News & Events

Ready Freddy Kindergarten Enrollment

at Arlington Pre-K-8 School Monday April 15^th

Part of Pittsburgh Public Schools Kindergarten Enrollment Week April 15 - 19

Pittsburgh, PA – March 26, 2013

Parents of children entering kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year are invited to a special parent ‘Welcome Center’ on Monday, April 15^th from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. and from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. at Arlington primary school at 2429 Charcot Street on the Southside.

Staff from the Ready Freddy program and volunteers from the Carnegie Library, Hilltop Family Support, and the Brashear Association will be on hand along with Arlington school staff to help parents complete enrollment forms and to answer questions about kindergarten.

Refreshments will be provided. And families that complete the enrollment process will be eligible to win a Giant Eagle gift card.

Any child who will be 5 years old before September 30^th is eligible to enroll for kindergarten. Parents are advised to bring: THEIR CHILD’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE; THEIR CHILD’S IMMUNIZATION RECORD AND TWO PROOFS OF ADDRESS (utility bill, driver’s license, tax return, or state ID) in order to complete the enrollment process.

Early enrollment is the first step towards making the transition to kindergarten easier for children and families. National studies highlight the fact that nearly half of children struggle with the transition into Kindergarten.  Late arrival and poor initial attendance is seen as a significant predictor of early school failure and a long-term predictor of high school dropout. Studies show that involving parents in the transition process is one of the most promising practices to ensure a child’s smooth transition into school.

In addition to enrollment activities, Ready Freddy offers Kindergarten Club (K-Club) workshops for parents of emerging kindergartners that include fun learning activities and help connect families to their child’s school. For information about K-Clubs, contact Medina Jackson. The Ready Freddy program is designed to help children, their families, communities and schools implement and celebrate successful, positive transition into and through kindergarten and is part of the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development, whose mission is to improve the lives of children and families.

University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development; Pathways to Kindergarten Success, 400 North Lexington Street, LL104, Pittsburgh, PA  15208.

With funding through the Pennsylvania Neighborhood Partners Program, The Brashear Association will launch two new and exciting initiatives this spring.  Both programs bring new partners to the table, partners with impressive track records of quality service provision:  Student Conservation Association (SCA) and Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh (RT).
 

Since its founding in 1957, SCA has pioneered conservation service programs that protect public lands and equip young people for environmental leadership.  SCA has forged strong partnerships with local, regional, and national land management agencies and nonprofit organizations to carry out critical environmental restoration efforts that maintain the ecological balance of communities across the nation.  Increasingly, SCA is creating conservation programs to reach underserved communities in Pittsburgh and in cities across the country. 

The Brashear South Side Park program will engage 12 teens, ages 14 – 19, from South Pittsburgh communities in a conservation crew for at least 144 hours from January to May 2013.  The crew will meet once per week after-school for three hours to complete environmental education, job readiness, career and financial literacy training.  The crew will also work two Saturdays each month in South Side Park.  Work to be done in the park will include invasive plant removal, brushing and corridor clearing to open existing trail corridors; tread and drainage, trail entrance definition, installation of signage and regular litter/illegal dumping sweeps of upper and lower parking areas, the plateau area, and the city steps near the football field and former ice rink site.

The crew will also engage with South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association, Brashear Association and other community organizations to increase participation and use of South Side Park.

Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, a local affiliate of a national organization, is committed to the repair and preservation of homes for those in need.  While their core program which provides free home repairs to low-income seniors has been in existence since 1993, RT is adapting to address community-wide challenges such as blight, delinquency, and disengagement in underserved neighborhoods.  RT works with local organizations to maximize its impact in communities.

With Brashear and the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association (SSSNA), RT will identify residents in need and select up to ten homes for repairs that will ensure safety, accessibility, and comfort.  Contractors and volunteers will make repairs such as the installation of new railings and grab bars, repair of stairs, replacement of kitchen flooring, installation of windows and kitchen cabinets, installation of secure exterior doors, painting, renovation of bathrooms, and installation of furnaces and appliances.  All repairs promote safety and permit residents to age in place while stabilizing communities and preserving the housing markets for future generations.

We'll provide updates on these new initiatives as we move forward.  Help us welcome our new partners!

This initiative is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Neighborhood Partnership Program.  Our partners include:  American Eagle Outfitters, Duquesne Light Company, First National Bank, S & T Bank, and UPMC Health Plan.