Published on July 7, 2016
Last month, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans held promotion ceremonies in honor of our Head Start students. Early Head Start students who reached the age of 2 were promoted to Head Start, and students who reached the age of 5 graduated from the Head Start program and are heading off to kindergarten in the fall!
Promotion ceremonies were held at St. John the Baptist, Incarnate Word, St. Mary of the Angels and Louise Head Starts. A total of 145 children were promoted this year: 35 from Incarnate Word, 17 from St. Mary of the Angels, 56 from St. John the Baptist and 37 from Louise! The majority of students graduated from the Head Start program altogether, while some were promoted from Early Head Start classes to Head Start classes.
Friends and families were invited to attend the ceremonies. Each Head Start program added personal touches to their own ceremonies and made them special for the students. With the help of their teachers, each class performed a short song or poem for those in attendance.
Guests at the Louise Head Start promotion ceremony were able to see the positive effects of Head Start first hand. A sister and brother, both of whom completed the Head Start program and are now in high school, spoke to students and parents about the importance of education and the value of getting a jump start so young.
This year, the ladies of the St. Elizabeth’s Guild handed out small gifts to the graduates and served refreshments to the children and their families at the reception. We are thankful for the love and support the ladies have shown to this year’s Head Start students.
Near the end of the St. John promotion ceremony, Sr. Marjorie Hebert, President and CEO, asked the young students, “Who’s excited to go to kindergarten next year?” A mass of hands shot into the air, and all the students smiled and laughed. While their teachers will miss them greatly, we are proud of all of their accomplishments and excited to see what each of their futures hold. Congratulations, grads!
Head over to our Facebook page to see our photo album from the ceremonies!