ORR Early childhood hosts family fun day
Jake Dias, 3, pets a bunny that's snuggled up in his arms at the family fun day at Old Rochester Regional High School on Saturday, Oct. 24. Photos by Grace Roche
Morgan Suddard, 4, get her face painted during the event. 
Vendors filled the ORR gymnasium. 
Annika Lund, left, applies a temporary tattoo on 5-year-old Scout Elder's hand. 
Kids play in a harvest-themed sensory bin. 
Attendees could pet several animals in the school's courtyard. 
Leilana Daggett, 8, enjoys a pony ride.
Jake Dias, 3, pets a bunny that's snuggled up in his arms at the family fun day at Old Rochester Regional High School on Saturday, Oct. 24. Photos by Grace Roche
Morgan Suddard, 4, get her face painted during the event.
Vendors filled the ORR gymnasium.
Annika Lund, left, applies a temporary tattoo on 5-year-old Scout Elder's hand.
Kids play in a harvest-themed sensory bin.
Attendees could pet several animals in the school's courtyard.
Leilana Daggett, 8, enjoys a pony ride.
MATTAPOISETT — Students from Old Rochester Regional High School’s Early Childhood and Care program put their learning into practice as they organized a family fun and craft market at the school.
Kids and families visited the Oct. 24 event for crafts, face painting, vendors, pony rides and more.
The event is one of several the program hosts throughout the year, designed to give students interested in a career in early childhood education a chance to interact with and plan opportunities for kids and their families.
Liz Kennedy, the high school's early childhood teacher, helped her students organize the day’s activities. She said they chose the activities, designed flyers and volunteered to staff the event.
“Family engagement and involving the community is super important in learning to be preschool teachers,” Kennedy said. “Getting used to talking to people in large groups is a really great skill for the kids to be learning, and engaging with the kids is super important as well.”
Annika Lund was one of the students who volunteered to help run the event. She spent the day applying temporary tattoos for the kids who visited her table.
The Rochester ninth grader said she hopes to one day study at Boston University and become a child physical therapist. She said she loves working with kids, and was excited to volunteer.
“A lot of kids love the tattoos and the sensory bins,” she said. “We’ve had a great time.”
Marissa and Adrien Frates brought their son Ian to the event for the first time after seeing flyers for it and knew he would enjoy the day’s many activities.
He particularly enjoyed taking a pony ride, getting temporary tattoos and getting his face painted. He said he chose to get his face painted as a cat because he likes cats and has two at home.
