Department of Head Start
NAVAJO HEAD START
(AREA III December 2009)
- INFORMATION:
Department: / NAVAJO HEAD START
Contact Person: / Karen Begay, Education Specialist
Telephone Number / (928) 672-2913
Fax Number:
E-Mail Address: /
- STATUS OF ON-GOING PROJECTS & INITIATIVES / STATUS OF ACTION PLAN
a.)EDUCATION: (Education Specialist)
***Special Note
- CENTERS (Shonto 1, Shonto 2, Inscription House 2, Kaibeto)
Most of the health screenings are complete except for the new enrollees. The Family Service Liaison are keeping track of these and are doing their best to ensure that all children are meeting the 45 days mandate. Some other accomplishments are completing classroom fire drills, bus drills, making sure that Local Parent Policy meetings are conducted. Center staff are doing their best daily to ensure that the centers are in operation except on days when the snow comes then it makes the roads impassable therefore this month some of the centers were shut down for a couple of days and at least two were shut down for one day.
Most of the centers in service area are lacking bus drivers but regardless the parents have been doing an excellent job in transporting their child to and from school and most of the centers have kept the average daily attendance in the eighties. In Kaibeto the bus was not running for several days due to the snow and then the mud, but the staff are ensuring that each child gets to school in a safe manner.
Centers are grateful for the maintenance workers, the two they are most thankful to are Mr. John Semallie and Mr. H. Zahne. They come to the centers and get the job done right the first time!
There are several children who have IEP’s and some referrals also went out to Mrs. Arlene Brown to tackle and ensure that they are all evaluated in a timely manner. Inscription House center has a new cook who started with the program and has stressed that she did not realize the amount of work she has to do and is overwhelmed.
- HOME BASE (Black Mesa Home Base, Kaibeto Homebase)
Black Mesa home base is utilizing a tribal vehicle to conduct her home visits and she is up to par on her visits as well as the socializations. Kaibeto Home base 1 is way behind on her visits according to the child record tracking. Both home visitors are reporting that parents as still not making that effort to come to the scheduled socializations and no matter how they stress to the parents the importance of meeting the thirteen, the still seem to keep it an oversight. This also goes for attending the Local Parent Policy meetings.
***Kiabeto Home Base 2 did not submit her report for today the Program Manager II called and wanted to know if the home visitor can work through out the break due to the home base not starting until October 28, 2009. If you have any question about her reports please contact the Senior Education Specialist.
CENTER & HOME BASE CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The following are some of the center staffs on-going concerns:
- Lack of computers, printers, ink, toners, white zerox paper, vacuum cleaners, classroom furniture, serving dishes, eating utensils.
-M.O.U with their local Chapters and would like to know when this will be put in place between Head Start and the Chapters.
-When ever personnel is holding and interview for a particular position that is to be filled, it is important for the center supervisor be a part of the interview panel because it is important for the supervisor to learn first hand about he capabilities of the interviewee and the center supervisor will know first hand if the person is right for the work load.
-There is a need for the new D.E.C.A. forms to complete the social behavior of new enrollees. Anytime the program implements a new form for the field staff to utilize, those forms needs to abundantly supplied. Right now they are being told that there are not more forms and to utilize the old form. The consistency is not being practiced for each enrolled child.
-Center teachers are still, not comprehending as to how to utilize the Individualization Tracking Form and are requesting for a comprehensive training.
-Centers have made referrals to the Mental Health Specialist and to date there is no reply as far as center visitations or any effort as far as contacting the parents.
- Education Specialist:
I wrote a memorandum to our agency finance requesting for center and home base equipment orders which were turned in last year be put as one of the priority orders for the next budget month. It is imperative that these orders be placed to ensure that our centers have those much needed equipment so that our Navajo children whom are enrolled in the Head Start program be given the outmost perspective of education with the much needed equipment. As I go to the centers it is very obvious that new equipment is needed.
Four staff in Kaibeto went through CDA assessment. I think they did very well regardless of their much needed remediation which was not followed through by their mentor.
Am currently working with Shonto Chapter to set up some computers for the children at the centers in Shonto. The chapter is willing to have the children use the old Gateway computers which were donated by OnSat. This is to ensure that the center is in compliance with the Creative Curriculum Implementation Checklist which calls for computers. Inscription House Chapter is a chapter that just does not put their local head start as priority. But, Mrs. Jean Calamity, goes out of her way to advocate for the center and this month she requested NECA construction company to clear the snow off in the parking lot. She does her best to ensure that the health and safety of the children and parents if priority.
Circle of Love representatives were out the second week of December providing gifts for the children which consisted of health and beauty aids with a stuffed animal.
On December 15, 2009 Ida Martin, Elizabeth Thompson and I worked as a team and sacked all the Christmas treats for the children, field staff and administration staff, although a memo came out for the staff to go on administrative leave. I guess we are too dedicated to ensure that our children receive their teats in a timely manner.
Sent out Transition Plans/schedule from Head Start to Kindergarten to Shonto Preparatory School and Kaibeto Boarding School which will began in the month of January into the month of May.
FUTURE PLANS
- Continue to provide technical assistance to the center staff and home visitors.
- Work on transition plans with Kaibeto Boarding School.
- Accompany the home visitors on their home visits.
- Train the center and home visitor staff on Individualization tracking.
- Set up an Infectious Disease Control and Preventions training with the local I.H.S. for three centers were cited by O.E.H.
- Continue to monitor and provide technical services to all centers and home base.
- OUTSTANDING PROGRAM ISSUES:
Lack of center staff and bus drivers.
Classroom equipment and supplies.
Center staff and home base teachers need more training in literacy.
Out dated classroom furniture.
Lack of computers, printers, office equipment, office chairs, zerox toner, printer cartridges, etc.
- PROBLEMS & RECOMMENDATIONS:
Education Specialist-
Some of the problems that I see in our service area is the fact that our centers need dishes. The program needs to make this a priority toaccommodate and ensure that we provide quality services to the children when they conduct family style meals. It is sad to see children serving their meals from large mixing bowls.
Three centers which are currently in operation are in need of bus drivers. Human resource needs to go out into the communities and recruit for bus drivers and to put some funding aside to help pay for the fees that they incur while attending trainings to become drivers. The fees that are required of them to pay becomes a big hindrance and when they cannot come up with the payment they simply cannot continue with the trainings such as skills test, twenty hours behind the wheel and so forth.
During the staffs CDA assessment preparation there were no remediation and mentoring was not continued to keep the staff motivated in completing their reference binder/folder. If the program is going to instill staff to become CDA certified; there needs to be a continuance of mentoring. My recommendation, if the Education Specialist are required to work with CDA candidates, is to have all Education Specialist attend a training to be CDA mentors.
The new home base teacher in Kaibeto needs more training in lesson plan writing, utilizing the Individualization tracking form, anecdotal writing, and over keeping the children’s folder in compliance. She needs one to one training and right now it seems that she does not comprehend the new Home base curriculum as well. It becomes a chore to try to teach new staff how to write lesson plans, anecdotal writing, etc. Not sure who hires these staff and recommend that personnel fully look into each referred individuals credentials before they make the final decisions for them to be hired, especially as teachers and home visitors.
Field staffs are complaining about the general staff meetings where they are indicating that most of the staffs are not attentive where they are busy texting and doing other wise instead of listening. This is needs to be stressed to all staff before the meeting begins by informing staff in attendance to put their cell phones away.
I wrote a memo back in the month of October about several issues and to date I have not received a reply. I hope I will receive some kind of correspondence soon so I will continue to conduct my duties and responsibilities in accordance to the policies.
FROM AREA THREE WE WISH ALL THE HEAD START STAFF A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A SAFE NEW YEAR
This completes my report for December 2009.
NHS - 01/28/08
Agency Reporting System Page 1