|
The Head Start center, located at
200 Centennial Court, was festively decorated in paper lanterns for
the occasion. To celebrate the year of the dog, students made dog
puppets as part of a hands-on art project. They also received
chopsticks donated by First Wok of Lincoln, had their picture taken
in traditional Chinese clothing, ate authentic Chinese food, learned
how to count in Chinese and had a dedicated story time to explain
the Chinese New Year. Families were invited to attend the
highlight of the celebration, which was a parade on Feb. 3. Teacher
assistant Kim Huynh of Lincoln and the children dressed in a
colorful dragon costume and passed by their cheering parents, who
played the part of parade audience while traditional music played.
For the Chinese New Year, the dragon is a symbol of strength,
goodness and good luck.
Huynh crafted the big red dragon head for the class parade. The
rest of the classroom staff that coordinated the activities were
teacher and site director Cheryl Acup of Maroa and classroom
assistant Mary Connell of Middletown.
"We are very proud of our Head Start staff for the great
experiences they provide to our students," said Sarah Puls, CIEDC
Head Start director. "Diversity and appreciation of other cultures
is emphasized in the classroom."
[to top of second column]
|
Two other CIEDC Head Start centers in Lincoln are located at 721
Wyatt Ave.
Applications are always being accepted for a waiting list in all
counties, but applications are now being accepted for 2006-2007
school year. For enrollment information, contact the CIEDC Head
Start enrollment specialist, Carla Bagwell, at (217) 732-2159, ext.
250.
CIEDC is a Community Action Agency that serves Logan, Mason,
Menard, Piatt, Fulton and DeWitt. Head Start provides opportunities
for children to develop socially, cognitively and emotionally with
age-appropriate activities and materials. Medical, dental, hearing,
vision and speech screening assessments are completed, and
nutritious meals and snacks are provided daily.
CIEDC manages Head Start centers throughout the service area and
annually enrolls a total of 338 children.
[Central Illinois Economic Development
Corp. news release] |
