For the third year Smart Start of Transylvania County is holding its annual giving campaign. Beginning this November SSTC will be fundraising to support the school readiness program, Jump Start to Kindergarten, to help optimize the transition of children into kindergarten. Each school in Transylvania County with kindergarten classrooms hosts a multi-day “camp” that introduces children to their new school spaces, routines, teachers and classmates. Each school creates a fun and playful theme for their Jump Start program that is embedded in planned learning activities, outdoor play and crafts. Jump Start is designed for rising kindergarteners to feel safe and stable in their new surroundings.Teachers form bonds with students while parents and caregivers become comfortable with the practices and expectations surrounding their children’s new school experience. These experiences help build social and emotional health, enhance early literacy and learning skills, and create familiarity with school routines. Jump Start to Kindergarten,= like many of SSTC’s programs is supported through multiple sources of funding whose commitment to partnership enables implementation of high-quality programming that prepares children for kindergarten and beyond. This year SSTC is seeking to increase funding to allow the Jump Start program to grow in multiple ways. One of which is to increase the program from two days to three to maximize positive impact, increase the number of children served and sustain the wage increase for educator participation by keeping up with increases in the cost of living. Jump Start could not exist without local resilient and dedicated educators who work during their summer breaks to welcome new students to school creating a positive start to a long-lasting relationship between families and schools.
Jump Start to Kindergarten has grown every year since it began expanding from one public elementary school to all four elementary schools in Transylvania County growing more than 580% since its inception nine years ago. With community help and support SSTC hopes to serve 100% of rising kindergarteners in 2024 and truly give children a “jump start” on their educational success.
For more information about Jump Start to Kindergarten and to donate to the fundraising campaign, visit www.smartstarttransylvania.org/.
Originally published in The Transylvania Times 11/10/23
