Small Steps Nurturing Center

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Week of Prayer for Children

Posted: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:40:54 +0000

Please join us in A Week of Prayer for Children (August 16-23), a time to intercede for Houston’s at-risk children. We are joining many congregations and ministries in this effort: Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Grace Community Church, Grace Fellowship United Methodist Church, Houston Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Houston Prays, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Mission Houston, St Luke’s United Methodist Church, and Union Baptist Association. We believe that united intercessory prayer can make a great impact in the lives of these children.

The prayer guide, which can be downloaded here, focuses on seven systemic issues that children in Houston face. This is an ideal opportunity for everyone who has a passion for the health of children, a heart for God, and a few moments a day for one week to lift children in prayer as the new school year begins.

Introduction to Week of Prayer for Children (from the Prayer Guide):

How does God see the children of our city? We have several clues from the life and ministry of Jesus.

When His disciples sought to push them aside, Jesus declared, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these,” Luke 18:16. He taught us that, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me,” Mark 9:37. A short time later, “He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them,” Mark 10:16.

When asked who was the greatest in the Kingdom of God, “He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven,’”Matthew 18:2-4.

Jesus went on to warn us, “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea,” Matthew 18:6.

Jesus was serious about children. Towards the end of His earthly ministry He declared, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise,” Matthew 21:16.

In the last verse of the Hebrew Scriptures we read these words, “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse,” Malachi 4:6.

This prayer guide is designed to help us align our hearts with God’s heart as we turn our attention to the plight of the children in our city, and it is designed to help us pray in unity. Use the prayer guide in your prayer closet, during the prayer at meal times, in your small group, or in the prayer ministries of your congregation.

It is our hope to raise up an army of praying people seeking God’s heart for the children of our city.

Download your copy of the prayer guide here.
Small Steps’ Back to School Wish List

Posted: Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:34:11 +0000

Greetings from Small Steps! As summer winds down, we are planning to outfit our classrooms with supplies for the fall. If you would like to be part of helping to equip the Small Steps classrooms, please let us know by calling (713)236-0330 or emailing Kathie Hartzog before the week of August 17. This will allow time for ordering those supplies that are still needed.

The items on our Back To School Wish List provide necessary supplies and free up funds to meet other classroom needs. Thank you for considering Small Steps in this special way!

Back to School Wish List:
White glue
Glue sticks
Sharpies
Chubby crayons
Contact paper
Regular paper clips
Manilla file folders (letter)
Clear packing tape
Dry erase markers
Clipboards
Invisible tape
Copy paper (81/2 X 11)
Adult scissors
Different size envelopes
Batteries (AA and D)
Disposable gloves
Laminating pouches (heat)
Diapers
Bandaids
Wipes
Play Matters

Posted: Tue, 05 May 2009 02:44:23 +0000
Over the last two months, we have had expert educators comment to us on “unusual” items they observed in the Small Steps classrooms. First, there were the large construction blocks in our Pre-K / K classrooms. Second was the use of shaving cream in our two-year old/three-year old classrooms. We knew that the ascendance of copied drill sheets meant some things had to be replaced. But blocks in Pre-K / K classrooms? Peggy Orenstein, in a 5/3/09 New York Times Magazine article, points out the tragedy of this increasing rarity of play in preschool.

Small Steps Nurturing Center is committed to child-initiated play. Our commitment stands on a solid foundation of research. Ms. Orenstein’s article references a significant recent work from the Alliance for Childhood: Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School. This work, by Edward Miller and Joan Almon, outlines our current troubles, how we got here, and prescribes solutions to extract ourselves from this mess. We encourage all who care about young children to take a look at this work.

Listed below are the five parts of the Alliance for Childhood’s call to action, and the Small Steps position on each:
1. We call for early education that emphasizes experiential, hands-on activities, open-ended creative play, and caring human relationships. Small Steps has designed its program to emphasize each of these practices, and aspires to consistently practice them.
2. We call for a reversal of the pushing down of the curriculum that has transformed kindergarten into de facto first grade. No reversal necessary at Small Steps. We agree with the Alliance for Childhood’s view of what is age appropriate.
3. We call for research on the causes of increased levels of anger, misbehavior, and school expulsion among young children. Clear boundaries, an understanding of feelings and how to discuss them, respect for the individual, and allowing students to engage in creative play using the most important voice of all - their own - goes miles towards addressing the root causes of anger in children.
4. We call for additional research that examines the long-term impact of different preschool and kindergarten practices on children from diverse backgrounds. Our experience working exclusively with children in poverty shows that in addition to accomplishing all that it is known to accomplish in “standard” settings, child-initiated play has one additional invaluable impact: it gives a voice to the voiceless.
5. We call for teacher education that emphasizes the full development of the child including the importance of play, nurtures children’s innate love of learning, and supports teachers’ own capacities for creativity, autonomy, and integrity. You cannot value your students without valuing their most important contact each day - their teachers. Investment in teacher education translates directly into an investment in children’s futures.
Small Steps’ Pennies for Peace Project in the News! Local TV Station Covered Story

Posted: Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:15:20 +0000

On Thursday, April 9, one of Small Steps Nurturing Center’s Kindergarten classes delivered a wagon full of pennies to Amegy Bank. The grand total was a wonderful $377.50 - which means that the students of Small Steps collected almost 38,000 pennies for children in Afghanistan through the Pennies for Peace program! (Please view our March 5 blog post for the story of how our students decided to become involved with Pennies for Peace.) The purchasing power of a penny means so much to someone in Central Asia: as the book Listen to the Wind explained it, a penny can purchase a pencil and a dollar can fund a child’s education for a month. The children truly grabbed hold of the concept and on Thursday, one of these Kindergarten students, Cristina, told her teacher, “I feel really great about collecting the pennies for Afghanistan. And I feel really happy so I can help with the schools and the school supplies for the children of Afghanistan.”

FOX News featured the Small Steps’ penny delivery story! The video is available to view here:

Denise Wilborn, Small Steps’ Kindergarten teacher whose students collected the pennies, asked the class for what reason they were collecting pennies and bringing them to a bank. They all chimed in together, ”We are philanthropists!”

Denise also summed up the several-month-long project well: “This is a wonderful experience for the children. Through their effort, energy, and excitement they encouraged other Small Steps students and families to share, serving others in need. Listen to the Wind closes with these words: ‘We are the children of Korphe. Can you hear our voices?‘ The Small Steps students heard and responded. They are making a difference!”

To view more photos from Small Steps’ Pennies for Peace project, please visit our photo album. Additionally, an article on Small Steps’ Pennies for Peace project can be found in our Spring 2009 Newsletter.

Thank you to our students, families, and to the rest of our Small Steps community for supporting Small Steps’ Pennies for Peace project!
Correction: Upcoming Parent Training Event - Sunday, April 19

Posted: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:29:40 +0000

Correction: The date of the parent training event is Sunday, April 19. It was incorrectly stated as Sunday, April 26 in a previous blog post.

Attention Small Steps Parents! Please join us for an upcoming event:

“How to Help Your Child Succeed in Public School”
A Small Steps Parent Training Event
When: Sunday, April 19, 1:30-3:00 (English); 3:30-5:00 (Spanish)
Where: At Small Steps’ Jensen campus

Members of the St. John’s Presbyterian Church Special Education Advocacy Ministry and a professional educational consultant will offer suggestions and answer questions about navigating the public school system, including special education services.
New Special Education Advocacy Ministry Launched

Posted: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:56:03 +0000

Led by St. John’s Presbyterian Church members, a new ministry has been formed to serve Small Steps families who have special education needs.

The special education process can be complicated and confusing. Being partnered with an advocate to assist, equip and support a family through the process can dramatically increase a child’s chances of receiving the educational services he or she needs once they leave Small Steps.

Mark Your Calendars!
“An Introduction to Special Education Advocacy” will be held on Saturday, April 25 from 10:00 am-11:30 am at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 5020 West Bellfort, Houston, TX (713-723-6262).

A repeat of the Introduction will be held on Wednesday, May 6 from 10:00 am-11:30 am, also at St. John’s Presbyterian Church.

For more information about becoming a volunteer advocate or about other opportunities to help in this new ministry, contact Suzette Harrel by phone at 713-501-4703 or via e-mail.
Upcoming Justice for Children Dinners - April 19, April 26, & May 3

Posted: Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:25:51 +0000
Please join us for an upcoming series of discussions!

Justice for Children Dinners
At St. John’s Presbyterian Church
Sundays April 19, April 26 & May 3, 5:30-7:30 pm

What: A series of discussions with prominent child advocates in the areas of education, health care, child welfare, and juvenile justice.
When: Sundays, April 19, April 26, and May 3, from 5:30-7:30 pm.
Where: St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 5020 West Bellfort, Houston.
Who: Any one interested in the state of Houston’s children and in ways to serve the most vulnerable among us. Come join us!
More: We’ll continue the conversation over a light supper following the presentations.

April 19th: Introduction & Overview of The State of Houston’s Children
Ten Things Churches Should Know About Children: Dr. Robert Sanborn, President, Children at Risk

April 26th: Panel on Education and Health Care
- Children’s Health Insurance and the Healthy Children Program: Barbara Best, Chairman, Texas Chapter, Children’s Defense Fund
- The Whole and Healthy Child: Michael Aceves-Lewis, Development Director, Mission Houston
- Why Pre-School Matters: Evan Harrel, Executive Director, Small Steps Nurturing Center
- Special Education: Robin Rettie, special education advocate & consultant
May 3rd: Panel on Juvenile Justice and Child Advocacy
- The Cradle to Prison Pipeline: Brandi Brown (and guests), Director, Texas Youth Leadership Program/Freedom Schools, Children’s Defense Fund
- A Prosecutor’s View of the System: Lynne Parsons, Prosecutor, Harris County District Attorney’s office
- A Music Ministry Serving Incarcerated Youth: Bill Ward, Crosswalk Ministries
- Child Advocacy: Claire Sabatier, Recruitment, Training and Retention Manager, Child Advocates, Houston
Further information is available on the St. John’s web site: www.stjohnspresby.org or contact the church office at 713-723-6262.

This information is also available for download here.
Mood Indigo to Appear as Finalists in The Great American Duet Sing-Off

Posted: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:11:41 +0000

Small Steps’ music instructor, Joe Romano, and his singing partner, Susan Elliott, have been selected as one of six duet acts to appear as finalists in The Great American Duet Sing-Off. The sing off will occur on Saturday, April 11^th at the Town Hall in New York City, and will be broadcast live during that evening’s live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion® with Garrison Keillor. A Prairie Home Companion® is broadcast live in Houston on 88.7 KUHF, from 5-7 pm each Saturday and rebroadcast on Sundays from 12 - 2 pm. You can hear Joe and Susan during the shows that begin at 5 pm on Saturday, April 11 and at 12 noon on Sunday, April 12.

Joe and Susan have been playing together as Mood Indigo since 1984 and have won numerous awards, played all over the country and toured extensively through Texas as part of the Texas Commission on the Arts touring artist’s roster. Joe, in his role as music instructor at Small Steps, visits each campus once a week to lead the children in singing. Joe’s relationship with Small Steps students extends back to 2004. More information about Mood Indigo and Joe and Susan is available on their website.

The entire Small Steps family congratulates Joe and Susan on this selection and looks forward to hearing their performance on Saturday, April 11.
Sign Up To Receive Small Steps’ Newsletter!

Posted: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:46:45 +0000

Small Steps is getting ready to send out our latest newsletter, Heart & Sole (to view previous editions, see our Get Connected page). If you don’t already receive this newsletter in your mailbox, we would love to send it to you!

Just e-mail Lydia Jones with your physical mailing address and we’ll get one to you soon. Thanks, and happy reading!
St. John’s School Middle Schoolers Serve and Connect

Posted: Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:15:11 +0000

Sixteen St. John’s School seventh graders volunteered and connected with our students from Small Steps’ Jensen location today, Friday, March 13. They gathered here with the goal of planting a spring garden and coming alongside our sixty Small Steps students in order to show them how to plant in the Small Steps Community Garden. However, due to today’s rainy weather, the planting was moved indoors!

This flexible and helpful group of seventh graders instead worked with small groups of Small Steps students indoors to plant seeds in Peat pots. Their enthusiasm and care for the children was so evident as they worked with them to plant! Our Small Steps students had a wonderful experience and we are so grateful to St. John’s School for providing such a fun, educational experience. Thank you to each student for your servant-hearted actions!

Photos of the volunteer group are available in the St. John’s School 7th Grade Day of Service photo album.
Small Steps Goes Texan At BBQ Cook-Off

Posted: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:08:12 +0000

For the ninth year, Cold River Cattle Company has hosted Small Steps at their BBQ Cook Off tent, throwing an all-out Texas style party for our students. On February 27, we went by chartered bus (provided by Carey Transportation) and school van to the rodeo grounds where we were met by gracious hosts Paul and Tammy Brindley and their team of barbecuers, dressed as clowns and cowboys. Inside the Cold River tent, we were presented with straw cowboy hats and entertained with dancing, hoola hooping and a magic show. All of this went before a western style lunch was served and goody bags were distributed. Then it was time to load up a tired group of buckaroos and head back to our “ranch” (Small Steps) in time for rest time. A great big Texas THANK YOU to Dr. and Mrs. Brindley and their entire crew for a Texas size good time!

To view the entire album of photos from the event, please visit our Photo Gallery!
Small Steps Students Collecting Pennies for Schools in Afghanistan

Posted: Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:44:11 +0000

Our Kindergarten students at Small Steps’ DePelchin campus have been reading Listen to the Wind, an early reader’s version of the story of Greg Mortenson and his efforts to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. (The full story is captured in Three Cups of Tea.) The children responded to this moving story, one of Pakistani students who have often gone to school without buildings or any classroom materials, by deciding to collect pennies. They invited all eight of Small Steps’ classrooms to collect pennies to support children in Afghanistan. The money raised will be sent to contribute to community-based education and literacy programs in remote mountain regions of Central Asia through Pennies for Peace.

What a lesson to each of us it is to see our students, many living in poverty and hard conditions, wanting to serve others!

The full letter by their teacher, Denise Wilborn, on behalf of the class, is available to download here.

Below is a photo of the Kindergarten group with some of their collected pennies and the book, Listen to the Wind. More photos of the Pennies for Peace project can be found in the Photo Gallery.
Small Steps Clays Classic Team Photos Posted

Posted: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:08:15 +0000

We have posted the team photos from yesterday’s successful event, the 2009 Small Steps Clays Classic! Please take a look at the albums (organized by course) to find your team photo:

http://www.ssnc.org/media-room/photo-gallery/

If you would like to receive a higher-quality electronic copy of a photo, please note the album name (i.e. - “White Course”) as well as the photo number (”Photo 15″) within the album. Please e-mail Lydia Jones at ljones@ssnc.org with your request.

Thank you again for your support of Small Steps Nurturing Center!
Study published in Pediatrics Demonstrates the Academic Benefits of Recess

Posted: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:36:40 +0000

A study in the February 2009 issue of the journal Pediatrics entitled “School Recess and Group Classroom Behavior” suggests that there are a number of measurable academic benefits in school programs that offer their students recess. Although the full article is only available to journal subscribers, Tara Parker Pope summarizes the research well in an article in the February 24th NY Times.

Why is recess so important? Some fairly obvious and direct reasons are mentioned in the articles above: the need for time for the brain to recharge after focused academic time and the benefits of learning the social cues which are much more clearly expressed in play than they are in structured studying.

Recess is also critically important because creative play teaches young children the skills needed for true learning: risk taking, observation, and trial and error. Each of these skills flourish on the playground and in preschool creative play centers, forming the healthy foundation for reading, writing and math skills. Scientists, diplomats and commercial innovators are formed on the playground.

Noted child psychologist and early childhood education researcher Vivian Gussin Paley calls story and play the “original learning tools.” Recess builds not only the muscles of children’s arms and legs, but the creative muscles of the mind. If we carefully nurture the development of those latter muscles, we will raise a generation of students who grow up to be inventive, creative thinkers.
Small Steps Students Spread Valentine’s Day Cheer

Posted: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:08:31 +0000

Two of Small Steps’ Pre-K/Kindergarten classes spread the Valentine’s Day spirit to the senior citizens who attended Houston Full Circle’s second annual Valentine’s Day Dance. The 30 students from Small Steps’ Jensen campus made sure each of the 411 seniors who attended the dance received a hand-made Valentine’s Day card.

Below, the Houston Chronicle captures one of our Pre-K students handing out one of the cards. We are so proud of the joy that the card and its delivery brought to Pearlie Smith, the recipient featured in the photo! For the full article, please visit the Chronicle’s web version here.

Additional photos are available to view on the Chronicle’s online photo gallery.

The event was held on February 11 at the Prince Complex, located at 3000 Jensen Drive, which is next door to Small Steps’ Fifth Ward campus. The 411 seniors in attendance came from the Fifth Ward, Kashmere Gardens, Clinton Park, Acres Homes, Independent Heights, Third Ward, TSU area, along with other areas of Houston. The seniors were presented with cards, heard from city council members and doctors, and were able to dance for several hours in celebration of Valentine’s Day.

Special thanks to Houston Full Circle for putting on this event and to the Houston Chronicle for its coverage.