The Lamar County School District’s Parents as Teachers continued their Read and Roll event last week, as Pre-K students throughout the district got to tumble, swing and read at Planet Gymnastics in Hattiesburg.
Three members of Parents as Teachers – an early-education program offered by the school district to Lamar County parents with children under 5 years old – dressed up as ringmasters for the circus-themed event to promote literacy and physical fitness. Children took turns playing on the gymnastics equipment and participating in other games and activities before reading the book “Get Up and Move,” which encourages children to spend time exercising and being active.
“We thought it was a great way to partner with the gym in town to promote gymnastics, physical fitness and highlight a book,” said April Burnside, who serves as a Parent Educator with Parents as Teachers. “So all of the activities are based on that book, and we went with the circus theme to kind of give it a little pizazz.
“So the Pre-K classes get to interact with each other and read the story, and the parents are invited to attend, and some siblings come too.”
The Parents as Teachers group has been putting on the Roll and Read event for four years now, with a different location and book each time. Previous stops included the Barn at Bridlewood – where kids got to read “Little Blue Truck” by Alice Schertle and interact with farm animals – and J’s Place Playground.
The children also were treated to a gymnastics performance from Sarah Martinez, who is a senior at Oak Grove High School and a member of Planet Gymnastics.
“I just love kids, and I’ve been doing (gymnastics) my entire life,” Martinez said. “For me to share with kids is something that I love to do, because maybe one day they can do it themselves.
“But they have to put in a lot of effort, and I think that’s what is really great, because it makes kids realize how much work has to be put into this. But I just love kids and I love performing.”
Parents as Teachers was assisted during Read and Roll by volunteers from United Way, the University of Southern Mississippi’s Disabilities Studies department and Kohl’s, which had a community grant that funded pizza and books for the event. More than 250 4- and 5-year-olds were served throughout Read and Roll, which lasted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
“(The kids) have loved the gymnastics part of it – they get to run and play and do cartwheels,” Burnside said. “They get to interact with other Pre-K kids throughout the district that they never get to meet, so Baxterville is playing with Sumrall, and Sumrall is playing with Purvis.
“So it’s a neat experience where everybody gets to play together and meet new friends. It’s a fun activity.”
Parents as Teachers also was aided by Planet Gymnastics owner Rachel Jussely, who let the group use the venue free of charge for Roll and Read.
“I grew up in gymnastics, and I grew up in this building,” Jussely said. “When we took over here, this place had been such a big part of my life – it provided me with so many opportunities, and I made so many relationships over the years with people that I probably would have never crossed paths with otherwise.
“So when we took over, my first priority was gymnastics, but I’d also been given this opportunity to give back to the community. I felt like growing up, the community had given a lot to me through this building, so I feel like it’s kind of my job and my duty to give back where I can.”
