Fall Festival transforms Kimberley Park [
Festival unites
parents, kids, faculty
and community
BYT. KEVIN WALKER
THF r-HRnmriF
. Colorful leaves danced in the
wind throughout the city last week
end, twisting and twirling their way
* to the earth.
Tlx rustling and crunching of
leaves under rapidly moving feet has
become an unmistakable sign of
autumn. The sights, sounds and
smells of the Kimberiey Park Ele
mentary School's Fall Festival has
become another.
Though its name might suggest a
more natural setting, the third annu
al fall festival was held inside the
school last Saturday, bringing out
hundreds from the surrounding
neighborhood. t ..
- From its hallways to its class
rooms, Kimberiey Park was trans
formed into a virtual kiddie wonder
land. A game or activity was set up
in nearly every classroom, offering
up candy, pencils, pens, plastic jewel
ry and other goodies to victorious
youngsters
School officials put lots of
thought and creativity into some of
the games In one room, for exam
ple, kids were faced with the daunt
ing task of extinguishing a birthday
candle with a water pistol. The
Beanie Baby toss also proved popu
lar. Kids lined up in droves to toss
the much-loved creatures into vari
ous hula hoops arranged on a
stretch of carpet.
Traditional games were not com
pletely left out of the festival. A par
ent volunteer manned a spirited
game of bingo in a tiny, windowless
classroom, while the festival's ver
sion of the cake walk was staged in
the school's media center.
"(The Fall Festival) started as a
way to bring parents into the
school," said Richard Watts, the
school's principal. "Parents get to
see that we are here for them and
their children, and they appreciate
that"
Nestled in a community lined
with public housing complexes,
churches and low- to moderate
income houses, Kimberiey Park Ele
Photo# by T. Kevin Walker
Parantt and ilvdfnfi roghtor for tho raffia during Kimbariay Park Clamantary School's fall fattival.
mentary was a neighborhood school
before the phrase was adopted by
the school system for its controver
sial redistricting plan.
Watts talked excitedly about
using the festival to develop strong
and lasting ties with the Kimberley
Park community, ties that will bring
parents and other residents into the
school throughout the academic
year. KJmbetiey Park officials have
already initiated a Saturday acade
my program for parents. In the pro
gram, parents are taught a variety of
skills in a series of educational class
es.
Watts says parental involvement
is paramount, and that he and his
staff will continue to develop ways
to get parents involved in their chil
dren's education.
"The key is to get them in the
door;" Watts said.
The festival has taken on educa
tional aspects over the years as well.
Last year, community agencies were
invited for the first time to take part
in the event. A countless number of
them set up informative booths
throughout the hallways, distribut
ing information on everything from
courses offered at local colleges to
social service programs
Volunteers from a local health
care agency provided on-site blood
pressure and diabetes checks; the
A festival-goer check* out > mgetable i
at the former*' market.
A Kknberfy Park student kicks a toc
cer bat during a game.
Red Cross also joined the event, set
ting up a blood drive in a large, open
area of the building.
Sandra Pennington talked to an
endless stream of parents about the
Literacy Initiative, which she calls
the best-kept secret of local commu
nity agencies.
"It gives us a chance to make
people aware of the services that the
YMCA Literacy Initiative has to
offer," said Pennington, the pro
gram's director.
The Literacy Initiative has a long
and successful track record at teach
ing adults to read. Pennington said
that at least three parents showed a
genuine interest in getting help
through the program, which, she
J.
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