URI kindergarten program celebrates tenth anniversary

10/28/08 - Located at the University of Rhode Island's Providence campus, the Dr. Pat Feinstein Center for Child Development is a place that educates children of URI undergraduates and provides a mentorship for students in the Early Childhood Development program.This year marks the 10 year anniversary of the kindergarten program at the Child Development Center.

In honor of the anniversary, Alan Shawn Feinstein invited families whose children attended the school in previous years to an end of the year celebration.

Named after his wife, the center will host the event on June 19 and feature songs, a slideshow of the children, a potluck dinner, and a speech by Feinstein.

Feinstein works to provide scholarships to parents who are currently enrolled in the URI Providence campus.

Deb Morelle, who has worked with Feinstein to establish this program, is the center's organizer who deals with the enrollment of new families.

She also manages the program's budget and helps support children in the classroom.

On weekday mornings, 36 children enter the center in Providence, where they spend the day in a friendly educational atmosphere.

The children, divided into groups of 12, are given the opportunity to tour the city while at school. "We take them everywhere in the city, within walking distance," said Morelle.

Each week, the five teachers working at the center take the children to the URI library at the Providence campus.

The best part of Morelle's day is "greeting the children when they come here in the morning. Listening to their plans at home and what they plan to do at school - what books they plan to read, if they plan on playing in the block area," said Morelle, who teaches children ages three, four, and five.

The center currently has about 75 undergraduate students who complete their practicum there for the Early Childhood Development program.

"Our mission on the campus is to train URI students...our teachers present at different community workshops, educating other early-childhood educators within the state" said Deb Morelle.