Meet the staff- Grace Simango- ECD Officer

Dear friends,

My name is Grace Simango. I am an Early Childhood Development (ECD) officer at Nhaka Foundation. I have a passion for children. I particularly have a great interest in the delicate age group of children 0-8 years. This is a very important stage of development for any child and their needs should be a priority. They are young, vulnerable and in most cases policy makers, authorities, even the parents seem not to notice them .If we do not support them completely we can lose the leaders of tomorrow and the future of our country. At this tender age they need a healthy diet for physical and mental development thus we need to provide them with nutritious meals. 

Adults should stop the habit of putting their considerations first when it comes to food. It should be children first in all aspects of life. Let children play indoors or outdoors but under supervision because they are not aware of the dangers they can meet while playing. During play let them lead and guide themselves so that they can develop leadership skills and exercise the freedom of being their own masters. Set aside resources so that children will enjoy their rights and have a future full of fun and possibilities.

Next time I will be talking about some exciting aspects of Early Childhood Development in Zimbabwe.

Regards,

Grace

New Year, new plans and what not!

Hello Friends,

It certainly has been a while since I got some time to put together some thoughts to share with you all. First things first, Compliments of the New Year! I am sure this year will be great, exciting and fulfilling. It takes you to create the kind of year that you want to have, so start early!

Since October 2013, I think that was the last time I sat down to write on the blog, a lot of things have happened. My personal life has evolved around being with our ever growing son, our creative and funny daughter and of course cutting some time out to be with my wife. The importance of spending time with our loved ones is something that many of us take for granted. We tend to get too consumed with trying to make things happen whilst negating some very important aspects of our lives. So yes I did manage to spend some time with the family in October. November and December where hectic but it was during those months that I managed to put together thoughts of how to move the organization forward and ensure that the work we have done in the past five years is consolidated and that we don’t lose track of the vision that God gave us years ago.

So 2014 has beckoned and now the weeks are just flying by. Talking to a friend after church last Sunday made me realize too that time is flying. After enquiring on his health, family and business I then asked him how the week was, looking me in the eye he said “man all I know it was a Monday and before long it was Friday”! We laughed at this but as I drove home from church, this made me ponder on the fact that indeed time waits for no man! So whatever we are doing, lets do it within the time frames we have and not fall into the trap of asking what happened to the time.

The Nhaka team in 2014 has grown. We have acquired more skills and expertise to improve on our operational efficiencies and to ensure that we are moving forward implementing quality programming that reaches out to the littlest and most vulnerable members of our country. As we move forward in 2014 my prayer is that all of our friends put their hands on the plough and do something to support the children who are living in difficult circumstances in this country. One newest staff members gave us a gentle reminder yesterday that our response to the plight of children in this country is not all about money but maybe just a simple gesture like a smile will change the day for some of these children.

Here is hoping that you all have a super 2014 and will try my best to stick to one of my 2014 resolutions which is to ensure that this blog is even more active unlike before!

Until next time,

Patrick

News from KLRN Education

New Beginnings Bring New Experiences
Maricella Borroel
Director of Early Childhood Services


New beginnings don’t happen only with the New Year — they happen because of moments; moments of clarity and instances of questioning. Change happens whether or not a person is ready. It happens when it is needed. Change can be scary and powerful- we grow because we change. We change and we grow.

I’m a work in progress, as are KLRN’s Early Childhood Programs. I’ve had the opportunity the past four years to be part of a team who dream, develop, and deliver high quality experiences for children, their families, and caregivers. The blueprint for our services evolves as we consider what services families need, how we can best meet the need, and as we work to build dynamic opportunities and engage with our participants.

We enter this month continuing that legacy as we present Play & Learn Groups, Parent Workshops, Little Bites, Big Steps Workshops, and Community Cafés; it continues as we modify our delivery of services. Within our programs, we are continuously exploring new ways to assess school readiness, and to measure our effectiveness and impact. New, this year, we are utilizing tools, like the Ages & Stages Questionnaire, to measure children’s developing skills- are they more prepared for success in school and in life? Are the parents and caregivers more aware of developmental milestones? Are families engaging in developmentally appropriate activities? How successful are we? How are we tracking change? I’m encouraged by the commitment, the creativity, and the collaborative effort that each member of KLRN’s Team contributes to building experiences. Our team embraces the challenges and the opportunities. Our team is engaged, powerful, and ready for change- the change that is needed to help us get to the next level.

As a new day breaks, just as we do at KLRN, I encourage you to share resources with others and to engage in new experiences. I encourage you all to enter each day, looking for better, expecting more of yourself, and building opportunities. Be more today and even more the day after that. And if what you need doesn’t exist- create it and invite others to learn from you.

Resources From KLRN

KLRN PBS Learning Media gives you trusted, classroom-ready, resources you can use to engage students (log in or create a free KLRN Connect account):

Divergent Evolution (Grades 1-4)
Gain insight into the animal reproduction process known as divergent evolution, in which two related species become more and more dissimilar, with specialized features and characteristics.

How Evolution Works (Grades 6-8) 
In this lesson, students learn about natural selection, the mechanism that drives evolution. They begin by viewing short videos about the evolution of physical and behavioral adaptations in various organisms.

How New Species Evolve (Grades 9-12)
In this two-part lesson, students learn about both allopatric and sympatric speciation. First, students study allopatric speciation by visiting the Web feature Allopatric Speciation. In the second part of the lesson, students learn about sympatric speciation by studying hummingbirds and lacewing flies.

News from KLRN Education



Some rights reserved by Sean MacEntee

The Gift of Education without Limits
Sandi Wolff
Vice President of Education


My parents set educational expectations for me early. For as long as I can remember, I knew after high school I would go to a four-year college and graduate, period. They showed me how to apply for college, took me to visit some, and made sure I knew the importance of good grades and SAT scores. There was little talk of how to pay for school, but I had worked from the moment I turned 16 and my parents told me I could work my way through college.

I walked into St. Mary’s University on my first day of college wanting to be a High School art teacher. I had adored mine (and grew up watching Bob Ross on PBS) and thought it would be great to paint all day! Then, halfway through college I started working as an advertising director’s assistant and embraced computers, desktop publishing, and technology. My focus quickly changed to marketing and both my parents (who were educators themselves) encouraged me to earn a business degree. They told me I could always get a teaching degree and certification later, if I still wanted to.

I soon discovered I was good at school. After starting a family, I quickly earned a Master’s in Education and then immediately moved on to a Ph.D. in Education, concentrating in organizational leadership. I earned my Texas Teaching Certification and worked as a high school technology teacher and administrator before coming to KLRN. How did I do this financially? Well, I worked while I was in school and leveraged financial aid. I applied for scholarships and grants with my undergrad while still working about 30 hours a week. With my Master’s, I worked for a school that paid 80% of my degree. When I started the PhD program, I didn’t have any school loans, which is unusual but definitely possible.

Looking back, I think the best gift my parents gave me was the plan – even if it wasn’t mine at the beginning. The simple expectation – go to college - was clear and simple. As a young adult, I needed someone to tell me what to do. I gradually became to forge my own path and develop my education into what was right for me.

Earlier this year, I attended a San Antonio Area Foundation luncheon that featured Geoffrey Canada as the keynote speaker. Canada is a dynamic and humorous speaker, and the developer of the Promise Neighborhoods and helped cities all over the United States educate kids from “cradle through college.” He speaks of having the same expectations for all children that we would have for our own. He laughingly tells people to “think like a rich person,” when it comes to our children’s education. This statement allows us to reach without concern of economic status, which I believe is supremely important. Our place in society does not dictate who we are or what we can become.

What do you want for your kids? I think most parents want them to be happy, healthy, and educated. Education allows our kids to have choices. Can everyone afford to go to college? I believe so – we are fortunate to live in a society where we not only have options for places to receive a higher education, we also have ways that help us finance it. Some of my favorite people work in the financial aid office of the universities I have attended. Financial aid can be a college student’s best friend. Get to know the people who work in the financial aid office! They know so much and can help you focus on funding that works for you whether it is grants, scholarships, work study, or loans. Meet them prior to applying to college. Financial aid is truly there to help, independent of your personal situation.

Now it’s my turn. My daughter is now a sophomore in high school and my husband and I are planning for her future. We started telling her in middle school that we expected her to go to college. We also told her that her job was to work hard in school – academically and holistically. Our goal is that she has choices for college, without limits of location or economics, like me. We often tell her, “Wherever you get in, we’ll figure out how to get you there.” We set the expectations, show her the plan, get her involved, and help her make it happen. Isn’t that the plan for all successful ventures? If so, then we need to apply it to our kids and their education.

Resources from KLRN

KLRN PBS Learning Media Resources to use:

Elwood City Map! (PreK-2)
Learn where your favorite "Arthur" characters live and play by exploring this interactive map of Arthur's hometown. Click on character faces and stars to read more about each location.

Brainstorming Ideas (Grades K-5) 
Generate ideas for an original story about Arthur and complete a chart that outlines the setting, characters, problems and solutions that you will use in your story.

Get Up Close and Personal (Grades 6-12)
Examine how writing developed by studying the shapes used in ancient scripts and consider how writing can be incorporated with the visual arts. Create a sketchbook or journal of daily life using rubbings and make a layered collage.

News from KLRN Education

KLRN: A "Gold Gem" In Our Community
Elisa Resendiz
Former KLRN Manager of Community Engagement

Do you recall what you were doing in September 1962? Or were you even born? This is when your local PBS television station signed on as KLRN. This year KLRN continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary along with the accomplishments and services they have been providing the San Antonio community throughout the years. KLRN’s mission is to “use the power of telecommunications to provide quality programs and services which advance education, culture and community, to enrich the lives of people throughout South Central Texas.” This mission statement is what has guided the station and education department as we serve our community and surrounding areas, all the way to Laredo, Texas.

Twenty years ago when I stepped foot in KLRN, the station was housed at the Institute of Texan Cultures building on the second floor. Back then the education department was a staff of one person. As the years passed by the department grew to two staff members and then three and now the team consists of 10 and is housed in our current building located on Broadway. The education team is comprised of either past educators or individuals who have a passion working with families and children. KLRN provides workshops for parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles, cousins, childcare teachers, school teachers, administrators or anyone that has an interest in helping a child become successful in their formal school careers. The workshops inform the families on the importance of being the child’s first teacher and their home being their first classrooms. KLRN empowers families with early childhood knowledge, learning activities, and materials for them to start working with the child at home. KLRN also provides workshops for teachers and administrators on how they can utilize PBS programming in their classrooms and lesson plans.

For the past 50 years KLRN has provided our community with educational programming and grassroots services. KLRN is considered a “gold gem” in our community to some people and this slogan is well fitting as the symbol for a 50th anniversary is gold. KLRN has touched past generations, present generations, and will reach future generations as well as continue to serve our community and surrounding areas for another 50 years.