Latest news with #ErinKennedy
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Concord to launch full-day pre-K
ELKHART — Four-year-olds in Elkhart County will have the opportunity to join one of the only full-day pre-K programs in the county starting this fall at Concord Community Schools. The Concord Mini Minutemen Preschool will start in the 2025-26 school year. It will be available for 80 students. 'School will start with the Concord calendar, so then they'll start in August,' said Erin Kennedy, the new lead teacher for the pre-K program. 'Registration opens to the public April 1 and then when it's full, we'll get a waiting list going.' Part of a $4.2 million grant called Next Generation School Improvement Grant will be used to help fund the pre-K program. The program will be also partly funded by federal Title I funds, which support schools with a high percentage of low-income students. Accessible and affordable preschool options are few across the county, according to Dan Funston, superintendent of Concord Community Schools. He also said the county is a preschool desert. 'We're going to start with one class per elementary school,' Funston said, 'and then hope to grow from there. We have some construction projects going on at some of the elementary schools, and so we're incorporating some bathrooms in some rooms and doing what we need to do from a facility perspective in order to support that.' Indiana does not fully fund pre-K programs, but it does offer the On My Way Pre-K program, using mostly federal dollars. Tuition for Concord's pre-K program will be income-based, and $150 per week for families who do not qualify for On My Way Pre-K. The program is free for children of Concord staff. 'Between those sources, we think it'll be self-sustaining, but we know that we have this grant there to support it as needed to get it going,' Funston said. The Head Start preschool program already offered by the district will not be replaced by the new pre-K program. Funston said there was a waiting list for several students to get into the Head Start program last year. He said the district hopes the new pre-K program will give more students an opportunity next year. Funston said Concord has been working with Building Strong Brains, a coalition in Elkhart County working on change in the realm of early childhood education and development. Kim Boynton, director of Building Strong Brains, said the county has been learning more about kindergartners' readiness for school. 'Only 40 percent of Elkhart County kindergarteners have all the needed skills to support their success,' Boynton said. 'Building Strong Brains, a coalition of 70 organizations, is working together to create opportunities for children to be ready to learn and thrive as they arrive at kindergarten. We are thrilled when opportunities emerge to help children and their families.' Parents interested in learning more about the program can visit www. preschool.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Yahoo
CT woman arrested for allegedly having jobs with state, city without permission for dual employment
A woman was arrested last week on larceny charges after state police alleged that she was found to be working for a community college and the town of Litchfield with overlapping hours. Erin Kennedy, 44, turned herself in on Friday in connection with a warrant charging her with two counts of first-degree larceny, according to Connecticut State Police. The warrant affidavit supporting the arrest said state police began investigating last July following a complaint alleging Kennedy was employed at the Connecticut State Community College Northwestern campus and the town of Litchfield but was never approved for dual employment. She worked as a SNAP Coordinator and Non-Credit Allied Health Coordinator at the college, the warrant affidavit said. In Litchfield, state police found that Kennedy was hired in May 2023 as a social services coordinator, the warrant said. A representative with the town told investigators Kennedy resigned from her position before town officials could fire her, according to the warrant affidavit. State police said the days and first shift hours she worked were found to overlap each other. After an internal investigation reportedly substantiated the allegations against Kennedy, she resigned from her position with the state of Connecticut, according to the warrant affidavit. When investigators spoke to Kennedy in January, she said her contract with the state only called for her to work 70 hours every two weeks and that her scheduled was supposed to be flexible, the warrant affidavit said. She also noted that many people worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic and that she was never expected to return to the office once the pandemic was over, state police wrote. She said her supervisor never had any gripes as long as she did all the work that was expected of her. During the interview, Kennedy admitted that she never filled out a dual employment form and said she believed she only had to complete on if she had another job with the state, as it would have allowed her to 'double dip' into the pension fund, according to the warrant affidavit. She also estimated during the five months when she held two jobs that she earned about $52,500, the warrant affidavit said. Kennedy told state police she could not pay back the money right away if she were asked to do so but said she could make restitution on a payment plan if she had to, according to the warrant affidavit. Following her arrest, Kennedy was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Torrington Superior Court on Feb. 24.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Paralympic gold medallist opens Surrey Cancer Centre
The Royal Surrey Cancer Centre was reopened by two-time Paralympic gold medallist Erin Kennedy on Tuesday following a £6m refurbishment. Kennedy, appointed OBE last year for rowing and breast cancer awareness, was treated at the centre after being diagnosed in May 2022, aged 29, with triple negative breast cancer. She told staff: "You are all working together to provide an amazing service for the many thousands of people that will come through your doors at a time when their world has stood still." Sophie Otter, chief of service for oncology, said: "This project has seen us double the clinical space available, which will ultimately enable us to save more lives as early diagnosis and treatment options continue to grow." As well as increased clinical space, the refurbishments include a space for carrying out blood tests, a dedicated information hub and a sensitive conversation suite. Kennedy underwent 15 rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy before she was given the all-clear in March 2023. "The new facilities have been designed around patient needs and provide a welcoming environment that is expertly equipped to support individuals and their loved ones," she said. "The incredible care at Royal Surrey was second to none, their approach enabled me to continue competing whilst on chemotherapy and the team truly understood me as a person, not just a patient." During the opening, Kennedy presented the centre with her framed Team GB Lycra. "It wasn't just my rowing team that came with me on this journey but my team at the Royal Surrey who became a part of my integral, everyday, part of my team," she added. Louise Stead, group chief executive of Ashford and St Peter's and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trusts, said the opening was "the culmination of many years of planning and hard work in partnership with our patients". The cancer centre, previously known as St Luke's, was opened in Guildford by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1997. According to the centre, three million people now receive care at the hospital each year. The NHS said one in two people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Kennedy wins Euro gold year after cancer diagnosis Bowel cancer vaccine trial launched Paralympian wants better cancer care for young people Royal Surrey Cancer Centre
