NIC Head Start to hold special 4-week summer session

Approximately 120 young children are returning to Head State learning facilities in five Northern Idaho counties this week as part of a 4-week special summer session.

The extra session has been made possible via a boost in federal CARES Act funding for Head State programs nationwide.

“It’s wonderful to see the kids come back, and I think the parents are excited to see the kids come back,” says Beth Ann Fuller, Director of the North Idaho College Head Start program.

“We are following all of the proper safety protocols. We want to make sure that it’s a fun-filled, learning-filled opportunity in the next four weeks,” Fuller said.

Normally, all Head Start learning centers close at the end of the school year; kids and teachers take the summer off, Fuller says. But this summer session is being held in North Idaho to make up for lost time and learning during school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We lost some ground, but this will help us catch up,” she said.

Head Start is a free school-readiness program that provides education and support for young children in income-eligible families. North Idaho Head Start facilities participating in the summer session include the Julien Bucher Early Learning Center in Bonner’s Ferry, Harding Head Start in Coeur d’Alene, Lakeland Head Start in Rathdrum, Post Falls Head Start, Sandpoint Head Start, Shoshone Head Start and St. Maries Head Start.

Denise Ohrt, a teacher at Harding Head Start, said she’s glad to be back in the classroom with kids. “Yeah, It’s fantastic. I’m thankful to be here,” she said.

It’s a little different teaching kids wearing gloves and masks, but the kids “have been pretty amazing,” she says. “I haven’t had any kids acting or looking fearful because we’re wearing masks,” Ohrt said.

On the second day, teachers read a story to the kids titled “Masks and Gloves” to talk about why people are wearing them, and that it’s meant to protect people’s health and safety, she said.

Overall, Head Start teachers say it’s great to be able to interact with kids personally and one on one. “The classroom is rich with activities – there’s a lot more hands-on activities, and much more social interaction,” Fuller says. “The kids love playing outside together, too.”

“The kids are super excited to be back in the classroom – everyone is happy to see us once again,” adds Katie Frazier, a classroom aide at Post Falls Head Start who said her son is on the autism spectrum and attends the program. “It’s been hard for my son to be home without a normal routine to follow.”

Head Start learning centers are holding sessions in staggered time periods so they serve fewer kids at one time, following local, state and CDC health guidelines. They are serving breakfast and a lunch to kids participating in the morning sessions, and they’re serving lunch and a snack to kids attending in the afternoons.

All of the education programs are geared to meet the children’s goals and needs, according to education plans tailored for each child’s individual needs, Fuller said. “We’re practicing reading, simple math, following the curriculum for their age group,” she said. “For the 4 year olds, we’re teaching them what they should know going into Kindergarten.”

Idaho reading test scores show that Idaho Head Start programs truly help 4-year-old kids prepare for kindergarten in public schools. Statewide, language and literacy scores improved by 40% from fall to spring, with 89% of the children proficient to enter kindergarten at grade level. By comparison, Idaho Reading Indicator scores for incoming kindergarteners statewide showed that only 42 percent were reading at grade level.

Idaho Head Start programs serve as an important safety net for low-income Idaho families by providing free pre-K educational programs to boost school readiness for kids 3-5 years old, birth-to-three education in Early Head Start programs, Children’s Health Programs and Parent Advancement programs.

“Idaho Head Start has always served a vital function for low-income families and children in our state, but during this challenging time with the COVID-19 virus, it’s even more crucial that we’re there to support our families and ensure they’re doing OK and their children continue to learn and grow,” said Bill Foxcroft, executive director of Idaho Head Start Association.

While it’s been hard to try to teach kids virtually during the Idaho lockdown, Ohrt says she thought there were some benefits from engaging parents more as the children’s “first and best teachers” while sharing educational resources online via YouTube or other video platforms. “We did some really amazing things empowering the parents like learning counting games with household items,” she said.

Through a contract with the Idaho Head Start Association, NIC Head Start will serve six additional kids when fall sessions begin in September. Applications are being now accepted at all of the Northern Idaho Head Start learning centers.

For more information about NIC Head Start programs, contact Beth Ann Fuller at bethann.fuller@nic.edu or 208-666-6755.