Editors: Valerie Blade & Cricket Tepper

Southern Oregon Child & Family Council, Head Start, Early Head Start & LISTO

December 02, 2014

2014-2015, Issue 12

INSIDE

Pg. 2– Kudos Korner

Pg. 2– November Safety Stars

Pg. 2– Better Sleep

Pg. 3– EAP

Pg. 3– Might Minute

Pg. 4– Safety Tips For The Office

And Classroom

Mission Statement

Southern Oregon Head Start prepares children and their families for success in school and throughout life.

The Weekly Memo

MEETINGS/TRAININGS

12/2– Volunteer Committee A & B 12/3– ERSEA, A & B 12/3– Directors, Admin 12/3– Orientation Committee, A & B 12/4– ECE Advisory Comm., A & B 12/5– OPEC and HOC, RWD

NEXT WEEK (MON)

12/8– Wellness Committee, Admin.

12/8– Parent Internship Comm.,

Library

12/8– LMC, A & B

12/8- Ed: Planning @ CTRS

12/8– Ed: Center Mtgs. @ CTRS

12/8– Ed: Child Staffings @ CTRS

Federal Review

Week of December 1, 2014

The week of our Federal Review has finally arrived! I hope you all had a restful relaxing holiday and are ready for an exciting week. Schedules were sent out last week but we are hearing that there will be some changes due to needing a replacement Re-viewer. We will know more about that later and keep you in-formed as we find out more.

I am so impressed by our staff and centers! KUDOS go to each and every one of you. You have been working very hard to learn as much as possible and have your centers looking their very best. I am sure we will “SHINE”! This is the time that you get to show off to knowledgeable trained people that you do a fabu-lous job. A few key things to remember are;

-Be at your “professional best” in dress, manner, and actions.

-Make sure we are following our procedures & redundant checks at all times.

-Help coworkers if you see them needing help or reminders.

-Introduce yourself and offer any help needed.

-Ask for identification if it the person is without a Head Start badge or escort.

-Answer questions answered but not more. If you do not know the answer tell them you go to your supervisor for the answer or where you look for that answer. No one expects you to know every answer but you do know how to get answers.

-Be proud of your center, the job you do so well and our Agen-cy. We do a fabulous job and it is not an easy job. Remember we are proud of each Center and of each of you!

Submitted by Valerie Blade, Operations Director

2014-2015 Issue 12 Page 3

THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

WOULD LIKE TO SEND A BIG KUDOS OUT TO ALL OF OURNEW DRIVERS !

George Lucas @ FRC, DeAnn Lutton @ WIL Robyn Neel @ MCB

Wayne Pridy @ MCB Joann Ready @ WCY

You all worked hard to get your CDL’s and get on the road to helping our boys and girls get to and from our Centers. Then you work hard in your other job as custodian when you park! We ALL appreciate everything that you do for us! …

And we also truly appreciate all of our existing drivers too.. you know we do!

Submitted by Brenda Moon, Transportation Supervisor

Three things you should do for better sleep:

1. Make sleep a priority so that you plan for it. 2. Remember your body needs the amount of sleep that it needs. So, stop try-

ing to train it...you should listen to it and give it what it needs. 3. Ease into sleep. Make sure that you quiet yourself and your environment

before sleep so you can have a restful night of sleep, because if you're going to take the time out of your busy schedule to sleep, you might as well make the quality of sleep good.

Sleep is a complicated thing…there are so many factors that can make it good…or make it bad. Make sure to take the effort to make it good, or at least learn how to make your sleep good. In the long run, that's what's going to keep both your mind and body healthy. Just remember, sleep is when your body repairs itself. I think that fact alone makes the effort of ensuring sleep super important, don't you?

NOVEMBER

Safety Stars

This month we had 4 people nominated for Safety Stars.

Sionney Garren, Center Assistant from SV

Marci Bogardus, Head Teacher from MCB

Lori Henderson, Cook from EHSWM

And our Star of the Month

Bliss Wilson– Teaching Assistant, ASH

Who consistently and repeatedly is asking safety related questions, put caution tape on the shed step , walking each room inside and out, and cleaned the center on her hands and knees!

Remember to give a “Star” to someone when you see them going above & beyond to keep others safe!

Submitted by Valerie Blade, Operations Director

Mighty Minute!

Mighty Minute #29

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep Objective 15 Demonstrates phonological awareness Related Objectives: 3, 8, 9, 11, 20, 34 What You Do

Sing and count on your fingers. Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, (three) bags full! (One) for the master, (one) for the dame, And (one) for the little boy who lives down the lane. Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, (three) bags full!

Add complexity by exploring different number combinations using small plastic bags filled with cotton balls.

For example, if you’re holding seven bags, give two bags to one child, four bags to another child, and one bag to a third child. Then, show the children how you can redistribute the bags so that they still add up to seven. Give on child three bags and another child four bags.

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, (seven) bags full! (Four) for Zaria, (two) for the Raul, And (one) for Jasmin who lives down the lane. Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, (seven) bags full!

Submitted by the Education Dept.

2014-2015 Issue 12 Page 2

Employee Assistance Program

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Just a reminder that EAP is an excellent source of counseling and support for nearly every problem or issue you might be facing.

EAP’s services include, but are not limited to: work place issues, interpersonal conflict, family crisis, grief counsel-ing, depression, stress, anxiety, marital issues, etc. and all full-time and part-time employees are covered.

Services provide up to 4 counseling sessions per incident and are completely free and 100% confidential. If you need additional help to work on an issue, the Agency has arranged for up to 8 additional visits at a cost of $10 each.

The appointment schedule is very flexible and all appointments should be scheduled at a time that will cause the least amount of disruption in services.

To make an appointment, call:

Asante Counseling Services Medford (541) 789-4238 Grants Pass (541) 955-5570 Toll Free 1-800-836-5777

SAFETY TIPS FOR THE OFFICE & CLASSROOM

Accidents do happen in school offices and classrooms.

Few school office employees realize that they are twice as likely to be in-jured in a fall as a non-office worker. Nationally, only automobile accidents out number falls as the leading cause of all accidents. In the office slips, trips and falls are the number one cause of disabling injuries.

Don't lean back in your chair. Keep all legs on the floor so that you do not end up on the floor. Take time to reach out and hold on to the chair - be sure that the chair is beneath you as you sit. Keep the floor and walkway clear of electrical, telephone and computer ca-

bles, boxes, etc. They are tripping hazards waiting to happen. Close one drawer in a filing cabinet before opening another. This prevents the file cabinet from tipping over. Close the drawer in your desk before getting up and close file drawers before walking away from the file cabinet. This prevents the danger of people walking into an open file drawer or desk drawer.

Store supplies inside cabinets, not on top of them. Store heavy items in lower drawers or on low shelves.

Watch out for slippery surfaces. Spilled liquids create hazards and need to be cleaned up/or identified immediately. Look where you are going. Don't block your view by carrying loads higher than eye level. Don't read while walking. It doesn't save enough time to justify the risk.

Walk, do not run. Please slow down.

Don't climb on chairs, desks or boxes. Use a step ladder instead.

Hold onto handrails when using stairways.

Don't overload wall sockets and extension cords.

Don't touch electrical switches, sockets, plugs, etc with wet hands.

Watch for unsafe conditions such as defective equipment, burned out lights, loose steps, torn carpet, etc and report them to your supervisor immediately.

Submitted by DeAnn Lutton, Safety Committee