Letter from the Director... |
Dear Friends,
It's hard to believe we are already enrolling for Fall 2025! For the next few months, our team will be working with current families to secure Fall enrollment and out in the community to get the word out.
Our program has maintained 97-100% enrollment this school year and continues to receive inquiries daily! Recruitment is an important part of our annual calendar. Not only does it attract new families, it helps us inform the community about the important work of Head Start and Early Head Start. Our whole staff participates so the community can meet the people caring for their children in our 5-star program.
Please help us spread the word to your friends and family! Our Enrollment Manager, Hailey Paschold, is always available to discuss the program and our Family Services team are also great contacts.
We are very excited to build our community for the 2025-2026 school year!
-Donna Barrow, EdD
Director, Head Start and Early Head Start
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-Building a Stronger Rutland Together- | |
30 Years Supporting Rutland!
Did you know that RCHS has had a positive economic, social, and civic impact on our community for three decades?!?
Nationally, Head Start is:
- 60 years of knowing that no matter what the world brings, there is joy and hope when you love a child.
- A baby's first step, making everything else seem less important.
- A teacher’s belief that her arms are big enough to hold all children’s fears and love.
- A community of families and educators that knows the strength of togetherness.
- A world within a world where the formula for a happier future is: mud pies + stories + an adult's adoration.
For 30 years, Rutland County Head Start has held hands with parents as we carry the precious future in our arms together, in wagons, on shoulders, in strollers. We’ve walked together towards a brighter future made possible through love, learning, and the strength of community.
Every year at Rutland County Head Start, we:
- Create 35 professional jobs in Rutland County with excellent benefits.
- Provide loving, safe, quality care; making it possible for parents to work.
- Serve over 200 nutritious meals per week.
- Support the Rutland community through partnerships and services.
We tailor our program to meet community needs and fill local and state systems gaps. This brings more than $2.4 million to Rutland County for 2025 - and an infinite amount of love to the lives of our children!
Happy 60th Birthday Head Start (May 18th)!
The work matters.
Learn More...
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-Early Head Start Anniversary- | |
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RCHS Infant & Toddler Program turns One-Year-Old!
Thanks to the hard work of our local community leaders and legislators, we opened the first Early Head Start (EHS) program for infants and toddlers in Rutland County in 2024!
In addition to the new federal funding, the program was also made possible through grants from The Bowse Trust and Let’s Grow Kids.
Rutland County Early Head Start features low teacher/child ratios and focuses on early attachment, healthy development, safety, and nutritional needs.
- Expertly trained program teams prepare children for continued growth, development, and later success in primary school.
- Classroom environments are beautifully designed to intentionally create opportunities for babies, toddlers, and caregivers to explore, learn, and connect.
- The Family Service program provides support to families in need of resources such as housing stability, transportation, and assistance finishing school, starting a business, or developing new skills.
- Many families are program and community leaders, advocates, and influencers. Several serve on our Policy Council, the Head Start equivalent of a PTA.
What a milestone year it's been!
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Read What Local Leaders Said About Our New Program here...
Read More About Early Head Start here...
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The Adventurers Class has been exercising their bodies and their minds in all sorts of creative ways, from yoga and balancing to problem solving skills with different manipulatives.
They’re staying very busy and active!!
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The Innovators Class has been having a lot of fun doing things in groups and also working at their own pace with different experiences.
They had the opportunity to share snack time with their families and caregivers came in to listen to Ashley (Lead Teacher) and Family Services staff (Jesse and Kristen) read, "The Book with No Pictures” and everyone ate a special snack!
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In our Visionaries Class, creativity has been flowing with play dough as little artists shape and mold their imaginations into colorful creations. The children have been introduced to a fun new shoe game that got everyone moving and laughing while developing coordination and social skills. The water table is always a highlight where children explore different materials and experience fascinating water interactions—learning about cause and effect with splashes and pours. |
In our Discovery Early Head Start classroom, the wonder of winter came alive as children explored snow! They delighted in the textures, coolness, and the magic of this seasonal discovery. Sensory exploration activities helped develop their fine motor skills, while their curiosity flourished. The rhythm of learning continued with an exciting introduction to various musical instruments, where little hands tapped, shook, and
strummed their way to a symphony of fun.
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The Explorers Class celebrated the one year anniversary of Early Head Start! |
In our Dreamers Early Head Start classroom, the fun and learning never stop! Our little learners dove into creative play with giant building blocks, sparking their imaginations
and teamwork skills. At the easels, they explored the world of painting, expressing themselves through colors and brushstrokes. To top it all off, they tapped into rhythm and coordination with rhythm sticks, creating joyful beats and discovering the power
of music.
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Be Part of the Village!
Interested in forming a partnership or collaboration? Fill out our online partnership form or call (802) 775-8225.
Want to make a donation?
Monthly, quarterly, annual, or one-time contributions to Rutland County Head Start are tax-deductible.
Gifts can be made payable to “Rutland County Head Start” and mailed to:
Rutland Community Programs
P.O. Box 222
Rutland, VT 05702
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Grants
- The Bowse Trust
- Building Bright Futures
- Let's Grow Kids
- Delta Dental
- Vermont Arts Council / Vermont Arts Exchange
Donations & In-Kind Support
- Wonderfeet Kids' Museum
- Child Plus
- Hickory Street Housing
- Operation Dolls
- Rutland City Schools
- Salvation Army
- Goodwill Rutland
- Teresa and Ethan Berkowitz
- Michael Drew
- Ashley Stone
- Christina Sweet, Tooth Tutor
- Alan Wilson
Training & Organizational Support
- Dr. Leigh-Ann Brown, VTSU-Castleton
- Dr. Lauren Weiss, Maple Leaf/VTSU-Castleton
- Dr. Angela Sillars, VTSU-Castleton
- VTSU-Castleton ECE/Special Education Students
- Vermont Head Start Association Board of Directors
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Parent/Policy Council Volunteers
- Hannah Hutchins, Parent/Policy Council President
- Stephanie Atwood, Parent Policy Council
- Katie Brown, Parent Policy Council
- Leslie Burg, PhD, Northeastern Emeritus Faculty
- Samantha Daly, Parent Policy Council
- Jonathan Gilmore, Maple Leaf Clinic
- Hazel LaFleche, Parent Policy Council
- Justin Pomykala, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program, Health Advisory Committee
- Laure Williams, Parent Policy Council
Rutland Community
Programs Board
- Jay Slenker, Principal, West Rutland School
- Renee Bousquet, Public Health Services Rutland District Director Vermont Department of Health
- Dick Courcelle, CEO, Community Care Network
- Erynn Hazlett, Parent Representative
- Tim O’Connor, Certified Financial Planner
- Shane Protivansky, Attorney
- Justine Ruhlin, Principal, Northeast Primary School
Contact Us to Get Involved!
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