Ellsworth Community School District is hosting Parent and Child Nights for families of 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds not in school in order to nurture family and school partnerships.

PAC Night co-leaders Melinda Casper, Nancy Huntley and Olivia Carlson are coordinating with staff members at different building levels to bring these nights to district families. The idea is to engage children in activities that nurture sensory, gross and fine motor, social emotional, communication and creative development while caregivers explore topics in child-parent relationships, early childhood development, family experiences and community connections.

Sessions are held twice per month from 4-5:15 p.m. on Wednesdays at Ellsworth Elementary School.

“This is something we’ve been wanting to do for awhile and our target population is preschool children ages 3 and 4,” Casper said. “But many families have younger children, which we are saying ‘come be with us, come spend time with us.’ It’s open to all ages at this point.”

The group’s intention down the line is to develop programming for all ages prior to school attendance, but the focus right now is ages 3 and 4 not in school. The purpose is to support early childhood development and learning in a safe space while nurturing relationships between staff, children, families and community members.

“When families come in we have different stations for fine motor, sensory, creative arts, circle time, we read a story, we sing songs which sometimes will tie into what the parents are talking about,” Casper said.

Casper interacts with the little ones while Carlson and Huntley lead parents through a learning/informational session. High school helpers Courtney Bach, Audrey Bauer, Callie Bailuff and Jack Riley help with the kids.

“They are doing a great job,” Casper said.

Attendees don’t need to sign up and register for each session, Huntley said. If one session is missed, it doesn’t mean you can’t go to the next one. They only ask people to let them know if they’re coming for planning purposes.

With two sessions under the belts, the majority of families who went to the first session joined the second, Huntley said. About 10 families participated.

“They enjoyed it the first time and came back the second time,” Huntley said. “It’s nice that there’s that flexibility.”

Casper worked alongside a 4K teacher last year to complete a pilot program. They also toured an early childhood program in Woodbury, Minn. to see different components, structures and networking opportunities in the community.

“It was really this year where we were able to put that cohesive team together to deliver the sessions,” Casper said.

The idea grew from conversations and work they have done around family engagement, Huntley added.

“We know there are gaps because we lost Head Start,” Casper said. “Then there was Covid, which had a lot of impacts on these connections that we have had traditionally with our families prior to kids coming to school; we want to go back to those traditional connections. Kids having opportunities to be with other kids and parents having a chance to be with other parents. They can compare notes and be support to each other.”

“It helps them know they’re not alone in their struggles,” Huntley added. “Offering a safe, nurturing environment for kids to have experiences in … while also supporting our parents and being a community with each other.:

Huntley said parents have a strong interest in knowing what their kids need to know, where they need to be at to be ready for school, if they are on track.

As for parent topics, Casper said a survey done with parents last year helped them arrange speakers and community members to participate, to capitalize on their strengths and skillsets for families.

The first session featured school counselor Lisa Groh and former EES principal John Groh talking about early childhood social/emotional development. The district-wide occupational therapist spoke at the second session about regulation and supporting parents in helping their kids with big emotions and recognizing behavior as a form of communication.

“We’re using the assets of our community to build on the assets of our families,” Casper said.

Parents have an interest in knowing what is available in the community, not just for issues and concerns, but great activities for their kids, Huntley said. Sessions are geared toward moms and dads alike.

Ultimately, while the goal is layered, the group wants the school and district as a whole to feel like a welcoming place for families.

“It comes down to the health of our community, our families, our children, supporting each other,” Casper said. “The whole idea of a village. It’s cliché but so true. There is so much going on for families in today’s society and trying to be a rock for families to stand on and count on so they know they have support. We are really noticing that stress. It’s awesome for us. Not only do I see this positively impacting our little ones, parents and families, but it’s positively impacting us.”

Huntley hopes the sessions will help 4K teachers when they have those students in their classrooms.

“Because they will have some sense of transitioning from one activity to another, helping reinforce skills, familiarity with the building and materials,” she said.

The group meets in the 4K area at EES. Upcoming sessions will be held Oct. 25, Nov. 8 and Nov. 29, with a December break for the holidays. Sessions will resume in January and continue through the school year. Assistance with transportation and language translation can be provided.

To learn more, contact Casper (casperm@ellsworth.k12.wi.us) or Huntley (huntleyn@ellsworth.k12.wi.us) at 715-273-3911 or Carlson (carlsono@ellsworth.k12.wi.us) at 715-273-3912.