July 15, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by Central Bank.

For the next several weeks, Central Bank is holding a back-to-school drive with a slightly different twist at its three Sioux Falls locations.

The bank is supporting the Early Childhood Department free preschool programming offered through the Sioux Falls School District to kids age 3 through 5.

“We enjoy hosting an annual summer event at our bank locations to help our community,” said Konnie Boe, assistant vice president compliance analyst. “Each year, we come together as a group to decide which organization to support.”

This year, it’s especially personal as the bank decided to support Early Childhood after hearing firsthand from their colleague, Charity Heaton, what the program meant for her family.

Her son, now 17, struggled with some development and entered Early Childhood as a 3-year-old.

“I knew he had never crawled, but I didn’t realize the importance in crawling and how it causes the brain to cross-function for development,” she said. “At 3, his first year of Early Childhood, his goal was to be able to place a cup on either side of his plate without having a meltdown.”

It wasn’t easy, but the Early Childhood team worked with her son on this and other elements of development until he was 6.

“We are so thankful for all they did with this program, and many times the staff is providing the necessary tools out of their own pocket,” Heaton said.

At age 6 as he entered kindergarten, she was told her son might need special education classes the rest of his education. Instead, he never attended one and now is taking accelerated, college prep and Advanced Placement classes.

“Because of the support from the Early Childhood program and the teachers who worked so effortlessly to make an impact on him and every child who enters the program, he is exceling in his academics. This early detection and support is done so well,” Heaton said.

When her younger son, now 9, showed some concerns at a young age, she took him for development testing with Early Childhood as well, where it was determined he had hearing loss.

“They set an appointment for him with the School for the Deaf and were able to refer us on to an ear, nose and throat doctor, allowing him to have the proper procedures completed,” she said. Because of Early Childhood’s passion for early detection and full testing, he too has continued to develop and excel in school.”

The experience made Early Childhood a natural for the bank to support.

“This is an organization that is making such an important difference in our community, and we can see it within our own Central Bank family,” Boe said. “Because their funding is limited, we feel grateful to support them as they prepare for the upcoming school year.”

Each year, the Sioux Falls School District provides free Early Childhood preschool experience to more than 900 children age 3 to 5. These children qualify for programming in a variety of ways, most commonly by financial need.

“As part of the Sioux Falls School District, we are committed to our shared mission ‘to educate and prepare each student to succeed in a changing world’ and specifically to prepare our students for success in kindergarten and beyond,” said Elizabeth Jehangiri, Early Childhood coordinator.

Research consistently shows that a high-quality preschool experience promotes kindergarten readiness through the enhancement of social and cognitive development by providing education, health, nutrition, social and family support services.

But it takes the community’s support to achieve.

Beginning now, you can bring donations to any of the Central Bank locations in Sioux Falls:

• 4900 S. Western Ave.
• 2104 W. 12th St.
• 2500 S. Minnesota Ave.

“In Early Childhood, children hone their social-emotional, motor, communication, self-help and cognitive skills through play and learning routines,” Jehangiri said. “While traditional school supplies like crayons, markers, scissors and glue would be put to good use, our program has some specialized needs that will benefit our students and their families.”

Those include new or gently used:

• Backpacks.
• Preschool-age story books.
• Wooden puzzles for preschoolers.
• Child-size socks for age 3 to 5.
• Neutral colored sweatpants/joggers from size 3T to 8.

Additionally, Central Bank will host a celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 25 at all three locations offering free snow cones, ice cream and popcorn to encourage additional support.

For Heaton, it’s a strong reminder that she’s part of a team that gives back – and she now has a chance to help pay forward the help her family received years ago.

“Central Bank believes in supporting our communities we live in,” she said. “With the partnership of the Sioux Falls School District and the help of our staff, customers and the community, we can all make an impact on our young children – to help them grow and have full potential to all possibilities in life!”

If you or someone you know may benefit from Early Childhood programming and services, please stop by any Central Bank location during the July 25 event to speak with school district staff, or call 605-367-8488 today to learn more about eligibility. No appointment necessary!