MLAF funds tools for a child’s learning; distributed at Early Childhood Screening Clinic
Preschoolers attending this fall’s Mountain Lake Public School Early Childhood Screening Clinic were able to bundle together a special Learning Toolkit, courtesy of a $400 grant from the Mountain Lake Area Foundation (MLAF).
According to Jane Birkholz, the school’s registered nurse and the Early Childhood Screening Clinic Coordinator, Mountain Lake Public Elementary School Principal Karl Wassman wrote the grant presented to the MLAF for the funding needed to present each clinic preschooler with the bag of school and health-related products.
A child begins his or her adventures in learning at birth. Every sight, sound, smell and taste is something new. Children learn by doing – and the Learning Toolkit provides the hands-on equipment a child needs to recognize that learning is fun and exciting – as well as the means to help them prepare for kindergarten.
Also tucked into the toolkit is a little something for parents. The “Getting School Ready in Minnesota” guide describes the steps that can be taken by the adults in a preschooler’s life to assist him or her to be socially and emotionally ready to take that important step of attending kindergarten.
The learning toolkit bag from Mountain Lake Sanford Clinic starts out empty, but one-by-one, the following learning tools are placed in the bag:
* Children should be encouraged to create and draw. By providing paper, pencils and crayons, a child’s imagination can be opened. By asking a child to talk about their drawing can help to develop their language skills. Skinny crayons, rather than the fatter ones, are important to help a child work on his or her fine motor skills, which leads to the proper way of holding a pencil as they begin to write.
* The blunt-tip scissors, glue and ruler will also aid children in the development of their fine motor skills.
* Magnetic letters can be placed on the refrigerator – or a cookie sheet – and manipulated by children to find the letters in their name, or a letter in their favorite color.
* Playing with the blow-up beach ball will help children develop their gross motor skills as they throw, bounce, catch and roll the ball.
* The health items in the toolkit – a thermometer, toothbrush and toothpaste – can help model for children the importance of taking care of one’s teeth, setting them on a course of healthy living.
* In addition, the Usborne First Experiences book, “Going to School,” will provide quality time for parents and their children. Reading to and with children is one of the greatest gifts one can give. By developing a love of reading at an early age, children will continue to read for enjoyment as they get older.
The “tools” for the toolkit were distributed at each station of the screening clinic.
* Registration/Height/Weight Station – Sanford bag, “Getting Ready in Minnesota” guide, parent letters.
* Hearing/Vision Station – tablet, pencil.
* Speech/Language Station – Crayon, ruler.
* Developmental Station – Beach Ball, blunt-tip scissors.
* Social/Emotional Station – Glue, “Going to School” book.
* Health Exit Station – Toothbrush, toothpaste, thermometer.
* Developmental Exit Station – Magnetic letters.
Screening takes a team
Nurse Birkholz emphasizes that it takes a great team to put on an Early Childhood Screening Clinic, and is thankful for the assistance of the MLAF in providing the learning tools for the three-to-four-years-old preschoolers.
Additional team members include: Elementary School Secretary Gail Erickson who arranges the charts, schedules the preschoolers and sends out reminders; members of the custodial staff who set up tables and chairs; High School Secretary LaVonne Jungas who schedules the rooms and space needed for the clinic; District Secretary Alisa Nickel who provides a booklet of community offerings for parents of preschool students and Taher Inc. and Food Service Supervisor Tammy Wolle who provide a light supper for the clinic volunteers.
Early Childhood Screening Clinics are held twice a school year – once in the fall and again in later winter/early spring. The 2015 clinic will be on Thursday, February 26.
About the MLAF
The Mountain Lake Area Foundation (MLAF) began in 1996, and is organized as a component fund of the Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF). The SWIF Community Foundation Program allows donors to make gifts to SWIF and designate them for use in Mountain Lake. SWIF provides the administrative and 501(c)(3) infrastructure. It also provides ongoing technical and professional support in areas such as strategic planning, fundraising, marketing, public relations, and grantmaking.
The mission of MLAF is to promote charitable giving and facilitate the economic and social growth for the benefit of the Mountain Lake community. MLAF supports funding that promotes cultural, educational, civic and environmental programs.is organized as a component fund of the Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF).
Members of the Board of Directors include –
* Chairperson: Wade Nelson.
* Treasurer: Deborah Englund.
* Secretary: Misty Karschnik.
* Vern Peterson.
* Tim Swoboda.
* Brian Harder.
* Joyce Bucklin.
* Sharron Hanson.
The MLAF “Family of Funds” includes –
* MLAF Endowment Fund: A permanent resource with income used to fund charitable activities.
* MLAF Project Fund: A non-endowed fund used to raise money for capital projects within the community.
* MLAF Education Fund: a non-endowed fund that benefits the public and private school systems in the area.
* MLAF Healthcare Fund: A fund established to support healthcare in the community.
* Brad Behrends Memorial Fund: A non-endowed fund to support the community through scholarships and other grant distributions.
* Harder Family Fund: Advised by family members to benefit the community.
* Mountain Lake Early Childhood Fund
The end goal
The end goal of the Early Childhood Screening Clinic – and of all those who support it – is for children to learn and thrive at school – and beyond.
