January has come and gone ~ where does the time go? The MECC office has been bustling with an unending amount of work by the dedicated staff making sure we are making strides toward achieving our goals. We had a flood at the office, which put a “damper” on things, and we were very lucky to not have any substantial damage to our materials, for which we are very thankful.

• Our School Readiness staff has been hard at work visiting classrooms, helping with environmental ratings and coaching teachers. We didn’t have a January family night since families were getting back into routines after the holiday break and we have a dynamic team putting together a really fun Science Family night for February – info is attached below.
• With the addition of Lindsay Havran as Professional Development Coordinator, we have re-implemented regular Director’s meetings. We have had some great trainings available including Mandatory Reporter Training (which was so well attended another class will be held in February) and a full day training from Motheread/Fatheread that gave attendees a plethora of ideas for using books with children.
• Our Pyramid Model team has been doing mini-trainings for teachers (three so far this school year), with two more coming up in the next couple months. These trainings help build strong foundations for classrooms which ultimately lead to a decrease in challenging behaviors as social-emotional needs are being better addressed.
• We are looking ahead to our 4^th Annual Early Childhood Fair and Celebration, which is slated for Saturday, April 27^th, so mark your calendars – this free event provides families of young children an opportunity to get free screenings, local information of relevance to young families, entertainment and other fun activities. If you would like to volunteer for this event, please let us know! We also have door prizes throughout the day – if you have something you would like to contribute, please let us know that too – thank you!
• Our fourth cohort of the Family Leadership Training Institute has gotten started with fourteen participants. This 20 week program is life-changing for many participants and is building up a new generation of leaders in our communities. We are very excited to report that as of this week, we are fully funded for this year!
• We also are thrilled to announce that we again were funded through The Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation for general operating costs.
• At our council meeting on April 8^th, we will be hosting the Colorado Children’s Campaign as they bring an Advocacy Training to our communities, so please save the date!

I think that covers most of our main work for the past few weeks. Many of us are happy the groundhog says that it will be an early spring.  In the meantime, stay warm!

-Vangi

Meet a MECC member

Pearlie Chadwick serves on the Montelores Early Childhood Council and is the director of the Mancos Early Learning Center.  Pearlie is a born and bred Montezuma County resident.  She married her sweetheart, Mike after high school, and left the area for a few years.  Pearlie and Mike returned to the area when they were expecting their first child.  They had Amber, who is a mother of three, and 19 months later, they welcomed Shane, a father of two.  They all enjoyed being near grandparents and the support and enrichment they provided.

Once Amber and Shane were grown and raising families of their own, Pearlie and Mike made the move to country living out in Lakeview where they raise a quarter acre vegetable garden along with fruit trees and berries.  It's good eating in the summer, delicious home-grown food, but you have to work for you meal.

Pearlie has been in the Early Childhood field for 25 years and finds the faces of children as they learn something new and the pride they carry heartwarming.  It is hard for her to watch parents struggle to find good jobs that can support their family but still allow them time spent with their children.  A couple of summers ago, Pearlie had a previous student's mother call her and share that her son (the student) was going to college.  While it may not seem like something Pearlie, who had the student 14 years prior, would need to know, that student had come to Pearlie being "different."  The family knew something was not right, but they were not sure; he was not like their other kids.  They worried, and Pearlie reassured them that it would be figured out, they would work as a team, and everything would be okay.  As the team went through the process, the child was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.  The family listened and became an active part in his education resulting in their son going off to college and starting his own life just as their other children had.  This mother called Pearlie 14 years later to say thank you for not giving up on her son and giving him a great start to his educational goals.  Pearlie shared, "When we are teaching a child, our reward can come anytime."

Mancos Early Learning Center Opens

The Mancos Early Learning Center (MELC)  had it's Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Thursday, January 10th with board members Tim Hunter and Beverly Humiston, Superintendent Brian Hanson, and Director Pearlie Chadwick doing the honors.  The first day of school at the center began January 14th.  The center, four years in the making, is a wonderful addition to the Mancos community and families with young children.  A big thank you to the Mancos School District Board, Tri-County Head Start, and the community for making the center a reality!

MELC has Head Start, Colorado Preschool Program, Colorado Child Care Assistance, Special Needs, and tuition paying children making a nice, balanced program for the community.  The center is licensed for 48 children ranging from 3-13 years, but right now is serving 3-5 year olds.

Brian Hanson tells Pearlie he has big plans for other programs, but Pearlie told him that opening a new center is like childbirth; I have to forget how much work it was before jumping on another project.

The staff is settling in nicely, and the families are thrilled with the new facilities.  The next project is the playground area once the mud, ice, and snow subside which will be a great way for community members to get involved and help support MELC.  Staff from left to right:  Carolyn Knauer (teacher's aide), Tiffany Aspromonte (administrative assistant), Sherri Asnicar (teacher), Pearlie Chadwick (director), Tonilyn Bringhurst (teacher's aide).