Christmas came early for several youngsters enrolled in an early intervention program.

Counting, cutting, and tying shoes. All things a kindergarten student needs to know. These youngsters are excited about their first-day of school and are practicing the skills they will need to know. The library took the opportunity to host a "Yay for Kindergarten" story time with a variety of activities to get them ready.

For more than 35 years the Lima Sertoma Club has been helping children with developmental speech assistance. Each summer, they offer speech and hearing clinics to fill the gap for kids that normally have speech and hearing programs during the school year. 

Youngsters from Heritage Elementary cleaned up the area around the William Fowler Overpass near their school. The students get a better understanding of what it means to be a good neighbor. It’s all part of their “Spartan Gives” initiative to get students more involved in the community.

Thousands of Easter eggs were hunted by the student throughout the day. The candy and toy-filled eggs were donated by parents and staff. You could see the excitement in the kids' faces as they opened their haul of eggs in preparation for this Easter weekend.      

Students traveled from room to room to hear stories from their teachers’ favorite books. Whether it was learning how to cook from Julia Chiles, getting to know “Shaggy, Scooby and the gang” and being introduced to a Venus Fly Trap named “Plantilla”, the students were captivated by the stories. The youngsters also got to dress up as their favorite book characters.

Kindergarten and preschool students throughout the Lima City School District are receiving literacy bags to take home over the winter break. Members of the Early Childhood Education program provide each of the kids with coloring pages, crayons, a pencil, and a book. They say it’s important that the youngsters stay active during their time away from the classroom.