We develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and obstacles.
Stephen Covey
Saint Killian was four years old in September of 2020. He is the youngest of five siblings in a single-parent home. He had attended Kennedy Head Start the previous year and had good attendance. His mom participated in all school activities. Saint has always been a quiet and gentle child. He loves school, and he loves to learn.
Due to a bad car accident right before school started, Saint missed the first few weeks of school. During this time, his mother, teachers, and FES stayed connected with each other to continue Saint’s learning and to check on the family’s well-being. The classroom sent home tasks to the parent for her to do with Saint while he was out.
A couple of months after returning to school, Saint’s face began to swell. At first, both the teacher, FES, and mom thought it was just allergies, but they decided that it might be something more, and his mother took him to the doctor. She found out that Saint has a chronic medical condition.
Throughout the many hospital visits and changes the family was going through, school staff and his mother continued working together to help Saint adjust to his new diet and restrictions and to help prepare him for kindergarten. At the end of the year, Saint proved to be kindergarten-ready in every domain!
Due to his Head Start family and his mother’s continued communication and commitment, Saint was one of the top students in his class at the end of the year. He even gave the End of the Year Celebration Speech!
