Touchpoint: Summer Relaxing and Learning

July 2021

Transcribed below:

Hello, NHSA community! Dr. B here with our July Touchpoint, and it being July, of course, this is going to be dedicated to summer. We’re all in the midst of summer here. And we want to talk a little bit about what that means for our Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

A Love Note

Of course, we can’t get started without a love note. And I have two again this month, so many good things going on. I want to send a love note to Jackie Cross at Anoka County Community Action and her whole team who have stepped up. They reached out to me personally and were willing to talk to me about The Academy and the things we were doing and to give us some pointers and to look at some of the work in progress so that we had some feedback. We really appreciate that because at the end of the day, what we want is to deliver something that you can really use, and that will be helpful and engaging. So we appreciate that. Shout out to Jackie and her team!

And then also, I just want to send a love note to all the staff. All the Head Start staff, all the Early Head Start staff who have made it through what has just been such a challenging year. And we know that, we know it’s been challenging for everyone. And we really appreciate the hard work and dedication that you have given to your children and to your families. And I think Head Start has been out ahead as an example of how to exist in an unpredictable environment and still put the needs of their children and families first. So thank you, thank you. A big love note to all of you.

This Month’s Theme: Summer Learning

So let’s jump into some content for this Touchpoint. We’ll talk about summer learning. I just wanted to give you some suggestions for the summer.

Waterford Upstart Summer Learning Path

The Waterford Upstart program has a great summer learning path. You might want to check that out. That’s all available online, and I’m going to provide a link here for you. Their program is quite successful in a number of Head Start programs, and it’s something that works really well over the summer. This is to really target the COVID cliff that a lot of children are experiencing, having been home for so long.

ECLKC resources

The second thing I’m going to share with you as a webpage from ECLKC that, that talks about summer learning specifically around kiddos with IEPs and IFSPs. So, check out this website and read about some very particular suggestions about ensuring that those children have some kind of bridge between the end of last year and the beginning of the next year. It is so important, particularly in this time, where the in-person learning has been spotty, sometimes non-existent, we want to make sure that those children are making progress.

And then don’t forget home support. Those folks who are at home in the summer still need support, make sure you’re reaching out, checking in. They love to hear from you, and it’s always good to tie that end of the year in with the beginning of the year. I know most of our programs do that pretty naturally. But it’s a good reminder.

NHSA in the Classroom

And then finally, NHSA in the Classroom has a great summer program for you underway Tuesdays 11:30 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST). You can sing and dance with the best of them. Available to everybody, so whether you’re in program, you’re doing a summer program and you want to tune in at your center, or just share it with your parents from home. They can log on, it’s free and fun, and people are really enjoying it. We’ve got The Kennedy Center, we’ve got NOGGIN, we’ve got Nick the Music Man, and of course Pinky the host. So come dance with us on Tuesdays, sing with us on Tuesdays, and we have some fun together.

And, you know, summer learning isn’t just for the children. Make sure you remembering we’ve got some really great webinars throughout the summer.

EHS Rising Summer Learning Series

EHS Rising continues, focusing on Early Head Start issues, and you can check out our website for the details on that.

New pre-service courses at The Academy

NHSA is getting ready to launch the new Academy–which I referenced in the beginning–in late July and early August, so you want to look at those learning opportunities.

And, you know, I think NHSA in the Classroom is learning for adults too. I think it has been so much fun to watch the adults singing and dancing with children and really experiencing arts and expression with children and how important that is. So, I consider that since summer learning.

In Case You Didn’t Know

And as we finish out this Touchpoint, as always, I have an “In case you didn’t know,” and I actually have a few of them today, and I want to make sure you know about them.

Join the National Head Start Alumni Network

We have a wonderful new addition here at NHSA. Malkia Payton-Jackson is working on our alumni program and she is doing an amazing job. I’m going to provide a link here for you. We really want to start collecting as much information on those Head Start alums out there and bring them together so that we can really have a great impact. So we invite you to be part of that. I’m providing the link here for you for that.

Register for the Fall Leadership Institute–in person!

Also, don’t forget FLI is coming up, the Fall Leadership Institute. It’s our first in-person learning opportunity. We’re so excited! In DC, in-person, come join us.

31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

And then finally, I just want to preview that Americans with Disabilities Act Day is on July 26th. And we want to make sure you recognize that in your community. And I’ve got a link here for you, for that information as well.

So it’s been wonderful to join you here for a July Touchpoint in the middle of the summer. I hope you get a chance to unplug and recharge your batteries over the summer because I know the 21–22 program year is going to be the best yet.

And remember, Head Start is access to the American Dream. Go make dreams happen!

Dr. Deborah Bergeron has spent over thirty years working to support the growth and development of children. She led the Office of Head Start and the Office of Early Childhood Development at the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services from 2018–2020. As the Deputy Director of Community Engagement and Innovation at the National Head Start Association, she aims to bring the Head Start and Early Head Start community together, provide the necessary support to ensure high-quality programming, and be a constant reminder to the folks on the ground that they are the backbone of Head Start and Early Head Start.