2012 annual report - Mi Escuelita Preschool
Transcription
2012 annual report - Mi Escuelita Preschool
Mi Escuelita Preschool 2012 ANNUAL REPORT BETHANY • BUCKNER • COCKRELL HILL • CROSSOVER • DESTINY • ST. MATTHEW’S 2012 Board of Directors Letter From The Directors Mark Guckian, Board Chair Brinker International Webster’s Dictionary defines impact as having a direct effect on something. As we celebrate thirty-five years of providing English language intervention and early childhood education to the children of Dallas, we are happy to say that Mi Escuelita has impacted the lives of thousands of children in the Metroplex. Ricardo Barrenechea, Vice-Chair Frito Lay Aracely Rios, CPA, Treasurer Weaver, LLP Paul Musgrave, Secretary Tenet Healthcare Corp. Dora Cortinas Community Volunteer Manuel Diaz Diaz Law Firm Ivonne Reyes-Flaherty CBS Radio Marcia Hinojosa Community Volunteer Kubica Guevera-Koo Kimberly-Clark Rafael Lizardi Texas Instruments Aldo Quevedo The Richards Group /RichardsLERMA Rene Resendiz Parent Representative The 2012 school year was one of growth and success for Mi Escuelita. For the first time since the recession hit in 2007, Mi Escuelita classrooms were filled to capacity. Our focus on Kindergarten Readiness and individually working with each and every child led to the highest assessment scores the organization has ever known. On the Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP-3) our children were scoring over 60% in all areas, which indicated they were ready for Kindergarten. Of note, the small scholars of Mi Escuelita averaged a 70% on English language development and a 65% in the math and science arena. That’s not bad at all considering the testing was all done in English, our children’s second language. However, one of the assessment results we are most proud of is their social and emotional development which measured a 90%. The Mi Escuelita children have learned how to learn and that is the best tool we could ever hope to give them. On an administrative note, our support team grew stronger each day, focusing on the impact our work would have on the children we are blessed to serve. The 2012 Cena de la Mariposa earned over $300,000 for our scholarship fund and allowed us to keep our tuition rates affordable for struggling families. The impact of a stronger infrastructure also allowed us to nurture strong collaborations with other agencies that will allow us to grow and help more children. Also we are proud to be partnering with the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP/DFW) to open three new preschool classrooms in their new Destiny Elementary School in South Dallas. Also, in an exciting new partnership with our friends at MyChildren’s Primary Care Clinics, Mi Escuelita is the first school in Texas to participate in a pilot program that will bring world class health care to our young students –right on our Cockrell Hill and Buckner campuses. 2012/13 was an impactful year at Mi Escuelita and as we enter the 2013/14 academic year we can’t help but be thankful for the blessings we have received. We thank our wonderful teachers who created an environment filled with encouragement and an excitement for learning; our program staff that spent each day ensuring that the needs of the children and families were met and most of all, our dedicated volunteers. Whether you were a regular visitor to our classroom or just dropped by to help on a special project, we appreciate you. If you financially supported Mi Escuelita, we could not have survived without you. And if you were one of our many prayer warriors, we not only need but we covet your prayers. We have had a strong impact on our children and community this year and you have had an incredibly strong impact on us. Thank you for helping us help our children and may God continue to bless you. Roberto Siewczynski PanaVista – Alliance Data Systems Luis Veras ITL Mgmt. / Pizza Hut Franchisee Lisa Vines Ernst & Young Gayle Nave Executive Director Mark Guckian Board Chair Failing to invest sufficiently in quality early child care and education shortchanges taxpayers because the return on investment is greater than many other economic development options. Impacting Generations - Mi Escuelita Alumni The impact we have in our students lives is what separates Mi Escuelita Preschool from other preschools in our community. Our students come back to visit, volunteer and work with us and they let us know how Mi Escuelita impacted their lives. Amy Torres and Linnetth Alonzo are our wonderful interns working with us this summer through the Mayor’s Intern Fellows program and Sonia Macias is our 2013 Mi Escuelita Preschool scholarship winner. We are extremely proud of Sonia, Amy and Linnetth’s accomplishments. We are honored to know that they still feel a connection with Mi Escuelita Preschool. We wish them the very best as they continue to pursue their goals and dreams to become outstanding young women. Sonia Macias credits Mi Escuelita Preschool with helping her discover her love for reading, teaching her the alphabet, how to write her name and most importantly how to be independent. Today, Sonia has graduated high school and is attending the University of North Texas. She plans to pursue a career in civil engineering and become one of the few successful women in this male dominated industry. She is proud to say that she will be the first person in her family to graduate from college. Amy Torres is currently a senior at William’s Preparatory. Her relationship with Mi Escuelita Preschool began when she was 2 1/2 year’s old. She remembers being very attached to her mom and being away from her was a little scary. Amy states the first thing she learned at Mi Escuelita was how to be independent and her teachers helped her realize that it is okay to be away from mommy for a little while. She states Mi Escuelita impacted her education at such an early age by increasing her reading ability a great deal. After graduating from high school, Amy plans to attend college to pursue a career in Marine Biology. Sonia Macias, 2013 Mi Escuelita Scholarship Winner Linnetth Alonzo is a junior at Moises E. Molina High School. She remembers on her first day at Mi Escuelita there were a lot of children crying for their parents, but she marched right into the classroom and took a seat. She also remembers during one Christmas she won a huge Christmas stocking that included the stuffed animal “Bashful the Bear”, which she still has the bear today. At Mi Escuelita she not only learned her alphabet and how to write her name, she also learned how to be creative and confident. After graduating from high school, Linnetth plans to attend a state university to pursue a career in Culinary Arts. Linnetth Alonzo (left) and Amy Torres (right) during their internship at Mi Escuelita Preschool Quality early education is as essential for a productive 21st century workforce as roads or the internet; investing in it grows the economy. Mi Escuelita Preschool / Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP- DFW) Collaboration Mi Escuelita is partnering with KIPP - Knowledge is Power Program, a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public charter schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and life. KIPP currently operates 125 schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia and serves over 41,000 students. In the fall of 2013 KIPP opened their first elementary school in the DFW area – KIPP Destiny, which includes Pre-K classrooms. The mission of KIPP is to provide underserved children in our community with a free, rigorous, high quality education that offers the knowledge, skills and character traits necessary to thrive in school, college and the competitive world beyond. Mi Escuelita Preschool’s expansion into the KIPP organization will occur over two years. During the initial year of 2013/14, three new Pre-K classrooms will be opened to serve 60 children. In 2014/15, one classroom serving 20 additional children will be added along with a playground expansion. KIPP’s plan is to open five additional elementary schools in the Dallas area over the next 10-15 years, allowing Mi Escuelita Preschool the opportunity to also expand its Pre-K services to more children. Mi Escuelita will operate the daily preschool program. The two organizations will work together to advertise the new school, raise awareness, recruit, register and enroll students. They will also coordinate teacher training, in-service and professional development. 90 percent of children’s brain growth takes place before they enter kindergarten. Telemedicine Project- A Texas First In an exciting new partnership with our friends at MyChildren’s Primary Care Clinics, Mi Escuelita is the first school in Texas to participate in a pilot program that will bring world class health care to our young students –right on our campuses. Beginning in our 2013 fall semester, and made possible through the wonders of technology known as telemedicine, doctors and nurses can remotely “see” our students through interactive video, audio and other electronic media while they are in our school nurse’s office. Affiliated with Children’s Medical Center, MyChildren’s will provide an on-site nurse for our school who is trained to use the special electronic equipment to look at a student’s ears, eyes, nose, throat, lungs and skin. A doctor or a nurse practitioner at an off-site clinic will be able to remotely examine our students, using the telemedicine equipment – and our students never have to leave the campus. With a parent’s permission, MyChildren’s telemedicine program offers a range of non-emergency care for concerns ranging from simple rashes, cuts and bruises to earaches, coughs, colds, strep throat and flu-like symptoms. Children can be screened diagnosed, treated or referred for additional care, if needed. We are delighted to be the first in Texas to bring this technology to a school campus –and honored to partner with MyChildren’s in this innovative endeavor on behalf of our students and families. Children in quality preschool programs are less likely to repeat grades, need special education, or get into future trouble with the law. Y ear of Impact This past year we impacted the lives of over 400 children and families. After participating in our early childhood education program, children graduating from Mi Escuelita Preschool are prepared to enter kindergarten and have a successful academic future. As the preeminent early childhood education facility in Dallas, we strive to make a positive impact on the life of every student and parent that attends our school by targeting four key areas that affect our children’s future success in the classroom. English Language Immersion Our program successfully provides English language intervention and a quality early childhood education to children who are at risk of falling short at the first critical testing benchmark in third grade – which is directly tied to high school graduation rate. Mi Escuelita’s success is due to the continual focus on the mission of the organization and attaining measurable outcomes. Program goals and objectives are determined by the board of directors, staff and parents and are created with the academic and social success of each child in mind. Mi Escuelita measures progress annually using tested and recognized measurement tools. Every dollar invested in quality early childhood education saves taxpayers up to $13.00 in future costs. Together We Learn The Together We Learn (TWL) program is an opportunity to enable parents to take an active role in their child’s education, thus generating awareness of the role they play as their child’s first and most important teacher. Mi Escuelita uses a threetiered approach to implement the TWL project. We focus on a Parent & Training Literacy component, Children’s Literacy Component and Family Literacy Component. Math & Science We continue to see positive progress the children are making in our math and science program. In 2012 testing results indicate we are on the right track. Our children are learning and their test scores show the progress they are making from the beginning to the end of the school year. The impact areas we focus on are logic & reasoning, science knowledge & skills and mathematics knowledge & skill. Healthy Child Program Mi Escuelita’s Healthy Child Program focuses on providing services and teaching skills that will help each child improve their overall health. As part of the program, each of the over 400 children enrolled in our program receive preventive medical and dental care, as well as, education on nutrition, healthy meals, and daily exercise activities. The success of Mi Escuelita’s Healthy Child Program is demonstrated by the improvements seen in children’s heath at the end of the school year. Young people who were in preschool programs are more likely to graduate from high school, to own homes, and have longer marriages. 1,507 Individuals and 12,375 Hours We give a huge thank you to our volunteer groups and individuals that give us their time, treasure and talent to ensure that we positively impact the children and families that attend Mi Escuelita Preschool every year. We appreciate their support and dedication. Quality preschool improves the ability of children to do well in K-12 schools, lowering grade repetition and reducing the need for special education. The Gift of Time is Precious, our Volunteers are Priceless. Capital One Hispanic Network Our volunteers of the year; Capital One Hispanic Network group and mother and daughter team Kelly Trabold and Joan Henderson have made it their mission to help our children excel. Capital One Hispanic Network has been volunteering with Mi Escuelita for over five years. They lend their support to our children by orchestrating book drives, participating in reading days and giving back days. Capital One employees have collected and delivered books to help improve the libraries at our various sites. Many employees take time out of their busy schedules to visit our sites and read to our children during the day. The diversity of the readers enhances how the children learn the English language. Many of our facilities need a little extra love and attention, like cleaning playgrounds, moving furniture, painting and assembling homework packets. During the HHM Community Giving Back Days Capital One employee’s work with our site managers, teachers and families to help keep things clean and safe for our children. Kelly Trabold and Joan Henderson have been sharing their love of reading with the children at Mi Escuelita every Tuesday for the past eight years. They both volunteer in the library at the Buckner site weekly. Kelly uses her talents as a former teacher to bring stories to life for the children and they truly enjoy listening and interacting with her. After story time each child gets to checkout a book of their choice to take home and share with their family. Kelly and Joan have transformed a once empty library into an impressive preschool library by beautifying the space with dolls, posters, and stuffed animals. We appreciate Kelly and Joan for their love and commitment to Mi Escuelita. Kelly Trabold and Joan Henderson “Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale. And it matters profoundly. It does more than help people beat the odds; it changes the odds.” –Author Unknown Mi Escuelita 2012 Operating Budget Personnel 1,362,839 Finge Benefits 232,411 Travel 2,580 Equipment 3,202 Supplies 18,733 Contractual 18,402 Construction - Other (Rent, Utilities, etc.) Total Federal Direct (Reimbursed) Costs Non-Federal (Donated) Total Federal Exp 148,928 1,787,095 508,824 2,295,919 Children who are enrolled in a quality preschool program ultimately earned up to $2,000 more per month than those who are not. Receipts 9% 5% Tuition 5% 3% Fund Raising Events 8% 15% RECEIPTS Tuition Fund Raising Events 170,000 5% 178,750 5% USDA Reimbursements USDA Reimbursements 255,000 8% HSGD Reimbursements HSGD Reimbursements 1,774,320 54% Foundation Grants 490,000 15% Foundations Grants Individuals & Organizations United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Individuals & Organizations United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Other Income Sources Interest Income 54% Total Receipts 108,750 3% 300,000 9% 14,000 .43% 1,000 .03% 3,291,820 DISBURSEMENTS Salaries, benefits and payroll taxes Disbursements Program Supplies Salaries, benefits & payroll taxes 2% Program Supplies 2% 8% 1% 3% 1% 1% 1% 6% 31,500 1% 180,500 6% Insurance 35,000 1% Continuing Education for Teachers 30,500 1% Rent, telephone & utilities Program consulting & professional fees 38,800 1% Insurance Fundraising Costs 87,650 3% Repairs and maintenance 62,000 2% Program consulting & professional fees 74% Rent, telephone and utilities 40,000 1% Office Supplies Continuing Education for Teachers 1% Office Supplies 2,374,800 74% Fundraising Costs Food Program Other costs Total Disbursements 250,000 8% 70,650 2% 3,201,400 Repairs and maintenance Food Program Receipts Over/(Under) Disbursements 90,420 Other costs 93% of Kindergarten teachers agree that more children would succeed in school if all families had access to quality pre-Kindergarten programs T hank You! Your gift helps provide quality early childhood education to at risk children. By supporting Mi Escuelita you make it possible for our children to have access to a better future. More importantly your donations change the lives of families and generations to come. CORPORATIONS/ CORPORATE Albertsons LLC Annandale Capital LLC AT&T United Way Employee Giving Campaign Austin Bank Azteca Milling L.P. B. B. Owen Trust Bank Of America Bank Of America United Way Campaign BDG Benefits Design Group, Inc. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Buckner International Capital One Services, Inc. Central Kia of Lewisville-Carrollton Citi Comerica Bank Ernst & Young LLP Estrada Hinojosa El Rancho Supermercado FedEx First Southwest Fluor Frontier Communications Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. GE United Way HIC Broadcast Inc. Honeywell Hometown Solutions Huselton, Morgan & Maultsby, P.C. IBM Interceramic Inc. Interex Corp. Jefferson Dental Clinic Healthcare Management, LLC Kimberly-Clark Corporation Locke Lord LLP Maple Avenue Economic Development Corporation McCall Parkhurst & Horton L.L.P. Mercury Communications My Children’s Nissan North America, Inc. North Place Corporation Northwestern Mutual Ojeda’s Restaurant Inc. Oncor Electric Delivery Pitney Bowes Foundation Pizza Hut of America PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company Sabre Holdings Safeway Inc. Sammons Enterprises Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated Target TerraCycle, Inc. Texas Health Resouces Texas Industries Riverside Cement Texas Instruments Incorporated Truist Univision Management Company U. S. Williams Verizon Communications Wells Fargo Perrin Foundation Strake Foundation Texas Instruments Foundation The Dallas Foundation The Hoglund Foundation The P&G Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation The Rees-Jones Foundation W.P. & Bulah Luse Foundation FOUNDATIONS America’s Charities Amerigroup Charitable Foundation Capital For Kids Carrie S. Orleans Trust Communities Foundation of Texas Funding Factory Gaston Episcopal Hospital Foundation Graham & Carolyn Holloway Family Foundation Hoblitzelle Foundation Maverick Capital Charities LTD McCune Losinger Family Fund of CFT Pepsico Foundation Matching Gifts Program CHURCHES First Presbyterian Church Highland Park Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Women Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church The Cathedral Church of St. Matthew Wilshire Baptist Church Women of Saint Michael and All Angels Church ORGANIZATIONS Center for Nonprofit Management NAEYC Preston Center Rotary Club St. John’s Episcopal School St. Mark’s School of Texas United Way for Southeastern Michigan United Way of Metropolitan Chicago United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Inc. United Way of Tarrant County United Way of the Midlands INDIVIDUAL DONORS Ms. Caryl Aberle Mr. Ed Adams Ms. Christian Alcivar Mr. David Armijo Ms. Karem H. Baker Ms. Felicia Bell Ms. Betty Bernshausen Mr. Craig Bergquist Mr. Divine Boamah Mr. Larry W. Burgess Ms. Betsy Burks Mr. Gil Brand Mr. Huy Cao Mr. Emit Carrizales Mr. Fernando Castillo Ms. Marcy Cathey Ms. Ruth A. Coley Ms. Patricia A. Coggan Mr. Garrick S. Cosio Children under the age of 5 are eager and capable learners. Mr. Murray L. Covens Ms. Julie Cravens Mr. Mark Crouser Ms. Katherine R. Crow Ms. Rosemary B. Curtis Ms. Felicia Dake Ms. Ann Dannis Ms. Diane Daugherty Mr. Giles Davidson Mr. Douglas R. Davies Ms. Valerie Davisson Mr. Manuel Diaz Nhan Do Ms. Jeanne Dodds Ms. Sherry G. Driscoll Ms. Jennifer Dunn Ms. Tara Dunn Mr. Jay Duke Mr. Eric Epperson Mr. Greg W. Erickson Ms. Brandi Esparza Ms. Lore Everingham Mr. Andrew F. Farley Ms. Elizabeth Farnsworth Mr. Ray Figueroa Mr. Dennis Flaherty Mrs. Ivonne Reyes-Flaherty Mr. Angel Flores Ms. Tania Flores Mr. Daryl A. Foster Ms. Betzabe Galleguillos Mr. Pedro Garces Mr. Domingo Garcia Ms. Belinda Garza Ms. Kimberly A. Gershon Mr. Steve M. Gohn Mr. Gustavo Gonzales Ms. Sandra E. Gomez Ms. Jamikia N. Greene Mr. Scott Gregory Ms. Kim Griffith Ms. Loretta Guckian Mr. Mark R. Guckian Ms. Rebecca Hanstad Ms. Nancy C. Hardwick Ms. Susan Hardie Ms. Jennifer A. Hartley Ms. Harriet M. Helmle Ms. Flora Hernandez Mr. Osmin Hernandez Mr. and Mrs. Noe Hinojosa, Jr. Ms. Frances Hudson Ms. Ginger K. Hukill Ms. Lori Jach Mr. Paul Jack Ms. Lamethia R. Jackson Mr. Michael Jarvis Ms. Nicole M. Jeffries Ms. Elia C. Jimenez Ms. Elaine K. Johnson Ms. Ericka Johnson Ms. Kametra D. Johnson Ms. Di Ann Johnston Mr. David Jones Mr. R. Ellwood Jones Mr. Michael Kaplin Ms. Jamila R. Kirk Mr. William Koch Mr. Kenneth T. Koonce Mr. Glenn S. Kranis Ms. Leticia Leal Ms. Erica Lee Ms. Hunter Lee Mr. George Lewis Ms. Alma N. Livas Mr. Rafael Lizardi Ms. Nancy Loewe Ms. Diana D. Lucas Ms. Tommi Lyle Ms. Lisa Maestas Ms. Connie C. Mahmood Mr. Tommy Malone Ms. Christina Mancuso Ms. Rosa Maria Marante Ms. Melinda Marcus Ms. Anita N. Martinez Mr. Arturo J. Martinez Ms. Priscilla Marie Martinez Ms. Deborah L. Mason Ms. Pamela P. Mattingly Mr. John Mays Mr. Jeffrey F. McCauley Venugopal Menon Mr.. Rudy Mejia Mr. John A. Michel Ms. Stephanie A. Miguez Mr. Daniel Mueller Mr. Juan Munoz Mr. David M. Munson Mr. Paul Musgrave Ms. Beverly Murray Ms. Gayle Nave Mr. Ray Neff Ms. Jan M. Newsome Mr. Justen T. Nelsen Ms. Pamela Nowak Mr. Austine Okoruwa Mr. Thomas O’malley Ms. Melissa S. Pace Mr. Craig Page Ms. Lisa A. Parnell Ms. Gricelda Parker Mr. Gunvant Patel Ms. Victoria Phillips Ms. Roxanne Pittman Ms. Diane Prager Mr. Aldo Quevedo Ms. Cindy Raborn Ms. Eva M. Rabouin Mr. Ricardo Ramirez Ms. Dianna G. Ramos Ms. Mary Richarte Ms. Aracely Rios Ms. Christina Rioux Ms. Anita Rodriguez Ms. Maria I. Rodriguez Ms. Erica Rusk Ms. Ramona Sandoval Ms. Melynda Sausser Mr. Stan Sewell Mr. John F. Scovell Mr. Charles Scurry Mr. Roberto Siewczynski Ms. Cynthia Smiley Ms. Dorothy Smith Ms. Alison Solomon Mr. George H. Spencer Mr. Luis Spinola Mr. Lauren Stanley Mr. Jason W. Starr Ms. Kimberli R. Steinman Ms. Pamela C. Stewart Mr. David Streitmatter Mrs. Carolyn Strickland Mr. Scott G. Swofford Ms. Rita Tapia Mr. Ken Tarango Ms. Carrie Thomas Ms. Martha L. Thompson Ms. Rhonda Tobias Ms. Blanca Torres Ms. Rosemary Tovar Ms. Ailleen J. Trollinger Ms. Christos Tsatsoulas Ms. Yvonne Shofner Ms. Stephanie Stafford Mr. Emilio Valdez Mr. Cortney Vanburen Ms. Janet Veazey Mr. Stephen Verdi Mr. Lupe Valdez Ms. Lisa Vines Ms. Laura Walker Mr. Max W. Wells Mr. Royce West Wannee Whitis Ms. Melissa Wimbish Ms. Connie Wilson Ms. Terri Woodlee Ms. Christy Zirnheld Mr. Nicholas C. Zunis High-quality early childhood education helps prepare young children to succeed in school and become better citizens; they earn more, pay more taxes, and commit fewer crimes. 2012 Annual Dinner, the Most Successful Event in Our History For the second year in a row Cena de la Mariposa was a huge success, last year raising over $300,000! This is the most money raised in our 35 year history. We owe the success to the presenting sponsor Estrada Hinojosa and our dedicated chairwoman Marcia Hinojosa. With a record number 480 guest, everyone had a wonderful time mingling in the VIP reception and participating in the live auction. Dr. Elba Garcia, County Commissioner received the Mi Escuelita Hero Award, Ernst & Young were honored as Group Volunteers of the Year and Bill & Elaine Johnson were honored as Individual Volunteers of the Year. We welcomed Secretary of State Hope Andrade, Mayor Mike Rawlings and City Councilwomen Monica Zacarias and Delia Jasso. We were happy to have Miss Latina US, Sasha Alonso and CBS11 Ginger Allen host the event. We cannot thank you enough for supporting Cena de la Mariposa. It is your commitment and dedication that made the event a huge success. 2012 Fall Festival Fall Festival was such a blast not only for the children but also for the staff and parents. Our wonderful parents went all out! The Fall Festival began with a wonderful presentation of the parents bringing "Little Red Riding Hood" to life. It was great entertainment for the children! After the play the children went outside to enjoy more Fall Festival activities the children enjoyed going to the different Fairy Tale booths. There were "Three Little Pig" potato shack races, the "Seven Dwarfs" races, "Wizard of Oz" obstacle course, "Humpy Dumpy" egg races, pin the buttons on the "Ginger Bread Man," and find the "Golden Egg." All the booths where a huge success and quite fun. Mark Guckian, Board Chair, Wins 2012 Leader of the Year We are very proud to say our Board Chair won the 2012 Center for Non-Profit Dallas Leader of the Year award. We thank him for his leadership and dedication to the children at Mi Escuelita Preschool. The early care and education industry is economically important—often much larger in terms of employees and revenues than other industries that receive considerable government attention and investment. Fire Dept at Bethany Career Day at St Matthew’s Presidential Elections at Cockrell HIll 2012 Classroom Activities • A t Cockrell Hill we celebrated Diez y Seis de Septiembre by showing the children the culture of Mexico with the type of clothes worn, food eaten, music and dances, the flag and where Mexico is located on the map. • Dallas Firefighters visited the Bethany site and discussed and shared fire safety with the children. They practiced a fire drill, learned to “Stop”, “Drop” and “Roll” when clothes are on fire and how to call 911. They were also given the opportunity to get inside the fire truck and sound the sirens. • The children at St. Matthew’s learned about careers and what they wanted to be when they grow up. On Friday they dressed up in the careers representing what they wanted to be, we had nurses, firefighters, and police officers. • Texas Instruments visited Buckner and put on an awesome Science Fair wowing our children. They did several fun experiments with the children including "Goobly Gak," mixing different liquids, how the sun can produce heat when coming through a magnifying glass and the favorite, Mentos being adding to soda pop this mixture turns the soda pop into an erupting volcano for a minute. • Children at our Cockrell Hill location participated in the presidential election. The children were very passionate about their selection, and were telling everyone in the hallway they were voting for Obama or Romney. Access to available and affordable choices of early childhood learning programs helps working parents fulfill their responsibilities. Science Fair at Buckner Diez y Seis de Septiembre Celebration www.facebook.com/miescuelita destiny pre-k www.twitter.com/mi_escuelita 4231 Maple Avenue | Powered by Mi Escuelita Preschool Dallas, Texas 75219 | (214) 526-0220 | www.miescuelita.org