The child development class welcomed preschool students on October 10, for the 2023-2024 school year.

Mrs. Andres leads the child development class where high school students in grades 11 and 12 learn to interact with preschoolers in a teaching environment. This class is for students interested in pursuing a career in education but also for students who are interested in a fun experience.

Each preschooler is assigned a study buddy at the beginning of the year which is one of the high school students. Study buddies are there to guide the preschoolers and teach them the different lessons. Preschoolers arrive at 8:55 am for morning class and leave by lunch time. The afternoon students come in shortly after. Every day they start out with circle time where they learn the days of the week, the months, the weather, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Senior, Hannah Smith, takes the child development class and has a three-year-old buddy. She says, “It’s a lot of work because you have to prepare for lesson plans, but it’s fun getting to be with the kids.” Each week, the class has a different theme to go along with the lesson plans. “Each highschooler has to come up with two lessons to teach in front of the entire class,” Smith said. Smith went on to say she is preparing for Disney week which is when she gets to teach her craft.

An upcoming event the preschoolers get to have is the annual trick-or-treat. On Halloween, preschoolers dress up in their costumes and go around the Seneca Valley campus with their study buddies. Teachers and classrooms get to pass out candy as the preschool class goes around.

For some preschool students, it is their first year of learning in an organized environment, so the child development students are working hard to make it as enjoyable and educational as possible.