Mom, Hannah, shares how her daughter, Aubrey, has grown while in Head Start.
My name is Hannah B. I am the parent of my beautiful daughter Aubrey who will be turning four years old this April. Aubrey has been a part of Westmoreland Community Actions (Early Head Start) program since she was two years old. She started the Early Head Start program with a wonderful teacher Mrs. Dana whom she loved getting to experienced learning skills for the first time. This past September she started at Grandview Elementary School in the Head Start program.
It is very special to me as her mother that she is attending Grandview because that is where I went to Elementary School. The year after I started middle school, they made amazing renovations to the entire building and outside playground areas. As weird as it was to send her off to school her first day in a mask, she was still nonetheless super excited to go.
Her teachers Mrs. Nicole, Miss Tina, and staff go above and beyond to ensure each and every student’s safety throughout the day. I never have to worry about her when she is at school. The communication is excellent. The newsletters they send home are very thorough and easy to understand. Being a young mother, I also enjoy the text message updates we receive quite often.
I spend the majority of my time taking care of my disabled mother. Aubrey is a wonderful help to me; but I struggled with finding balance as far as making sure I was spending enough time teaching her, not just playing. I am very relieved that she is able to receive the time she deserves learning and building every day life skills so early in her life. I am not being bias when I say this; she is a very smart, bright individual. Her intelligence for her age is very unique. Aubrey often is the one to correct myself and her surrounding loved ones at home. She was a very curious infant and continues to grow into an independent, extremely helping child. She is always right there to try to help with absolutely everything. Sometimes mommy doesn’t need her help, but Aubrey is very insistent when it comes to doing things like that.
Every day I see improvement in her speech, knowledge, and overall development. I really enjoy the crafts she brings home and the activity sheets telling me what she did and ate that day. I am saving them all and making a little scrapbook for her. I think it is wonderful the school provides meals even on the days they have zoom food is sent home with her.
I could not ask for a better program for my daughter to experience her first years of school. I am very grateful that I feel so confident in trusting her teachers and staff at Grandview Elementary. I am excited to continue to watch her grow into the beautiful, smart little independent lady she is becoming!