The Primary School expands to Hayward; Kaiser Permanente partners

The Primary School is excited to announce a new partnership with Kaiser Permanente and the Hayward community to integrate early childhood education, health care, and family support services at its second program site.

The Primary School, which opened its flagship, tuition-free school in East Palo Alto in 2016, is developing a model in Hayward that draws on key learnings from its first site. The Primary School will work with physicians and staff at Kaiser Permanente, along with school, community, and parent leaders, to design components of the program.

“We have had the great privilege of learning and growing our first school in East Palo Alto in close collaboration with families, community organizations, and local leaders,” said Courtney Garcia, CEO of The Primary School. “We look forward to working closely with the community and Kaiser Permanente to help children and families in Hayward access a more comprehensive health and education program.”

“As a Hayward native, born and raised, I know firsthand that there is power and resilience in Hayward,” said Mizgon Zahir, who is The Primary School’s Executive Director at the Hayward program site. “The passion of the community is seen daily by the way we stand together and lift one another up. Together, we can move mountains and make change for our families. We are thankful to Mayor Barbara Halliday and City Manager Kelly McAdoo of the City of Hayward, our City Council, Superintendent of Hayward Unified School District Dr. Matt Wayne, and all of our stakeholders and community partners who have demonstrated their commitment to health, education, and our work to bring services to Hayward."

At The Primary School’s program site in Hayward, Kaiser Permanente staff from the Sleepy Hollow Medical Offices in Hayward will support the design of the school’s health care program and identify opportunities for the clinic to work closely with early childhood educators from the community on key components of school readiness. This includes robust developmental screening and support, mental and behavioral health, social determinants of health, and parental support.

“Kaiser Permanente has a long history of supporting the integration of health, emotional resilience, and education through partnership with unified school districts across our communities,” said Janet Liang, President, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “Kaiser Permanente sees the integration of health care and education in the early years of life as a powerful way to influence social determinants required for lifelong emotional, physical, and mental health for young children and their families. We are excited to now include TPS as a partner in championing innovative educational models for vulnerable families and children in Hayward.”

“This partnership with The Primary School allows Kaiser Permanente’s care team to work more frequently with underserved children and families alongside their teachers and counselors,” said Liang. “This is an incredible opportunity to develop the interdependent science of learning, emotional development, and long-term physical health. We are pleased to build upon the investments we have made over the years to community organizations in Hayward, including La Familia, Seneca, and Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, that provide services to students and their families in the Hayward Unified School District.”

Kaiser Permanente’s focus on health and well-being in schools is deep and long-standing. It has funded school-based health programming, rebuilt playgrounds, installed water stations, revamped teacher break rooms, and helped upgrade school cafeterias with healthy meals that appeal to students and staff alike at schools across Northern California. Since 2013, the Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools Initiative has partnered with more than 300 public schools nationally to support programs on healthy eating, physical activity, and social emotional well-being of students, teachers and staff.

“We know that good health and well-being are fundamental to learning for children,” said Paul Espinas, MD, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente’s Sleepy Hollow Medical Offices in Hayward who also will serve as Kaiser Permanente’s medical director at The Primary School. “Our partnership with The Primary School will help us further explore how best to integrate children’s medical care with their educational experience.”

During the first year of operation in Hayward, parents with toddlers will engage in programming focused on family well-being and preschool readiness. Parents will then be able to enroll in the preschool in the fall of 2020. The Primary School is committed to creating a school model that benefits families in the community and supports the local early childhood and K-12 education systems, and is exploring opportunities to partner with Hayward Unified School District.

In addition, Hayward community partners and parents are playing an important role in the design process to ensure the program provides a long-term benefit for children and families in the community.

“Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Inc. (TVHC) shares The Primary School’s belief that all families want their children to access opportunities and achieve their potential,” said David B. Vliet, Chief Executive Officer. “TVHC looks forward to working with The Primary School and Kaiser Permanente to create a comprehensive approach that integrates services and builds family well-being throughout a child’s development.”

“The Hayward community is in great need of more high-quality and affordable early childhood support services,” said Pamm Shaw, Vice President of Early Childhood Impact of the YMCA of the East Bay. “We’re excited to work with The Primary School and provide a warm, safe, and nurturing environment for their programming this year.”

The Primary School has been meeting with other community leaders and organizations in Hayward and is grateful for their support in understanding the strengths, needs, and resources in the community (please see the full list below). The Primary School’s Parent Advisory Group will play an essential role in the program design and will continue to engage parents and community voices throughout the program’s development.

The Primary School is grateful to the following organizations and individuals in Hayward and Alameda County:

4C’s

Alameda County Behavioral Health Care –Birth to 8 Division and Building Hope/ Construyendo Esperanza Early Childhood Program

Alameda County Center for Healthy Schools and Communities

Alameda County Early Care and Education Program

Alameda County Public Health Department’s Family Health Services Division

Alameda County Fatherhood Initiative

Alameda County Interagency Children’s Policy Council

Alameda County Health Advancement of Pacific Islanders

Carlos Macias, UC Berkeley Ph.D. student and Hayward Native

Carl Stempel, California State University, East Bay

Chabot College- CalWorks program

Chabot College - El Centro

City of Hayward

Daniel Lopez, MSW, Case Manager, Regional Center of the East Bay

Dulce Lopez, Psy.D., Therapist, Eden Children’s Services

Early Learning Network

ECHA

Family Paths

First 5 Alameda County

Hayward Library

Hayward Promise Neighborhood

Hayward Unified School District

Janette Hernandez, MSW Puente Counselor, Ochoa Middle School

Kidango

Koshland Foundation

La Familia

The South Hayward Collaborative

SIREN

South Hayward Parish

Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center

Weekes Branch Library

WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

YMCA of the East Bay

Yvonne Valdez, Puente English Teacher, Tennyson High School