From Staff Reports
The 2017-2018 school year brings many changes in Puxico for the Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation (DAEOC.)
DAEOC is a private not-for-profit Community Action Agency serving Stoddard County in Southeast Missouri as well as Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, and Scott Counties. DAEOC administers programs designed to combat poverty and provide economic opportunities in the Bootheel such as the local Head Start.
School began for the 17 3-to-5-year students who were enrolled in the half day program Aug. 28 and for the eight students who are returning for their second year.
many changes were seen made in regards to their teachers. This year the DAEOC Head Start has a team of staff who are all new to their positions even though some of them have been at the local head start for 16 years.
In June of 2017, The Puxico Head Start Director, Melana Long officially retired after working for DAEOC for 23 years. Along with around four other center directors who have retired this year, Melana left an open position and after many interviews, the DAEOC Main Office decided there was no person better fit to fill the roll then Tammy Varvell, a long time staff of DAEOC and the Puxico Head Starts main teacher since 2003.
"I want to thank the community for all of the congratulations and support that they have given me recently as I have accepted this new position," stated Varvell. "It has been overwhelming the amount of love I have received after announcing that I was hired as the new center director. I want the community to know however that some things never change, I will continue to be in the classroom as much as I can as the love I have for teaching the children is truly my passion"
As Varvell stepped up to take her new position, new and returning staff stepped up to fill open jobs that became vacant throughout the head start. The new center aide, Carrie Ackerman, and the new Child Family Advocate, Sam Lawrence, are just a few of the new friendly faces that the students as well as the community are seeing this year . Returning staff member, Jane Cato, has recently returned as the centers cook after originally transferring to the Bell City DAEOC Head Start several years ago. Also returning center aide, Audrey Rodgers has now stepped up to fill the position as the main teacher.
"I love it here," stated Rodgers. "I started working with Tammy several years ago outside of the head start and completely fell in love with her. I know that we are going to make a great team, as well as with the help of all of our other staff, because we all have one goal and that is to help the students feel safe here at the head start. We want them to know that they are safe, that they are loved, and overall that they can learn here."
This year's theme for the classroom was chosen by Rodgers and features the "Emoji" theme. The reason behind this theme includes the fact that the head start uses conscious discipline to help students learn how to handle their emotions and since emoji's use faces to express their emotions, "it was a perfect fit" according to Rodgers.
As the year continues, the new and returning staff hope to continue to bring fun, community filled experiences as a team to the students and to those close to them. As the new center director, Varvell stated "With the help of my teaching team, I hope to bring more community involvement into the center. My constant thought is how I am going to leave this world a better place and I hope to do that by making head start shine in Puxico."