Connecting home, school and community
CACS Head Start and Early Childhood Programs
DIRECTOR’S CORNER
ISSUE 3 2017
In this issue:
Director’s Corner 1
Books Building Bridges 1
Blood Pressure 2
Myth vs Fact 2
FREE events 2
RIF Grant 2
Make Every Day Count 3
Growing Healthy 3 Unique 4 Free Smoke Alarms 4 Segmento Informativo en Español 4
CACS Head Start, 101 E. Willow, Lansing, MI 48906 (517) 482-1504 www.cacsheadstart.org
At Head Start, we do not celebrate holidays. We leave it up to families to celebrate special occasions in ways they feel comfortable. It seems like holiday advertising comes earlier and earlier each year. We try to keep the children’s routine in the classroom as calming and predictable as possible since they are so bombarded with hype everywhere else.
As the holiday season approaches, many of us look forward to seeing our children’s eyes light up at holiday sights, sounds and smells that
surround the season. Use this time to reflect on your family being together and create memories that will become family traditions. A holiday scrapbook is a nice way to capture special moments, cards and activities. Don’t forget to date the pages and include photo‐graphs and quotes from your children.
Also try to remember those who are not so fortunate. Donating a canned good to a local food bank; giving a gently used toy to a needy child; sharing a visit, a homemade card or a kind word to a neighbor…these and many other things not only help others, but make us feel better about ourselves. Acts of kindness set an example for our children and extend the giving spirit.
Head Start offers a variety of parent trainings. Read your biweekly classroom newsletter, the program newsletter, and the program website for current activities. Also, look for flyers announcing topics, times and locations for trainings. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, share ideas, learn about Head Start, community resources and how to
support your child and family (www.cacsheadstart.org).
Happy Holidays!
~Lucy McClintic
Sheriff Sco Wriggelsworth
visited some of the children at
Maplehill Head Start to promote “Books Building
Bridges” ini a ve.
Thank you Sheriff Wriggelsworth!!
The list of “dos and don’ts” for pregnant women is long – and some mes contradictory. For example, you may have heard that pregnant women should postpone any dental work un l a er the baby arrives, but wai ng to get treatment for dental issues can actually cause more damage. Here’s the truth behind that myth and three others.
Myth: Pregnant women should avoid dental work. Fact: It’s very important for expec ng mothers to get dental work taken care of – lingering dental infec ons can harm the health of both the baby and the mother. Den sts usually recommend the second trimester for pregnant women who need work requiring topical or local anesthe cs. Expec ng mothers should s ll contact the den st when experiencing oral health problems, regardless of the trimester. Myth: A pregnant woman’s oral health has nothing to do with her baby’s overall health. Fact: Some evidence shows that women with generalized moderate‐to‐severe periodontal disease may be at higher risk for deliver‐ing pre‐term, low‐birth weight babies. Because of increased hormones, it’s also common for pregnant women to develop “pregnancy gingivi s,” an inflamma on of the gums and surrounding ssues characterized by redness, swelling, and tenderness and bleeding. Professional cleanings will help keep condi ons like this in check. Myth: Pregnant women should not have dental X‐rays taken. Fact: Because the amount of radia on in dental X‐rays is extremely low, its fine to take dental X‐rays when necessary to help iden fy poten ally harmful dental issues that need immediate treatment. Although the radia on is minimal, the den st will take precau ons to make sure the pregnant woman is properly covered with a lead apron and collar. Myth: Morning sickness isn’t any fun but it doesn’t actually do any harm. Fact: Over me, exposure to stomach acid from repeated vomi ng can dissolve tooth enamel. Pregnant women who suffer from extreme morning sickness should discuss their symptoms with their den st, who may offer a solu on to lessen harmful effects on tooth enamel, such as rinsing with baking soda to neutralize the acid.
Myth vs. Fact: Pregnant Women and Dental Care
FREE EVENTS
CAPITAL AREA DISTRICT LIBRARY 401 S. Capitol Ave, Lansing
Holiday Open House Wednesday, Dec. 6; 6:30‐8pm See reindeer, enjoy cra s, cookie decora ng and a visit from Santa.
Saturday Holiday Ma nee Saturdays in December; 11:00am Polar Express, Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Frozen.
HEAD START RECEIVES RIF GRANT
CACS Head Start is the lucky recipient of the Books for Ownership
matching grant. This will allow children in CACS
Head Start to par cipate in 3 book distribu ons during the school year.
Thank you RIF!
This winter season, the best gift you can give your child is a good education. The best place to get an education is in school.
It’s tempting to extend the break by a few days, but remember, those days count as absences. Just a few missed days here and there, even if they’re excused, can add up to too much lost learning time. So make sure your child is in school every day, right up until the break starts. Our teachers will still be teaching and our students will still be learning.
Gozo y Felicidad durante los días fes vos Tal como se aproximan los días fes vos, padres, maestros, y por supuesto los niños, aparecen estar listos e emocionados para tener un buen empo.
Através de los comerciales en la televisión, revistas, y periódicos, siempre se les esta recordan‐do que ellos pueden hacer sus niños felices comprando el regalo mas grande, esencial, y único. Por supuesto entre más caro el regalo mas felices van a estar los niños. A los niños se les re‐cuerda cuando están viendo sus caricaturas favoritas que ellos también deben de tener el re‐galo máximo, el regalo único. Ven comerciales de juguetes actuando y haciendo cosas fantás ‐cas que ningún juguete real puede hacer, pero cual fomenta su deseo todavía más. Esto puede llegar a ser una desilusión, una decepción, y aun más, un niño muy frustrado, cuando los juguetes no hacen lo que se enseñaba en el comercial.
Por lo común, toda esta alharaca y frenesí, llega a estresar mucho a los padres y a los niños los pone híper. No estamos dicien‐do que no de regalos, por supuesto que no. Lo que estamos diciendo es que los días fes vos deberían de ser un empo lleno de felicidad y gozo. El regalo más grande que les podemos dar a nuestros niños, es ese lado posi vo de la vida. Gozo por parte de los padres y para los niños disfrutando aquel gozo.
¿Cómo podemos hacer eso, pregunta usted? Pues, según Dora Fowler directora del Ins tuto Nacional del Cuidado de Niños, se puede hacer empezando su propio ritual de los días fes vos. Algunos ejemplos son: Cuando se sienten a comer su cena especial de fiesta, 1. Apague el televisor, tocar música fes va y alegre 2. Asegure que toda la familia tome parte en la preparación de la comida y preparación de poner la mesa 3. Esperar a que todos estén sentados, antes de empezar a comer. 4. Pase una galleta grande, de persona a persona alrededor de la mesa. La persona pasando la galleta se le pide que ofrezca
unas cuantas palabras de aprecio y un deseo fes vo a la persona recibiéndolo. 5. Asegure que todos sean incluidos en la conversación. 6. No es un empo para disciplinar a los niños o tener conflicto. Corregir a los niños solamente cuando sea necesario (un
ejemplo: María le esta pegando a Javier). 7. Nadie se va de la mesa hasta que todos terminen. 8. Concluya la cena, deseándoles a todos…felices días fes vos, cantando una canción o compar endo un abrazo.
Les deseamos… Felices Días Fes vos!
Unique
By Digby Wolfe
Here’s to the kids Who are different ~
The kids who don’t always get A’s The kids who have ears
Twice the size of their peers Or noses that go on for days.
Here’s to the kids who are different ~ The kids who are just out of step;
The kids who get teased, Who have cuts on their knees,
And whose sneakers are constantly wet.
Here’s to the kids who are different ~ The kids with a mischievous streak;
For when they have grown, As history has shown,
It’s their difference that makes them UNIQUE!
Happy Holidays! ~ Early Interven on Services Department