Original Source | La Grande Observer
By Joyce Osterloh, Monday March 23, 2009

What would a 4-year-old say to President Obama if given the opportunity?

Preschool students in the Head Start program in Enterprise got the chance to tell Obama why they are thankful he is supporting their preschool. They talked about how their letter would get to the president, where it had to go, who would take it and how they should prepare it to be sent. Teachers escorted a parade of curious, eager 3- to 5-year-olds to the Enterprise Post Office amid comments such as, "President Obama is my president," and, "He's everybody's president, even my sister's president!"

The Head Start early education program has been serving young children and their families since 1965. It originated as part of the comprehensive effort to combat poverty in America by providing children ages 3 to 5 with a range of services. The program has the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children.

Head Start addresses cognitive development, socio-economic needs, provides medical and dental screenings, parental involvement activities and makes referrals to social and mental health services.

There are four major components to Head Start. The education piece provides a variety of learning experiences to help children grow intellectually, socially and emotionally. At the Head Start learning center in Enterprise this includes experiences such as the one described above; and learning about community services by using them and meeting the people who administer them.

In the classroom, teacher Kris Frazier and assistants Sandy Miller and Judy Wagoner give guidance in many ways, from techniques in donning one's jacket right side up to reminders that shooting noises are not appropriate in school. The information flows smoothly, quietly and nearly constantly.

"My role as a teacher is, I want to teach them social skills. Numbers, letters, reading are all important, but the social skills are the most important. If those are in order they will be ready for many situations. They are the most important, the rest will come if they have social skills," Frazier says.

Providing health services such as immunizations, dental and medical screenings for early identification of health problems, mental health counseling and nutritional guidance address the physical and emotional well-being of the children. In the local program the children are provided with a nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack served family style at the center.

Free developmental screenings are available every spring in Wallowa County to assess skills that are the foundation for academic learning: vision, hearing, motor, conceptual, language and self-help skills. Parents or guardians must make an appointment for the child by calling the Wallowa County Education Service District at 426-4997.

The screenings are administered at Joseph Elementary School on April 3, at Wallowa Head Start on April 10 and at the Enterprise Head Start on April 17. Professionals meet with parents after the screening to discuss the results and make referrals for further evaluations if warranted.

Parent involvement in the planning and implementation of educational activities is a major part of the success of the program. Frazier said she meets with the parents of each student to assess the child and set goals for the year.

"In the fall we make home visits to gather information and do assessments. In November we have parent-staff conferences to review the assessments and write goals for each child," Frazier says.

Progress and concerns are shared with the parents on a monthly basis throughout the school year, which runs from September to May.

A parent group meets periodically to share information or focus on areas of improvement for families or for the Head Start program.

Parents are encouraged to visit the classroom and participate in student activities. A one-way window at the Enterprise center allows parents to observe their child in a social and educational environment without being seen by the child.

A Joseph parent who is a volunteer firefighter recently spoke to the young students about fire safety and organized a field trip to the fire station. Parents also serve on policy councils and committees that make administrative decisions.

Annette Moeller, program director, meets with each family.

"Together we decide on a goal for the parents or the family. They actually write it and then we work toward reaching it," she says.

Outreach is provided to families to determine what social services may be needed. Referrals are made to other agencies in the communities to meet those needs. Help with paperwork is available and transportation is provided to appointments if necessary.

The Head Start staff works to coordinate services with other agencies like Building Healthy Families where the staff from both share the teaching of classes like parenting, family discipline and communication skills.

In Wallowa County a total of 37 children are enrolled in Head Start and there are 15 on the waiting list. The maximum number of students per staff person is 10, according to regulations.

There are income eligibility guidelines for families to participate in Head Start. Local programs are allowed to serve up to 10 percent of the children whose families may not fall within the income guidelines.

"We tell everyone to apply. We make up a waiting list and prioritize it using a point system. Often openings become available as the year progresses. Come see what the program looks like, check it out," says Moeller, who is in charge of recruitment and enrollment in Wallowa County.

Selections are made in June and July.

Moeller says that accessing specialized resources for students who need them is a challenge for Wallowa County Head Start.

"We have great community partners but for a service that is not offered locally, it is difficult to get the help for an individual because of the distance involved," she says.