Aukamm Elementary empowers families through preschool connections event
This month, DoWEA’s Aukamm Elementary School, in Wiesbaden, Germany, proudly hosted Aukamm Preschool Connections, a family engagement event designed to connect preschool-aged children and their families with valuable community resources, developmental information, and practical strategies to support early learning at home.
The goal of Preschool Connections is simple: to help families feel informed, supported, and confident as they prepare their children for future school success. By bringing together experts, educators, and community partners, families were able to learn about developmental milestones, kindergarten readiness skills, and opportunities available throughout the Wiesbaden military community.
The event began with a welcome and introduction from the Preschool Connections team, who shared the purpose of the program and the importance of early experiences in supporting lifelong learning.
Families then participated in a brief circle time that modeled simple activities parents can use at home to build communication, led by first grade teacher, Ms. Leyka Williams and Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Maria Rodriguez, in collaboration Aukamm’s Speech and Language Pathologist, Ms. Kelsey Hiebner.
Aukamm’s reading specialist, Ms. Jan Milan, shared a focused activity on literacy with the preschoolers and their families.
Ms. Kelsey Hiebner commented, “I loved being part of a team that created a meaningful outreach opportunity, connecting our school with families across Wiesbaden. It was such a joy to spend time with our littlest learners and their families, sharing resources, encouragement, and practical tools to help build the skills and confidence they need for a successful transition to kindergarten.”
Following the group activity, families explored a resource expo featuring representatives from across the community. The team was excited to welcome Ms. Heather Drummond and Ms. Vanessa Huerta from Wiesbaden Elementary’s Child Find, Ms. Sarah Massie from Sure Start, and Mr. Tim Ruff, the OT and representative from Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS). These guests provided information about developmental screenings, early intervention services, preschool programming, and community support options available to military families.
The resource information given to families included:
- EDIS services and developmental supports for young children.
- Child Find resources and information about developmental screenings and evaluations.
- Child & Youth Services (CYS) activities are available for children ages 3 to 5.
- Preschool book recommendations from our Aukamm librarian, Ms. Mary Dill, to encourage early literacy and a love of reading.
- Parent Connections opportunities designed to help families build playgroups and strengthen community relationships.
- Quick reference QR codes linking to learning songs, fingerplays, and simple DIY activities such as homemade playdough recipes.
- An "Ask the SLP" resource featuring Speech Sound Development Milestones for children ages 3 to 9 & Communication Milestones from birth through age five.
The event concluded with hands-on learning stations where preschoolers could explore, play, create, and interact with peers while parents observed activities, engaged with community partners, and gathered resources to take home.
These stations were intentionally designed to model simple, developmentally appropriate activities that families can easily replicate at home to support communication, early literacy, social development, fine motor skills, and kindergarten readiness.
Ms. Emma Schruefer, Aukamm’s math specialist, coordinated a math station involving counting and number sense while Ms. Debra Fitzgerald, Aukamm school counselor, facilitated the “Cozy Corner,” a station involving self-regulation and controlling emotions. Parents left with practical ideas and strategies for turning everyday interactions, play, and routines into meaningful learning opportunities for their preschoolers.
By providing practical tools, developmental information, and opportunities to connect with other families, Preschool Connections aims to empower parents to support important early skills in communication, literacy, social development, and independence.
Whether through reading together, singing songs, following directions during play, or engaging in everyday conversations, families left with ideas they can easily incorporate into their daily routines.
The Preschool Connections team is grateful to all the families who attended and to our community partners, and other Aukamm Elementary School staff who helped make the event a success. Together, we are building strong foundations for our youngest learners and helping families feel connected, informed, and prepared for the road to kindergarten and beyond. Aukamm Elementary has planned to host one of these Preschool Connections event quarterly.
