Chesbro reads to children at Howonquet Head Start

Says event reminds him of importance of early education

Tsinte Steinruck places a necklace made by the children over the head of Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro.Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

Wesley Chesbro read a story to children at the Howonquet Head Start and Early Learning Center.

“One of my favorite things to do is read, and I hope you grow up to be the same way,” Chesbro told the group of 3–5-year-olds.

The youngsters welcomed Chesbro with a gift: a necklace they made that looks like the dentalium shells that Tolowa people used as currency in the past.

Chesbro read a story about a mischievous youngster named David who gets into trouble by doing things like playing with his food, running around naked and jumping on the bed.

The kids looked at pictures depicting David’s various shenanigans and read along with Chesbro.

“No, David!” they read together, looking at a picture of David drawing on walls.

“He should draw on the paper!” said one of the little voices.

After Chesbro and the kids finished the book together, the book was read to the children in Tolowa by Cynthia Ford, a Smith River Rancheria language specialist and president of the Howonquet Head Start parent committee.

“Duu, David! Duu!” they said together. “Duu” means “no” in Tolowa.

Children in the Howonquet programs learn words in a variety of languages besides English, including Tolowa, Spanish, Hmong, American Sign Language and Filipino, depending on the makeup of the class.

“At this age, kids can absorb the most additional languages,” said Chesbro, who grew up bi-lingual speaking Spanish and English. “A young brain is like a sponge.”

The different languages are used in all the activities in Howonquet, including gardening, where children help grow organic fruits and vegetables that are used for the kids’ meals.

“If you put peas on the table, they won’t touch them,” but the kids are excited to eat peas they have grown in the garden, said Early Learning Center teacher Jo Trotter.

Trotter said early childhood education can prevent problems with teenagers in the future. Howonquet almost lost some of its funding to a facility that deals with delinquent children, she added.

“A wiser investment would be to put it down here at the bottom before it ever gets broken,” Trotter said.

Early Childhood Education not only helps children prepare for kindergarten, but it also pushes parents to be more involved in their child’s education, Ford said.

“Just being around them reminds me of the importance of supporting Early Childhood Education,” Chesbro said.