My name is Sierra Hernandez. I am the lead teacher for Portola Class B. I have been in this position with Head Start since September 2012. Before that I was a substitute for Head Start in Portola and a long-term sub in Quincy. Prior to working for Head Start, I worked for the local daycare/preschool for. 

 

I started that job when I started taking Early Childhood Education classes. At that time my son was 7 months old, and I feel like we both benefited from me taking the classes and learning about children’s development. Now Ms. Sherry and I are taking courses together to obtain our bachelor’s degree. 

 

 I am the youngest of 3 children in my family. My siblings are 6 and 9 years older than me. I don’t remember engaging too much with them, but I do remember when my parent’s friend came over with their infant that I would take care of him while they visited. I also would babysit several cousins frequently. As I got older and started taking classes at FRC I tutored and mentored a variety of grades and that is where I discovered that I wanted to work with children. 

 

I have been married for 3 years and I biologically have one son who is 20 years old. Together my husband and I have 3 children, which makes us have a culturally diverse family. I speak some Spanish and I learned from spending time with Hispanics here in town. I also love Spanish music and would look up the lyrics to learn. I have been working with children for 25 years, and out of that, a preschool teacher for 20 years. I have been the lead teacher at Head Start since September 2009. 

 

Even though I have quite a bit of experience and education I am constantly learning new things. I also enjoy learning more about your child and your family so that way I can incorporate some of your family traditions in our classroom. 

**Please share with me if you sing songs with your child/children at home, what songs they are (we would like to sing them in class) and if you listen to music at home.   

 

 

 

 

The Resource Center is what I call an umbrella organization. They are a branch of the Plumas Crisis Intervention Family Resource & Wellness Centers; both are organizations that help people directly or connects them to other organizations if needed. Some of the other organizations that they partner with are the food bank, Plumas County Housing Authority, Salvation Army, Cal-Fresh, 24/7 Dad, CASA and Homeless Prevention & Rapid Re-Housing Services. 

 

The Portola Family Resource Center’s motto is “People Helping People”. The resource center offers many services to local people ranging from Chilcoot, Vinton, Loyalton, Portola, and Graeagle, including the other small subdivisions in between. The things they have to offer are: food vouchers to EPCAN, gas cards for appointments that are out of the county, clothing vouchers to the local thrift store, emergency food, access to a shower on site, laundry services, assist with filling out paperwork, access to a public computer with printing, zoom room available for appointments, meeting room, they provide applications for the HEAP program, Section 8, Medi-Cal, and local apartments, and they also have a public health vending machine. The vending machine will be equipped with items such as toothbrushes, condoms, sterile syringes, and Narcan, etc.     

 

The Portola Family Resource Center is a great asset to our small community. In the past we have worked more closely with the staff of the resource center and would ask them to join our parent meetings so they can share all of the different things they have to offer and help with. Covid has hindered allowing community members to join our parent meetings. As the county opens back up, we can see if a representative may join us once again.  

(Gonzalez-Mena, J, unknown date, p. 81)