Executive order ensures care, education for at-risk children
Governor Ralph Northam has signed an executive directive that establishes the Executive Leadership Team on School Readiness responsible for making recommendations that unify and strengthen Virginia’s early childhood system, including developing a plan to ensure all at-risk three-year-olds and four-year-olds have access to a publicly-subsidized care and education option by 2025.
“In recent years, bipartisan work has produced positive results, yet 40 percent of Virginia children are arriving in kindergarten unprepared for success in school,” said the governor. “Providing a quality publicly-subsidized care and education option for all underserved three- and fouryear-olds is the best investment we can make in our workforce of the future.”
The Executive Leadership Team on School Readiness will also develop recommendations to maximize use of current early childhood education funding and create a uniform quality measurement and improvement system for all programs receiving public dollars. The team will submit a written report to the governor by Sept. 30, 2019.
“Currently, over 70 percent of economically disadvantaged families with three-year-olds lack access to affordable, quality early care and education,” said First Lady Pamela
Northam. “We envision a Virginia where working families are able to pursue their dreams because they have safe, dependable, and quality care for their children.”
WCDS HOSTS LEGO CAMP
School hallways are typically quiet during the summer months, but at Wakefield Country Day School the halls are abuzz with learning and laughter. Nikki Brady, beloved WCDS kindergarten teacher, is spending her days busily working with the next generation of engineers and IT experts!
Children ages 5-12 are encouraged to work on creating bridges, boats and mazes out of LEGOs, participating in daily LEGO Challenges, and working on stop-motion videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCx6d1x7Cd4ATYOrR7UrOEmA
Says Avery, a rising 3rd grader, "I really like building LEGO cars and ramps, and then racing them using gravity. We use a ruler to see how far they go. With the videos, we build a background, and take a lot of pictures. We took around 30 pictures for our 4-second movie. It was fun!"
During breaks, the builders take a little time to enjoy the 100-foot water slide. "It's a great balance of science & technology and good old-fashioned fun," laughs Mrs. Brady.
— Suzanne Zylonis
GOODWILL AND VERDUN VENTURE
Rappahannock Goodwill Industries is pleased to announce it has received a $9400 charitable contribution by Novant Health UVA Health System Culpeper Medical Center to support The Groundwork Project: a joint venture with Verdun Adventure Bound that in part will benefit students of Rappahannock County High School.
The project is a leadership development and career readiness program for youth and young adults in Rappahannock, Culpeper and Fauquier counties. Anyone ages 16-24 with a life circumstance which makes it difficult to find employment is eligible for the program. It runs for eight weeks, taking place one day per week for six hours.
Participants create a career portfolio, participate in high and low ropes elements to foster soft skills, and engage in CPR/First Aid training. At the conclusion of the program, each participant receives job search assistance to attain employment within six months. Since 2017, the Groundwork Project has served 126 youth who have earned 104 credentials with 72 job placements.
The Groundwork Project is offered free of cost to all participants because of generous supporters, including UVA’s Culpeper Medical Center, the PATH Foundation, Rappahannock and Culpeper County Public Schools, and the Ohrstrom Foundation.