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January 2010
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A WeJoySing W.E.L.C.O.M.E. for West Muskingum Area Families
by Mrs. Donna, North Canton, Ohio
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 A warm "welcome" was given to Mrs. Jo Kirk, WeJoySing founder and director, as she shared musical “play and learning” with parents and children participating in the West Muskingum School District’s Fall 2009 W.E.L.C.O.M.E. early childhood event this past November.
"It was a delight to share with the parents the importance of playing, reading, moving, singing, and just being involved in their child's learning," states Mrs. Jo as she recounts the events of the day. "This type of parent/child interaction enhances the child's brain development, nurtures developmental skills, and promotes positive parenting and bonding."
 W.E.L.C.O.M.E. (West Early Learning Collaborative Opportunities in Modeling Excellence), a birth to age three initiative, is the brainchild of superintendent Sharon Smith. According to Penny Higgins, Head Teacher at Falls Elementary, " Ms. Smith has always been interested in early childhood” and is a strong advocate for early childhood development and learning. Smith believes that the school district should impact children’s lives from birth to 18 years… and beyond.
WeJoySing is honored to partner with W.E.L.C.O.M.E.'s effort to guide parents to a deeper understand of the importance of parent/child interaction and parent/child education. Summarizing the WeJoySing event, Higgins reports that, “Everyone was very pleased. We had such positive results! We loved the music activities, and since then…people have been telling me that they're trying these [and similar] activities at home.”
 The program, currently funded by The William & Helen Straker Charitable Foundation of Zanesville, was organized in part because the school district identified that children were “falling through the cracks” before they ever enter school. “In our mobile society, some people don’t have an established physician; they simply go to the ER and as a result, we’ve seen undiagnosed disabilities at the kindergarten level that could have been treated years earlier,” reports Mrs. Higgins. If the school district can connect with the parents of the community when children are young, all students will have better opportunities for successful learning.
Building a database of parents with young children has been a challenge, due to privacy laws, but the committee (no longer in its infancy--18 months old and counting!) is hosting various events that will reach out to the community, support families, and impact lives. In the coming months, W.E.L.C.O.M.E. will offer “Muffins with Mom” and “Donuts with Dad.” These and other events will focus on encouraging participants in their parenting role and empowering them with educational information and activities that they can "do" with their infants and toddlers. The local library, speech therapists, WeJoySing, and other agencies will partner with W.E.L.C.O.M.E. to provide education on stimulating brain development in early childhood.
 Mrs. Higgins, who enjoys playing with her infant grandchild, appreciates WeJoySing’s connection with W.E.L.C.O.M.E., and states that WeJoySing’s continued involvement is sure to benefit families in her area. “Especially in Muskingum County, I don’t know of any programs like this…we have parents taking children to dance classes and karate. There’s nothing wrong with those things, but the free movement and movement with music is much more [beneficial to a child’s development] than having rigid lessons. Play is very important in development…it's nature’s way to teach children…It’s a much better way to learn.”
A Note from Mrs. Jo
To find out more about the W.E.L.C.O.M.E. initiative, contact Penny Higgins at phiggins@laca.org. If you know of an early childhood initiative, organization, parent group, or child care center which could benefit from WeJoySing’s involvement, contact us at 614-868-0107, or toll free at 877-299-8138, or visit www.wejoysing.com to schedule a WeJoySing teacher to be a part of your organization’s efforts to impact young lives. As always, we are so very grateful to Play and Learn with You and Your Child!!!
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