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Children move on to kindergarten
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Their robes were a little big, and the cap kept slipping over one’s girl’s eyes, but three William Holmes McGuffey Elementary preschoolers were all smiles as they accepted their diplomas.
The three children are among the eight in Cheryl Vanatsky’s class at the school. The class includes medically fragile students and those with special needs, plus regular education students.
Jayden Johnson and Karmella Wilkins, both 5, and Lily Reyes, 6, wore red robes and white paper graduation caps Wednesday morning. They will advance to kindergarten next school year.
Valerie Johnson, Jayden’s mom, says her son will attend Williamson Elementary School next year, but he’ll miss preschool.
“He loves coming here,” she said.
Jayden also attends another preschool when he leaves McGuffey, but Johnson prefers Vanatsky’s class.
“He’s learning things,” she said. “He’s improved in his counting, his letters, numbers, writing. He’s improved on everything.”
Karmella, whose cerebral palsy has her in a wheelchair, has improved dramatically since coming into Vanatsky’s class.
“She smiles,” said Karmella’s grandmother, Angela McLendon. “She reaches. She follows with her eyes. She turns her head.”
Karmella didn’t do any of that before she came to Vanatsky’s class. Karmella will remain at McGuffey next year in a kindergarten class.
“She loves interacting with the kids,” McLendon said. “They interact with her and she just lights up.”
Mayor John A. McNally and Pearlette Wigley, community development coordinator for U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, each gave the graduates a proclamation, congratulating them for their accomplishments.
McNally joked that Jayden, who smiled for a photographer upon accepting his diploma, was “a budding politician.”
Bria Pearson also graduated, but she didn’t attend Wednesday’s event.
Students sang songs, spelled their names and those of their classmates to entertain their parents and families.
“The Ants Came Marching” was a particular favorite with the children counting and marching in place along with the lyrics.
Others in Vanatsky’s class are De’Asia Carter, Cory-Ra Fruster, Kaiba Gionfriddo and London Macklin.
Parents and students hugged Vanatsky goodbye.
Vanatsky gets help in her classroom from assistants Deborah Duffy and Jacqueline Polcha and Bev Andrews, a substitute assistant; Susan Crawford, speech therapist; Michelle Viggiana, occupational therapist; Frank Bell, a physical therapist; and Dee Holbert, a vision interventionist.
The teacher, assistants and therapists form bonds with the children and their families.
“Thank you for everything,” one mother told Vanatsky. “We’ll send you photos over the summer.”
“You better,” Vanatsky joked.
She thanked the parents for entrusting their little ones to her.
“This is the best job in the world,” Vanatsky said.