Friday Report No. 3
October 6, 2017

Recent Campaigns
Bank of Okolona
Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Mississippi
Recent Corporate Gifts
Hodges, Pilgrim & Co. LLC

Upcoming & Ongoing Campaigns
Atmos Energy
BancorpSouth
Comcast
Itawamba Attendance Center
TJ Maxx
Toyota Mississippi
Tupelo Coca-Cola
Tupelo Public Works

Special Report

We recently welcomed a new staff member at United Way. Shelly Brooks joins us as the certification manager for Excel By 5 and the director of the READ First Coalition. Shelly is the former principal of Shannon Primary School and brings 25 years of education experience to her new position.

Below is an excerpt from the latest blog post on our website, discussing some of the many, many exciting new things Shelly has accomplished in the two short months she has been with us. Please click through to read all about these amazing partnerships and initiatives and how we are helping all children start kindergarten prepared and ready to learn.

EXCEL BY 5 ESTABLISHING NEW PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN CHILDCARE CENTERS AND SCHOOLS

Janette Kirk sits at the back of Abigail Wallace's kindergarten classroom at Parkway Elementary, taking notes as the children practice counting syllables in common words. "Clap it... stomp it... jump it," Wallace instructs, and the children follow along.



Kirk, director of Kiddie Kastle Preschool in Tupelo, is part of a new initiative, coordinated by Lee County Excel By 5, where daycare teachers can observe kindergarten classrooms in the Tupelo and Lee County public schools. These observations give daycare staff a firsthand look at what students will be doing in kindergarten in order to better prepare their students for school.

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Currently 60% of children arrive at kindergarten lacking foundational and readiness skills.
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This initiative plans to reduce that number by helping childcare centers better prepare their children.

In addition to these observation opportunities, Excel By 5 has worked with both school districts to allow daycares to use the public schools' computer labs so the children can practice using desktop computers.

READ MORE AT 

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