JULY 15, 2000
9
tadeimts off all aiges eunjoy field trip
By Justin Phillips
Eager students recently loaded
onto three buses to take an ad
venturous trip to the Oregon Coast.
Students from Willamina Jr. High
School, the Native American Club,
Science and Math Investigative
Learning Experience (SMILE) pro
gram and the Twah Sunchako Head
Start Preschool took a field trip on
Wednesday, May 31 to the Oregon
Coast Aquarium. A total of 85 stu
dents benefitted from this learning
experience.
Students had the chance to walk
through Keiko's former home in the
new $6.9 million "Passages of the
Deep," that features three large
ocean habitats connected by a 200
foot underwater tunnel and show
cases the diverse marine life found
off the Oregon Coast, including
rarely seen cold-water sharks. All
along the tunnels there are large
viewing windows incorporated in the
floor, giving a 360-degree view.
The students then boarded the
buses again to Fogherty Beach for a
walk and exploring along the beach.
For some students, this was their first
encounter with the beach and ocean.
The students also ate lunch in the
park at the beach.
"Thank you to SMILE, the Native
American Club and the teachers
who helped out," said Vikki Bishop,
preschoolHead Start supervisor.
"There is no way this could have
been possible without their help."
RIGHT: Teachers and students
gather around a tide pool at the
Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Shown here L to R: Melody Fuller,
Teacher Kandee Little, Jordan Smith,
Teacher Penny Cook, Caitlin Cauning,
Zachery Olson, and Tyson Lee.
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Students explore Fogherty Beach on the Oregon Coast where they also ate lunch and walked along the beach.
This is in part thanks to the SMILE program and the Native American Club, where students and teachers teamed
up with the Head Start preschool for a field trip. photos courtesy of the Head start staff
Head Start Literacy Night proves successful
By Head Start Teachers Penny Cook and Elaine Moore
Twah Sunchako Head Start
kicked off their first literacy
night on May 30. This was the first
in a series of nights where both Head
Start children and parents will be
invited to share a good book together.
During literacy night, the parents,
children and staff enjoyed a meal of
Indian tacos made by the new Cook
Clara. After dinner, Teacher Penny
called everyone to "circle" where she
read the book Ten Little Rabbits.
Then Teacher Elaine gave the par
ents a quick lesson in Chinook. (The
children were very proud of how
much Chinook the parents picked
up!) Afterward, the parents and chil
dren moved to three tables where ac
tivities had been set up. Everyone
was able to make a paper batik paint
ing, a geometric shape blanket of
foam, and a pattern blanket of craft
sticks. By the smiles on everyone's
faces, it was easy to see that the event
was a big success. And at the end of
the night, each child who attended
was given a hardback copy of Ten
Little Rabbits.
Head Start will hold their next lit
eracy night on July 26. Storm Boy
by Paul Lewis will be introduced at
this time and new activities will be
offered after the meal. These literacy
nights will be a monthly event start
ing with the new school year. Each
month a new book will be introduced
and given to the families who attend.
The staff is very excited about offer
ing this program to its families.
The Tribe's billboard for the Start
Making a Reader Today (S.M.A.R.T.)
program states: An Imaginary
Friend Won't Read To Him. Head
Start's literacy night will be just one
more opportunity to encourage the
sharing of books at home. Parents
and teachers have a common goal of
keeping children safe and healthy
while also wanting them to learn
whatever they need to succeed. And
one of the skills needed to succeed is
definitely learning to read. And
while that is not developmentally
appropriate for preschool aged chil
dren, it is very appropriate for them
to gain love of reading and books at
this age. Hopefully, literacy night
will become one more reason for our
Head Start children to really enjoy
literacy.
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HEAD START LITERACY NIGHT: Twah Sunchako Head Start held its
first literacy night where Head Start children and parents joined together
for a meal and read a book together. The literacy nights will be a monthly
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event starting with the new school year. Shown here are students with
their parents in "circle" where a book is read to them. The next literacy
night Will be held on July 26. Photos courtesy of the Head Start staff