Ready & raring — District hosts learning fun night for families with young children
Photo courtesy of Susie LaCroix Kevin Munoz, running through the oval, and Jose Munoz, behind him, run through an obstacle course under the guidance of Shenae Alberts, a physical therapist at Weston County Health Services, at the Adventures in Learning Fun Night held on April 11, 2024.
Preschool-aged children can get a sneak peak into their future kindergarten days at a free event that Weston County School District No. 1 will hold April 10.
The fourth annual Adventures in Learning Fun Night will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria and practice gym of Newcastle High School, according to a flyer.
Susie LaCroix, the district’s English language learner coordinator and preschool liaison, told the News Letter Journal that community members, business leaders, kindergarten teachers, child care providers and others will have activity stations where children can learn, play and explore alongside their parents or guardians.
Children will also receive a punch card that, upon completion, can be turned in for a drawing for prizes, and every child will take home one or two free books that the district receives through a state literacy grant. Raising Readers in Wyoming’s vice president, Don Dorn, has also arranged for his organization to donate books.
LaCroix told the NLJ that the event began as a way to introduce parents and their children to people in the community, such as preschool and kindergarten teachers, who work with the 3- to 6-year-old age group. The other main goals were to help ease the child’s transition into kindergarten and to share the Wyoming Early Learning Standards for young children with parents, guardians and other community members.
“This event celebrates early learning, young children, their teachers, and families,” LaCroix said.
The event takes place during the Week of the Young Child, which is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. LaCroix said she anticipates that stations this year, as in past years, will include art projects, water play, games and science experiments.
“The activities are mostly centered around children ages 3-6 years, but we encourage siblings to join,” she said. “Parents or guardians are a must as this is an event to learn, play, and engage together.”
Tyler Bartlett, the principal of Newcastle Middle School, said that he has attended the event every
year because he had preschool-aged children. His family has enjoyed it every time.
“It’s a great opportunity for young children to experience hands-on learning opportunities and engaging activities,” he said.
Representatives from many community entities, such as the Newcastle Police Department, Weston County School District No. 1, Weston County Children’s Center and Weston County Health Services, have provided fun activities that are also educational, according to Bartlett. For example, children have worked on their fine and gross motor skills and practiced identifying numbers and letters.
“We’ve always been fortunate to leave that evening with a free book for each child, plus whatever creations my children had made in the different stations we participated in,” Bartlett said. “As a teacher, I see the value in exposing students to these kinds of skills and concepts prior to kindergarten, and as a parent, I appreciated that my kids enjoy it and want to go back each year.”
Weston County Health Services’ physical therapy team will bring an obstacle course, like it has in the past, CEO Cathy Harshbarger told the NLJ.
“It is so much fun to learn and play again this year with the kids,” she said.
The teachers anticipate continuing the kindergarten tradition of having an activity that involves the letters of the alphabet. For example, they have previously helped children make name necklaces or bracelets.
“Adventures in Learning is a great way to interact with future students and families,” kindergarten teachers Amanda Finley, Lacey Von Eye and Cami Willyard told the NLJ in an emailed statement. “It is a wonderful opportunity for families to get ideas geared towards learning that are age-appropriate and well rounded. We hope that more community members take advantage of this awesome and cost-free experience.”
Each past event has been attended by 30 to 40 children, and LaCroix told the NLJ that there is interest in expanding the event, both in terms of family participation and activity station providers. Any entities or child care providers that would like to participate can call LaCroix at 307-746-8862.