Join Us

Come join us and be a part of a Parents of Children with Special Needs Support Group on Tuesday, Jan 19th at 6pm-Alexander County Partnership Office. This will be a meeting to make plans for upcoming meetings and to network with other parents. The Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC) out of Davidson will be joining us to share information. Established in 1983, ECAC offers a variety of projects and services designed to meet the needs of NC parents, families, students, educators, and other professionals. We hope you will be a part of this group! Call 828.632.3799 for more information.

Training Opportunity

Alexander County Partnership for Children will host a child care provider training on Thursday, February 18th from 6-8pm. The Food Program from Guilford Child Development Program will present an exciting program on anti-oxidants-their benefits and incorporation of anti oxidants in a child's diet.

Add this training to your calendar. Call Vickie Vinson at the Partnership office-828.632.3799 to register.

Start with the Arts Alexander

The Alexander County Partnership for Children is the recipient of a Grant from the Lego Children’s Fund, Enfield, CT. This $5,000 grant received by the Partnership will be used to implement “Start with the Arts Alexander”, a free preschool arts program.

Alexander County Partnership for Children is pleased to have secured local artist Martha Burgin to conduct the art sessions for children. With over 20 years of experience as an art teacher Martha brings a wealth of experience and creativity to the program. Martha is affiliated with the Hiddenite Center. She provides art lessons through the Hiddenite Center along with Art After School, Kids Summer Art classes, and educational outreach programs in local schools. When asked about the Start with the Arts Alexander program, Martha expressed her excitement to be a part of an Arts Program that incorporates all aspects of the Arts. “Parents will not want to miss this marvelous opportunity for young children. This program will help prepare children for kindergarten.”

Using the Start with the Arts Program developed by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the coordinator will follow a curriculum to introduce the participating children to visual arts, creative drama, creative movement, and music with a literacy enhancement component. Sessions will include themes that allow participating children to receive take home materials to extend the session into their home with parental support. Parents and children will participate in each session together.

According to Susan Cogdill, Executive Director of Alexander County Partnership for Children, “The Arts are an important component of preschool development. The preschool years can influence a child’s interest in the Arts. The Lego Children’s Fund will provide children throughout the county with an opportunity to experience a meaningful program and introduction to the Arts that will carry over to the elementary years and beyond.”

The Start with the Arts Program will use several factors to reach children effectively and enrich their learning experiences. The arts are inherently motivating and critical to the development of cognitive, linguistic, motor, social, and emotional skills. The arts are a natural means for enriching children’s lives with contributions from many cultures and ethnic origins. The arts, focused with a theme approach, work well with most early childhood programs. The arts and literacy are natural partners. Arts activities and arts learning should be continued and extended to the home environment.

At the conclusion of the Start with the Arts Alexander Program a Children’s Start with the Arts Alexander Festival showcasing children’s art work along with opportunities for children to perform creative movement, drama and music activities will be held.

An eight week session of Start with the Arts Alexander will begin in January 2010 and will be held at the Alexander County Partnership for Children office, 1565 Highway 90 West, Taylorsville. Registration is currently being conducted for this free program. Interested parents are asked to register by calling the 828-632-3799 to receive a registration form or by emailing info@alexanderchildren.org.

Looking Together

Sometimes it is helpful to look at things together as a group-with folks that look through the same kind of glasses that you look through each day. Beginning in January 2010 Alexander County Partnership for Children will offer a Support Group for Parents of children with special needs. This group will meet at the Partnership for Children building one evening a month. Speakers will be a part of the meeting. This is an opportunity for parents to receive the information they request and want. And of course, parents will have the opportunity to network with each other and learn from each other too! So make plans to start the New Year with this group. Please email us at info@alexanderchildren.org to indicate your interest. We hope to hear from you!

Parent Sessions With You In Mind

Have you heard about the Parent Sessions available at the Partnership for Children office? Upcoming classes include:

November 20th
Immunizations and Well Check Ups
How often will you newborn need to visit the pediatrician for check ups and how many shots will he receive in the first year. Join us to find out!

December 18th
Choosing Quality Child Care
How do you know what child care situation is right for your child? You will receive a check list and information regarding what to look for in a quality early childhood program.

As part of our ongoing commitment to reading, Parent Session participants will receive a free book for their child! Call us at 828-632-3799 to register for a class or drop us an email at info@alexanderchildren.org. Additional classes will be begin in January 2010. Follow this blog to find out more info.

ITS-SIDS Class Rescheduled

Mark you calendar! The ITS-SIDS class for child care providers has been rescheduled to Thursday, November 19th from 6:00 - 7:30 PM at Alexander County Partnership for Children. Please contact Vickie Vinson at vickie.smartstart@charter.net to register for the class or call (828) 632-3799. Be sure to check out our training calendar at www.alexanderchildren.org.

Thanksgiving Holiday Fun

As we are coming into the fall and holiday season, there are many meaningful activities parents can do with their children at home while enjoying the season. Here are a few developmentally appropriate games and activities you can do you with your child during this season of thanks and celebration. Remember, every time you do one of these activities, or activities like these, you are helping to prepare your child for success in school.

*Comparing Corn Items – Let your child compare fresh corncobs, popcorn kernels, dried Indian corn, canned corn, cornmeal, corn flakes, and corn chips.

*Turkey Toss Game – Take a large brown grocery bag and glue 2 small lunch bags (gathered at the tops) to sides of the bag to look like drumsticks. You can then take turns throwing in the stuffing (sock balls or bean bags you can call cornbread). This is a great activity to improve your child’s motor skills and it is very simple and inexpensive.

*Art – Use fall leaves, grains, acorns, and nuts to make fall collages. You can also have your child paint with feathers.

*Smell Game – This time of the year is filled with smells. Have your child close his eyes and pass items under his nose to have him identify the smell. Cinnamon, apples, fresh baked bread, pumpkin pie…just to name a few!

New Website Announced!

Alexander County Partnership for Children, a local United Way agency, is pleased to announce the launch of their new web site at www.alexanderchildren.org. The website is designed to inform and educate website visitors to the extensive programs and services of the Partnership for Children.

The Partnership for Children is a local community initiative for children, their families, and child care providers working to ensure that children birth to five enter school healthy and ready to succeed. Children are a priority of the Partnership. Funding sources for the Partnership for Children include NC Smart Start, NC Division of Child Development, More at Four, United Way of Alexander County, private contributions and grant sources. For over 15 years ACPC has served the children and families of Alexander County with programs that enhance early childhood education for the youngest citizens.

Often the Partnership for Children is referred to by specific programs offered. Program components of the Partnership for Children includes Smart Start, North Carolina's nationally recognized and award-winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed.

Another program component, More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Program is a high-quality pre-k program that serves children who are at risk and prepares them for success in school. Pre-kindergarten is a research-proven strategy for school readiness.

The Partnership for Children is a Permanent Checking Station for Child Passenger Seats. Parents/caregivers can receive information about child passenger safety (CPS) and have their child restraints and seat belts checked to be sure they are installed and used correctly. Education and installation assistance is performed by nationally certified CPS Technicians Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm. United Way of Alexander County provides funding for replacement car seats for residents of the county.

The Buckle Up Kids program assist parents and other caregivers by providing a limited number of low-cost child restraints and education on their use to qualifying families. Trained, qualified personnel are allowed to provide educational and installation assistance to parents/caregivers, including those receiving BUK seats. Child restraints distributed by BUK programs are purchased through funding from the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program.

Keeping Kids Riding Safe

Friendship Lutheran Church Preschool in Whittenberg was the recent site of a Child Passenger Seat Check through the Child Passenger Seat Program of Alexander County Partnership for Children. Certified child passenger seat technicians inspected and corrected car seats for children in the three year old preschool class as they were picked up at the end of the preschool day. Car seats were replaced as needed. Parents, grandparents and guardians also received information on proper installation of car seats.

Lori Branch, Preschool Director at Friendship Lutheran Church Preschool, stated: “Child safety is important to us. We were excited to have the Partnership for Children come on site to our preschool to offer this service. This was convenient and easy for our parents and grandparents. The Partnership for Children always provides important services for our preschool.”

According to statistics an estimated four out of five children who are placed in child restraints and booster seats are improperly restrained. The goal of the Child Passenger Seat Check is to “Keep Alexander Kids Riding Safe”. Funding for this activity is through Buckle Up Kids and United Way of Alexander County. For more information on car seat safety visit the Alexander County Partnership for Children website www.alexanderchildren.org.

To schedule a child passenger seat check at your organization contact ACPC at 632-3799. This is a free service of the Partnership for Children. Child passenger seat checks are conducted Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm at the ACPC office, 1565 NC Hwy 90 West, Taylorsville, one mile past Food Lion. Appointments for car seat checks are recommended but not required.

You Found Us!

Welcome to the Alexander County Partnership for Children blog. The Alexander County Partnership for Children demonstrates success by achieving outcomes that support our mission to “ensure that every child in Alexander County enters school healthy and ready to succeed”. This success is achieved with community support which is evident in a focused and conscientious board of directors, dedicated staff, mission driven direct service providers and committed and professional child care providers