By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

Jemison Elementary held an open house Aug. 8 from 2-4p.m. for the new First Class Pre-K classroom that facilitates 18 students this school year.

The 18 students were randomly selected from the 40 that signed up. The new classroom is a part of the same First Class program that recently opened at Clanton.

The new room was previously used as a normal elementary classroom. Thursday, Aug. 4 the space was transformed into a specially designed early education environment.

The room has multiple unique stations where different types of learning are encouraged. Sibyl Sawtelle, one of Jemison’s pre-k teachers, explained the home living center, where students will learn about nutrition while they pretend to cook and eat.

She said it is important for children to play, and compared a bored child to an adult who mentally checks out of a dull lecture; they will not learn as well if they aren’t interested. Each station has writing materials and books to encourage learning while playing and socializing, according to Sawtelle.

“This is the foundation of a child’s career,” said Sawtelle. “Our Superintendent [Tommy Glasscock] talked this week about our test scores overall going up in the state … which is huge. Also our graduation rate is going up. I emphasize that this is where all that starts.”

The classroom is taught by Sibyl Sawtelle and Brandy Williams, who said they are both excited to use the new technology in the classroom. The room is equipped with a digital whiteboard and two iPads to enhance the childrens’ learning experience.

The new class is funded by grants. Chilton County Federal Programs Director and Pre-K Coordinator Adriane Dennis said, “the larger grant [the class received] should be enough to fund it without using any Title I money.”