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Head Start students from Davids' Place Head Start Center practiced yoga live on Good Morning Texas! |
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The 2011-2012 school year is upon us and Head Start of Greater Dallas is once again at full capacity with 4,403 students. The children are already on the path to success, learning proper classroom etiquette, developing those skills that are a prerequisite to success in school. We are very mindful of the heat and making sure that our children are not out in temperature above 95 degrees.
Head Start has several upcoming opportunities for you to get involved this fall.
- The 2011 North Texas Giving Day through DonorBridge is September 15th from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- All donations, $25 or more, made to HSGD through our page on September 15th will be matched at 25 cents on the dollar.
- It is our goal to reach the $10,000 prize of most individual donors, so please consider a $25+ donation to Head Start on September 15th to help us reach our goal.
- For more details and information click here, add to your calendar here and watch the video below.
- Coats for Kids Coat Drive will be held October 1st - November 30th. If your office or business would be interested in helping us collect coats for our preschool-age children, please contact our Community Development Department.
Thank you for your continued support of Head Start of Greater Dallas.
Sincerely,
Wanda J. Smith
CEO
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Wondering why DonorBridge? Take a Peek at This Short Clips to Find Out why You Should Get Involved!
 | | Get Up and Give! North Texas Giving Day |
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 Head Start Kids Beat the Heat and Stay Active with Yoga!
Yoga for Youngsters promotes physical activity by involving children, parents and teachers in yoga once a month. The goal is to improve flexibility, concentration, focus and attention while decreasing anxiety and releasing stress. Each 15-20 minute session serves up to 20 children. For more information on how you can volunteer with this program, please contact Dietrich Nickleberry-Love. August's record-breaking heat kept children indoors, limiting their much needed physical activity. In an effort to beat the heat and ensure the children expend energy in a healthy way, Head Start implemented the Yoga for Youngsters program at the centers this year. By involving parents and teaching simple yoga exercises, families can stay active in any weather. Children and instructors demonstrated their yoga moves on WFAA's Good Morning Texas, Fox 4 News and NBC 5 News in August. |
| Volunteer Spotlight - MPI |
 MPI Volunteers helped the Robbie Wilkerson-Jones Head Start Center get back-to-school ready!Thank you to the 40 volunteers from MPI who volunteered at the Robbie Wilkerson Jones Head Start Center in Carrolton. Volunteers painted all classroom closets, put in new shelves where needed, installed put-in-cups in the playground with different and fun designs, and painted different activities on the ground of the playground, like hopscotch and a bike trail. They also organized the resource room and library. All of this in a four hour period! The groups' time counted as more than $2,100 towards the center's non-federal match. If you know of a group interested in volunteering at Head Start contact Deneeco Young. |
| Remember those Back to School Jitters? |
 Head Start kids and parents left their jitters at the door to get ready to learn this school year!
New and returning Head Start children went back to school on August 17th. Moms and dads were there to send their little ones off into the caring hands of our staff and teachers. This year, 4,403 children will participate in the Head Start and Early Head Start programs and get the skills they need to be successful in school and in life.
 Besides improving their literacy, writing and math and science skills, many of our children enter Head Start not speaking any English. Throughout the course of their time at Head Start, they will be able to improve their English and enter kindergarten ready to learn. Programs like the HSGD Dual Language Program fosters the primary language in the home by helping parents teach their child in their native language while the child learns in English in the classroom.
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| Special Awards Given at Head Start Luncheon |
Soaring Eagle and Forrest L. Reynolds Stipend Award given to top performers.
Every year, Head Start awards the Forrest L. Reynolds Stipend Award to an individual who has completed their college degree while working at a Head Start of Greater Dallas center. This year the award went to Ms. Lynette Wilson, a family advocate at the Gannon Head Start Center. Ms. Wilson is working towards an M.S. in Mental Health Counceling at Walden University and received $1,500 towards her schooling.
The Soaring Eagle Award was presented by his entire staff to Jeffery Sundberg, former site manager of the Bachman Head Start Center and current site manager of the Early Head Start Garland Center. In a unique presentation, all of the staff was asked to come up to the stage to present Mr. Sundberg with his award. Congratulations to Jeff and the teachers and staff who nominated him and made his presentation so special and heartfelt. |
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Support Head Start - Volunteer Today!
Head Start of Greater Dallas' mission is to provide children with the foundation of skills and knowledge they need to be successful in school and life and foster self-reliant families and communities. The agency receives 80 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families. Head Start of Greater Dallas generates the remaining 20 percent or nearly $8,000,000, through contributions, grants, community donations, and volunteer hours each year. Your time volunteering is valuable. We can't reach this goal without the support of the community.To become a community volunteer, contact Deneeco Young at 972.283.6457, or visit our web site. |
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 | | Mark Your Calendar! | |
September 15th from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. marks the 2011 North Texas Giving Day through DonorBridge. All donations of $25 or more will be matched at approximately 25 cents on the dollar during this special day. Invite a friend or add to calendar here.
Coats for Kids Coat Drive will be held October 1st - November 30th. This year we would like to collect 500 coats for the children at our centers who need them the most. If your office or community organization would like to get involved and collect or donate new or gently used coats for children ages 3-5 years, please contact our Community Development department for more details. Collection bins and posters will be provided for locations that would like them.
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 | | Head Start Staff - Best in Class! | |
Head Start prides itself on a staff of talented teachers and staff who make teaching preschoolers look easy and achieving dreams possible. This year at the Kickoff Luncheon, Head Start honored those individuals who have been with the organization for 20, 25, 30 and 40 years.
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40 Years | |
John Harris | |
Mary Lynn | |
Gloria Calhoun | |
Emilia Reyna | | |
30 Years | |
Lue Sumlin | | |
25 Years | |
Shirley Cole | |
Sandra Booker | | |
20 Years | |
Sonya Pollard | |
Carolyn Carson | |
Vernell Upshaw | |
Deloris Cooper | |
Sam Ijagbemi | |
Charbonnet Burton | |
Nancy Curtis | |
Carmen Campos |
Congratulations and Thank you to these wonderful employees!
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| | Support Head Start - Volunteer Today! |
To become a community volunteer, contact Deneeco Young at 972.283.6457, or visit our web site. Community contributions of time, leadership, finances and other resources are much appreciated and allow us to serve the growing demographic that needs us so much. With your support, Head Start families are able to receive a range of services that are far beyond the scope of the program. To learn more about our mission and comprehensive services to more than 4,400 children in Dallas County, please visit our website at www.hsgd.org. |
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