Caring-Ton Preschool makes plans for 2022-23

Area families will have choices when it comes to preschool next year.

A few months ago, the Carrington School Board agreed to develop a preschool program at the elementary school beginning with the 2022-23 school year. Now, Caring-Ton Preschool, the city's private, nonprofit run program, has announced its plans for the coming year.

Treasurer Nicole Harildstad and teacher Amy Seaburg told the Independent Monday that there will be one morning session offered at Caring-Ton Preschool for the 2022-23 school year. Classes will be held Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. - noon. There are 21 openings available for 3 and 4-year-olds.

Registration will be held in the beginning of May. Tuition will be $150 per month.

To raise funds to support the program, the preschool will host its bingo fund-raiser next month. Not held the past two years due to the pandemic, leaders are looking forward to bringing back this typically annual fund-raiser to engage the community.

The event is scheduled for Thursday, April 7 at Crossroads Golf Course. They will be serving soup, bread and bars from 5 - 7 p.m., and a freewill offering will be taken. Bingo will start at 7 p.m. Purchase $10 tickets for bingo, which includes three cards, in advance by calling 652-3425. Only 250 tickets will be sold.

Caring-Ton Preschool has been educating youth for decades. Amy Seaburg has been teaching there for nearly 20 years.

Seaburg is a native of Carrington who remembers attending the preschool, which was in the basement of Sharon Paintner's house at the time. The program moved to the basement of the Federated Church on Second Street North in the early 1980s.

Seaburg worked at the preschool for a few years in the early 2000s before having twins. She returned in 2006, and has spent the last 16 school years engaging the minds of the community's littlest learners.

She best describes it as "organized chaos."

"We just try to have fun with the kids, but still have them learn at the same time," she said.

A typical day involves lots of movement while working on the basics- letters, numbers and colors.

The students go to the city library one day a month. Librarian Michelle Seil helps keep the programming fresh, inviting different artists to lead sessions each month. The preschool's annual Art Show is coming up in April, when the students have the opportunity to showcase their work.

The Carrington Endowment Fund, managed by the North Dakota Community Foundation, has been a great funding resource for the local preschool, Harildstad noted. They've received grant funds to purchase diversified curriculum, as well as toys and games that Seaburg says are costly, yet important to keep the program viable.

"Our expenses have gone up, so that helped a lot," said Harildstad of the funds. She is one of nine board members who help decide the direction of the nonprofit run preschool program.

In the recent past, they've employed three staff members. With this reduction in classes, staff will be reduced to two.

For more information about Caring-Ton Preschool, call (701) 652-3425.