HEAD START EMPHASIZES THE ROLE OF PARENTS AS THEIR CHILD'S FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT TEACHER. HEAD START PROGRAMS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILIES THAT SUPPORT: family well-being and positive parent-child relationships; families as learners and lifelong educators; family engagement in transitions; family connections to peers and community; and families as advocates and leaders. HEAD START FAMILY OUTCOME GOALS

HEAD START PROGRAMS PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES TO ENROLLED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES To include health, nutrition, social-emotional, and other services determined to be necessary by the family needs assessments.

Parent Handbook from SMCPS will provide valuable information regarding school procedures. Teacher Newsletters- newsletters will be ed or provided in paper format, if requested, to parents monthly and will focus on information regarding your child’s upcoming activities and will also be posted on our website Web Site ( The website will have information regarding the Head Start program and will be updated on a consistent basis. Parent Calendar will have all events for each site on the Head Start website. Parent Communication

HEADSTART POLICY COUNCIL Policy Council Representatives: Attend Policy Council Meetings approximately 4-6 times per year Have a voice in your child's program Please consider being a part of this very important council…. Council members will be elected at the meeting in October. Policy Council representative receive training. FIRST meeting is September 13 th at 9:30.

Opportunity to work part time at Head Start! Go to ABACUS Temporary agency (located in Leonardtown) to complete an application. If you meet the guidelines to work for Head Start you will be contacted for an interview.  There are approximately 7 Temporary Part-Time Hourly Aide positions.  Each classroom has at least 1 Part-Time Aide  These positions end the last day for students.  These positions do not work on days when there are no students.  Approximate start date is 8/18/16.  There is some training offered through Head Start to support your work in the program.

Volunteering Parents and community members are encouraged to volunteer. Part of our Head Start budget requires us to document volunteer time throughout the year. This process is called IN KIND. Please remember we depend on YOU to help us meet this program requirement.

VOLUNTEER FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS Health & Wellness Fair Lending Library Needs Community Partnerships School specific events *Please complete the REQUIRED volunteer on- line application in order to participate in these events.

LENDING LIBRARY Lending Library- parents may check out books for their child to take home and read/enjoy together. The Lending library is located at the Annex-Loveville Head Start office & Green Holly Elementary Head Start site. Most books in the library follow the literature that is being used in the classroom.

FAMILY SERVICE PROVIDERS (FSP’S) What is a Family Service Provider Family Service Providers are here to assist Head Start families with any needs that may arise throughout the year. Please call or them with any needs you might have. What is a Family Partnership Agreement Parents are asked to work with their Family Service Provider to develop a Family Partnership Agreement and will assist you with resources needed to successfully meet your goal(s).

FAMILY PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (CONT’D) Family Service Providers (FSP) will check in with parents periodically to follow their progress on meeting their goal. These conferences are very important to your child’s educational success. Your cooperation in working with your FSP and attending scheduled meetings is expected.

School is a good experience to help your child become more self confident and independent.

Daily Absences Please call or THE HEAD START NURSE when your child is going to be absent. We are required to contact you when your child is absent for 3 or more consecutive days. Excessive absences could result in removal of your child from the program.

TARDIES On time arrival is a school readiness skill. If you have extenuating circumstances, please contact your Family Service Provider or the Head Start Nurse to discuss.

HEALTH & DENTAL CARE ▪ Health and dental exams must be completed by deadlines as established by the Head Start regulations. Parents cooperation in meeting these deadlines is expected. ▪Family Service Providers and the Head Start Nurse will assist parents with these needs.

ILLNESS To insure the health of all children, if your child has a fever, is vomiting or has diarrhea, you MUST keep him/her home for 24 hours. Your child should be symptom free before returning to school.

Helpful Information 1.Please mark your child’s name on all personal items. 2.Children MUST have two current emergency phone numbers on file. Please be sure to update regularly. 3.Parents should follow the St. Mary’s County Public Schools Calendar for when school is closed. 4.Children should wear comfortable, washable clothes that are suitable for outside play. Flip flops and open toe shoes are discouraged. 5.Children are NOT allowed to bring toys to school unless the teacher requests the items in a note, newsletter, etc. 6.All children must participate in outdoor activities unless otherwise documented by a physician.

7. Breakfast, lunch and snack are provided free. Food is not permitted to be brought from home. 8. Special menu’s will be available for alternate food for a child who is diagnosed with a food allergy. 9. All allergies MUST be documented by a physician’s note. Please coordinate with the Head Start Nurse. 10. A child who gets sick or runs a fever will need to be picked up immediately by the parent or guardian. 11.Students should have a change of clothes in their bag each day in case of accidents. Change of clothing should be seasonally appropriate and LABELED. HELPFUL INFORMATION CONT.

13. Parents should keep Family Service Providers (FSPs) informed of any changes for the following: Contacts, phone numbers, address, place of work, or baby sitters. 12. Students will not be released to anyone other than those listed by the parents on file (no exceptions).

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS Teachers recognize each child’s birthday in the classrooms. DO NOT SEND snacks or treats to school due to other children with food allergies. Thank you for considering the needs of other students in the classroom. We prefer that you celebrate the birthday outside of the school day

WE WILL FOLLOW THE SMCPS CALENDAR HEAD START STUDENTS do not attend school on Early Dismissal Days and any day that SMCPS is closed. See TWO HOUR EARLY DISMISSAL dates below. Here are some Important dates to remember. *First Home Visit Schedule (required for Head Start) will occur 8/24-8/30 AUGUST 31– FIRST day for Head Start students October 10 - Parent Conference Day* (required for Head Start) no student day *Second Home Visit Schedule (required for Head Start) will start during month of December April 19 - Parent Conference Day* (required for Head Start) no student day JUNE 12 – LAST day for Head Start students Head Start students will NOT receive Traditional PreK report cards. They will receive a GRADE REPORT using Teaching Strategies Gold which aligns with our instructional program. These reports will follow the school system marking period Report Card Distribution dates (see calendar for dates).

HEAD START STUDENTS DO NOT START UNTIL AUGUST 31 ST. TRANSPORTATION WILL BEGIN ON THIS DATE. HOME VISITS WILL OCCUR DURING THE WEEK OF AUGUST 24 TH THROUGH AUGUST 30 TH. PLEASE SIGN UP FOR YOUR HOME VISIT BEFORE YOU LEAVE TODAY. A FAMILY SERVICE PROVIDER OR YOUR TEACHER WILL CALL TO CONFIRM YOUR DATE AND TIME. THANK YOU

Student School Hours Open House – August 23 th check the schools website for hours See your green folder for your child’s hours Teachers Name and FSP name

TEACHER CONFERENCES TWO Parent-Teacher Conferences and TWO Education Home Visits are the expectation as established by the Head Start federal regulations and are very important to your child’s educational success. Parents are expected to work with their child’s teacher to participate in conferences throughout the year. There is a beginning and end Home Visit (2) and there is a Fall and Spring Parent Conference (2).

CURRICULUM Head Start’s primary curriculum is the Maryland State Standards. We follow a developmentally appropriate, school readiness philosophy using the Frog Street program as our instructional tool with a scope and sequence appropriate for 3 and 4 year olds.

Emphasizes positive strategies to support and teach children how to handle emotions, daily situations, and how to be considerate to others.

Please take time to read the hand out to ensure you and your child(ren) always follows the safety precautions.

QUESTIONS KELLY DOBSON HEAD START COORDINATOR , EXT 1