Penn Valley supports its children
By Ann Black
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12:01 a.m. PT May 4, 2008
Tucked into western Nevada County is a little cow town with a huge heart. Yes, right down the hill from Grass Valley, Penn Valley has supported our school all year long.
Ready Springs Preschool in Penn Valley offers a full day program funded by Head Start/Kidz Kount and is based on the most current research for early childhood education.
Twenty-four local 3- to 5-year-olds make up our enrollment.
To start out our year, last September the Penn Valley Fire Department made a visit to talk about fire safety and to let the children climb into their fire engine.
In October, the Hospice Thrift Store donated long-sleeve shirts and long pants to our center to use as extra clothing when needed.
In November and December we were able to enrich our classroom with treasures found at the Penn Valley Fire Thrift for very little money. (Actually all year long!)
In January, the school got a "walking rope" with colorful shapes as handles. Our school has made three walking field trips so far this year.
On Valentine's Day we walked to the Penn Valley Post Office where we were generously shown where the mail is sorted and stamped.
In fact, each child was "stamped" as we left.
Grabbing onto the walking rope again, we stopped by the Helping Hands Adult Care which is sponsored by the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
The youngsters sang a few love songs to the oldsters, including an original and unique version of the ABC's - Twinkle Little Star! We were invited back for an encore!
The Friday before Easter the walking rope was out of the drawer again.
As each preschooler took hold of a square, an oval or a circle on the rope, we made our way back down the gravel path which connects Ready Springs to the bike path along Penn Valley Drive. Helping Hands sponsored an egg hunt for all of our children complete with a stuffed bunny for each one to pick out of a basket.
In mid-April, our destination was Northridge Pizza!
As we roped our way in, we saw the big table already set up with party plates, napkins and cups. Not only did each child get a tour of how a pizza is made, they were able to add the pepperoni and then get to eat it!
Amazingly, they each got a balloon and a generous gift certificate to take home to their family.
After pizza, we separated into two groups of balloon-holding children and made our way across the big parking lot to Arlene's Pantry Bakery, where she gave us each a big peanut butter cookie to eat on our way back to school.
So there we were. Children wearing colorful field trip vests, clutching the strings of the balloons as they waved above us, eating homemade peanut butter cookies and singing "the ants go marching one by one" as we made our way back to school!
In our time of economic unrest, we are moved by the love and generosity extended to the children living and walking among the daffodil trails of Penn Valley.
Clearly, the people of Penn Valley feel that KidzKount!
Thank you!
ooo
Ann Black, of Ready Springs Preschool, lives in Rough and Ready.
