This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1964-65 Evansville Aces. At that time, the Aces were not only an outstanding basketball team; they were a major Evansville social activity. Over 12,000 fans packed Evansville’s Roberts Municipal Stadium on a regular basis to cheer for their hometown team.

In honor of this anniversary, the public is invited to a panel discussion Saturday, January 24, with the starting five of this undefeated 1964-65 team. Mike Blake will moderate. The event will be at the Old National Events Plaza, Ballrooms B, C, and D. Doors open at noon, with the discussion taking place from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Following the program, the book The Undefeated Season: The Newspaper Story of the 1964-1965 Evansville College Purple Aces Basketball Team, edited by starting guard Russ Grieger and retired editor and publisher of the Evansville Courier & Press Tom Tuley, will be available for signing.

Later that day, when the present day Purple Aces play Southern Illinois University at the Ford Center at 3:05 p.m., the 1964-65 team will be recognized at half-time. A commemorative program will be available

Then January 25 – April 19, an exhibit on the team will be on display in the Evansville Museum’s Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau Center of History and Science. “Winning Them All: The Evansville Aces 1964-65” will recall the season when the Aces went undefeated and claimed the school’s fourth College Division National Championship (today’s Division II).

Enrollment in the “On My Way Pre-K” state early childhood pilot is continuing in Vanderburgh County. Enrollment for the state-funded pilot program began in December and several positions have been filled in EVSC classrooms – but seats still remain.

Classes in the EVSC Pre-K are now in session, so it is urgent that any families who would like their child to still take part in these free classes take action now, before February, to help better prepare their child for kindergarten in the fall.

EVSC’s Pre-K programs are accredited by the Paths to Quality designation.  EVSC is accepting students who will be entering kindergarten in Fall 2015 – as well as enrolling students for next fall who are 4, who will be ready for kindergarten in Fall 2016.

There is currently funding for 22 more positions in Vanderburgh County for students who are four, who will be five and ready to enter kindergarten in August 2015.  To qualify for the “On My Way Pre-K” pilot program, family income must be 127% of the federal poverty level (earning about $30,000 for a family of four). To participate in the free program, families need to apply to enroll their children through 4C of Southern Indiana, Inc., 600 SE 6^th Street, and select one of the pilot sites in which to attend.

“The EVSC has invested in early childhood for over 25 years.  We were the leaders in the state with full day kindergarten,” said Cathlin Gray, associate superintendent for Family, School, and Community Partnerships.   “We have a team of highly experienced early childhood educators and support staff.  This team is being led by our Director of Early Childhood, Terry Green.  Gray explained that EVSC offers a five-hour-a-day program during the school year, which began this week.

Openings are available at a variety of locations for students who choose EVSC through this pilot.  Classrooms exist at the  Culver Family Learning Center, Evans Elementary, Daniel Wertz Elementary, and Dexter Elementary, Green said.

“Early childhood education lays the groundwork for success later in school, by successfully preparing students to enter kindergarten on time and ready to learn.”  Green said EVSC focuses on active learning – making learning fun for students, allowing them to explore and providing them new experiences with which to build knowledge.
Currently, the EVSC has fee and non-fee based Pre-K classrooms at Culver Family Learning Center, Daniel Wertz Elementary, Dexter Elementary, Scott Elementary, Cedar Hall Community School, Evans Elementary and Bosse High School.

For additional information about the enrollment process go to www.child-care.org and click on Community Programs to learn more about “On My Way Pre-K” or call 4C at 812-423-4008.