Smart Start Month: Proclamation Celebration – Salisbury Post

SALISBURY — September was a special month for Smart Start as Gov. Roy Cooper declared Smart Start Month, and Smart Start Rowan used the opportunity on Sept. 18 to celebrate.

Amy Brown, executive director of Smart Start Rowan, said we learned a few months ago that the governor intended to “declare September 2024 as the first-ever Smart Start Month, and we’re very excited about that.”

Brown said that while this is the first event of its kind, they hope to continue it in future years.

“We have our Smart Start state leadership in North Carolina to thank for that partnership,” she said. “So we decided we wanted to leverage that momentum locally and go out and do whatever we could to promote the program throughout the month.”So they planned this fun-filled event for the kids and families who are impacted by the Smart Start program.

The ceremony was held at Christ United Methodist Church, 3401 Mooresville Road in Salisbury. It began at 10:00 a.m. The children enjoyed a variety of activities, including tic-tac-toe, temporary tattoos, balls, hula hoops, a small slide and other games, a painting zone, origami, window bells and a station with modeling clay.

Children also had the opportunity to receive boxed lunches courtesy of Massimo’s Sandwich Shoppe in Salisbury.

Adults were given the opportunity to enter a drawing for a free, private, one-on-one lunch with Brown at Massimo’s. simply talk about what they need in their community and how Smart Start Rowan can help,” said Denise Heinke, director of outreach and development.

Brown said families were given special signs on which they could write why they came to the event and what Smart Start means to them.

One mum, Julie Gragg, said Smart Start “had a really big impact on us. Coming from California, we moved here about a year ago without knowing anyone, but this group has been a real blessing for me and my family. We have met so many wonderful women with children Abigail’s age.

Several other mothers shared stories about the support their children received through the Smart Start program.

Stacey Lynn Dominguez said they had been going to Smart Start for about three years, “ever since we found out he (their son Roman) was autistic and had a speech delay.” During their time at Smart Start, she said, “they helped him a lot and he improved in his communication and working with other kids.”

Amanda Hart said her daughter Margaret is part of the Kaleidoscope Play and Learn Group with Ermalyn Jaeck, who is the lead parent educator. They come to support her, meet friends and celebrate early literacy.

“My daughter has benefited so much from Ermalyn, learning how to do different sensory activities, making new friends and really developing a love of reading,” Hart said.

The parents spent a lot of time watching the children play and joining in the fun.

Betty Trujillo, an early childhood education program leader at Smart Start who hosted the tic-tac-toe game, said several parents told her their children “had never played tic-tac-toe before. I tried to explain it to them. It’s really cool to play with them and see what they learn.”

Trujillo herself said the day was amazing.

“It’s amazing to see the smiling faces of these people and watch them do something for the first time,” she said.

Trujillo, who works in child care centers and manages classrooms, works with Kimberly Cruz, a child care health consultant who focuses on health and safety management.

Cruz said she saw Gov. Cooper declare September as Rowan Smart Start Month and said, “this is huge. This is one of the biggest awards they could get, so I wanted to come out and support my peers.”

When asked what they hoped residents would learn from the day and the celebration, the Browns said they always enjoy seeing their families together.

“They work really well together, and parents have peer support and the opportunity to network. We hope they learn a lot more about what we do and use that momentum to help the community celebrate and spread the word.”

In addition to all the attractions available, the four-legged volunteers who came with their owners to share love and attention and receive it at the same time were very popular with people of all ages.

They included Murphy with Erin Moody of Terrie Haas Child Advocacy Center; Hope with Nina Dix of Canine Caregivers Therapy Dogs; Pearl with Pam Full; Squid with Jon Palmer; Addie with Marty Wilder; and Stella with Sharon Hood.

When children came to visit one of the dogs, they would often bow down at toddler height and happily and patiently accept a little pat on the head. Many adults also lay down on the floor to spend some time with these special volunteers.

The event was attended by special guests, including Miss North Carolina Kamryn Hollowell and several local officials.

Hollowell, of Wendell, which is near Raleigh, was crowned Miss North Carolina’s Teen in June. She said she was excited to be at the ceremony.

Joined by her mother, Karen, she said she is “very, very committed to community service and giving back to my local communities, which has led me to where I am today, so taking advantage of every opportunity that being a state titleholder has given me has been a blessing.”

Hollowell spoke to both children and adults throughout the day, noting that “just being able to be here with all these kids and spend time with them and see their faces light up when they see my crown and sash and be able to give them this once-in-a-lifetime experience is really, really special.”

A junior at Corinth Holders High School in Wendell, she also attends Johnston Community College and plans to graduate with a high school diploma and an associate degree.

Hollowell campaigned on a deeply personal platform called Project Purple, which supports people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, because she “saw the struggles of my mom who was an ulcerative colitis patient,” and raised more than $5,000 for the foundation.

Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander and Mayor Pro Tempore Tamara Sheffield read the proclamation to the crowd. Alexander shared it in Spanish and Sheffield read the English version.

Brown noted that these proclamations were more local in nature because they were granted permission to modify the governor’s proclamation.

Representative Harry Warren shared several comments with the group, thanking them for the invitation and thanking those who attended for their “participation and support of the program.”

Noting the growth that has occurred in the county, Warren said the great potential was right in the room, in the kids who sat with them and ran around in it.

“There is nothing in this county that is more valuable to us and has more potential for our future than these children,” he said, emphasizing the importance of participating in these programs, which are supported by county and state governments.

Warren also shared that he was really interested in preschool programs, as he mentioned a lot of them that are offered in the county, and said he likes to “drop in and see how they’re doing and how the kids are doing. So I just wanted to drop in and be a part of that.”

Senator Carl Ford and his wife Angela also attended the event, and each expressed gratitude for the invitation and for Smart Start “for all that we do to support children, families and the community,” Brown said.

Heinke also expressed his gratitude to those who support them.

“We are so pleased to be able to share this September holiday, proclaimed by Governor Cooper, with those we serve,” Heinke said. “We are grateful to all who support us so we can continue to give and share resources for families. We hope to do so for many years to come.”