From Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
The Elmore County HIPPY program wrapped up their 2023-2024 school year with their final family group meeting which included a Graduation and Moving Up ceremony for their students. HIPPY stands for Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters.
Elmore County Schools Superintendent Richard Dennis was one of the special guest speakers and thanked the parents for participating in the program. This was a collaborative effort between the Elmore County Board of Education and the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education. Jamie Fitts was also a special guest speaker and spoke to the parents about Kindergarten Readiness.
“We really wanted to celebrate our students and their families with a celebration honoring their hard work this year and their commitment to the HIPPY program,” said Elmore County HIPPY Supervisor Terri Carrico.
She continued, “We want parents to know that the efforts they are making now at their children’s young age, will make such an impact on their school career. We want children to develop a love for learning and the HIPPY curriculum is full of fun activities and great stories that the children will enjoy.”
The Elmore County HIPPY program is approved to serve 60 families and is recruiting families now for the 2024-2025.
“I want to thank everyone who assists with our HIPPY program supporting the children in the 2 to 4 years range as they are prepared for kindergarten,” said Superintendent Dennis.
He continued, “It’s an invaluable program that provides resources to families that wish to participate. I hope that we are able to grow this program and expand it in Elmore County.”
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a FREE home-based school readiness program that helps parents prepare their preschool child for academic success. Parents are a child’s first teacher.
“Thank you to the parents for allowing us to assist them in preparing their child for kindergarten,” said HIPPY Coordinator Sherry Spigener.
She continued, “Our parents have shown up and showed out this year! We have had great attendance at our group meetings, and they have worked diligently to complete the weekly activities. I also would like to thank our HIPPY’s Home Visitors: Amber Hoggard, Dell Howard, Allison Judah, Jennifer McEachern, and Amanda VanHouten. They do a remarkable job of preparing activities, visiting families, working with parents, and providing resources.”
The program is currently pre-registering for next year. Please call Sherry Spigener at 334-567-1200 or email her at [email protected] if you are interested in participating in the HIPPY program. The 2024-2025 program will begin in early September.
