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Greetings!
 At Head Start of Greater Dallas, we use the beginning of each year to recommit ourselves to meeting the needs of the children and families we serve. Head Start kicked off the first day of school on August 16th for new and returning students and their parents.
In order to prepare for the new school year, staff and teachers spent the summer planning, training and getting ready for the more than 4,400 children we will serve this year in through our Early Head Start and Head Start centers. As part of our preparation for the new school year, our teachers and staff go through intensive training during the summer in subjects such as math and science, literacy activities for young children, English Learner teaching, CPR and first aid. We believe it is important to educate and empower our staff and teachers so they are better prepared to help the children and families we serve.
Our summer was also full of volunteer projects and we are appreciative of the time given by our dedicated volunteers. Companies like Frito-Lay and SkinCeuticals, just to name a few, helped us in numerous ways get ready for Back-to-School and their volunteer time counted as dollars towards the community goal of $8 million we must meet each year.
We look forward to keeping you up to date on our activities this year through our e-Spirit newsletter, Facebook and web site. Let's make it another great year!
Wanda J. Smith
Chief Executive Office |
| Summer Training to Foster Self-reliant Families |
Family Advocates Complete Credit Training to Foster Self-reliant Families.
Our Family Advocates were also actively pursuing certifications in consumer credit counseling through a partnership with the Consumer Credit Counseling Service. Because Head Start's mission is to not only provide children with the foundation of knowledge and skills they need to be successful in school and in life but also to foster self-reliant families and communities, our family advocates work with Head Start families in a variety of areas to help them become self-reliant. For many Head Start families, opening a checking account and budgeting a pay check are new ideas making home ownership seem out of the realm of possibilities. But as you will see through Katie Burke's story, with a little guidance and financial education, families can achieve incredible possibilities. Steve and Katie Burnett attended a home buyers class at the David's Place Head Start Center in the fall of 2004. At the time they had two children involved in the program, Ashley and Anthony.The course was given by Dallas City Homes and lasted for two months .The class involved budgeting ,credit repair information and information on obtaining a loan. At the end of the course, the Burnett's received a certificate and home buyers assistance for the down payment of their home. In June of 2007, Mr. Burnett passed away but Mrs. Burnett, Ashley and Anthony still reside in the home that was built directly across from David's Place and the children attend O.M. Roberts Elementary school.  |
FRITO-LAY As One Initiative Partnership
Head Start of Greater Dallas is also pleased to announce our volunteer partnership with Frito-Lay. As part of their "As One Initiative" to celebrate diversity and encourage inclusion, Frito-Lay employees decided to give back to the community through Head Start of Greater Dallas. We are so pleased to have volunteers work at three of our centers throughout the course of this year. Prior to school starting, the A.M. Brooks Head Start Center received nearly 40 Frito-Lay employees to get their center ready for the new year. Volunteers were introduced to Head Start and enjoyed helping with numerous tasks around the center.
The Gannon, Grand Prairie and Brookhaven College Head Start centers kicked off their partnerships with a back to school kickoff Monday, August 23rd. The Frito-Lay volunteers were excited to meet the children and families they would be working with this year and handed out 600 backpacks and school supplies to the school-age siblings of the Head Start children. Volunteers also came with 600 drawstring bags for the Head Start students and nutritional information and healthy snacks for all of the families, even Chester Cheeta came for a visit!
Between the A.M. Brooks service project and the Tri-center kickoff events, Frito-Lay employees have donated nearly 200 hours of service adding up to more than $2,500 towards our community goal! |
SkinCeuticals lends hands for Back-to-School
Although most of our centers close for several weeks during the summer, there is always work to be done! As the new school year begins to approach, teachers and staff begin the daunting tasks that go along with reopening the centers. But thanks to SkinCeuticals, our West Garland center had help getting their center looking great.    Two weeks before school started, 35 volunteers from SkinCeuticals in Garland joined together with the staff and teachers at the West Garland Head Start Center to get ready for the new school year. Teams worked quickly to transform bare classrooms into fun, engaging spaces and piles of books in the library were organized into easy to find categories for families to use. Even in the intense heat, several brave groups spruced up the front entrance with planters and organized a storage area into a place where teachers could easily find materials. The 35 employees worked 3.5 hours which translated into more than $1,600 towards the $8 million community goal Head Start must raise each year. Thank you Skinceuticals! |
Participate in North Texas Giving Day
On September 8, 2010, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Head Start is taking part in Get Up and Give! North Texas Giving Day. On September 8, every donation above $25 will be matched if you donate to us through www.donorbridgetx.org, an online resource to connect donors with nonprofit organizations like us.
Please visit the site anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., search for our nonprofit and click "Donate Now." Your donation will go a long way in helping us (insert value proposition), plus every dollar given at any time during the day will receive a portion of $700,000+ in matching funds - making your dollars go further.
If you're concerned about the busiest times on the site, visit and donate on off-hours, 10-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. Again, all donations over $25 donated between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. will be matched by some percentage.
It doesn't matter when you give, just remember to get up and give - whether out of bed, from your desk, or off your couch, just give!
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Upcoming Events!
| On September 8th from 7a.m.-7p.m. Head Start is taking part in Get Up and Give! North Texas Giving Day. On September 8, every donation above $25 will be matched if you donate to us through www.donorbridgetx.org, an online resource to connect donors with nonprofit organizations like us.
Please visit the site anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., search for Head Start and click "Donate Now." Your donation will go a long way in helping us teach children and build families, plus every dollar given at any time during the day will receive a portion of $700,000+ in matching funds - making your dollars go further. |
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| Head Start impacts Childhood Obesity | | With the start of each school year, all of our more than 4,300 children undergo a health and nutrition evaluation by our trained specialists the first 45 days they are in school.
Last year, nearly 30 percent of the children were evaluated as obese and overweight and were closely monitored throughout the year. Our trained health and nutrition specialists worked with the families to educate them on the dangers of childhood obesity and ways to combat and prevent it.
By the end of the year, we had seen a 40 percent drop in the number of children who were evaluated as overweight or obese! This is a huge accomplishment for our families and staff. Giving children a foundation in healthy eating habits and exercise is part of Head Start's mission and an important part of our curriculum through the I Am Moving I Am Learning program. |
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