Donna ISD welcomed a new wave of PreK-3 and 4 students this 2023-2024 academic school year thanks to the district’s new partnership with the Hidalgo County Head Start Program. According to enrollment numbers, approximately 366 students who qualified under the county’s Head Start program enrolled at Donna ISD when school began in mid-August.
“We are thrilled to have partnered with the Hidalgo County Head Start Program and look forward to educating this new generation of learners,” Superintendent Dr. Angela Dominguez said. “It’s our obligation to provide the best quality education possible for children who live within our district’s jurisdiction and for any student living outside our boundaries. We’re excited that we’ll be able to establish a solid educational base that will prepare our kids for the next grade level and beyond. As our motto states, DISD’s number one outcome is to make sure all students continue on a path of success and ultimately graduate ready for college, a career, or the military.”
The Donna ISD Head Start Program operates at four different sites; two are housed inside the elementary campuses of Singleterry and Salinas and the other two are stand-alone facilities located at the Donna I and Donna II Head Start Centers. Led by certified teachers, the three and four-year-olds start their day with circle time, which involves group interactions including singing songs and reading books. These activities are designed to help the children feel comfortable with their environment and peers as well as give them a chance to practice their communication and social skills.
As the day progresses, the students participate in literacy and cognitive learning by engaging in pre-reading, language, vocabulary, and numeracy. Then it’s lunch and nap time followed by play time. “There’s a lot of play,” Head Start Teacher Rosa Maria Perez said. “At this age, that’s how children learn. They’re learning as they play and socialize with their peers and at the same time, they’re developing their language, as well as physical and motor skills.”
Perez said each day in the classroom is a thrilling adventure filled with captivating activities that will ultimately pave the way for a successful transition to Kindergarten. She is excited to be part of this new partnership and most importantly she feels blessed to be part of helping shape young minds for the journey of a life time.
For more information on Donna ISD’s Head Start Program call 956-383-0706.
