HEAD START IN KANSAS: NURTURING CHILDREN. ENGAGING FAMILIES. ROOTED IN COMMUNITY
Join us for the October State Meeting and Network Conversations for Directors, ERSEA, Education Managers, Behavioral Health/Disabilities, and Parents
October 9, 2025, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Webster Conference Center, Salina, KS
KHSA State Meeting Agenda: Additional details coming soon
8:30 Arrival and check-in
9:00 Welcome and opening
9:15 State and National Updates
9:45 Keynote: Dr. Anne Meeker Watson: The Rhythm of Delight and Connection: Building a Joyful Head Start Community through Music
In this keynote, we will explore how the intentional use of music and shared experience can serve as the connective tissue for a vibrant Head Start community. We will move beyond music as a supplement to see it as a powerful, research-backed tool for building a sense of belonging, nurturing emotional intelligence, and strengthening bonds between children, families, and staff.
This session will provide practical, easy-to-implement strategies for integrating music into daily routines, transforming everyday moments into opportunities for joyful connection. We will discuss how rhythmic rituals can support early literacy and emotional regulation in children while providing a shared language of support for families. We will make space for reveling in all that is delightful and worthy of our admiration within our loving relationships with children and families. Join us to discover how the universal language of music can be the heartbeat of your program, creating a joyful, connected, and resilient Head Start community.
11:00 Group Picture and Break
11:15 Network Connections and Conversations: Each network will meet individually for a time of connecting, sharing, and learning.
12:15 Lunch
1:00 Network Conversations: Networks will meet for reflective discussions focused on Nurturing Children and Strengthening Families.
Directors: Nurturing Children and Strengthening Families: What’s on the Horizon?
ERSEA: Nurturing Children and Strengthening Families: Community Focused Strategies
Behavioral Health and Disabilities/Education (joint session with external facilitator): Nurturing Child and Strengthening Families: Responding and Adapting to Emerging Needs
Parents: Nurturing Children and Strengthening Families: Setting a Vision for Elevating Parent and Family Voice and Perspective
2:40 Closing
3:00 Safe Travels!
Network discussion times include opportunities for resource and strategy sharing, networking, and emergent topics.
Other Notes for Registration:
T-shirts – Order your 2025/2026 State Meeting t-shirt here! Also, the 60th Anniversary tshirt options are still available!
2025/2026 State Meeting T-Shirts & Pullovers sport this year’s Meeting theme and come in adult short-sleeved premium, cotton, and slim-fit styles; long-sleeved cotton style; pullover hoodie, and sweatshirt. Youth short and long-sleeve t-shirts; toddler short sleeve; and onsies have the kiddos covered. We also have ball caps, mugs, and totes with this logo. Adult colors are gray, white, yellow, chocolate, blue, and cream in most styles.