Council Bluffs

We are back on the road after a great night in Council Bluffs. We spent the night at the Ameristar Casino, which is one of my favorite places stay in the state. Back when my husband John used to do a lot of business in Omaha, I would come over often, and this was our hotel. It really became our home away from home. So, it was fun to come back over here and get a good dinner at the buffet and a good night's sleep.

This morning, we started with a visit to another of the state-funded preschools. There really is no better way to begin a day.

I visited three rooms, and in each one, they presented me cards thanking me for coming.

In the first one, I got to read one of my favorite children's books - Dr. Seuss' "There's a Wocket in my Pocket." The kids were so cute, and very engaged in the story.

In the last two classes, it was activity time, so I saw the children learning by doing. In one class, a very eager little boy took it upon himself to be a tourguide, and took me to every one of his classmates to introduce me. And one little girl had to show me a picture of her new puppy.

I am always impressed by these little ones. They clearly are so much more prepared to enter kindergarten than my kids were at their age. They are eager learners, and I know they will do great in school.

But its not just the kids that are eager. The teachers and the community are really behind the program. In fact, this year, the Council Bluffs School District was able to add new classrooms thanks to support from the Iowa West Foundation. This just shows that its not just educators and politicians who recognize the value of this program. Rather, Iowans as a whole are starting to see the impact this program is having our kids, our communities, and our state.

Well, we are heading back towards Des Moines. But there is one more stop to make in Harlan.

Until next time,

Patty