United Way's KinderClub program expanding to three area schools

Jazmine Knight, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
·2 min read

Mar. 31—An area kindergarten readiness program is expanding, aiming to provide more young students with the tools to be successful on the first day of school.

United Way's KinderClub will now be offered at Riverside Elementary, St. Paul Lutheran School and Avenue City Elementary beginning April 8.

For St. Paul and Riverside, this will be the first time this resource has been available to families.

Bobbie Cronk, director of children's initiatives at United Way of Greater St. Joseph, said KinderClub is part of its communitywide collaboration called Success by 6.

Through this collaboration, the goal is to ensure that young children are ready for success on their first day of kindergarten.

"We know that the children are learning all the time and they're learning from birth and what happens that the early years really sets the foundation for later learning and later success in school and in life," Cronk said.

KinderClub aims to reach the "last end of those early years" as the program is offered to children who are scheduled to start kindergarten in the fall of 2024.

"Parents and families are invited in to learn about what they can do to help their child be ready for success on that first day of school," she said.

"It's things like, being able to sit still and listen to a book, being able to understand some basic things like what their name looks like in print and the fact that letters form a word and that sort of thing,"

Additionally, students and parents will learn how to cope with the separation anxiety that some children face when being away from their parents for the first time when they start school.

The program also gives parents the opportunity to meet their child's future teacher and classmates.

"It's a great way to kind of start that relationship or solidify that relationship with the school and the teachers," Cronk said. "Also get to know those parents that you're probably going to be, you know, sharing the space with for the next six, seven years."

According to a United Way press release, KinderClub attendees "will leave each session with a free book to add to their home libraries and tools to help prepare their child for school success."

St. Paul Lutheran School will be hosting KinderClub on April 8 and 15 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Riverside Elementary dates will be April 23 and 25 from 4-5 p.m. Lastly, Avenue City Elementary will host KinderClub on April 23, 25, 30 and May 2 from 3:30-4:15 p.m.

Interested parents can sign their child up by visiting the United Way website at stjosephunitedway.org/sb6parents or pick up a registration form at United Way and return it to the desired school.