The holiday season is a time of joy. However, it also comes with busy schedules, gift shopping, and year-end deadlines. Taking care of yourself is essential not just for your well-being, but so you can truly enjoy the holiday season. Here are some cheerful self-care...
Families enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start of Fayette County were invited to “Alphabet Safari” held at the Lemont Furnace Head Start Center on November 19, 2025. The theme of the event was to focus on language and literacy skills from the program’s school...
As we enter the holiday season, we also enter the cold and flu season. Let’s face it, no one enjoys being sick so here are some common reminders about when you or your children should stay home from work or school. Fever- a fever over 100.4 Vomiting – more than 2...
Mental Health Starts in the Womb Mental health is a very important and pervasive concept in today’s world, often highlighting its importance during teenage years, and into adulthood/end of life. In our line of work, we understand that not only does mental health...
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Head Start / Early Head Start FAQs The Private Industry Council discusses frequently asked questions for Head Start and Early Head Start students. Private Industry Council operates the Head Start / Early Head Start program for Beaver and Fayette Counties in the...
The students of Head Start/Early Head Start of Fayette County, a program of the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc. are learning firsthand about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. The students in Miss Dawn & Miss Sarah’s class at Lemont Furnace Classroom #3 began by creating the perfect environment for butterflies to breed. Miss Dawn collected milk weeds and placed them in a butterfly garden for the students. Female monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on milkweed plants. The student observed the eggs and when they hatched, the children watched the eggs develop into larvae or caterpillars. A monarch is only a caterpillar for 7-17 days. Monarchs spend the caterpillar stage of their lives eating and growing.
The excitement escalated when they saw so many of the caterpillars turn into “J’s” in preparation to create their chrysalis. Once the caterpillar is done growing and have reached is full length/weight, the form themselves into a pupa or a chrysalis. A monarch is a chrysalis for 8-15 days. Within the chrysalis the old body parts of the caterpillar are undergoing a remarkable transformation, called ‘metamorphosis,’ to become the beautiful parts that make up the butterfly that will emerge. The butterfly’s beautiful orange and black wings appear the day before it is born. The changes that happen inside a chrysalis are like magic.
The real thrill was when the children were able to watch the beautiful butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. On September 13th, Miss Dawn invited all of the Lemont Furnace classrooms to join their class in the release of their butterflies. The children were able to hold the butterflies & get an up close look at the beauty of these insects.
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