Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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'Head Start'Giv Extra Boost REGISTER FOR FIRST TIME—Mrs. Rosa Bishop, 91, seated at left, and Mrs. Minnie Miller, 90, recently reg istered to vote for the first time. They were registered in conjunction with the Voter Education Project sponsored by the Laurens County Citizen Improvement Organization. At left is Miss Patricia Ware, a worker with the Voter Education Project, and at right is the Rev. Douglas Mc Coy, director of t h e Citizens Im provement Organization. They are shown at Mrs. Miller's home near Cross Hill. She has lived in the same house for 75 years. Conservationists Laurens Soil and Water Con servation District Supervisors attended a meeting in Greenwood last Thursday night to discuss plans for a Resource Conserva tion and Development Project for six counties in this area. Supervisors from Laurens, Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, McCormick and Saluda, heard A, Attend Meeting T. Chalk, State Conservationist, Soil Conservation Service, of Co lumbia, explain the advantages that may be derived from such a project in the area. Hesaid a pro ject of this type is planned by local people. . .with help from all a- vailable agencies.. .county muni cipal, state and federal, to de velop the resources of the area to increase the economic oppor tunities of the area. The District Supervisors from the six counties unanomously a- greed to sponsor an application to the U. S. Department of Ag riculture for a RC&D project for the area. Preston B. Herlong, Edgefield District Supervisor, presided at the meeting. (Editor’s Note: This article was written by one of the “Head Start" teachers.) For some 358 Laurens County preschoolers, this summer has been more than vacation; it has been an important prelude to school life. These children have been enrolled in Project Head Start, a federally sponsored child development program aimed especially at children from lower income groups. The design of Project Head Start is contained in its name: to give disadvantaged children an extra boost, a “head start." before they enter first grade. Two centers, one at Laurens Primary School and one at Clin ton’s M.S. Bailey School, are completing seven-weeks’ opera tion in Laurens County. The lo cal project has been directed by J. P. Holmes, with Isaac M. White and Mrs. Sarah Byars serving as head teachers in the Laurens and Clinton schools respectively. Because many children who come to the Head Start centers do come from poverty areas, a major goal of the educational program is enrichment of the child’s experiences. A five-year old who has never held a crayon or looked at a book or “made- believe" will find himself behind before he begins his work in first grade. Hopefully, through Head Start, such a child can at least start to adjust to the coopera tive world of school which is so foreigh to him. In the classroom, the Head Start program centers on the in dividual child with both unstruc tured and structured activity. In most of the 25 Head Start classes, a typical day begins with an important “free play” period. During this time the children are allowed to choose from among various toys, games, and ma terials available tothem. A visit or to a Head Start room at this time might observe one group of children playing house, another building with blocks, another modeling in clay, and still another solving wooden puzzles or paint ing. It is in this time of rela tive freedom that some children first begin to increase stunted verbal communication. ‘HEAD START’ CLASS AT. M. S. BAILEY SCHOOL one got his turn. Not all Head Start children are behind in their learning ex periences, and often one child can teach another where the teacher has failed. Lessons learned through play may frus trate before they are absorbed. One teacher observed a small boy begging repeatedly to be al lowed to swing at recess. His playmate stubbornly kept on swinging, then in seeming exas peration finally yelled, “Well, stupid, if you’d say please, I might give it to you.” The little To implement classroom acti vities, the Head Start teacher has a valuable tool in the field trip to local points of interest. HEALTH The services which Head Start offers to a pre-school child are not limited to classroom activi ty. The health and social well being of the child play such large roles in the child’s performance in school that Head-Start has very full medical and social work pro grams. Mrs. Melinda Rushton, Mrs. Ethel Wasson, and Mrs. Nettle Thompson have served the Laurens County project as nurse and nurse’s aides. It is the policy of the program to give every child a physical, along with vision and hearing screening. Children with health problems are referred to appropriate specialists, and parents are notified as to their role in overcoming the difficul ties. Several children at the Lau rens County centers have already received medicines or new glasses; and officials expect that many more will eventually merit attention as a result of Head Start medical work. In addition, the students are bussed, during school hours, to the local Health Department for immunizations; and a nurse or aide is on duty at each center throughout the work day. Children with school difficul ties which might stem from home or family problems are often re ferred to Mrs. Brenda Willard, social worker, who has visited the homes of many of the Head Starters in the county. In addi tion to medical and social ser vices, HeadStart offers the child ren daily hot lunch. Because many pupils come to school without breakfast, the program also pro vides for an early morning snack. Mrs. Ann McMillan has directed the lunch program. Although the Head Start pro gram is primarily child-cen tered, the project does seek to involve actively members of each child’s family and other interest ed persons of the community. Throughout the seven weeks, par ents have attended meetings which speak to their needs. Typi cal topics for discussion at these parent-teacher meetings were the Medicaid Program and the food stamp service. GIANT WAREHOUSE SALE! CARPET AND RUG CENTER LOCATED ON EAST CAROLINA AVE. AT CORNER OF WOODROW STREET EXTRA SPECIAL IN FURNITURE — WHITE FRENCH PROVINCIAL BEDROOM SUITE ‘239” REG. 279.95 VALUE — TEASTER BED AND FRAME DRESSER. MIRROR. AND CHEST NEW IN STOCK — BEAUTIFUL FRENCH PROVINCIAL COUCH N’ CHAIR REG. 319.95 — SELECT YOURS TODAY! $ 289 95 9x 12 INDOOR-OUTDOOR CARPETS REDUCED TO CLEAR! — BIG SELECTION! UNPAINTED FURNITURE VALUES TO 34.88 — NOW YOU CAN DO YOUR OWN THING! — SHOP ’N’ SAVE! $1988 $35 100% NYLON — REG. 39.88 GOOD COLOR RANGE TO CHOOSE FROM! OUT THEY GO! - ONE EACH KITCHEN CABINET AAETAL WARDROBE *28 LOCKER TYPE — REG. 36.99 VALUE Nylon FOAAABACK RUGS $30 HI-LOW PATTERN SHOP NOW AND SAVE! Rest-Rite BOX SPRING OR MATTRESS $4450 EACH DOUBLE OR TWINS REDUCED TO CLEAR! — EARLY AMERICAN COUCH N’ CHAIR $04095 REG. 289.95 — ALSO THREE # MATCHING TABLES 119.99 WERE 139.95 BUY NOW AND SAVE! SPECIAL! SELF-STICKING CRAB TABLE RUGS CARPET SQUARES $2" 28c VALUES TO 4.99 — BROKEN FOAM BACK INDOOR-OUTDOOR ASSORTMENT OF ODDS ’N’ ENDS REG. 39c EACH — GOOD COLOR SELECTION Oversize QUALITY CARPETS Reg. 57.99 12 x 10 now $50 Reg. 63.99 12 x 11 now $57 Reg. 69.99 12 x 12 now $63 Reg. 92.99 12 x 15 now $85 FPOM FAMOUS WORLD CARPET MILLS Super Carousel BRAIDED RUGS Reg. 44.50 9x 12 now 36.88 Reg. 19.88 6 x 9 now 16.88 Reg. 5.88 3 x 5 now 4.99 ALL-NYLON REVERSIBLE Quality MATTRESS $3999 MADE BY FAMOUS SIMMONS REG. 49.95 VALUE — DOUBLE OR TWINS SHOP IN COOL COMFORT! NEWLY AIR CONDITION RIK CENTER V REMNANT SHOP