Free party for all families set Saturday
By ALYSSA SCHNUGG
Staff Writer
Last year, the LOU Excel by 5 Coalition held its first EXCELebration after achieving the laborious task of getting Oxford certified as a child-friendly community. This year, they are holding the event again just to have some fun and spread awareness about the importance of early chilldhood education.
The EXCELebration is free and open to everyone, although it is targeted and geared for children 5 and under.
“Each station will have a fun activity for the children and some information to give the parents,” said Katherine
Drinkwater, United Way assistant director. “We just wanted a fun family event for parents to do with their children.”
The event will have a circus theme and will include arts and crafts, literacy activities, educational resources, songs
and stories, car seat checks and refreshments. Children can have fun painting, stamping, making necklaces, playing
with parachutes or testing the obstacle course, while their parents receive valuable information on car seat safety,
early childhood resources and health information.
“We will also be giving out a list of all of the activities and what’s needed to give to parents so on a cold, rainy or icy
day like we had this winter, they can pull out the list and have a fun activity for their child to do,” Drinkwater said.
New this year will be a magic show, story time, obstacle course from the Oxford Fire Department and a walking trail
to the Family Resource Center.
“We moved the event over to the JAC this time because it’s right across the parking lot from our Family Resource
Center,” Drinkwater said. “We will be having tours throughout the day of the center.”
The center was opened last year as part of the certification process to become an Excel by 5 community. The center
allows parents and teachers to check out learning materials and games for toddlers. They are returned and more can
be checked out, similar to a library.
Excel by 5 emphasizes the importance of parental roles and early childhood education in children during the most
formative years, birth through age 5. The program is being used in the Delta and other communities around
Mississippi. Excel by 5 sets forth a variety of standards involving parent training, community participation, child care
and health, to help communities focus on supporting toddlers and their families.
For more information, call Drinkwater at 236-4265 or email katherine@unitedway oxfordms.org.