A Newsletter from Baby's Space December, 2013 Volume 4, Issue 12
Baby's Space is a holistic, research-based approach to infant through 3rd grade education, adolescent mental health services and support for children and families residing in poverty and violence.
Dear Friends,
Thanks - or miigwech - to all of our Baby's Space supporters. We want you to know that your donation of time and resources make a difference. Utilization rates are one way to determine the effectiveness of an organization - after all, a great program that doesn't have anyone attend is ineffective. Our early childhood program's year-to-date utilization rate is 96%! We are reaching, caring and educating young children with high-quality, effective programs.
A special thank you for your generosity on Give To The Max day! Our goal was to raise funds to improve the desks at Tatanka Academy. Thanks to you we're well on our way to improving our classroom environments.
Happy Holidays!
Terrie Rose
Founder and CEO
P.S. "Miigwech" is a word Tatanka students learn in our Language and Culture program. Scroll down to read about this great program!
miigwech
miigwech is "thank you" in Ojibwe.
Thank you for supporting our mission to provide caring, consistent and responsive care.
The Baby's Space board of directors welcomed Muriel Thompson as a new member. Muriel brings a unique understanding of Baby's Space. She's worked at Little Earth at the front desk of the NELC building since 2001 and two of Muriel's family members are Baby's Space teachers.
Muriel is a constant source of friendship and kindness at Baby's Space. Each month she hosts the sign-in table at family night. "Muriel is the heart of the building," said Debbie Lund, executive director. "She smiles and greets everyone who enters."
Muriel is proud to serve on the board of directors. "Baby's Space feels familiar because so many of our neighborhood kids are in the program," says Muriel. "I know if I needed someone to fight for one of our kids I would get Deb and Terrie to do it! Baby's Space is committed to the community."
A warm welcome to the board of directors to a long-standing hero at Baby's Space.
Tatanka Academy Language and Cultural Program
Vince and Tatanka students
Vince Pattonjoined Tatanka Academy as a kindergarten teacher and leader of the Language and Cultural Program. It's a unique program that integrates the Ojibwe language and culture into the curriculum by teaching numbers, colors and simple conversational phases.
Teaching children a second language is well known to improve a child's cognitive development, but teaching culture is important, too. "Educating students about their culture empowers student and gives them background on where they come from," said Vince who is a graduate of The College of St. Scholastica with a degree in Ojibwe Language and Culture Education. "If you know where you come from you know where you need to be. Most of these children have an understanding that they are Native American, but they cannot distinguish between what an Indian is and that they are Native American."
Like what you read? Then we'd like you to volunteer! If you'd like to volunteer at Tatanka Academy or Baby's Space, contact Yolanda Reyes at 612 396-3136.
