Head Start will host Community Helpers Week

TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
Children at play Students in the Head Start program point out differences between colored toys as part of their educational time. Head Start is provided to preschool-aged children.

An annual tradition is coming back to the local Head Start program.

Starting this Friday, Head Start, an effort of Community Service, Inc., is holding “Community Helpers” week to introduce students to different parts of the community.

Head Start home base teacher Melissa Kelmel said the yearly theme week helps kids understand who is in the community.

“We teach them who the police are and how important they are,” Kelmel said. “We talk to them about emergencies, and then we show them what to do if there is an emergency and their parents can’t call 9-1-1.”

That will be one of the topics of this Friday’s presentation, when Maryville Public Safety, the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northwest Missouri State University Police Department come visit.

On Monday, local farmer Matt Lager will bring some animals so that the students can learn about agriculture and farm animals.

Kelmel is also looking to have members of the Northwest football team come in.

Tuesday’s visitor will be “Fireman Phil” Rickabaugh, who will teach the kids about fire safety.

Wednesday’s visitor will be from SSM Health St. Francis Hospital, and will teach the kids about health and germs.

Continuing the health theme, Thursday will mark the first of six weekly visits by a nutritionist who will teach the children about healthy eating habits.

Kelmel said the local Head Start program is in place for children throughout Atchison, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway, and Worth counties.

“We have guidelines to meet on income; we have to accept a certain amount of lower, middle, and upper income children,” Kelmel explained. “Once they’re accepted into the program, it is free of cost.”

Kelmel also said family involvement is incredibly important with Head Start.

“We try to get families involved as much as possible in their children’s education,” Kelmel said. “Sometimes the parents have experience that we could use around the center as well.”

“Basically, if a parent knows how to fix leaks, or if they have a service they can offer the center for free, they come in and do it. We put it down as an in-kind donation, and then the estimated total cost for the service is added to our budget to match the grant money we get each year.”

The Head Start program has to match the funding it receives from the government each year, and in-kind donations help them to do so.