Many facets of Choffin Career and Technical Center on display

By Amanda Tonoli

atonoli@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A once-a-month event puts many facets of Choffin Career and Technical Center on display in the Youngstown City School District.

Preschool Parent Fun Day isn’t just a chance for preschool students to show their parents their skills in the classroom, but it also is a chance for Choffin Early Childhood Education students to practice their skills in a professional setting.

“We get to have our [Choffin] students come and work with us in a preschool setting and have [preschool students’] parents get to see all the great things happening here,” said Andrea DiNardo, Choffin early childhood educator.

Chris Campbell, Head Start lead teacher, said the event is just good for the community as a whole.

“It gives older students experience and brings parents into the classroom,” she said.

Choffin Early Childhood Education students helped students and parents go through a number of stations to make spiders, ladybugs and learn about the letter D on Wednesday afternoon.

Parent James Higgs helped explain and create “spiders” with students, reminding them how many legs spiders have – eight.

Higgs said he enjoys being able to come into the classroom once a month, not only to work with his daughter, but also to work with the other children.

“It’s just another opportunity for parents to get involved in kids’ lives,” he said.

His daughter, Kyndall Higgs, 5, said she likes having her dad come visit her at school.

“I love when my daddy is here,” she said. “We have fun.”

Kiana Pickard, Choffin Early Childhood Education student, shares Kyndall’s love for the day. She said she appreciates the opportunity to work with the students.

“I like being able to put a smile on their faces and make sure they’re just happy,” Pickard said.