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Wednesday, April 1, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Preschoolers get a good start
Committee approves
education budget
By diane goble
Correspondent
We all hope to have bright
kids, and starting them off
right is a step in that direc-
tion. Now Sisters Country
parents can take preschool-
ers to Bright Kids at 202 E.
Fir St. for an early interactive
and creative learning environ-
ment that will prepare them
for kindergarten and beyond.
Owner/teacher Alicia
Chatila has nine years of
teaching experience and is
certified in phonics training.
Previously she managed a
learning center with 90 chil-
dren, then opened her own
center with over 200 children
ages 6 and under.
When Chatila moved to
Sisters four months ago, she
quickly found out there was
a lack of childcare options.
She had previously home-
schooled her own kids,
first- and fourth-graders, and
decided she wanted a place
where they could socialize
as well as learn by doing fun,
interactive, hands-on activi-
ties, and Bright Kids was
born.
The two activity rooms are
bright and colorful with lots
of fun pictures on the walls.
You won’t find a TV or a
computer among the seven
learning centers where chil-
dren can participate in music
with instruments, arts &
crafts, sensory skills, active
play, imaginative play, num-
bers and shapes, language and
story time, and other projects
By Jonathan J. Cooper
Associated Press
photo by diane Goble
Alicia Chatila offers stimulating activities at Bright kids.
that inspire creativity and fos-
ter learning through play.
All activities are open-
ended and child-led, based on
what each child wants to do
rather than leading them. She
also plans monthly themes,
such as “under the sea” and
“in the jungle,” and will build
interactive learning activi-
ties around them. “The most
important thing,” she said, “is
learning through play.”
Chatila’s plans include
offering the space for birth-
day parties with crafts
or themes like Frozen or
Spiderman; a chef’s cooking
class using all-natural ingre-
dients for ages 5 through 8
in the afternoons; phonics
classes for ages 3 to 6; and
during spring break will have
a bouncy-house and other
activities outside the cen-
ter. She is also working on a
reading program with Sisters
Community Librarian Paige
Bentley-Flannery.
Bright Kids is in the little
green building at 202 E. Fir
St. It’s open seven days a
week from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
on weekdays for early learn-
ers up to age 6, on Saturdays
and Sundays from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. for ages 7 and younger.
For more informa-
tion, visit www.brightkids
play.com or call 541-549-
2223. “Like” Bright Kids
at www.F aceb o o k .co m /
brightkidsplay. Donations of
age-appropriate books, toys
and costumes are always
appreciated.
HAIR
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SALEM, Ore. (AP) —
A Democratic budget for
Oregon schools is headed
for votes in the full House
and Senate, likely this
week, after the Ways and
Means Committee approved
the $7.3 billion spending
plan in a party-line vote on
Thursday.
The two-year budget
proposal would be a 9 per-
cent increase in state aid for
schools.
The budget has raised
sharply differing predictions
about its impact. Republicans
and education interests say
it fails to keep pace with
rising costs and will force
many school districts to
slash spending. Democrats
say their budget isn’t ideal,
but it would provide enough
money for nearly all school
districts to keep their cur-
rent staffing and service
levels.
The Democrats promised
to devote a portion of any
new revenue to schools.
“This budget is built
upon the extra billion dol-
lars that we put into last
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Th is hero brings real hope & change.
Good Friday Service
Refl ections on the Cross - 6:30 p.m.
Easter Celebration Service
10:45 a.m.
Special activities for kids during service
Join us for a FREE Pancake Breakfast
Served from 9:30-10 a.m.
Easter Egg Hunt for Kids!
Immediately after service for
elementary age & younger
SISTERS NAZARENE CHURCH
67130 Harrington Loop (just east of Gist Road), Bend
541-389-8960 | www.sistersnaz.org
year’s budget,” said Sen. Rod
Monroe, D-Portland. “So
yeah, the growth is relatively
small, and I hope we can find
more. But remember we’re
building on the mountain we
built last year.”
The debate has made for
unusual allies. Education
interests, which are among
the top supporters of
Democratic campaigns, are
seeing their cause cham-
pioned by Republicans
saying other areas of the
budget should be reduced
to pump more cash into
schools.
“For me, I think our pri-
ority needs to be putting as
much money as possible into
kids, and I think if we took
a hard look at how we allo-
cate our dollars we could do
that,” said Rep. Greg Smith,
R-Heppner.
Republicans have accused
Democrats of intentionally
underfunding schools in
order to create a justification
for raising taxes down the
road, a charge that Democrats
reject.
Oregon schools get the
majority of their money from
the state General Fund and
lottery.
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