Students Help Head Start Program Purchase Hearing Screening Device

Fourth graders at Friends Seminary have raised money to help Bank Street's Head Start program purchase a much needed hearing screening device. Head Start, which provides preschoolers from low-income families with a comprehensive educational program, will use the device to provide hearing assessments free of charge for children in their care. The assessment is utilized to rule out hearing impediments, which might impact a child's learning.

To raise money each year, students bring in gently used books from home, create posters to advertise, help price the books, and sell the books in the Lobby. Over the course of a week, the Lobby is transformed into a ‘Book and Bake Sale’. Over the past 14 years, students in 4D and 4A have raised over $15,000 for Bank Street Head Start.

The Friends/Bank Street partnership, which is organized by Friends teachers Dot Cates and Andy Doan, also features a mentoring component, in which students from 4D and 4A serve as role models to the preschoolers. Through 12 site visits each year, the students travel downtown and read with the younger children, help provide support on projects going on in their classrooms, and help the teachers as needed.

"It is a wonderful partnership," Teacher Dot Cates said, "and both the preschoolers at Head Start as well as the fourth graders in 4-D benefit from our work together."

Created to support lower income families afford a quality preschool education for their children, Head Start was established in 1965 to promote school readiness and provide a comprehensive array of health, nutritional and social services to eligible four and five year old preschoolers and their families. Funded by the federal government, Head Start also provides support for families, counseling and advocacy for state funded therapy services, nutrition information, and health education. Because of Head Start, children whose families can’t afford to pay for preschool have a high caliber preschool experience that is free of charge.

Over the past 14 years, Friends students have helped Head start purchase, among other things, a dollhouse, dollhouse furniture, games, science equipment, math manipulatives, books, classroom furniture, puzzles, tricycles, and technological equipment such as digital cameras, iPads and iPad docks.

Pictured above are students from 4A and 4D with Director of Bank Street Head Start Steven Antonelli.