by JoAnn Bishop Freed
The students of the Kealakehe Language Arts Multicultural Program (LAMP) took a field trip to the Hawaii Island Humane Society in Kona on Wednesday, January 31.
As many of the students had no prior experience with animals, The LAMP staff introduced them by having pets visit in the classroom. Given the connection that was made in the classroom, the staff knew the children would enjoy visiting the Humane Society. They were offered a tour of the facility, which they found very exciting. They watched a movie about animal care then toured the cages full of cats and dogs. They all had the chance to pet a friendly dog in the petting yard, and of course wanted to take home some of the animals. The Humane Society provided a wonderful snack and each child received a Frisbee and a coloring book. It was a fun day for all.
LAMP is a program offered to 3rd and 4th grade students at Kealakehe Elementary School who need added support in language arts, social skill building and increased multicultural awareness. The regular education teachers refer students to our LAMP staff, and if they qualify, they may participate in the LAMP after-school enrichment activities located on the Kealakehe Intermediate School campus on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Field trips are used to enhance social skills as well as community awareness. Many of our students have not had the opportunity to leave the neighborhoods they live in to take advantage of the wonderful things we have to offer in Kona. The next trip will be to the Kona Airport and Fire Station. This trip will be offered on a Saturday and the whole family is invited to participate. (The LAMP program is funded by a grant through the Hawaii State Department of Labor, Office of Community Services. Staff includes Susana Damazo, Teacher, Randi Lawson, Educational Assistant, and Toni Symons, LAMP Program Manager, all housed at the Kealakehe Intermediate School Parent Center. If you would like more information feel free to contact the Parent Center at 327-4665.)
Our Family Support Workers in Ka`u, Deb Bertelmann and Colleen Gundaker , along with our Child Development Specialist, Charlene Taketa, and Biz Alley our Early Headstart Outreach Worker, planned a wonderful day for some of our families at the Panaewa Zoo. They know the value of experiencing touch, sight, and play for strengthening our families and children. Familiar with Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, these two Healthy Start team members put this knowledge and experience together to create a day of exploring the environment, and engaging in active experiences for our children.
The Healthy Start curriculum unit “Providing an Environment That Helps Build Self-Esteem,” emphasizes that caregivers must recognize how the physical environment affects the development of self-esteem and suggests many activities to promote positive feelings. As well, the Healthy Start team shared the “Caring For Infants and Toddlers” curriculum, which also emphasizes the importance of caregivers realizing that infants are curious, they spend a lot of time looking even before they can reach out for things and move around on their own. By providing interesting and colorful things to look at, you invite infants to move out into their world.
The goal of this activity was to think about how the materials in the children’s environment help them to develop positive self-esteem while providing a bonding experience with their caregiver.
Mission Accomplished!
Healthy Start is always seeking ways to provide bonding, parent education and child development skills to our diverse population, regardless of culture or language. The Healthy Start team thought that everyone would like the zoo. They were right! Transportation for Healthy Start families from Ka`u to Hilo was provided, as well as refreshments and several informational handouts.
Four tired, but exuberant, workers returned home that day with big smiles on their faces.
We’d like to recognize Winnie Tamaye a former FSSWH staff member and now an assistant teacher at Kamehameha Preschools in Kona. The Big Island Chapter of the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children at their Spring Conference recently honored Winnie as their “Volunteer of the Year”. Congratulations Winnie!
We’d also like to recognize Sue Entz. Sue has done a lot of volunteer work and contract work for FSSWH over the years. The Big Island Chapter of the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children recognized Sue with the “Excellence in Training” award for an individual who provides quality education, and training relevant to early childhood education. Congratulations Sue!
At Family Support Services of West Hawaii’s Annual Meeting a new Board of Directors and Officers were inducted. For his second year, John Ray will continue his leadership as President while Betsy Strance and Cynnie Salley are Co-Vice Presidents, Mary Katayama took over as Secretary and Dianne Simmons as Treasurer. Other members of the 2000-2001 Board are Noel Black Ackerman, Betsy Cole, Skip Derieg, Linda Gump, Gail Hutchinson, Jasmine Locatelli, Jimmy Trask, and Marylyn Yangson. Welcome and “thank you” to all of our new and continuing Board members.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to our out-going Board members who served six wonderful years with us. Gordon Fujino served as our Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair, Terry Fujioka as our Secretary, and JoAnn Sasaki as a member of our Program Committee. Your commitment and support over the years was greatly appreciated.
“Mahalo for your services!”
Interesting! I have been doing a lot of explaining of “who is Family Support Services of West Hawaii and what do they do?” Mostly newcomers to the area but also some long established friends and supporters of our organization. The latter comes in the form of “I see FSSWH’s name associated with all these different programs so tell me what it is that you do and why do you still need my support?” Good observations and good questions!
First, FSSWH has had the same mission for over twenty years; “To support families and communities in providing love and care for our children”. Simple, but that’s us and that’s what we do! True, we do that through several different means or programs but still, all of our programs fall within this FSSWH mission statement. In addition, all of our services are conducted with similar core values or beliefs. These are family centered values that show respect for parents and families plus a “partnering” with them to help achieve a safe and nurturing environment for their children. We also believe that, from time to time, all families need support, guidance, education and assistance plus these needs can best be addressed within the full context of their family, culture, and community. Actually, requesting help can be seen as a sign of strength.
Our vision for families in West Hawaii is that; all families will provide a safe and nurturing home for their children, that all families will ensure that by the time their child is five years of age they will be healthy and ready for formal education, that all children and youth will have the capacity to succeed in school and demonstrate positive social behavior and that all youth will transition to adulthood as capable and caring individuals. These are our outcomes that we strive for. This is why you see FSSWH with several different ways (services) to try to accomplish this vision. Lofty but doable!
Can we do this alone? No way, we are constantly partnering with other groups that share this vision. Since you have various governmental funds, do you still need our support? Absolutely! Sure government funds help us to do many direct services but we are constantly needing to supplement these funds with unrestricted monies (donor funds) to keep services effective plus we are constantly needing to respond to community and family needs that just do not cleanly fall into these government contracts. Then there are the circumstances such as our Family Centers, where only a fraction of their costs are covered by public funds. We must have private monies to be effective.
You are a critical player in assisting FSSWH in truly creating that healthy community, healthy families, healthy kids scenario! We need you!
Mahalo
Don Bebee, Executive Director