Thursday, March 26, 2009

Take Home Information


Take Home Information
Originally uploaded by hippyprogram
HIPPY provides a necessary link for our parents to the resources and information available in the greater community. Home visits focus on preparing parents, one on one, to work with their child that week. During parent meetings we try to bring in community resources and provide parents with the opportunity to ask questions and learn from each other. In light of the recent focus on the problem of obesity among children, all of our programs have made sure to bring in nutritionists and nutrition information to their parent meetings at least once a year. This picture shows the resource/information table provided to parents at a HIPPY parent meeting in Houston. The door prizes for this meeting were nutrition related such as healthy snacks and children's vitamins. All parents took home healthy recipes and had the opportunity to sample healthy snacks.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

DARTing Around


DART Transit Bus
Originally uploaded by wandrson
We're trying to be all urban and hip around here at Texas HIPPY...it all started with David when he bought a house in Richardson, and started taking the train in to work. Recently Susan and I have both had to start sharing our cars with our respective teenage daughters, who are now drivers (eek!). Susan takes the train in to Pearl Station a few times a week and walks a few blocks up to our office, and usually has a story to tell! Me, it's all a very intellectual concept still--I like the idea but haven't made the move. I'm thinking about buying a scooter, yeah gas/mileage etc...mostly because I think they are so cute!!! Then there's light rail...DART is going to be able to bring us within a block of our office. We're actually in between TWO stations, both of which will be opening September 2009. Once THAT is done, I'll be able to DART up to the airport, to Carrollton, everywhere!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The Challenge of History--Welcome New HIPPY USA Executive Director

I had the priviledge of being part of the HIPPY USA Executive Director Interview Committee earlier this year. We had the opportunity to interview three really really good candidates. I walked away knowing that, regardless of who was selected, HIPPY USA would be in good hands. I was pleased with the final selection of Marvin Schwartz who I believe has a great combination of skills and experiences and will help us take HIPPY to the next level nationally. One of the things that impressed me about Marvin was the research and legwork he did BEFORE the interview. He went on multiple visits to HIPPY programs and obviously did a lot of homework on our organization. Even I, a 20 year veteran in HIPPY, learned something new about HIPPY during the interview process. This revelation (the Hebrew translation of our original program name) was later shared in a letter from Marvin to the field, which is excerpted below: "I bring to HIPPY a diverse professional background in communications and development for the nonprofit sector. I also place great value on understanding history, and I urge each HIPPY program to preserve its unique heritage. Our program origins offer an inspirational example in this area. Many of you know that HIPPY was created in Israel by Avima Lombard in 1969. But, do you know that the translation of the program’s original Hebrew name (Ha Etgar) is THE CHALLENGE? Forty years ago, an innovative educator was challenged with the task of preparing immigrant children for educational success. Today, that challenge is repeated thousands of times every day as HIPPY program administrators balance the complex demands of funding, staffing, accountability, and much more. I am very anxious to meet you, to hear about the experiences you face on a daily basis, and to help all sites share the ‘lessons learned’ that have made HIPPY such a successful program. Together, we will continue to make history, and together we will bring HIPPY into the national prominence it so rightly deserves!"

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

A Principal Shares


If you ever get a chance to be "Principal for a Day", do it! Take your vitamins, get some extra sleep and then prepare for a heckuva day! I hear the stories every day (my husband Ricardo is principal of Hope Medrano Elementary in Dallas ISD). That's why it's so gratifying to hear from principals that value what we're doing at HIPPY. Recently, Jose Munoz, Principal at Cesar Chavez Elementary in Dallas ISD told us "Students who complete this program are better prepared for school, and the parents receive good training on how to help in the developmental stages of their child." Thank you Mr. Munoz, we couldn't have put it better ourselves!

Cesar Chavez Elementary:
http://www.dallasisd.org/schools/realtor_new.cfm?id_con=102