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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2000)
Smoke Signals By Teacher Elaine Raven It has been another positive year for the Head Start Program. This year, the program served 37 children and their families. The children have come to develop social and emotional skills as well as skills which will help them in Kindergarten. The staff at Twah Sunchako has been busy attending conferences and trainings, including an important one on Head Start Performance Standards. Many of the staff have also been taking college classes through Chemeketa Community College. Everyone has been working very hard to keep updated on the latest advancements in early education. Vikki Bishop also had the opportunity to visit a Tribal Head Start Program that has adopted the immersion method of teaching children. These children learn the same things as other Head Start students, but in their own Native languages. Tony Johnson has been working hard to get a grant to begin a part-time immersion class in this Head Start Program as well. Several of the teachers have also been working diligently to learn the Chinook language so an immer sion classroom might someday become a reality. Parents have also been offered a number of classes this year. Linda Craven, professor of Early Childhood Development at Chemeketa, has taught several work shops dealing with the healthy development of children. She also gave a special talk about how Head Start teaches children to learn without using worksheets, but through interactions and play within a structured curriculum. Parents also got the opportu nity to learn about nutrition and literacy. In fact, the new "Literacy Night" program has just started. On the first "Literacy Night," parents, chil dren, and staff members gathered at the community center for a reading of The Ten Little Rabbits and activities related to that book. Parents were also given a crash course in Chinook. The children were really proud of how much their parents knew. The second "Literacy Night" featured the book, Storm Boy. Parents have also been instrumental as volunteers this year. So many parents have been able to take time to have lunch with us, attend field trips, or just visit i IXtLI 'fd- 3"lff -rDV fV-ilv-il f V ,e :t. ,,u 1 , m v In rip 4 y- iY , r 1 S I - f s ' " mm in If "" s, H. r W Mil I i , ' 1 , , . ; . - . .' - ;-":, ' 4 -; - - . . -c 1999-2000 TWAH SUNCHAKO HEAD START lslrow: Rilee Merder, Melissa Biery, Zoey Holsclaw, Anthony Cook, Kiana Leno, Stephanie Quigel, Kayla Koumentis, Kallie Kellogg, Will Trammell and Jordan McKnight. 2nd row: Selena Ulestad, Shantell Ulestad, Karmie Schlappie, Shannon Quigel, Jordan Smith, Nicholas Williams, Mykal Stewart, Nathan Butler, Jessica Roberts, and Teacher Penny Cook. 3rd row: Teacher Kandee Little, Kalim Merder, Jas Riddle, Miranda Williams, Jade Colton, Braden Ebensteiner, Codie Haller, Cheyenne Fasana, Hannah O'Donnell, Lyndsey Lumley, and Michael Sweeney. Back row: Teacher Tara Leno, Teacher Elaine Raven, Teacher Jackie Long, Daniel Haug, Tersa Stewart, and Brian Krehbiel holding Caden Leno. for a few minutes. This has meant so much to the children to share their families with their peers and teachers. Some parents have taken time to serve on the Parent Policy Council. These parents are: Tracy Biery, Melody Fuller, Janell Haller, Mychal Leno, and Diane Kimbol. Suzi Aldrige and Bob McElderry have worked all year to make policies that help run our Head Start Program. We have been lucky to have our interns and student volunteers again this year. Their help in the classroom has allowed teachers to get so much more accomplished. During Honor and Recognition, Sam George was recognized for his volunteer services with the class this year. Congratulations were also in order for our long-term high school intern, Tara Leno, who graduated this year. We wish her the best as she goes off to attend the Northwest Nanny Institute. But, she will truly be missed! We also have been lucky enough to get community volunteers to serve on our Medical Advisory Committee Kathleen Marquart, Linda Mann and Bonnie Tom. To end our year, we planned a number of field trips around the area. Our first was an excursion to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Head Start collaborated with . the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experience (SMILE) program from Willamina Junior High to go as one large group. The children and staff were excited to check out the new underwater tunnel and learn about tide pools from the SMILE teacher, Bart Baldwin. Our year will ultimately end with the 1999-2000 Head Start Graduation Celebration Pow-wow at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 17 at the pow-wow grounds. We will be honoring the 16 students who will be graduating into kindergarten. Frybread and graduation cake will be served immediately following at the community center. Everyone is welcome to attend. It has been a great year, and we are expecting many more to come. As the plans for our new building get under way, we realize that our program will continue to grow and serve more families in the future. I "' f1 "f- t h - y I I Clockwise from left: Jas Riddle, Jade Colton, Lyndsey Lumley, Landon Bobb and Braden Ebensteiner. oms Twah Sunchako is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The program begins in September and continues through mid-August. 45 children participated in the combined Head Start preschool program in the 1999-2000 year. 71 of these children are TribalNative. Activities emphasize Native culture and traditions. Members of the cultural programs as well as the medi cal, dental and youth programs come into the class rooms for presentations. Bus service is available to Grand Ronde, Willamina, and Sheridan areas. Applications are still being accepted. Call 879-2287 or 879-2161 for more information.
