Editor’s note: The following was submitted by Dr. Erica Vinson-Ondecko, early childhood coordinator for the Waynesboro Area School District.
At Waynesboro Area School District, in direct collaboration with our partners, we have created a truly unique (and entirely replicable!) learning opportunity for our students. With a strong sense of collaboration, problem-solving and team-building, we have been able to create an authentic culture that blends our high school and preschool populations seamlessly. As a result of bringing these apparent opposites together, not only have preschoolers benefited tremendously, but so too have our high school students.
As a district, we are the lead agency for a $1.3 million yearly Pre-K Counts grant. Pre-K Counts is an early childhood program run by the state, where students who fall within a certain income level are able to attend high-quality preschool for free. In Waynesboro, there is a tremendous need for affordable preschool services, where nearly 70 percent of our community qualifies for this program. We work in partnership with First Start, and the Waynesboro Early Learning Center, in implementing the programming.
This year, due to a variety of challenges, we needed to consolidate several of our Pre-K Counts classrooms into one building. After consulting closely with our various district and preschool stakeholders, we decided to nearly double the number of preschool classrooms that are housed at the high school. For the first time ever, we would now host 85 preschool children at Waynesboro Area Senior High School!
In making this expansion, it took the very close coordination of our high school and district leadership, several district departments including transportation, food services, security and maintenance, as well as First Start’s leadership team. We worked through issues like parking, traffic, space constraints and class schedules. And in the end, because we were able to successfully work through the logistics of significantly expanding our program, we not only were able to positively impact the lives of 85 preschool students and their families, but also hundreds of high schoolers as well!
Our preschool students look up to the high school students immensely – no matter who the high schooler is, what year they are, what grades they have in class, what sports or activities they do. Preschoolers are just captivated by the size and energy of high schoolers. We utilize this dynamic throughout the school year, to benefit both groups of students.
One theme that I’ve used this school year with high school athletes is “Be someone little kids can look up to”. I’m one of our high school’s football coaches, and during Homecoming, I invited our players to read to our preschoolers. Over 20 football players volunteered! Our football players are amazing young men, and spending time in the preschool classrooms really brought out the best in them. They were kind, respectful, patient and gentle. Our preschool students absolutely loved meeting our football players! This was a great opportunity for our high school students to build their own confidence and leadership skills, and for our preschool students to build relationships and further connections with additional members of our school community.
During the Homecoming celebration, our preschoolers then took part in our Pep Rally with the entire high school. Our little ones loved the event, where they danced to the band’s music, waved at the cheerleaders and even had a very special role in helping to announce the Homecoming Court. Our preschoolers were invited to attend our Homecoming football game, and to also participate in our Sprit week themes each day!
Throughout the school year, we have continued to replicate this model. Recently we held our Winter Pep Rally. To celebrate, we hosted basketball players and cheerleaders, who again read stories to our students. Preschool students are invited to participate in our Pep Rally, and to join in the spirit week activities.
There are endless opportunities to replicate this type of cross-over event. During the holidays, our Student Council volunteered to bring our preschoolers cookies and milk. Our preschoolers were able to judge the winter door decorating contest at the high school. And our creative writing class at the high school authored their very own illustrated books and were able to read them to a captivated audience. The opportunities to bring our high schoolers and preschoolers together in meaningful ways are endless!
Through our Pre-K Counts program at Waynesboro Area Senior high school, we are able to maximize grant funding to address the needs of our preschoolers and our high school students. This model is highly replicable by other school districts, and the benefits of hosting a preschool classroom within a school building are immense. We are routinely assessing the effectiveness of our programming, through qualitative (teacher and student input) and quantitative (direct assessments) means. Overall, we’re seeing tremendous improvements in the outcomes of our preschoolers academically, behaviorally, emotionally and socially. And at the high school, students are enjoying wholeheartedly engaging with preschoolers who look up to them! Thank you for the opportunity to be considered for an Exemplary Program!
