With the start of the new school year, there are many things for students to get excited about: a new backpack, new teacher and new adventures! However, there are kids who may stumble upon some anxiety due to a new language, new environment and new people. Samy is one of those kids.

When this three-year-old little boy came to TOP South this fall, he had never been in the care of anyone other than his aunt and his parents. To add to things, neither he nor his parents spoke English, making the transition to preschool very  more 

We're very excited to announce a new addition to our TOP Northwest team. Doris Vigil will begin her new duties as program director at TOP Northwest on Oct. 6.

Ms. Doris is no stranger to TOP Early Learning Centers; she currently holds the position of assistant program director at TOP North, and was previously a lead teacher there. In total, Ms. Doris has been employed by TOP for more than five years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in general studies with a concentration in child development from Fort Hays State University, as well as an Associate's Degree in applied science/early childhood education from Butler Community College. She brings to her new position nearly 25 years of child care experience. 

"I am really looking forward to becoming a part of the executive staff at TOP. I believe my experience and dedication to TOP will be an asset to the organization as well as the families and children we serve," said Ms. Doris.

We've had several changes in the kitchens at TOP. We welcome our new kitchen manager, Onalea Crile who comes to us from Downtown Day Care and owned Riverside Cup of Tea. We have also begun a challenging yet rewarding adventure in our food program endeavor to attain "Silver" status and  jump to "Gold" with the release of the new meal pattern for child care and early education centers like TOP. more

TOP Early Learning Centers are always partnering with other community organizations that can help enhance the lives of the families we serve. TOP NW recently hosted a visit from Habitat for Humanity. One of TOP's employees, Ms. Maria (TOP South) was the guest speaker and spoke about her journey thus far with becoming a Habitat home owner. At the end of the evening, 12 out of the 13 families who attended had submitted applications to begin the approval process for purchasing a home through Habitat for Humanity!

To learn more about Wichita Habitat for Humanity visit http://www.wichitahabitat.org/.

• The library at TOP NW is coming along.
• The mural has been installed.
• A puppet stage and bookshelves have been built and donated by inmates from the Ellsworth Correctional Facility.
• A Target grant is funding the purchase of several books.
• To date, 135 books have been donated by Wichita's Friends of the Library.
• Current enrollment at all three TOP Early Learning Centers is 608.
• The 2014 TOP Longitudinal Study Report is being finalized and the impressive results will be posted, along with the 2013-2014 P4 outcomes, to www.topelc.com soon.
• The Wichita State University Foundation has adopted TOP North this school year and will be providing volunteers to help at that center.
• The Kansas Humane Society continues to partner with all three TOP Early Learning Centers to educate the children on how to approach, interact and care for pets.