Gallery • 4 Photos

Here the preschoolers participate in an arts and crafts activity with their "teachers."

Photos courtesy of Courtney Cole

Preschool: the place where big hearts shape little minds, and it’s right here in the heart of Blackman High School.

The preschool program at Blackman is the only one that has a preschool class operating within the high school classroom. Classes are

held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Each year the preschool is open to twelve young children from the surrounding community. Parents have to fill out an application for their children to gain admittance into the program.

During the first semester, Preschool Director Courtney Cole oversees her high school students and the preschool. The tables turn in the second semester, with the students managing much of the classroom.

“They are in charge of the schedule, the activities, and the supervision & positive reinforcement of the preschoolers. During the course of the preschool day, my students organize circle time, math, reading, science, writing, art, body development, snack, and free play activities,” stated Cole, Blackman High School Preschool Director and Early Childhood Educator.

The students are referred to as “teachers.” Many of these students are aspiring teachers, building towards a career in education.

“I kinda wanna do this as a career. You get to work with different personalities, and if a kid acts up you can give different types of discipline. I like it,” stated junior Anija Hall.

In addition, the “teachers” work towards building strong relationships with their students, taking care to work one on one with them.

The preschool is a convenience for many parents. It allows them a daycare while exposing them to a warm, educational environment.

Sienna Holl, teacher at Blackman High, placed her daughter Ruby in the program.

“The preschool is a good fit for a lot of reasons. I like that it’s just a few days a week. I didn’t want my daughter in a full-time daycare. My daughter loves all her teachers even though she can’t always remember their names. I also like that my daughter is in the same building as me. It gives us some extra time together in the mornings and a sense of connection, ” stated Holl.

The program consists of more than a warm environ

ment. Reading time, basic math, and a foundation in the creative arts supplement the atmosphere.

“I also like that the preschoolers get exposure to people and activities happening at the high school. They’ve seen ROTC raise the flag and do the pledge, for example. Since going to BHS preschool, Ruby has learned the days of the week, the concepts of city, country, continent, and how to write her name! I feel blessed to have the opportunity to send her there and to support a program that is preparing future teachers,” said Holl.

Just like the little ones, the program is open to expansion and growth. Cole feels that improvements can be made to the overall classroom that will strengthen the positive developmental focus of the program.

“Improvements can always be made. I would like to make a couple of small improvements to the classroom that would add to the experience and flow of the classroom. [ For example,] I would love to add a reading nook where the preschools could spend time relaxing and reading their favorite stories. This would also free up space in the classroom since a nook is raised. With this addition, we could add more centers for the children to play in. With more centers and activities comes more opportunities to reach the children, ” Cole stated.

*Student quotes were included in the original article but had to be removed because we didn’t have permission to publish their names.