Anderson students celebrate AYP Day in their PJ’s

On AYP day, Anderson Early Childhood Center students, teachers and parents enjoyed a giant pajama party! And, teachers, staff members and volunteers turned the gymnasium into a carnival atmosphere. The students jumped in jumpers, made beaded necklaces, sang Karaoke and enjoyed having their nails polished and creating on painting and tattoo tables. They also blew bubbles and threw Frisbees while enjoying free drinks throughout the eventful morning.

“We had a great time,” Anderson Assistant Principal Tracy Riddle said. “And we appreciate the nearly 40 parents and other volunteers who helped us that day.”
 

One step in front of another 

When the four-year-olds begin school, they are learning all kinds of basic skills, including socialization and hygiene skills, in addition to the ABC’s. Anderson teacher Krista Parker and her assistant, Ruthie Lewis, are teaching their pre-kindergarten students how to walk down the hall in a straight line.

Special students at Anderson benefit from donated technology

Anderson student George Stokely, son of Anderson teacher Becky Stokely, as well as all the students in special education at Anderson will benefit from the use of personal videos that teach language and social skills. He is pictured here with his teacher, Wendy Hopper.

Bob Bond at First South Bank, Tim Stokely at InSouth Bank, and Debbie Qualls at Wal-Mart united their efforts and have provided Anderson’s Special Education class with a digital camcorder and laptop computer.

According to assistant principal Tracy Riddle, this technology will be used to teach language and social skills to children with autism and developmental delays. Children will be filmed while an adult prompts them to respond to questions and social situations. After filming, the adult’s prompts and cues will be edited. The result will be a child’s personal video showing him/her communicating and interacting appropriately with others.

“For example: a child with echolalia (repeats what is said to him) will hear himself answer questions,” Riddle said. “A child with autism will watch himself respond verbally to a greeting from another person or watch himself interact in play with another child. Parents will be given copies of their child’s movie to watch at home. By watching and listening daily to themselves perform in these movie clips, it is our hope that the children will begin to spontaneously respond verbally and behaviorally to similar situations.”