Jackson County Schools is now open for Pre-K registration with sign-up available unti April 21.
Jackson County Elementary Supervisor Caroline Woodason said Pre-K offers young children the chance to play and grow their social skills around others their age. Woodason said this play process is vital for early child development.
“There’s not a lot of pressure on academics, but much more on social skills and getting to know how school runs and how a school day looks and getting to meet other children, children in the community and for the parents to meet other families as well,” Woodason said.
Woodsason said parents looking to sign their kids up must bring a filled out application with proof of income, proof of residency, a birth certificate and current immunization records to the Jackson County Education Board in Gainesboro.
“The first entry into a school system is a lot of paperwork,” Woodason said. “But we have people at our registration event to help support the families and help them with the paperwork.”
Woodason said she understands parents who want to keep their children at home for as long as possible, but emphasiszed the need for young children to have a productive learning environment that spurs growth and development.
“If they have a great group where they are working with kids on playing, where they have other children that they can play with, where they have access to different kinds of materials and different kinds of experiences, then I do understand staying at home,” Woodason said. “You know, childhood goes by so quickly.”
For those who do not have that opportunity at home, Woodason said Pre-K is an excellent option to begin an academic journey and build relationships.
“You learn the social skills, you learn how to share, you learn how to take turns, you learn that you don’t always get your way,” Woodason said. “And that’s new learning for some children, especially if they’re only children who don’t have opportunities to be around other peers their same age.”
Woodason said the socialization process allows kids to interact with each other and learn to co-exist before beginning the more structured, academic curriculum in kindergarten, where the focus shifts towards learning how to read and count.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for young children to get involved and the families to get involved in the school system,” Woodason said.
Jackson County offers four Pre-K classes around the district. Applications are accepted at 711 School Drive.
