Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District is working in cooperation with state and local partners to support the Executive Order issued by Governor Whitmer Wednesday that expands child care access for working families feeling the stress of the COVID-19 State of Emergency.
CGRESD is addressing two priorities immediately. First, CGRESD is calling on local licensed child care providers to respond to the survey from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) to allow for monitoring the existing capacity of local providers who are able to provide emergency care to essential workers. The link to the short survey is www.surveymonkey.com/r/childcare-covid-response. Local licensed child care providers should complete this survey as soon as possible.
CGRESD’s second priority is to connect local essential workers to child care providers who have the capacity to provide care for their children. Those members of the essential workforce should visit www.helpmegrow-mi.org/essential. From there, their information will be routed to agencies in the community who will help them find care.
CGRESD is also working with local school districts to put in place contingency plans to open emergency child care centers in some existing licensed school facilities. At this time, these facilities will only be activated if the pressure on the existing local child care capacity is exceeded. The first priority is to support existing providers who have the capacity to provide care for the essential workforce.
Questions can be directed to CGRESD Early Childhood Director Kendra Curtiss-Tomaski at 989.386.8656 or kcurtiss@cgresd.net.
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BABY PANTRY RECEIVES BOOK DONATIONS
The children served by the Gladwin County Baby Pantry were the recipients of a recent donation of 200 books from a local teachers union.
Members of the Clare-Gladwin Education Federation (AFT Local 04945) secured a grant to pay for the books through the First Book Company, and the books, valued at several hundred dollars, were delivered recently to the pantry. In addition to this donation, each member of the local union was allotted $150 to purchase books for classroom/therapy settings.
The Gladwin County Baby Pantry, located at 116 Pearson Street in Beaverton, has been in operation for 15 years and opened its doors at its new location late last year with a mission to prevent child abuse and neglect through a means of early support, intervention and education to at-risk parents and babies. The baby pantry is meant to be a supplemental source for baby/toddler needs and is funded by the Gladwin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Council through a grant from the Children’s Trust Fund, as well as local donations and fundraising efforts.
AFT Local 04945 is comprised of nearly 60 professional employees who work for the Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District. The union has plans to acquire additional books for other agencies and organizations in the community.
Pictured are AFT Local 04945 President Matthew Smith, Gladwin County Baby Pantry Director Joann Hoag and AFT Michigan Field Representative Gary Wellnitz.
LOCAL SCHOOLS RECOGNIZE BOARD MEMBERS IN JANUARY
For the women and men who serve on boards of education, it’s a tough assignment that bears a solemn responsibility. January is School Board Recognition Month, and local school districts are making sure board members know they’re appreciated.
The CGRESD and school officials in Harrison, Farwell, Beaverton, Clare and Gladwin are joining nearly 600 local and intermediate school districts across the state in praising the enduring volunteer efforts of their board members this month.
The Michigan Association of School Boards reports there are more than 4,000 such community leaders serving across the state. Counted among those are 40 local residents serving the CGRESD and five local districts. Members of the CGRESD board include President Barbara Richards; Vice President Sue Murawski; Secretary Lou Adams; Treasurer Sarah Kile; and Trustee Jason Pahl.
Board members in Harrison are Angie Cullen, Dan Pechacek, Therese Haley, Chad Hathcock, Kendra Durga, Roger Peterson and George Gallo. Farwell’s members include Joe Maxey, Kellee Robinson, Angelina Smith, Jade Campbell, Shari Buccilli, John Gross and Bill Geyer.
In Beaverton, board members are Adam Zdrojewski, Daren Burns, Garry Clark, Tammy Grove, Robert Frei, ShaVonne Brubaker and Mark Hayes. Clare’s board features Ben Browning, Steve Stark, Sue Murawski, Loren Cole, John Miller, Barb Tyler and Jason MacDonald. And Gladwin’s board is comprised of Carol Darlington, Linda Winarski, Greg Alward, Brad Withrow, Karrie Hulme, Kerri Kirkton and Chris Pellerito.
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The CGRESD Special Education Topics Series
This series is to provide information on a range of topics including:
Who should attend? Paraprofessionals, Personal Care Service providers, teachers and administrators; all levels are welcome (birth through age 26).
All trainings will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the CGRESD Administration Building. Dinner will be provided.
Please register for for the series or email kknapp@cgresd.net. For more information, please contact Katie Knapp-Wyman.
Math in the Mail focuses on developing math skills in three-year-olds by providing the tools needed in the home environment for parents and caregivers. Children from Clare and Gladwin Counties, as well as surrounding counties can be enrolled in the program. Families enrolled in the Math in the Mail program will receive a free kit in the mail six times per year that will contain materials, resources and instructions for several age-appropriate math activities.
Math in the Mail is part of a region-wide focus to better prepare our students for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) experiences and STEM careers. To enroll, families should visit the Clare-Gladwin Great Start Collaborative website, or call (989) 737-9532. Enrollment is on-going.
This initiative is funded by the Dow Corning Foundation, and represents a collaboration between the Bay-Arenac ISD, Clare-Gladwin RESD, Gratiot-Isabella RESD, Midland ESA, and the Saginaw ISD.
GREAT NEWS FOR CTE KIDS: A coalition of local organizations led by Clare-Gladwin RESD has secured a $1.25 million grant to upgrade our Automotive & Diesel labs in Clare and Gladwin.
+ NUMEROUS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE +
CGRESD is accepting applications for a variety of locations. Click here to see the available positions.
