Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Tuesday, May 24, 2011

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FCPS Superintendent Stu Silberman introduced the "Countdown to Kindergarten" communitywide initiative at a May 24 news conference.

The summer calendars for Fayette County Public Schools’ incoming kindergarteners just filled up. Thanks to the joint efforts of 13 local organizations, children registered to start kindergarten in August will have a summer full of free and low-cost activities to help them prepare for their first day of school.

“Countdown to Kindergarten” spotlights the importance of early-learning activities and family involvement in education and also provides residents with a range of entertaining programs.

“This is an exciting and excellent opportunity for our incoming kindergarten students. Any time we can ease the transitions for our kids, it enhances their levels of success,” said FCPS Superintendent Stu Silberman. “We are blessed in Lexington to have community folks and great corporate citizens who step up and do what’s right for our children,” he added at a May 24 news conference at the Lexington Public Library.

The summer events will be hosted by the library, the Lexington Children’s Theatre, the Lexington Philharmonic, the Lexington Ballet, the YMCA of Central Kentucky, the Living Arts and Science Center, the Explorium of Lexington, the Lexington Legends and Lexington Parks & Recreation.

“The focus of the activities on arts, music, physical well-being and language development are closely aligned with the goals set in our 2020 Vision project,” Silberman said. “Brain research tells us that enhanced experiences in these areas will help lay the foundation for our kids to do well in school and in life.”

Kindergarteners who have registered at one of FCPS’ 34 elementary schools will receive a welcome letter that spells out the promotion details. They also will get a coupon for a free T-shirt, which they can redeem at any library branch. The T-shirt becomes the child’s ticket for all the summer activities.

Nearly every week from June 11 to Aug. 6, families are invited to choose among fun and educational programs designed to set kids on the path to lifelong learning.

“United Way knows the importance of being prepared for kindergarten and the value of that first year,” said Bill Farmer, president of United Way of the Bluegrass. “We are proud to be a part of a program that engages not only students but also their families in the excitement of starting school. We see this as the start of a strong foundation.”

Research has shown that the experiences children have before they enter the formal school setting lay the foundation for healthy cognitive, physical and social development. Ensuring that children have a healthy start in life paves the way for school readiness, self-esteem and important social skills.

“PNC’s support of pre-K education is a strategic investment to address the changing needs of an economy that is increasingly based on knowledge and skills,” said Harry Richart, PNC regional president. “Research has shown us that children who are prepared for kindergarten are far more likely to experience greater educational achievements, strive toward higher vocational aspirations and contribute to society later in life. Through the PNC Foundation and PNC Grow Up Great, we look forward to building upon our legacy of giving by supporting school readiness aiming to improve future workforce skills and build stronger communities.” 

Countdown to Kindergarten is spearheaded by PNC Bank, Fayette County Public Schools, United Way of the Bluegrass and the Child Care Council of Kentucky. 

“The Child Care Council is very excited to be a part of this new project. It’s great to see community partners working together to provide summer activities for children entering kindergarten,” said executive director Bradley Stevenson. “It’s really unbelievable the resources we have in town that children can be involved with.”

As PNC’s Richart noted, “We’ll give these kids a summer they won’t soon forget.”

2011 schedule of summer activities || Espanol

Sponsors and history of 'Countdown to Kindergarten'