NACOG Head Start benefits from local bookstore donation

Jaelyn Dechilly, age 4, beams proudly as her mother Dianna reads to her. Jaelyn is a student at Codgill Head Start, which is one of 26  Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Head Start Centers here in Flagstaff. NACOG recently received a donation of 130 children’s books to distribute to all of their Head Start centers Photo by Rebecca Schubert/Observer).

Jaelyn Dechilly, age 4, beams proudly as her mother Dianna reads to her. Jaelyn is a student at Codgill Head Start, which is one of 26 Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Head Start Centers here in Flagstaff. NACOG recently received a donation of 130 children’s books to distribute to all of their Head Start centers Photo by Rebecca Schubert/Observer).

FLAGSTAFF-In joyous conclusion of its successful Holiday Book Drive, Barnes & Noble Booksellers donated a grand total of 130 children's books to Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Head Start.

"We chose Head Start because it's the one group in the community that it seems to make the biggest impact on," said Barnes & Noble manager Kelly Wise.

NACOG Head Start children consist of 19.28 percent Native American students from numerous tribal nations, .16 percent Asian students, 5.66 percent multi/racial students; 1.18 percent African-American and/or black; 42.25 percent Hispanic; and .21 percent Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; 30.98 percent Euro-American and/or white in a region encompassing 27,000 square miles.

In celebration of the donation, Head Start mom Dianna Dechilly and her student Jaelyn met Head Start and Barnes & Noble employees to accept the contribution made by numerous Flagstaff residents.

Jaelyn, age 4, attends Cogdill Head Start in Flagstaff-one of the 26 NACOG Head Start centers, whose staffs serve approximately 1,613 students in Coconino, Navajo, Apache and Yavapai counties.

According to Dechilly (Diné), who is originally from Ft. Defiance, Head Start plays a huge role in her daughter's life.

"I love Head Start. My daughter has a slight language/speech delay and since her beginning at Head Start her ability to communicate has grown unbelievably," Dechilly said.

Dechilly is currently an accounting student at Northern Arizona University, and explained the value of Head Start to not only her family, but to many other Head Start families.

"I think that if Head Start weren't there, I and a lot of other families would put our children with a babysitter and they wouldn't have the chance to learn," Dechilly said. "That's the big difference between a babysitter and Head Start."

Head Start assistance director of field operations Seobaghn Arambula said the books would be distributed and used for a variety of activities at each center.

Dechilly explained that the parent committee at Cogdill has chosen to focus on family literacy this year, and the books would be very helpful in furthering this goal.

"We've been trying to think of ways to do family literacy and build libraries in classrooms. If children have a lot of books to read in the classroom, hopefully that will rub off at home," Dechilly said. "Then, we're encouraging parents to read with their child at least twice a week for thirty minutes each session."

Dechilly said that she reads with Jaelyn, as well as her third grade daughter Jania. Oftentimes, Jania reads to Jaelyn, which encourages learning for both.

"When I read to them I have started putting inflection in my voice and now Jania is doing that, too," she said.

To learn more about NACOG Head Start programs or to make a donation, call 928-774-9504 or visit www.nacog.org/hs.

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