Clare County Community Baby Shower slated for March 29; Register today!

The Clare County Youth Council (CCYC) and partnering agencies will present the Clare County Community Baby Shower on March 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brown Corners Church in Clare. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.

The event is free to pregnant women and to those parenting a child under the age of 12 months residing in Clare County. Each registrant may bring one additional guest.

Lunch, door prizes, and educational information will be provided.

To register for the Baby Shower or for more information, contact Brandi Warner at 989-386-8644.  

Local educators participate in poverty simulation

As part of the recent Clare-Gladwin RESD Regional Professional Development Day, approximately 90
teachers, support staff, administrators, and paraprofessionals from Clare and Gladwin County school districts participated in a poverty simulation, provided by Dr. Deborah Bailey and Dr. Norma Bailey of Central Michigan University (CMU).

With the help of more than 30 trained staff and volunteers from CMU conducting and facilitating the workshop, the 2.5 hour experience took place at Harrison Community Schools and was designed to sensitize participants to the realities low-income people face on a daily and monthly basis. In the simulation, participants assumed the roles of different “families” facing poverty with varying circumstances.

“Participants experienced four 15-minute weeks with five-minute weekends as they worked through their month of poverty and tried to accomplish their objectives - feeding their family, paying their bills on time, maintaining housing, and maintaining safety,” said Clare-Gladwin RESD Assistant Superintendent for General Education Deb Snyder. “The simulation was conducted in the gymnasium with ‘families’ seated in groups in the center of the room. Around the perimeter of the room were tables representing community resources and services for the families.”

According to a local teacher, “The poverty simulation was very eye opening for me. In my scenario, I was given the role of a single father who got fired, lost his home, and whose son became ill because of lack of food, and was ultimately taken in by social services. The one-hour experience left me stressed and wanting to cry. It was crazy considering I knew it was all pretend. I can’t imagine what families in these situations go through. I am completely humbled by this experience.”

Snyder thanked Drs. Bailey and their staff for their work in providing the simulation, as well as Harrison Community Schools and Chartwells for providing the venue and food service.

Clare-Gladwin RESD will offer a repeat poverty simulation to local educators in October 2014.

Clare County and Gladwin County Family Literacy Nights scheduled for March

The Clare-Gladwin Great Start Collaborative, Quality Preschool Partnership, and other early childhood partners of Clare and Gladwin counties are pleased to present, “Family Literacy Night,” slated for March 10 at Gladwin High School and March 18 at Harrison High School. Both events will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Open to all children age birth to six and their families, those who attend either Family Literacy Night will enjoy an interactive concert by Paula Doak, the Merry Music Maker. Opportunities to take part in literacy stations and activities, pre-enroll for area preschools, and learn about early childhood services in Clare County will also be available.

Present at the Gladwin County event will be kindergarten registration for Gladwin Elementary School, while kindergarten registration for Larson Elementary School will be at the Clare County event.

Literacy stations, kindergarten registration, and preschool pre-enrollment will take place from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. Following the concert, every family will receive free books to take home.

To RSVP or for more information, please call 989-386-8641.

“Family Literacy Night,” is funded in part by United Way of Clare and Gladwin Counties, and by Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs through its regranting agency, Art Reach of Mid Michigan.