Area Pre-School Wins Target Grant

On January 30, 2015, dozens of preschoolers and their families celebrated the grand opening of Fallston Community Pre-K’s brand new library with a “Book Bash”.

At the event, local author, Krissy Mach Atchison, shared her new book series, “Lee Lee the Surfing Monkey”, with the students. Both Atchison and Wendy Dean, owner of Omnibus Publishing, read to the children and taught them the fundamentals of writing and illustrating a book. The children were able to create their own illustrations by choosing their own medium of markers, crayons, paint, and even digitally drawing on the computer.

On hand to help celebrate was also Valerie Thompson with the Target Corporation. The school’s director, Jamie Roeder, submitted a grant request to Target last year for help with funding the library for the preschool. The grant was approved last August. Teachers and volunteers spent hours transforming an unused room into the perfect space for books and early readers.

The new library houses over 1,200 new books. Children will visit the library with their classes as well as check books out to take home and share with their families. Parents are also able to visit the library before and after class hours with their children. The goal of the library is to promote a love of reading and to provide a space where families can spend time together.

Fallston Community Pre-K is a state approved preschool located at 600 Fallston Road inside of Fallston Presbyterian Church. Jamie Roeder came on board as the preschool director in 2013. Since then, she has more than tripled the enrollment.