Region 9 Head Start
COVID-19 school closure ~ Week 1 ~
Dear Friends,
There was life before COVID-19, and there will be life after.
We didn’t choose to have our schools closed; our routines halted in their tracks; our field trips, concerts, sporting events, fundraisers cancelled. We didn’t expect this and had little warning. And then there’s the uncertainty around when teachers and students will be allowed to return to school—and what school will be like when we do.
This is not a snow day. It’s not a holiday break. It’s a crisis. It’s scary. But it’s not hopeless.
We will be sending you weekly newsletters in an effort to support you and the new "normal". We will be providing resources to support your teaching, to support your Head Start families, but most important, to support you. We will also have a Coronavirus Humor section that will hopefully make you smile.
In the coming weeks, Region 9 and your campus administrators will support you in any way we can. Please reach out to us if additional support is needed.
Sending you all virtual hugs,
Your Region 9 Head Start Team
Weekly Head Start Humor
Announcements
- You do not need to complete March Anecdotal Notes.
- In-kind: please ask parents to track their time and activities they do with their kids. They can do this on paper or you can send them our in-kind sheet. We brainstormed this yesterday on the Zoom call. Zoom meeting notes will be coming to you from Stacey.
- Zoom meetings will occur every Thursdays @ 10:00 meeting ID: 472-457-224. You can download the app on your phone or click on the link in the email Stacey will send. If you are unsure on how to do this, you can practice with Stacey. For our first Zoom, we had 67 attendees! It was great to see everyone's smiling faces and we hope to see more next week.
General Resources
Education
- Here is a link to a shared drive with sample lesson plans, conscious discipline information, and supplemental information: Frog Street At Home Lesson Plans
- Who remembers the Barbara Bush Lending Library? Now she has the online version!
Family Services
- Resources for supporting children's emotional well being during the COVID-19 pandemic
- TXAEYC - Texas Association for the Education of Young Children
- Don't forget to check 211 Texas for the most up to date social service agency information.
- Childcare: best place to refer families is Texas Workforce
Mental Health / Conscious Discipline
- 5 Helpful Resources for Families - Dr. Becky Bailey
- Teaching Interrupted, Now What?? - teachers need to take care of themselves!
- Conscious Discipline resources
R9 Head Start Resources website
Region 9 Instructional Support website
My Peers website
Region 9 Head Start
Education Manager/Coach: Sharon.West@esc9.net
ERSEA Manager: Courtney.Cooner@esc9.net
Family Services/Mental Health: Karen.Yell@esc9.net
Family Services/Mental Health: Ann.Hicks@esc9.net
Fiscal: Carla.Rogers@esc9.net
Email: stacey.jurecek@esc9.net
Website: esc9.net/headstart
Location: 301 Texas 11 Loop, Wichita Falls, TX, USA
Phone: 940.322.6928
Facebook: facebook.com/ourschool
Twitter: @region9esc