Members of Kids’ Corner are currently preparing for the preschoolers’ arrival in October as well as their placements at Edu-Care and Early Childhood Preschools at Smoky Row, Forest Dale, Orchard Park and Cherry Tree Elementary Schools.

According to Kim Lenzo, director of Kids’ Corner, students have been studying the developmental milestones for children from ages zero to eight.

“We have identified what makes an effective preschool. We have also learned how to develop a preschool curriculum. We have also spent time looking at what makes an effective team and how we can best work together,” Lenzo said via email.

Elizabeth “Liz” Hynes, student teacher of Kids’ Corner and senior, said Lenzo assigned half the class to start at their placements and the other half to start at Kids’ Corner. Students will rotate after spending five weeks at either their placement or Kids’ Corner.

Hynes said students in Kids’ Corner came up with 10 different themes for the 10 weeks during which the preschoolers will attend Kids’ Corner. According to Hynes, some of the themes include All About Me, Outer Space/The Weather, Halloween/Fall and Rainbow/Colors.

According to Hynes, members of Kids’ Corner will go trick-or-treating with the preschoolers during the week with the Halloween/Fall theme.

“We go around the halls, and we trick-or-treat with the preschool kids, and we dress up, and they dress up; Mrs. Lenzo dresses up. It’s great. I’m so excited,” Hynes said.

Lenzo also said students will identify resources and create developmentally appropriate lesson plans as preparation for the preschoolers’ arrival.

Hynes said, “As for the future, we will probably start to be getting down to the specifics of, “OK; well, this day, I’m gonna teach math, and you’re gonna teach art, and this is what we’re doing,” and just getting down to the exact specifics of how everything’s going to work, like the logistics.”

Hynes said she is excited for the arrival of the preschoolers.

“I adore kids; every time I get the chance to babysit, I jump on it,” Hynes said. “I love being around kids; I love interacting with them; I love getting on their level and connecting with them; I honestly just love everything about kids, and I am so excited that I am taking a class that’s, half my day, I get to go and be with kids and do what I like to do, and that’s really exciting for me, so I’m just really pumped to get things moving and get it going and actually do it.”

Kids’ Corner website: http://www1.ccs.k12.in.us/chs/kids-corner