More expansions are planned in programming for SEAS (Supervised Enrichment for Academic Success) and technical education.

Thanks to a 2019 extension of its preschool program to the afternoon and growth in an add-on enrichment program, St. Edmond is now able to offer an all-day program for 4-year-olds — perhaps the first of its kind in Fort Dodge, according to Jennifer Kinney, the school’s marketing director.

This year, a SEAS summer program will continue new expansions with the debut of a theme-based summer day care program for children in preschool through fifth grade.

“We have a large population of our families that are really interested in a summer day care option, an activity-based thing,” said Kinney. “When (children) start going to school, they don’t like day care any more because they’re bored.”

-Messenger photo by Elijah Decious
Isabelle Condon, a student in St. Edmond’s SEAS program, displays her prolific portfolio of art for the day.

The new program will solve both needs at once, giving kids an enriching experience through themes like nature, sports or cooking.

Kinney said a recent survey indicated about 60 families were interested in taking advantage of the new program, showing promise for growth.

And in Iowa, a state recognized for its need for more childcare and preschool options, it’s the kind of program that can be a lifesaver for working Fort Dodge families.

Though the St. Edmond preschool program and its 3-year-old sidekick, SEAS, aren’t new, 2019-2020 was the first year families could take advantage of a full-day program in conjunction with afternoon preschool.

Those morning preschool spots have always filled up quickly, said 35-year veteran preschool teacher Margaret Junkman.

-Messenger photo by Elijah Decious
Preschool students at St. Edmond are given a variety of activities intended to stimulate a lifelong love for learning while building social skills. From left to right are Falen Klein, Will Lemberg and Olyvia Lindner.

“Our goal in preschool is really to maintain and extend their love for learning,” she said. “If we can get them excited for school, the first few years of their lives will be much more enjoyable. It’s not as much about academics as it is about building connections and the social part of their life.”

When the basic social skills are built at the foundation, she said academic skills will follow.

Students in preschool get structured activities with table time, small groups, large groups, and a choice of activities, followed by “Jesus time.”

To enhance curriculum, they’re also taken on field trips and hear guest speakers.

For parents with older children in school at St. Edmond, it’s a “one-stop shop” for dropping off and picking up kids through the school year — an invaluable benefit for busy, working parents.

But the add-on SEAS program is more than just a daycare, instructors note.

“Because it’s in a school building, they’re already going to think there are expectations,” said SEAS teacher Sam Lennon, who said the enrichment, coordinated with preschool teachers, is directed to strengthen what they’re already learning in a fun, unstructured way.

“We play a lot, but they don’t know that they’re learning,” she said. “They get the best of both worlds.”

In building their social foundation, they also have the added benefit of eating lunch with other students, which they say doubles as development in hand-eye coordination and motor skills, too.

“You’ve never felt more alive than when you have a 4-year-old in front of you carrying tomato soup on a tray,” said teacher Gini Chizek, a retired third-grade teacher from Fort Dodge public schools who now works with much younger children.

While they’re playing, they develop fine motor skills by holding pencils, crayons and scissors. They learn more about how to process their feelings and read books. They learn about the alphabet to get a head-start on reading. They’re learning what opposites mean.

“Cutting with scissors is a real treat,” Chizek said.

“They can log into anybody’s iPad in under a second but they can’t tie their shoes or use scissors,” Lennon added.

When learning is used as a medium for being social and having fun, though, the meaning of education is given a friendly tone students grow with.

By high school, the foundation set by their preschool programs has been put through the rigors of life in early childhood and early adolescence. At St. Edmond High School, administrators said that a greater emphasis has begun to take root in vocational and technical education programs.

“We’re trying to get more involved in career and technical education classes,” said Principal Linda Mitchell.

Kinney said experience through their programs, in partnership with Iowa Central, can give students the experience they need to make them stand out as they apply to other programs in their early career.

“We’re hoping (the program) will engage students to realize some things so they can make decisions ahead of time,” Mitchell said, helping them avoid wasting valuable time and tuition money in college.

In the middle school, St. Edmond is introducing exploratory classes that prepare them to think about career paths of interest.

Also new in the middle school is a renewed delve into interpersonal skills and social counseling.

Circle, a small group counseling opportunity for students, has helped students overcome many of the vulnerabilities acquired through increased use of technology.

“Technology has taken away from learning how to deal with some of these things they’ve lost,” Mitchell said. “We’re trying to teach them to be a little more resilient.”

“We’re trying to be more proactive than reactive,” said Mary Gibb, president of St. Edmond.

Other new initiatives in social skills include the Kind Award, where students are encouraged to “be the I in kind” by going out of their way to be inclusive or considerate of others.

“Our expectations here are that you’re kind and considerate anyway,” Kinney said, “but this goes beyond that.”

Each month, students from each grade are nominated by teachers and featured on social media for their good deeds.