United Way of Southwest Virginia September Newsletter

“It is important for children to know that school is a fun and positive place, we are preparing them for the future, and by instilling these strong values, they will learn that having a job and contributing to our community is very important,” said Anne Newlun, Teacher at Norton Elementary School.

Kindergarten Camps Resilience for our region’s youngest citizens

In the Ballad Health service area of Virginia, on average, 45% of children are not prepared to enter kindergarten. In addition, nearly half of Southwest Virginia students do not have the necessary literacy, math, social interaction, or social regulation skills to enter kindergarten successfully, and children all across the continuum are experiencing widening gaps. With support from Ballad Health, United Way of Southwest Virginia will provide funding and coordinated support for up to 30 Kinder Camps classrooms; up to 450 children. Kinder Camps will provide a jump start for students before they enter kindergarten. “Ballad Health made an investment in Kinder Camps in Southwest Virginia in order to help children become ready for kindergarten,” said Heather Logan, Community Engagement Specialist, Ballad Health, “Ballad is interested in entire community health. We know that there are social determinants that can predict a person’s health throughout their life. Two of the most significant factors in someone’s long-term health are kindergarten readiness and third-grade reading levels,” she continued, “If we can focus on those strong starts and a strong kindergarten program, then we are going to be a healthier community as a whole.” “One of the biggest challenges students face when entering Kinder Camps is that they are not used to being away from home, and their caretakers; that initial separation is the most difficult step for children when entering school,” said Destinee Hunnicut, Teacher at Norton Elementary School, “Kinder Camps provides a more relaxed and fun atmosphere for them to acclimate to the new school setting while still setting them up with the educational foundation they need to be ready for school.” “I believe Kinder Camps prepare our students for school by acclimating them to classroomnorms and social norms, said Scott Addison Th.D, Ed.D, MBA, Norton Elementary School Principal, “Many times when students come to school on the first day of kindergarten, they have no Pre-k or Head Start experience, and it can be a socially challeging environment and can be very intimidating for the student. Kinder Camps allow our students to be around other students and teachers and sets them up for success when entering school.” Kinder Camps put students in an environment where they are surrounded by teachers who want the best for their students and show kids how fun and supportive school can be. “Even in the three short weeks these children have participated in Kinder Camps, we have seen such a significant improvement in their social-emotional skills and their behavioral health. They are now completing tasks, following directions, and we have worked through a lot of the challenges that we initially saw at the beginning of the program,” said Destinee Hunnicut, Teacher at Norton Elementary School, “These students are now flourishing.”

Thank you New Peoples Bank for supplying Lit Kits to Kinder Camps. President and CEO of New Peoples Bank, Todd Asbury, (pictured above) told us, “Being involved in helping kids’ school readiness leads to lifelong success. It is important for us to give back to our youngest community members.”

Pictured above are Heather Logan of Ballad Health and Madison Van Dyke of New Peoples Bank reading Mrs. Wishy Washy’s Farm to students in a Kinder Camp at Norton Elementary in Norton, Virginia.

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