HCAP WEEKLY July 22, 2024

Head Start Support Staff Engage in Classroom Curriculum Study

A vital aspect of professional development for all HCAP Head Start & Early Head Start staff is mentorship. Mentoring provides training, career advancement, and individualized professional development opportunities as a means of support. It also equips all staff with the knowledge, skills and tools to empower, support, and educate our children and families.

Teacher Mentors; Bobbi Beter-Moses, Kris Kuboyama and Lisa Leafa-Tavui; conducted a studies training for all support staff. The studies training consisted of the creation of a mock classroom, staff’s simulation of the children’s daily routine, and participation in a curriculum investigation centered around balls. Bobbi, Kris, and Lisa ensured active engagement and participation in the studies training while providing global instruction and feedback to the support staff. Their effective collaboration, thorough preparation, and successful execution of the studies training provided a replica of what occurs within our Head Start classrooms to ensure readiness for the upcoming school year.

Click here to learn more about Head Start and Early Head Start.

Kalaeloa ECS Client Achieves Employment Milestones

The HCAP Kalaeloa District Service Center formed a relationship with Kama’oku Kauhale (Tiny Homes) in Kapolei. As part of that new partnership, Kalaeloa staff received a referral for Jelani, who was seeking assistance with finding employment. He was referred to the Nā Lima Hana Employment Core Services Program.

During intake, Jelani had stated that two of his biggest barriers were location and transportation. He had previously held positions in town, but overtime, the commute from Kalaeloa had become too challenging.

After applying to several locations, Kalaeloa staff shared with Jelani that HCAP had a partnership with Barbers Point Bowling Center, and they were looking for a daytime cook. Not only was this opportune timing, but it was convenient as he no longer had to worry about making it back to Kapolei in time to catch the last bus coming into Kalaeloa, allowing him the freedom to be more flexible with his hours.

Prior to his start date, Kalaeloa staff completed a material request to help Jelani purchase his initial work attire. He has now been with the company since January 2024 and has successfully met all of his program milestones up to 180 days of employment. Jelani recently shared that things have been going very well with work, and he is looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with the company.

Click Here to learn more about Nā Lima Hana.

Windward Hā Initiative Learns About Animal Biology

This past week at Windward Hā Initiative: Creative STEM After-School Program, students learned about marine animals. The keiki discovered that over 70% of the earth is covered in oceans and is home to over a million animal species. Sea animals widely range in size – a blue whale can reach almost 100 feet in length, while the smallest species are visible only through a microscope. Home to incredible ecosystems, the ocean is a special place to explore for many people such as divers, fishermen, sailors and scientists.

Windward STEM students learned to categorize sea animals in different ways, such as the type of habitat they live in and their biological characteristics. They also learned about the different layers of the ocean. Following the research portion of the lesson, students drew their own underwater benthic diving scene with art supplies and shared it with the class.

This lesson was an introduction to this school year’s First Lego League Season theme–Submerged, where students will explore the depths of the ocean with robots.

Students also learned about the monarch butterfly. The keiki not only learned that these butterflies will almost always lay their eggs on milkweed plants, but they also learned about a butterfly’s life cycle and the biological process of an animal’s physical transformation called metamorphosis – a change that occurs as an animal develops from its birth to becoming a juvenile, before it becomes an adult.

For their activity on monarch butterflies, students created their own flapping butterfly. Using colored markers and paper, students drew their own butterflies, cut them out, and used straws to anchor and move the butterfly wings up and down, allowing the butterfly to simulate a flapping motion.

Click Here to learn more about the Hā Initiative.