The Office of Head Start is excited to offer a new venue for communication on important early childhood professional development — an E-newsletter entitled ASPEN.  The E-newsletter is designed to offer short clips of information on current issues in early childhood education and references or links for further research.  

THE ASPEN TREE
by JoAn Knight Herren
Some years ago, while visiting Wyoming, I came across a stand of Aspen trees. I learned a big lesson that day. In admiring their beauty, I found out that, while they look like separate trees, they are actually linked by a common root system. Water and nutrients drawn in through the roots are shared among members of the group. This shared commitment to the well being of the group remains even in the face of hardship…in times of drought, trees nearer to the source of water will draw up only as much as they need to survive. This allows more water to be passed along through the roots to trees further up the hillside.

It reminds me of the interconnectedness of Head Start programs and their partners. In the years since I first used this metaphor, I’ve become increasingly aware of the generosity of spirit of the people in this program. During good times and bad, programs are eager and willing to learn new ways to offer quality service. We are part of a community of learners, each making the most of every opportunity to share new information and techniques. We share an insatiable appetite for research to support our work together. We will try the new technologies to take our message out to the furthest reaches of our domain.

ASPEN will be available solely online. The initial E-newsletter is a follow-up to the Professional Development Bulletin published last year. With the reauthorization of Head Start in December, 2007, we are recommitted to improving the educational standards and development of all staff. We hope you enjoy this new tool for sharing information.

We encourage suggestions for future issues. Send them to Patricia Clark at patricia.clark@acf.hhs.gov

First Issue April, 2008 - A follow-up to the Professional Development Bulletin [PDF, 158 KB]

Second Issue June, 2008 - Adult and Children's Health [PDF, 170 KB]