Dear Friends of the Learning Trail,
Last year was like no other, as I am sure you will agree. We all faced a myriad of challenges in navigating our way through the pandemic. Nevertheless, we successfully opened our preschool and after-school tutoring (grades K - 4) and served 23 children who were happy to have in-person instruction with our dedicated volunteers at The Learning Trail. Their smiling faces (beneath the masks) and enthusiasm for our classwork made it all worthwhile. We look forward to returning to the classroom this fall.
Three 3-year-olds enjoy the outdoors at The Learning Trail Preschool. Last year, we only accepted six preschoolers to limit our cohort size for greater safety during the pandemic. We expect to expand our class this fall.
Our new preschool teacher, Mandy Monroe, assisted by her aide, Tania Jimenez, introduced our preschoolers to songs, letters, stories, counting, and movement. Both teachers are bilingual, helping the children transition from Spanish to English as they prepare for kindergarten. Social and emotional development are also important and the classroom routines encourage respect, self-control, and expressing feelings with words. Both Mandy and Tania will be returning to The Learning Trail this fall.
Kindergarteners enjoyed creating crafts based upon stories that were read and discussed. This was part of Learning Trail Literacy Project funded by our generous supporters, the Women of Fearrington. Teachers and students alike were inspired by the new books and learning materials that were purchased through this program. This grant has awarded again for the coming year and we are excited to continue it.
Once again, we were fortunate to receive grants from the Chatham County and the United Way which help fund the salary for our preschool teacher. Research continues to support the importance of early childhood education. We also plan to resume our parent education classes which are an integral part of our program.
We wish to thank all those who made this past year possible, including the staff at the Nature Trail mobile home community, our liaison with the County and other non-profits, members of the County Health Department, and most importantly our committed volunteers who came back to the classroom before or just as soon as they were vaccinated. Although Covid-19 is still a serious concern, we will continue to use an abundance of caution in our screening and cleaning protocols. Also, it is our policy that all staff and volunteers be vaccinated.
The new school year is just around the corner. Already we have begun planning our orientation program and forming teaching teams. We are always looking for volunteers who would enjoy working with our children who have faced many challenges, perhaps more than ever, and would benefit from instruction from another caring adult. For more information on how to volunteer, contact us or go to our website: www.thelearningtrail.org.
Wishing you all the best,
The Learning Trail