Family Fall Festival to celebrate new achievement by Round Barn Preschool and Daycare

Round Barn Preschool and Daycare will host a Fall Family Festival from 5-7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Located at Greencastle Presbyterian Church next to the Putnam County Playhouse, Round Barn is celebrating the recent achievement of gaining the designation of Level 3 in the Paths to Quality Program.

This event is open to the public and will feature free hayrides, games and a bounce house. Also at the event for purchase will be pumpkins, food, face-painting and a Scholastic book fair. Halloween costumes are encouraged.

The Paths to Quality program was created by the state of Indiana to help families find quality child care facilities in any city based upon one, convenient rating system. As one of two Paths to Quality centers in the community, the Round Barn staff and board have been working hard over these past 12 months to reach this goal.

The changes to the classrooms and the curriculum were made possible by a grant given by Early Learning Indiana. “The grant money provided a unique opportunity to really improve the services and environment of Round Barn Preschool and Daycare,” explained board member Jenny Gill. “Greencastle Presbyerian Church and our board continue to recognize the role early childhood education plays in promoting families and this community.”

One significant change was doubling the size of the daycare’s infant room. And thanks to the generosity of a daycare family, the room also received new flooring.

“It has been rewarding to see the infants have the space to crawl and play and also have a separate area to take naps. It just seems like a happier room, ” Gill said.

Round Barn director Trisha Fulford and her team have been working hard to coordinate age-appropriate learning stations in each classroom. For infants all the way through pre-K, each classroom now has a variety of creative play and learning spaces.

Beyond the physical improvements, significant changes were made to the curriculum, policies and professional development for staff.

“The Paths to Quality system really helped us enhance the work we were already doing with the children,” teacher Ashley Hughes explained. “With these guidelines in place, we feel confident that we are providing great care to these children and benefiting the greater Greencastle community as a whole because of this important work.”

Reaching this goal was possible from the cooperation and inspiration of the families attending Round Barn. This event is for all families and community community members. It provides a great chance to connect with past and present families of the daycare to celebrate and support this important community organization.

If you have questions regarding enrollment, Round Barn Preschool can be contacted at 653-5713 or roundbarndaycare1@yahoo.com. They operate from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Care is provided for infants starting at 6 weeks and continues through preschool.