecing together a puzzle.
Weekly Readers.
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Spilyay Tymoo photos by
Marsha Shewczyk