Staff Preps for New School Year

posted 8/20/21 -- With a new school year rapidly approaching for LCCAA Head Start, all staff heard updates and received training last week.

Head Start teachers and staff returned to work and to high praise from their director and LCCAA President and CEO Jackie Boehnlein.

“We have had, for the last 18 months, such disruption in our services and the job you all have done has been nothing short of phenomenal,” Boehnlein said.

With COVID-19 case numbers rising again, some precautions remain in place, she added. However, the agency’s overall goal has never changed.

“We will focus on meeting the needs of the people we serve to the best of our ability,” Boehnlein said. “It’s going to be another great year.”

Head Start Director Shauna Matelski, Ed. D., said programs across the country are slowly working their way “back to normal” as they work to safely increase enrollment numbers to pre-COVID levels. LCCAA’s classrooms are opening with 20 available slots and program is currently approximately 60 percent full.

“All of you, you have done such a great job in keeping services going for our families,” Matelski added. “When there’s an emergency, we pull together.”

All agency employees were able to hear from keynote speaker Charles Marshall who offered his unique take on what makes someone a hero.

“Real heroes are people who invest their time, their talent, their passion into helping their community,” he said. “Your job is an impacting people job. The reason this organization exists is to help people. You are changing lives.”

Other workshops offered through the week focused on early literacy skills, teamwork and updates to agency systems.

Students return to classrooms Sept. 1. Enrollment is ongoing and can be started by clicking here.