One Class at a Time: Preschool fun at Valeska Hinton Early Childhood

PEORIA (25News Now) - Lynne Gilles has been teaching for over 30 years.

20 of them have been with the preschoolers at Valeska Hinton Early Childhood.

“I think what’s kept me going is like seeing past parents... or I’ve seen like past students as they get older. And they’re like, oh, they learned so much from you and stuff, because the kids don’t always remember, but the parents do,” said Gilles.

While all of her students are preschool age, developmentally, they are anywhere between 12 to 36 months.

“They have some type of disability, some type of delay, some have autism, some have other health impairments. So they have specific goals, to their disability, and that we work on that,” she said.

Each student has an individual education plan, and one of the biggest skills they focus on is language development and communication.

Gilles says that the money will be used to create a carnival-themed, imaginative play center, which will be filled with educational toys and games that will help kids with sharing, counting, roleplaying and more.

“They have the, you know, the hugging capability, the laughing, the cheering, and stuff. So that makes me you know, feel good,” she said. “I know that they’re learning or that they know that I care about them.”

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