| From the CEO |
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The school year for 2007/2008 has come to a close. We at Head Start are elated to report our year-end progress to you. We maintained our enrollment of 4,259 children and served a total of 5,326 children and their families and pregnant mothers.
Our families have very different profiles. Some 1,667 families received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), 3,817 families received Medicaid, 306 families had private insurance and 796 families were uninsured.
We are evaluating the progress of our children for this school year. Our midyear results showed significant progress for many of the children. We are anxiously awaiting our final results to confirm that we are making a real difference in the lives of our children.
The Board of Directors just completed its annual Heroes fund raiser at Gilley's Dallas. The event attracted over 200 guests and met the Board's financial expectations. Special thanks to Vince Jackson, Jacqueline Peterson, Tammy Richards, Helen Thigpen, Vicki Raney, Brett Kirstein, Whitney Strauss and Sally Cain, who worked hard to ensure the success of the event. We are grateful to them and the other Board Members who sponsored tables, donated items for the Silent Auction, and requested individuals or companies to sponsor and donate items. Thank you everyone.
As we close out this year, we are busy planning and getting ready for 2008-2009. Staff will be busy this summer attending relevant training, recruiting and enrolling families for next school year and preparing for our program's triennial federal review.
Looking forward to reporting to you next month. - Wanda Smith |
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Free for Me
This section will highlight monthly free events in Dallas for families. |
Art Garden
Downtown
(214) 979-6430
Jazz Under the Stars
Thursdays, through June 26
8pm at Ross Avenue Plaza
Free Admission Museums
Spanish Art of the Meadow Museum
Free on Thursdays at 5pm
(214) 768-2516
African-American Museum
(214)565-9026
The Hall of State
(214) 421-4500 |
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Greetings!
Summer's slowly approaching and everyone is well deserving of a break! Before you saddle up and ride out for summer vacation, take a moment and look over our June issue. Head Start of Greater Dallas is doing great things and we want to tell you all about it!
Read about Jazkira Combs, a talented and gifted 3rd grader who got her head start with us, news on our successful Family Computer Literacy Program and Second Head Start Heroes event.
Don't forget to stop by our "From the CEO" section to get a glimpse of Ms. Smith's thoughts from the 2007-08 school year. Our newly added Free for Me section will highlight free family event ideas to do this summer.
Enjoy! |
Head Start Heroes Roundup
The second Head Start Heroes event took place Saturday, May 24, 2008, at Gilley's Dallas with a Western theme. The event was set to honor those donors, benefactors and volunteers who support the agency throughout the year. Raising over $35 thousand, this year's event again proved to be a success. Full Story |
Head Start Alumni, Our Future Leaders of America
 Jazkira Combs, a 3rd grader at Charles Rice Elementary Learning Center, can attest that Head Start is paving the way for success! Her mother remembers how she was concerned about Jazkira's reading in the beginning of her second year at Head Start. By the time Jazkira, who also goes by the name of Jazz, was ready to transition to public school, she was reading above her age level.
Her kindergarten teacher, Ms. Glapsie, said that she could remember Jazz's first day of school.
"Jazz was way more advanced than the other children...." Full Story
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Family Computer Literacy, Preparing for Tomorrow
 Our family computer literacy program is a big program here at Head Start thanks to First Language Lab Delia Jasso and Head Start's Computer Support Services Manager Lisa White.
The computer literacy program was held from February 4 to April 17, 2008. The courses consisted of Creating Business Forms in Word 2003, Using Excel to Create Budgets, and Keeping Children Safe on the Internet. This year, 104 participants attended the program, with 88 graduating.
The graduation, to showcase the success, was held on May 22 at our central office. At that time, 17 computers were raffled off to those who completed the program. Vivian Chugbo, a parent at Davids' Place, stood up and spoke, giving her gratitude for Head Start and the program. She stated that because of this computer program, she is now more self-sufficient when she writes her papers and does presentations for school. |
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Volunteer Opportunities 
Are your children, ages 15 and older, going to be on summer break with nothing to do? Lake West, Grand Prairie, Margaret H. Cone and Garland Head Start Centers, plus our Central Office, will be open from June 7 to August 18.
This is a great opportunity to introduce them to volunteering and help them earn volunteer hours required by many schools by working in a center or Central Office.
If you are interested in volunteering your child, please contact Benisha Chiles, bchiles@hsgd.org or call 972-283-6472. |
Thank you for your continued support of Head Start of Greater Dallas.
Your friends at HSGD | |
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