Head Start

I am volunteering at a local Head Start preschool. I have more than a year in now and it has proven to be a good fit. I knew I had time to contribute in some way to the community since I am no longer working and I was missing the small child element in my world. When I called the Samish Longhouse where the program is centered to see if they needed any volunteer help, the director said to come on in. 

The kids are there for 16 hours a week over four mornings. They have breakfast at school and leave after lunch. We eat together family style at little tiny tables. They serve themselves food and pour their own milk and it can be a real mess. Learning is messy! It is an atmosphere of mad fun and controlled chaos. Clearly, it helps to have another adult in the mix. I clean a lot of tables and chairs and sweep the floors but most of my morning is spent interacting with the kids and helping them get through the day. 

I have also enjoyed getting to know the teachers and staff who work there and meeting the parents of the kids. It has expanded my social circle, too, and I did swing an invitation to the birthday party of a boy who turned five. 

During the last school year, I went in every day but this year I am going in two mornings a week. It seems like a better long term strategy - I didn't want to burn out. This week the children are all excited about Christmas and are getting three songs ready for a holiday program. It's pretty sweet!

💗