This year marks the 50th Anniversary for the Parent Child Development Corporation! Join me in celebrating our amazing families, staff, board members, and numerous accomplishments! In 1971, local citizens united to form a company which would improve the quality of life for their neighbors, and fight against illiteracy and social isolation in the Middle Peninsula. PCDC has been a support system and positive influence in the communities of New Kent, Gloucester, King & Queen, Middlesex, Mathews, Charles City, and King William. Today, the very same mission still holds true; we have the privilege of empowering families and impacting lives for the better.

You are a huge reason PCDC thrives. You enable children to excel in school and life, and have helped families achieve their goals and dreams. I believe we have such a rewarding and honorable job at PCDC. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me—my heart is full. At PCDC, we’ll continue to shine and exude passion and love for our communities. Together, we will carry on the invaluable work of PCDC for years to come!

Verlane Mack

June Birthdays

Monique Taliaferro

Ashlyn Madison

Carla Marr

Fiscal Manager

Family Advocate Manager

Primary Caregiver

Floating Teaching Assistant

Substitute

Referrals are always welcome!

We would like to regretfully inform PCDC staff that Ashland Christain, EHS Family Advocate will no longer be working with us effective June 3, 2021. This is a great loss to the PCDC but we can only wish Ashland the best of luck in her future challenge.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there” Theodore Roosevelt

Thank you

Aixa Aklan

HR Manager

Share these resources with parents to reinforce positive oral health messages.

Hello all,

Summer time is right around the corner and I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage you to consider exercising your mind as part of your daily summer routine.

Knowing when to take a mental health day for yourself is crucial to maintaining your overall health and well-being, both in and outside the workplace.

“If you feel overwhelmed, stressed, have trouble focusing or concentrating on things at work, or at home, or are more irritable, then you may want to consider taking a mental health day. If you think about your life as a plate with sections for work, family, life, and things you like to do, and the plate is overflowing in all areas but the things you like to do, it is time for you to take a break and participate in self-care,”( Dr. Ashley Hampton, a licensed psychologist).

Please remember that your mental health is just as important to your overall well-being as your physical health. Just like any bout of illness or bodily distress, your mind needs time to rest and recover.

Of course, sometimes you just feel unexplainably “off.” It’s OK to take the day to yourself then, too. Use your personal judgement and listen to your mind and body. Everyone needs a mental health day from time to time.

Just like you’d treat any sick day, do things that make you feel better.

“On your mental health day, focus completely on yourself. Design your mental health day completely for you and about you,” Hampton says.

“If you enjoy having a massage, reading a book, watching a movie, then do those things. If you are going to take a day off work, make every minute count. The goal is to reduce any negative emotions, like stress! Just make sure whatever you’re doing makes you feel more at ease and relaxed. For some people, that could mean doing a puzzle. For others, it could mean scrubbing the bathtub.

“Give your brain a break, and do activities that you enjoy. Completing fun activities will help you relax and remind you what it feels like to take care of yourself and not everyone else all the time,” Hampton says.

Mental health days can also be a great time to practice self-care, whether that means doing a 12-step skin care routine or going for a jog in your favorite park. It may also mean sitting in bed all day watching Netflix and eating cereal. Self-care looks different for everyone.

Spend your mental health day doing things you know are beneficial to your mental and physical health. Try making a list of activities that bring you joy and lift your spirits.

It may feel weird at first to do things like getting a massage or sitting in a park. But these activities can go a long way toward helping you feel better.

The important thing is to do what makes you feel good, not what you think you should be doing. Once you take your first mental health day, it’ll only be easier to take them in the future and not feel guilty about it. Mental health days are necessary for healthy, happy, mindful lives.

Sarah Fielding / Dr. Hampton article on helpline contribution

I wanted to extend my sincere appreciation for helping raise awareness of mental health and encourage you log on to ECLCK mental health for more information.

Michelle

Early childhood education programs play a vital role in supporting the social and emotional and mental health of children and families. This support is particularly important when children and families are exposed to traumatic events or situations that overwhelm their ability to cope.

Crisis and Support Hotlines can offer immediate help. They provide free counseling, resources, and support from qualified providers. Many of them are available 24 hours a day and offer support for adults and caregivers around difficult topics such as child abuse, natural disasters, parent support, domestic violence, and suicide.

Protective factors can help develop children’s ability to cope so that they can become resilient, heal, and recover. Head Start programs are uniquely positioned to provide protective factors, such as strong, trusting relationships and safe, stable environments that promote healing for children, families, and staff.

Head Start Heals supports increased awareness about how programs can help. Explore resources or watch videos here. Topics include:

· Trauma basics, and what it means to have a trauma-informed care approach.

· How trauma intersects with topics including mental health, substance use, domestic violence, and child welfare.

· How to approach trauma and toxic stress through a culturally appropriate lens.

· How programs can have difficult conversations with families.

Go to ECLKC and type in mental health for a wealth of information!

Family Advocates have been working on following up with parents on the goals that they previously set for themselves. It is great to see progress towards these goals – even during a pandemic. Some of the progress is small – baby steps – but each step counts!

In Mathews and Middlesex, the teachers and advocates have been working together to make our end of year plans. The Middlesex teachers and advocate will be delivering special “buckets” to each student in person. The Mathews teachers and advocates will be saying goodbye to students at Port Fun (a playground in Mathews) handing out special bags for each student.

Both centers have done virtual tours of the respective elementary schools and interviews with kindergarten teachers which will be posted on our class Facebook page for our rising kindergarteners and their families. They will also be receiving bags with supplies needed for kindergarten.

1. Superintendent’s Message Walter R. Clemons, Ph.D

“Free Meals Offered to GCPS Students”. All students will continue to eat free breakfast and lunch throughout the 2021-2022 school year! GCPS Food Service has anew wellness policy on our website. Check it out at ( http://web,gc.k12.va.us.) .”

2. “Staying Safe During Hurricane Season. The 2021 Hurricane Season lasts from June 1 through Nov. 30, according to the National Hurricane Center.” Sign up for CodeRed Code is a high-speed emergency notification system used to alert the public to impending disaster on their landline or registered cell phones. To receive notification on your cell phone by text or email, visit www.gloucesterva.infor/CodeRed or call Emergency Management at 804-693-1390

3. “Gloucester PRT Youth Camps & Classes Summer 2021: For detailed program information check out our NEW registration page gloucesterva.info/civicrec or call our office at 804-693-2355. We will be adding new programs throughout the summer”

We had a busy month in May with preparing for Mother's Day and planning our end of the year picnic/class celebration for each of the classrooms. Our class picnics were scheduled for May 23rd and 24th. We put together "Summer Fun and Learning" buckets for the 25 children we have enrolled in efforts to promote continued learning and family engagement activities throughout the summer.

We hosted a Mother's Day Drive by event on May 4 and 5 to celebrate mothers/caregivers. The children decorated pot holders with their handprint and painted a flower pot photo holder to give as gifts to their moms. We provided muffins for the mothers and small gift bags filled with small tokens of appreciation.

We collaborated with Cool Spring Primary Kindergarten teacher, Mrs.

Valentine, to host a Zoom Kindergarten tour for our families with children transitioning into Kindergarten in the fall.

Summertime is the best time to try new fruits and vegetables that are in season like Apricots, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Cherries, Corn, Kiwi, Lettuce, Mangoes, Peaches, Strawberries, Swiss Chard, Watermelon, and Zucchini. In honor of National Gardening Exercise Day on June 6th, here is a guide to grow your own Cantaloupe from the CACFP as well as a link to the Kid's Gardening Website! The information and resources are free!

Jessica

https://community.kidsgardening.org/home?mc_cid=6fbd602e63&mc_eid=7648b7e80f

Please check out the USDA calendar to join in on all of the fun National Holidays this Summer month such as Fresh Veggies Day, Cheese Day, Gardening Exercise Day, Corn on the Cob Day, and so much more!

Take Care,

Nicole

"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” — Robin Williams