Festivities and Resources to Greet the Fall Season

Children add to the festive atmosphere with their Halloween costumes. October 2025.

Chula Vista, CA – The fall season is brimming with beloved traditions and festivities. From pumpkin carvings and jumping in leaf piles to enjoying hot apple cider, there is so much fun to be had. ECS has its own annual fall tradition: the Head Start Fall Festival. 

The Fall Festival was held at ECS Family Engagement Center (FEC), the perfect backdrop for a late afternoon of fun and resources. Each area of the community resource center hosted a different activity for families to enjoy. 

ECS staff display put together a pumpkin patch with donated pumpkins for children to pick. October 2025.

Outside sat an eye-catching pumpkin patch where children could redeem their entry ticket for a pumpkin of their choice. 100 pumpkins were donated for the event by St. John's Episcopal Church, Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, Chase Bank, Neighborhood National Bank, All Saints Episcopal Church, Jen Jow, Jimmy Hansen, and St. David's Episcopal Church and Preschool. 

Students from The Bishop’s School help Head Start students with arts and crafts. October 2025.

Games, included a “stuffy walk” where children could win a stuffed animal and a raffle families could participate in. A craft table – manned by student volunteers from The Bishop’s School – sat inside FEC. Children’s creativity ran wild as they created fall-themed decorations. Kara Crawford, an Educator at The Bishop’s School and member of ECS’ Board of Directors, attended the event with her students and commented on the importance of attending the festival. “This is our [The Bishop School’s] third or fourth year coming. What’s really important for them [The Bishop School’s students] is that it’s a real opportunity for them to see the whole network of organizations that support Head Start,” Crawford said. “It’s much more than preschool; the preschool is sort of the contact point to support a whole family and a whole community.” 

Community partners offer a variety of resources to festival attendees. October 2025.

Community was a central theme of the event. Much more than just fun and games, the Fall Festival boasted a large line-up of community partners offering valuable resources to attendees. Javier Tanayo, a Patient Engagement Specialist at Family Health Services, shared why the presence of community partners at events like the Fall Festival is important. “I think it’s always going to be amazing to share the resources to the community,” Tanayo said. “You never know who doesn’t know about what’s being offered in their community.” 

Joanna and her daughter enjoy the festival. October 2025.

The Fall Festival is an example of community coming together to celebrate and uplift one another. Joanna Garcia, a Head Start parent of a three-year-old, has now attended the festival three times. “[The Fall Festival] is a really fun place to bring your kiddos just because all the resources are really important. What they provide is honestly things that you wouldn’t expect,” she said. She also shared how supportive Head Start has been for daughter. “I think it’s just a great program,” she said. “It’s not daycare, it’s an educational system for your kids. It has genuinely taught my child, especially how to control her emotions. A lot of kids who are very young don’t know how to do that.” Garcia added, “The teachers are really nurturing, it’s a safe environment, you get a lot of great resources.” 

The Fall Festival is fun for the whole family. October 2025.

The Fall Festival was a great kick off to the fall season. 180 people attended the event, enjoying fall-themed activities and engaging with a variety of community resources. To learn more about the wholistic community support offered by Head Start, visit https://www.ecscalifornia.org/head-start-and-early-head-start. 

Exploring ECS’ Future at the 2025 Board of Directors Retreat

National City, CA – Tuesday’s gray skies couldn’t dampen the optimistic energy inside St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, where ECS’ Board of Directors gathered for their annual retreat alongside committee members, ECS leadership, and staff.  

The 2025-2026 ECS Board of Directors and ECS staff and leadership. October 2025.

The retreat provided time to strengthen connections, celebrate the past year’s successes, and chart the course ahead.  

The retreat began with reflection on ECS’ core values — belonging, respect, exploration, empowerment, and stewardship — as attendees shared which values resonated with them the most and why.  

New board member Chris Connolly attended his first retreat and met many of his fellow directors and ECS leadership in-person. He expressed his excitement to build relationships and learn more about ECS. He joined the board with hopes of making a difference in the community. “Bishop Susan, in her opening prayer today, talked about transforming communities, and Elizabeth talked about how the new El Cajon facility is going to help transform that community,” Connolly said. “I'm really excited about this notion of transforming communities, which would give me a lot of purpose, if I could come to ECS board meetings to do that. Both this year, and years ahead, that'd be really exciting.” 

Presentations from CEO Elizabeth Wilberg, Board President La Monica Everett-Haynes, Board Chair Bishop Susan B. Snook, and CFO Darren Tune offered an overview of the 2024-2025 fiscal year and reviewed organizational goals for 2025-2026. Later in the afternoon, attendees separated into groups and constructed ideas for continued growth and impact. 

Attendees discuss strategies for the new fiscal year. October 2025.

Board President La Monica Everett-Haynes welcomes attendees to the retreat. October 2025.

Idara Ogunsaju, a member of the newly formed People & Culture Committee, shared how inspired she felt to meet other individuals driven to support ECS’ work. “It's very easy to get behind the work that's being done, from Head Start children to helping with the issues of homelessness in San Diego,” Ogunsaju said. “You see the work that's happening, you see how they care, and how they're delivering on the mission, vision, and values of the organization.” 

Ogunsaju cited Elizabeth Wilberg’s leadership and ECS’ value of exploration as the things that inspired her to support the organization. “That exploration, the willingness, the openness to change, is very powerful and positions ECS well for today and for the future,” she said. 

Head Start staff takes attendees on a tour of the school site. October 2025.

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church is also the site for one of ECS’ Head Start centers. Attendees toured the facility, visited active classrooms, and learned about the wide variety of wraparound services Head Start offers, including Home Visits. ECS Head Start not only supports academic growth, but the whole family unit, prioritizing the health and development of their students.   

The annual board retreat reflects ECS’ culture of stewardship and care. Through the dedicated work of its directors, committee members, and leadership, ECS continues to grow stronger each year, laying the foundation for the next century of service. Thank you to our board of directors and committee members for offering your time and talents to ECS. 

To learn more about the leadership that guides ECS visit https://www.ecscalifornia.org/leadership. 

A Warm Welcome

Head Start gave Alma and Oscar a sense of peace and security when they sent Olivia to preschool. March 2025.

Before Head Start, Olivia, a three-year-old diagnosed with cerebral palsy, was attending physical therapy to help with her upper core mobility. The therapy was going well, but Olivia was very shy and lacked confidence. She was learning at home, but she had no outlet to develop socially and was not talking much, causing her parents — Alma and Oscar — concern. 

Understandably, Alma and Oscar were anxious about their daughter going to school for the first time. “We were very hesitant, scared at the beginning,” Alma shared. Would Olivia be cared for? Would her disability affect her preschool experience? Would she be comfortable in an unfamiliar environment?  

Luckily, Alma’s sister told them about ECS Head Start. When they discovered that a Head Start center was only a few blocks from Alma’s job, they knew they had found a place for Olivia to begin her education, but the program exceeded their expectations, transforming from a school to a family. 

Olivia blossomed with the support of Head Start. *July 2025.

 The growth Alma and Oscar have seen in their daughter is powerful. “As soon as she started coming here for, like, a week, she was just so much more open. Her attitude changed,” Oscar said. The warm and welcoming environment of Head Start helped Olivia to open up to those around her. “I noticed within the week, she started to try to talk and stuff because other kids were talking.”    

As an only child, the chance for Olivia to play and bond with other children has made a huge difference. “I think it brought more of her personality out, because she likes to be around other people and other kids, especially,” Alma said. “That's where we saw a lot of change in her.” Preschool is a crucial time for young learners to develop social skills, and ECS Head Start prioritizes that development. “She's super confident for everything that's going on with her and then it's really helped her to express how she feels, what she wants,” Alma said.   

Head Start embraces and accommodates each child so they can thrive. *July 2025.

The warm ECS embrace that Olivia experienced expands from the teachers and staff to the other children. “It is nice to see that she is accepted here, and everybody loves her. It's nice to feel that,” her mother said. “It's like a big family. I see all the teachers saying, ‘good morning’ and ‘bye’ to Olivia. I don't know all the teachers, but they definitely know her.”  

Head Start has also provided Olivia with a deeply enriching academic experience. “She's learned a lot. She's learned her numbers, her colors, her shapes,” Alma said. “She's a really good listener and she asks a lot of questions, and she always wants to know everything.” 

The teachers meet with parents to set goals for their children, then work hand-in-hand with them to accomplish those goals. The staff is accommodating and considerate toward each child, which was especially impactful for Olivia’s needs. “There's always been somebody holding my daughter or within arm's reach of her, so I know that she's safe,” Oscar said.   

Head Start established a key academic and social-emotional foundation for Olivia. *July 2025.

Olivia has enjoyed ECS Head Start throughout the past three years, but this year she will be off to a new adventure: kindergarten. Her parents are sad to leave the program, but they expressed that it has prepared her for the next step. “I think she's ready. I think she’s been ready,” Alma said. “They prepared her.” The once quiet and reserved Olivia has transformed into a confident young girl ready to take on whatever is next.  

Head Start aims to provide a wholistic education, caring for each student academically, socially, and beyond. “I wouldn’t change this experience for her for any other school,” Oscar said. Oscar and Alma recommend Head Start to any other family looking for quality early childhood education. “The experience has been great, and I don't have anything else to say other than ‘bring your kids.’ It's a great place.” 

To learn more about Head Start and how the quality early childhood education could benefit you and your children visit Head Start & Early Head Start — Episcopal Community Services. 

*Caption dates may not be exact.

The Gift of Music: Kodály Music Program

The Kodály Music Program gives students an early introduction to the arts. September 2025.

As part of an effort to expand arts education for our littlest learners, ECS launched a Kodály (pronounced code-I) music pilot program at ECS San Ysidro Head Start. Kodály music lessons began last month and will include 14 weekly lessons throughout the semester, wrapping the year with an “in-formance” where families and caregivers will be invited to join their students in singing and moving together. ECS is one of only a few programs in San Diego to offer these specialized music lessons and it is the only program of its kind in the South Bay region.  

A Kodály-qualified instructor engages students in listening and singing along to songs. August 2025.

This initiative would not be possible without donor support and the partnership of the San Diego Children’s Choir. The Kodály program was generously funded by an anonymous music lover who seeks to introduce the love of music to the next generation of students. Their gift provides supplies, materials, and operational expenses to launch this first-of-its-kind program and open up a world of musical expression for our students. The San Diego Children’s Choir provided the Kodály trained instructor.

The Kodály music education method originated in Hungary in the mid-twentieth century. It approaches music education in accordance with a child’s current developmental stage. The first introduction to music is through listening, singing, and movement. Teaching points include rhythm syllables, rhythm sequence and notation, and melodic sequence among other topics designed to build a fundamental understanding of music. 

Although these lessons sound complex, the Kodály method uses simple tactics such as singing games, fun and play, and visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements to fuse enjoyment with key learning milestones.  

Students learn the foundations of musical creation and rhythm through movement. August 2025.

The arts are an essential part of a well-rounded education. Research shows a direct correlation between artistic learning and early academic and social-emotional success. However, inequalities in accessibility to arts education are still largely prevalent for students living in lower socioeconomic status areas. A child’s education and development should not be limited by their zip code. ECS aims to break these barriers and provide early access to the arts to ECS students. Through initiatives like the Kodály music program, students will receive the resources and experiences required to meet their emotional, social, and psychological needs. This program will impact over 40 children and their families enrolled at ECS San Ysidro Head Start.  

By ensuring that ECS students are engaging in the arts, ECS is setting them up for success as they transition to kindergarten and beyond, building a stronger and happier new generation of San Diegans. 

To learn more about ECS’ early childhood education programs visit www.ecsheadstart.org.