Day at the beach for children enrolled in Houlton Head Start program

  HOULTON, Maine — It’s been warmer than usual, but it hasn’t been beach weather in The County. That didn’t matter  to children in Houlton’s Head Start program on Bird Street last week. Even though the thermostat had to be turned up a bit in the classroom, the children wore their beach attire with sun shades and sandals. They brought their towels and went pretend swimming for a beach-themed day of fun and sun.
“I got new sunglasses,” said Cody Hayes. Classmate Travis Bennett spoke up saying: “we have towels.” And, Marina Britton explained that she had fun singing “Down By The Ocean.”
“We discussed seasons of the year and the change in the weather. The children were interested in Spring because they know it’s coming up. And, after reading stories about different seasons, the children wanted to know if they could have a beach day,” said Linda Stevens ACAP Head Start teacher.
Recruiting now
The educational pre-school program for children ages 3-4 is recruiting new students for the upcoming 2010-2011 program year, at no cost to parents. Children may stay in the program if they turn 5 during the term. It includes a meal with transportation on a designated route to and from the child’s home. Christine McLaughlin, a teacher’s aide said “we always have the five food groups at lunch.” On that particular day, lunch prepared off-site at an ACAP location, included grapes, peas, rice with chicken and milk.
When asked what she was doing, Jordis Sawyer, 3, said she was “setting the table in her beach outfit.”  She added that she liked to do it at home, too. Stevens said the program always has “a helper for the day. They get to set the table, be the line leader and turn the lights out.”
Teaching not babysitting
Stevens pointed out that the children are being prepared to enter school with skills. “It’s preparation for kindergarten. They learn numbers, the alphabet, shapes, colors, sequences and what comes next. They also enjoy reading books and storytelling with follow-up questions,” she said. In addition to academics, the children also learn fundamentals of good physical and dental hygiene.
To learn more about Head Start call: 768-3045 or (800) 432-7881.