Wednesday Wrap Up
From the Directors Desk
Donna Jenne
January 4th All Staff InService training 8:30 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. Lunch Provided at
Harms Advanced Technology
Center room 188 - 189
Coaches Training for Home
Visitors and Family Advocates January 5 and 6 from
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in
Room 188 at Harms Advanced
Technology Center
We are off to a great start
for the first half of the
year. We have been fully
enrolled since September and
have established a waitlist
for Early Head Start and
Head Start. Currently we
are fully staffed with additional substitutes in some
areas. Training on the new
Head Start Performance
Standards will be continuous
throughout the next year. I
want to thank each of you
for the hours of hard work
and energy you put into the
program, it takes everyone to
make our program successful!! Just a reminder we are
always growing and learning
and that is what makes us
stronger. Enjoy your Holiday
break with family and friends
and come back in January
with renewed energyJ
Simple Gifts
When asked to vote on the
Seven Wonders of the
World, a group of high school
students came up with this
list: Egypt’s Great Pyramids,
the Taj Mahal, the Grand
Maria Perez
Health:
Reminder: Don’t forget to
change out toothbrushes
after the New Year. Also,
please make sure there is at
least one adult, to direct and
model tooth brushing at each
table. Children should be
brushing for at least 2
minutes.
Nutrition:
Kitchen and meal observa-
tions are coming along
well. Don’t forget to turn in
your food experiences to me
at
[email protected].
Happy Holliday’s and
Enjoy your break.
Business Name
Canyon, the Panama Canal,
the Empire State Building,
the Great Wall of China, and
Niagara Falls.
One girl in the class disagreed. For her; the seven
wonders were: to see, to
hear, to touch, to taste, to
feel, to laugh, and to love.
Sometimes the things we
take for granted are truly
the greatest wonders.
–by Ronda Beaman
December 14, 2016
Dates to remember:
 12/15 Health and
Safety Checklist Due
 12/19 2nd Bus Evacuation & Training Postcard Due
 12/20 ESU #13 Safety Training Due
 12/21 Daily Room &
Playground checklist
Due.
Last Day
with Children
 12/22-1/3 Christmas
Break
 1/4 Head Start and
Early Head Start InService, Harms Center
room 188 & 189.
Kerry Mehling,
HS Assistant Director, Family Community Partnership Manager
Fatherhood Connection Creating a Welcoming Environment: Attitudes and Practices
Fathers can feel welcome in your
program or center when staff make
an effort to get to know them as
individuals and family members.
Each staff member who works with
families, including program
directors, home visitors, teachers,
transportation staff, and others,
can show fathers that their role is
valued.
Here are some examples that you
can apply to create a culture of
inclusiveness for
fathers:
**Include
fathers in
all
family
engagement opportunities and
activities.
Example: Invite expectant
fathers, partners, and other family
members to participate in prenatal
and postpartum education and
services.
**Schedule meetings when fathers
and other family members are
available to participate.
Example: "You mentioned that
your schedule makes morning
meetings a challenge, is there a
better time for us to talk?"
**Embrace attitudes that show
fathers their contributions are
important and valuable.
Example: "Can you tell me how
you think your child learns best" or
"What do you do to comfort your
child when she is upset?"
**Engage a father in a conversation
about his child's learning and
development by describing your
observations about his child. Listen
to the meaning he makes about your
observation. The information he
shares with you will help bring you
both to a mutual understanding
about his child.
Example: Teacher: Hi Andy, do
you have a few minutes? I wanted
to share a quick story from
Christopher's day.
Page 2
Andy (Father): Sure.
Teacher: Today on the playground
I saw him give a make-believe
cupcake to another little boy who
was crying.
Andy (amused): He did?
Teacher: Yes.
Andy: I bet the idea about the
cupcake came from this weekend.
Teacher: What happened this
weekend?
Andy: On Saturday, he cried because his best friend couldn't come
over to play with him, so I took him
to the bakery and bought him a
cupcake. It definitely put a smile on
his face.
Teacher: Sounds like Christopher
learned some things from you this
weekend.
Andy: Yes, sounds like it. I feel
good that he is learning from me
how to be caring to others.
Teacher: I think it says a lot
about your relationship with him.
Father: Yeah! He's my buddy.
meetings per year plus the end
of year celebration. If your
classroom has not scheduled or
completed the 2nd parent
meeting for the year, please
work again with your parent
committees to make this happen.
Sited from Early Childhood Learning and
Knowledge Center: National Center on
Parent, Family, and Community Engagement:
Fatherhood Connection E-Newsletter
A huge thank you to classrooms
CDC1, CDC4, and Gering for
completing and turning in their
father engagement activities!
Please remember that we are
working to complete 2 activities
designed for father’s this year!
If you have completed yours and
I just have not received the
documentation yet, thank you,
and please turn in your
information as soon as possible.
If you have not completed 1
father engagement event yet,
please get with your parent
committees and begin planning!
If you need suggestions for
activities, please ask!
Also a reminder, each center is
required to complete 4 parent
Wednesday Wrap Up
Use a smear for children under age 3.
Use a pea-size amount for children ages 3 to 6.
Quick Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
4 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans,
rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cook for 15 minutes or until heated through.
Discard bay leaf.
Yield: 7 servings.
Directions
In a large saucepan, sauté the carrots, celery and onion in butter until
A Little Holiday Fun with the WWU

Santa has 31 hours to deliver
gifts, but his reindeer really have
to fly, since that means visiting
823 homes per second.
Charles Dickens wrote “A
Christmas Carol” between October
and November of 1843. The story was a hit, selling 6,000 copies
by Christmas Day.


An average of 5,800 people end up
in the ER after suffering injuries
from holiday decorating.
The tallest snowman was 113 feet
7 inches tall. Named Angus and
made in Bethel Maine in 1999.


The U.S. Postal Service delivers
20 billion cards and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas
Eve.
51 Million turkeys are eaten on
Thanksgiving Day.

Hanukkah is celebrated around the
world for eight days and nights

Each night of Hanukkah, an additional candle is placed in the Menorah from right to left, and then

Chionophobia is the fear of snow.

Given the different time zones,
Volume 2, Issue 3
lit from left to right. On the last
night, all the candles are lit.

The popular Christmas song “Jingle
Bells” was actually written for
Thanksgiving. The song was composed in 1857 by James Pierpont,
and was originally called “One
Horse Open Sleigh”.
Page 3
Krystie Hohnstein—Education Manager
TEN QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE TEAM PLAYER
By Marty Brounstein
Teams need strong team players to
perform well. But what defines such
people?
DEMONSTRATES RELIABILITY
You can count on a reliable team member who
gets work done and does his fair share to
work hard and meet commitments. He or she
follows through on assignments. Consistency
is key. You can count on him or her to deliver
good performance all the time, not just some
of the time.
COMMUNICATES
CONSTRUCTIVELY
Teams need people who speak up and express
their thoughts and ideas clearly, directly,
honestly, and with respect for others and
for the work of the team. That’s what it
means to communicate constructively. Such a
team member does not shy away from making
a point but makes it in the best way possible
— in a positive, confident, and respectful
manner.
LISTENS ACTIVELY
Good listeners are essential for teams to
function effectively. Teams need team
players who can absorb, understand, and
consider ideas and points of view from other
people without debating and arguing every
point. Such a team member also can receive
criticism without reacting defensively. Most
important, for effective communication and
problem solving, team members need the
discipline to listen first and speak second so
that meaningful dialogue results.
FUNCTIONS AS AN ACTIVE
PARTICIPANT
Good team players are active participants.
They come prepared for team meetings and
listen and speak up in discussions. They’re
fully engaged in the work of the team and do
not sit passively on the sidelines.
Team members who function as active
participants take the initiative to help make
things happen, and they volunteer for
assignments. Their whole approach is can-do:
“What contribution can I make to help the
team achieve success?”
SHARES OPENLY AND
WILLINGLY
Good team players share. They’re willing to
share information, knowledge, and
experience. They take the initiative to keep
other team members informed.
Much of the communication within teams
takes place informally. Beyond discussion at
organized meetings, team members need to
feel comfortable talking with one another
and passing along important news and
information day-to-day. Good team players
are active in this informal sharing. They
keep other team members in the loop with
Page 4
information and expertise that helps get the
job done and prevents surprises.
COOPERATES AND PITCHES IN
TO HELP
Cooperation is the act of working with others
and acting together to accomplish a job.
Effective team players work this way by
second nature. Good team players, despite
differences they may have with other team
members concerning style and perspective,
figure out ways to work together to solve
problems and get work done. They respond to
requests for assistance and take the initiative to offer help.
EXHIBITS FLEXIBILITY
Teams often deal with changing conditions —
and often create changes themselves. Good
team players roll with the punches; they
adapt to ever-changing situations. They don’t
complain or get stressed out because
something new is being tried or some new
direction is being set.
In addition, a flexible team member can
consider different points of views and
compromise when needed. He or she doesn’t
hold rigidly to a point of view and argue it to
death, especially when the team needs to
move forward to make a decision or get
something done. Strong team players are
firm in their thoughts yet open to what
others have to offer — flexibility at its
best.
fun (and all teams can use a bit of both), but
they don’t have fun at someone else’s
expense. Quite simply, effective team
players deal with other people in a
professional manner.
Team players who show commitment don’t
come in any particular style or personality.
They don’t need to be rah-rah, cheerleader
types. In fact, they may even be softspoken, but they aren’t passive. They care
about what the team is doing and they
contribute to its success — without needing
a push.
Team players with commitment look beyond
their own piece of the work and care about
the team’s overall work. In the end, their
commitment is about winning — not in the
sports sense of beating your opponent but
about seeing the team succeed and knowing
they have contributed to this success.
Winning as a team is one of the great
motivators of employee performance. Good
team players have and show this motivation.
SHOWS COMMITMENT TO THE
TEAM
Strong team players care about their work,
the team, and the team’s work. They show up
every day with this care and commitment up
front. They want to give a good effort, and
they want other team members to do the
same.
WORKS AS A PROBLEM-SOLVER
Teams, of course, deal with problems.
Sometimes, it appears, that’s the whole
reason why a team is created — to address
problems. Good team players are willing to
deal with all kinds of problems in a solutionsoriented manner. They’re problem-solvers,
not problem-dwellers, problem-blamers, or
problem-avoiders. They don’t simply rehash a
problem the way problem-dwellers do. They
don’t look for others to fault, as the blamers
do. And they don’t put off dealing with issues, the way avoiders do.
Team players get problems out in the open
for discussion and then collaborate with
others to find solutions and form action
plans.
TREATS OTHERS IN A RESPECTFUL AND SUPPORTIVE
MANNER
Team players treat fellow team members
with courtesy and consideration — not just
some of the time but consistently. In
addition, they show understanding and the
appropriate support of other team members
to help get the job done. They don’t place
conditions on when they’ll provide assistance,
when they’ll choose to listen, and when they’ll
share information. Good team players also
have a sense of humor and know how to have
Newsletter Title
From Head Start—on Facebook
It’s important to redirect students’ attention to the rules mid-way through the school year. Use these classroom rules
to help.
I'm a part of a team, and I'm no better or any
worse than any single player on this team.
That's the approach I've always had and will
continue to have. It's not about me. It has
never been all about me. If it had, this would
have been a really lonely journey.
Mia Hamm
Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 5
Business Name
4215 Ave I
Scottsbluff, NE 69361
Phone: 555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
Email: [email protected]
ESU 13 Mission:
Striving to achieve educational excellence for all learners through strong partnerships, service and leadership.
National Head Start Association Mission and Vision
NHSA's vision is to lead - to be the untiring voice that
will not be quiet until every vulnerable child is served
with the Head Start model of support for the whole
child, the family and the community - and to advocate to work diligently for policy and institutional changes
that ensure all vulnerable children and families have
what they need to succeed. NHSA's mission is to
coalesce, inspire, and support the Head Start field as a
leader in early childhood development and education.
We would like to recognize……
If you would like to recognize someone please
email [email protected].
I would like to thank everyone for taking on
extra work while I was on leave, but especially
Maria Perez for taking care of attendance and
Sara Spencer for adding the WWU to her responsibilities. I couldn’t ask for a better
group of people to work with.
I also want to say thank you to everyone for
the cards and gifts for Aspen. The love and
support we received was amazing!
Sincerely,
Brenda Haslow
Administrative Assistant
Head Start/Early Head Start
*Please resume sending attendance, sign in
sheets, and WWU submissions to me.
TIMESHEETS
No timesheets are needed
for
December 22nd
through January 2nd.