Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Getting a head start at Rocky Mount Elementary School
Hundreds attended Franklin County's first preschool fair.
AMY HANEK Special to The Roanoke Times
Shyanna Dunbar, 2, of Rocky Mount attended the Franklin County Preschool Fair on Saturday, along with nearly 200 children.
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Nearly 200 small children took their first big strides toward entering school by climbing the steps to Rocky Mount Elementary on Saturday for Franklin County's first preschool fair.
The fair was meant to help guide parents of 3- and 4-year-olds through the public preschool application process, said Kay Edmondson, coordinator of federal programs for Franklin County Public Schools. Eight agencies worked together, handing out fliers and answering questions about more than just preschool education.
Nancy Timmons from the health department wanted to inform parents and children of nutritious eating habits and fitness. The Franklin Center's Adult Education Program informed family members of their services in helping people pass the General Educational Development test.
The Franklin County Family Resource Center, department of social services and the early childhood special education coordinator also made themselves available for anyone with questions.
In addition to the county's preschool program, representatives from the Support to Eliminate Poverty (STEP) Head Start program and Total Action Against Poverty Head Start program attended. These two agencies accept at-risk children into a preschool program based on educational needs and income level. About 75 applications were filled out Saturday.
Daphney Hancock, the STEP Franklin County manager, said that planning for this event began a few months ago. She said forming partnerships with agencies outside the school system was important too.
"It was all about the collaboration," Hancock said, "to show everyone that we can work together to achieve this goal."
The children learned that fun and education also mix. Faces were painted inside, while games of tag went on at the playground outside. And each applicant took home a goody bag filled with a coloring book, safety information, a cereal bar and juice box. Teachers also sent would-be students home with the book, "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn.
Darci and Curtis Foley were among the many parents filling out preschool applications.
The couple are hoping their 3-year-old daughter, Payton, will attend Snow Creek Elementary this fall. Their son Fletcher attends the school's program right now and they agree that it's been a wonderful experience. The Foleys noted that this preschool fair made the application process very different from last year's.
"It's nice to be able to see the other things that are offered," said Darci Foley.
Edmondson said the fair made for a better understanding for the program or parts of the program the county offers. She added that 256 slots are available for Franklin County preschoolers in the 2009-10 school year, and with 122 applications filled out Saturday, there are still 134 slots available. Edmondson added that the county is still accepting applications.
Send us your school news Your Community, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, VA 24010 or e-mail yourcommunity@roanoke.com. Or stop by our office, 201 W. Campbell Ave., in Roanoke.Hundreds attended Franklin County's first preschool fair.
