Indian Lake Elementary School is now hosting our area’s youngest learners.
The Head Start classroom at ILES is officially open. The staff held an Open House for families on Friday, August 26th and the first day of school was August 29th. Earlier in August, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services completed the licensure process.
During the Open House, families got a chance to tour the classroom, meet the instructors and pick up student packets.
Brian Brotemarkle’s 5-year old twin sons, Konner and Leeland of Lakeview, met their classmates and played with toys. Brotemarkle says the boys are excited to start pre-K in the elementary school that they will eventually attend. “My daughter goes to school right here. We like this school.”
The Head Start classroom was formerly housed at the Kids Learning Place outside of Bellefontaine and later at a facility in DeGraff. However, changes in funding at the federal level led to the shuffling of some Head Start classrooms serving Logan County’s rural residents. Knowing the demand for pre-K education for those with economic needs in our area, Discovery Center Principal Joy Badenhop put Indian Lake Superintendent Pat O’Donnell and the Council on Rural Services in Miami County in touch. That connection resulted in the agreement to house Head Start services at Indian Lake.
The Head Start classroom is now housed in the kindergarten pod at the elementary school. With a restroom in the classroom, its own exit to the playground and plenty of educational and play space, Logan County Early Childhood Services Coordinator Shelly Fannon says the ILES Head Start classroom is ideal.
“For the parents it will be a seamless transition working with the school from pre-k to kindergarten. We want them (the students) to have that school feeling. It’s a great start for these kids.”
The ILES Head Start class has 20 students, ages 3 to 5. Head teacher, Michelle Parsell, and two assistants will lead instruction. Parsell says she will teach what’s called the Creative Curriculum that is the standard for Head Start Classrooms in Logan County and all Kids Learning Place Centers in the nine-county area.
“It’s play-based and centers on social interaction and problem-solving. Our goal is to have these students kindergarten ready, whether we have them for one or two years.”
Children will come to preschool from 8:15 am to 2:15 pm Monday through Thursday. Fridays will be reserved for home visits and possible make-up days due to inclement weather. Busing and meals are provided. The Head Start program is federally funded at no cost to Indian Lake Schools.