Week of the Young Child: Mini-fest celebrates children, families, teachers and community
Published 12:05 am Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Alyssa Mastrolia and son Hudson give Hope a sweet pat when they arrived. — Karen Kistler
Aiden Patrick take a break and enjoys a handful of popcorn. — Karen Kistler
Kimber Huffman with the Rowan Public Library watches as Marie Bronson plays with the Legos. — Karen Kistler
Evie Sophia Sanchez plays a memory card game as Richard Krokus watches.
Dressed in his fire hat and jacket, Alexander Sanchez, takes time to pose on the firetruck during tthe afternoon. — Karen Kistler
Cohen Floyd, left, and Emerson Floyd work on their craft projects with the help of mom Lyndsey Floyd. — Karen Kistler
Adriel and Flora Mourra took time to pose for a photo on the firetruck at the mini-fest. — Karen Kistler
Reyna Flores take a ride on this little car at the celebration. — Karen Kistler
Richard Kroku pets Hope while Murphy and Hope pose with their handlers, Erin Moody and Nina Dix. — Karen Kistler
Hudson Mastrolia gives a big smile as he plays at the ring toss area. — Karen Kistler
Murphy enjoys being loved on by several families, from lef, Te’essence Mack, Victor Kalenchenko and mom Elizabeth, and Neo Mack.
Ermalyn Jaeck, left, and Denise Heinke, enjoyed dancing to the music, during the morning event. — Karen Kistler
Mayor Karen Alexander, second from right. She is pictured with, from left, Smart Start Rowan Executive Director Amy Brown, Board Chair Lorie Aldridge, and Denise Heinke,, director of outreach and development.
A large group photo was take following the reading of the proclamation. — Karen Kistler
SALISBURY — The squeals of happy children could be heard throughout the fellowship hall at Christ United Methodist Church on April 10 from 10 a.m. to noon as they raced around enjoying the many activities planned for the first ever Week of the Young Child Mini Fest Celebration 2024.
Sponsored by Smart Start Rowan, the event offered a wide variety of fun things for the children and their parents to do.
The Week of the Young Child, which was April 6-12, is about young children, early learning, their families, teachers and community, and Denise Heinke, director of outreach and development for Smart Start Rowan, said “we thought it would be really fun to incorporate what each day of the week is for the Week of the Young Child” and thus were able to cover the entire week during this mini-fest celebration.
Alyssa Mastrolia and her son Hudson were there to enjoy the day. She said she learned about it from Heinke and said “it’s fun that they have free events like this for the kids.”
Being able to be there and participate in this day, she said, “It’s awesome that we have a community that provides this for the kids and puts a lot of stress on not only just learning for the children, but fun for the children and entertainment for them because he needs that. It’s good for them to be with another kid.”
During her welcoming remarks to the large crowd, Heinke, told them how happy they were to see all their smiling faces and pointed out the focus of each day, including Music Monday, as they had music for everyone to dance to or listen to as they played or visited the various stations.
Popcorn and icy pops covered Tasty Tuesday and were popular with all ages as many waited in line at the popcorn machine.
As for Wednesday, which was Work Together Wednesday, Heinke said this is what they were doing.
“We’re working together today, community partners, that’s what we’re about, resources, helping everybody, having fun, engaging with other parents and families, she said.”
Thursday was Artsy Thursday, which was incorporated with craft projects, which they could paint and take home.
Then Friday was Family Friday, “and you know what that is,” Heinke said. “Family, that’s what we’re all about.”
As families first entered the facility, located at 3401 Mooresville Road, Salisbury, they could choose where they wanted to spend their time, whether it was playing on the small slide or playing with blocks, hoola hoops and balls in one area, or art lovers could visit the craft table or they had an activity table with Kimber Huffman from the Rowan Public Library leading groups in memory games or as they with Legos or other activities that helped develop writing skills.
Two who made special appearances and attracted lots of attention from all ages were Murphy and Hope, both therapy dogs, along with their handlers, Erin Moody and Nina Dix, respectively.
Murphy is from Terrie Hess Child Advocacy Center and Hope from Canine Caregivers Therapy Dogs and Heinke said, “they love to be loved on,” which they received lots of from children and adults.
Moody said that Murphy “is trained, certified and insured and a big piece of our ability to do that work is due to the fact that we are certified and insured through Canine Caregivers Therapy Dogs here in Salisbury.”
Murphy, she said, works with children who are recovering from abuse and a big way they are able to do is by partnering with Smart Start Rowan.
“Nina and Hope are our group partners, and we do a lot of volunteer work in the community,” Moody said.
Fun continued outside as a firetruck from the Locke Township Fire Department and several members of the department were on hand giving the children tours and allowing for photos and passing out activity booklets to each child.
Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander took a few moments to share a proclamation at the fest, telling that she, on behalf of the Salisbury City Council, proclaimed the week of April 6-12, 2024, as the Week of the Young Child in Salisbury. She was joined up front by Heinke, Smart Start Rowan Executive Director Amy Brown and Board Chair Lorie Aldridge and presented the proclamation to them.
Looking out at the room full of families, Brown said, “I am just so thrilled to have so many families, and the staff put together a great, great event.”
She also said they were “super blessed to have the partnerships that we have, with the folks that are here with Murphy and Hope, the fire department, and the mayor, our board chair was here, all of our families. Just thrilled.”
Not only were those who organized the event excited to be there, but the church was happy for them to be there and use the facility for this special day.
Jackie Hipp, administrator/financial manager of the church, said that “for the church to be able to support the community and to host an event like this is wonderful because we always are glad to have people use our facility.”
She said they host the Kaleidoscope Play and Learn program two days a week in this same space, something they have been doing for several years.
Ermalyn Jaeck, who leads this KPL group, was helping at the event and shared that this group “caters to caregivers, parents, nanny’s, grandparents, who have children five and younger, who don’t attend regular preschool. So we give them that experience. We give them the classroom vibe for the children.”
They meet in two locations, Jaeck said, providing an opportunity for the children to learn socialization and for the adults to have a place to connect, “because they maybe just stay home and don’t have anybody to talk to about whatever they are going through. It is like a support system for them.”
Destiny Moore, one of the parents at the celebration, said she was part of that class and has “learned a lot” from it.
“When I look out and see all of the families, the community partners, especially the children’s faces, it just warms my heart, because I know that we’re doing good things for this community and it just inspires me to want to do more,” said Heinke. “This is what gets me excited every day.”
