In a ceremony held in Armidale last week, nine children and their parents graduated from a two year early childhood enrichment program that supports parents to teach their children and prepare them for school. Another 18 graduated from the first year in the program and six of these were from Walcha.
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Each child was awarded a graduation certificate, the five year olds also receiving award-winning children’s books, the four year olds boxes of material for fun learning.
HIPPY (Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters) is an Armidale-based free program aimed to engage families in their children’s learning by providing them each with a personal tutor who comes to their home once a week to practise a series of fun activities that will help them in reading, maths, science, art and social development.
“Children’s first and most important teachers are their parents and we know that the children who do best at school are those whose parents are involved in their learning,” said Debby O’Brien, the Coordinator of the program.
“Afterward graduation last week was the cutting of the HIPPY cake and a party - an annual treat for the HIPPY community supporters and their youngsters.”
HIPPY also employs two of the parents every year as tutors for two years, and assists in any training for work post-HIPPY.
Enrolments for HIPPY are now open for anyone with a child starting school in 2019. Parents with children of that age who wish to become tutors should also contact Debby O’Brien at hippyarmidale@familysupport.org.au or on 0457004283.