Head Start Met Year's Challenges

posted 6/21/21 -- LCCAA Head Start created, innovated and recalculated over and over during the 2020-2021 school year. And it was a rousing success.

“The whole team has just done a tremendous job this year,” said Head Start Director Shauna Matelski, Ed.D. “Every time we turned a corner, there was something else. It took a lot of creativity and a lot of thought to do things differently.”

The school year began with smaller classes and shortened days. Drop off and pick up moved outside so car tags were distributed. Special machines were purchased to sanitize everything from stuffed animals to sleeping cots. Temperatures were checked daily and hands were washed over and over again. And there were the masks, and the masking tape to show how far apart everyone had to be.

Students and teachers went online to accommodate more students and then when case numbers spiked in late October, everyone went online. Story readings were recorded. Kits for music, art and more were distributed and the Zoom Scavenger Hunt was born.

As the COVID vaccine rolled out, classrooms reopened in late March two days a week and a hybrid schedule was followed. Communication via ClassTag, text message and more continued to be critical. Tablets were handed out to families who needed them to connect to the many great learning resources provided by LCCAA Head Start.

Food was also a critical need during the school year. Care Bags were distributed to families throughout the year and when students returned to the classroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays, an extra meal was sent home for them midweek. Meanwhile, virtual students could pick up meals once a week as well.

As classrooms reopened, more and more meals were served in the centers. In total for February, March and April, nearly 15,000 meals were served.

LCCAA Head Start is now enrolling for fall. Matelski expects to be able to return to full classroom capacity but said some of the new procedures, such as curbside drop off, will likely continue in the new year.

For more information on Head Start visit our website. To begin the enrollment process, click here.