
Micah Fowler is the 15 month old son of Dustin and Samantha Fowler and is the Bernie Parents as Teachers’ student of the month for March.
Micah loves to talk, dance, listen to all kinds of music, watch game shows, and look at books.
He also enjoys playing ball, drawing, and spending time with his Mommy and Daddy.
The family’s favorite parts of participating in PAT visits include learning new activities to play with Micah, receiving new books, and showing Mrs. McGarity all of the new things Micah has learned since their previous visit.
The following information was taken directly from the Parent as Teachers Missouri website.
Our Vision
All children will learn, grow and develop to realize their full potential.
Our Mission
To provide the information, support and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.
Our Values
The early years of a child's life are critical for optimal development and provide the foundation for success in school and in life.
Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.
Established and emerging research should be the foundation of parent education and family support curricula, training, materials and services.
All young children and their families deserve the same opportunities to succeed, regardless of any demographic, geographic or economic considerations.
An understanding and appreciation of the history and traditions of diverse cultures is essential in serving families.
History
In 1981, Missouri pioneered the concept of helping parents embrace their important role as their child's first and best teacher. Today, Parents as Teachers continues to equip early childhood organizations and professionals with information and tools that are relevantᾢand widely applicableᾢto today's parents, families and children.
The Parents as Teachers leadership team and Board of Directors is engaged in a three-year strategic plan, which positions the organization as a valued partner to support the organizations and professionals who serve families and children, especially those most vulnerable.
The concept for Parents as Teachers was developed in the 1970s when Missouri educators noted that children were beginning kindergarten with varying levels of school readiness. Research showed that greater parent involvement is a critical link in the child's development of learning skills, including reading and writing.
Early childhood professionals suggested that a program to provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, and parent education to help parents understand their role in encouraging their child's development from the beginning could help improve school readiness and parent involvement.
With funding from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and The Danforth Foundation, Parents as Teachers began in 1981 in Missouri as a pilot project for first-time parents of newborns. Recognizing the program's benefits and cost effectiveness, the Missouri legislature provided state funding in 1985 to implement Parents as Teachers programs in all Missouri school districts. Since 1985, Parents as Teachers has expanded to all 50 states and six other countries.

Parma, MO - We often may view inventors as the intellectual elite. Or, possibly we see them as just “lucky” people that simply found success through ways unavailable to others. Aycorp is making a difference to create a platform for ideas throughout an eight county region in Southeast Missouri.

Dexter, MO - Central Gardens held their annual Valentine's Day party on Friday, February 14, 2020. Residents dress in red and enjoyed an afternoon of sweet treats and fun.
A king and queen were chosen along with an alternate for each.
Charles Fulong was crowned 2020 Valentine's King and Jean Jackson was the queen. Alternates were Wes Eskew and Wanda Roberts.
Residents also created cards with Valentine's Day Advice. Maxine Hedrick's advice, "Show Your Love!" What a wonderful idea to do not just on February 14th, but year round!
Central Gardens is a an assisted living facility in Dexter. Central Gardens offers activities at their location for residents. These activities generally allow residents to maintain healthy lifestyles by encouraging movement and socializing with their peers.
Pictured from left to right are Wes Eskew, Charles Fulong, Jean Jackson, and Wanda Roberts.

Cape Girardeau, MO - Dexter native and “regular small town girl” Chantelle Becking is setting records. Her newly released book Unapologetically You: Freedom to Be is for all people. Just officially released to the public yesterday it is moving through the Amazon ranks. She wants to be clear on this success. It is for 2 reasons. God is moving hearts and small towns are rallying around this author and adoptive mom to five.
“God just has something for this book. It is not me. I am just a regular girl with a load of mess ups. Most of them I have written about in the book….Maybe that is why it has taken me over 2 years to finish it! We are so dang hard on ourselves as women. We have so much we hold inside that no one knows. Meanwhile all of the perfectly filtered photos are much easier to share than real life. Sometimes we get lost. We just need someone to see us.”
The book is about Becking’s life and it is certain to make you laugh out loud in one minute and drop a tear in another.
She has been blown away by the love and support since the release. Because of the support of small towns, friends, clients and friends of friends the book is ranking top 10 on Amazon in her category Christian Women’s Issues New Releases.
“I would so love to see it hit #1. This is the mission God has put in my heart. I want as many people as possible to get the chance to know about the book and I believe there is a word in there for every person. I am completely blown away by the support and I believe in the underdog…which in this case is certainly me! The book is competing with very well known authors with large publishing companies. This book is doing what it is doing because people have stepped up to share it because it has meant something to them.”
Check out Becking’s book on Amazon. The download is just $3 for the next 3 days! Paperback available too. Let’s help this Dexter native in her mission and dream! Share away!
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetically-You-Freedom-Chantelle-Becking/dp/194727967X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=chantelle+becking&qid=1581529335&sr=8-1

Carter McGowan is the Bernie Parents as Teachers Student of the Month for February 2020.
Heis the 10 month old son of Jordan and Cendyl McGowan.
Carter is busy army crawling to get food or to play with his dogs, loves playing with his mommy and daddy, and enjoys feeding himself Cheerios.
During the family’s PAT visits with Mrs. Casey.
Carter enjoys the books he receives at every visit.
The following information was taken directly from the Parent as Teachers Missouri website.
Our Vision
All children will learn, grow and develop to realize their full potential.
Our Mission
To provide the information, support and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.
Our Values
The early years of a child's life are critical for optimal development and provide the foundation for success in school and in life.
Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.
Established and emerging research should be the foundation of parent education and family support curricula, training, materials and services.
All young children and their families deserve the same opportunities to succeed, regardless of any demographic, geographic or economic considerations.
An understanding and appreciation of the history and traditions of diverse cultures is essential in serving families.
History
In 1981, Missouri pioneered the concept of helping parents embrace their important role as their child's first and best teacher. Today, Parents as Teachers continues to equip early childhood organizations and professionals with information and tools that are relevantᾢand widely applicableᾢto today's parents, families and children.
The Parents as Teachers leadership team and Board of Directors is engaged in a three-year strategic plan, which positions the organization as a valued partner to support the organizations and professionals who serve families and children, especially those most vulnerable.
The concept for Parents as Teachers was developed in the 1970s when Missouri educators noted that children were beginning kindergarten with varying levels of school readiness. Research showed that greater parent involvement is a critical link in the child's development of learning skills, including reading and writing.
Early childhood professionals suggested that a program to provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, and parent education to help parents understand their role in encouraging their child's development from the beginning could help improve school readiness and parent involvement.
With funding from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and The Danforth Foundation, Parents as Teachers began in 1981 in Missouri as a pilot project for first-time parents of newborns. Recognizing the program's benefits and cost effectiveness, the Missouri legislature provided state funding in 1985 to implement Parents as Teachers programs in all Missouri school districts. Since 1985, Parents as Teachers has expanded to all 50 states and six other countries.