POWELLSVILLE – A program that has been one of the most successful in Bertie County celebrated here Thursday.

The C.G. White Pre-School and More-At-Four celebrated the recognition of its achievement as a Five-Star facility and cut a ribbon officially opening a new playground at the facility.

Thursday’s celebration began outside at the new playground which was opened to students earlier this year. Dignitaries from Bertie County Schools and the Bertie County Board of Commissioners were on hand for the ceremony.

“We want to thank the town of Powellsville, the staff and the community for helping beautify our grounds,” said Constance Richardson, director of federal programs and the administrator responsible for More-At-Four in Bertie County. “We want to welcome our parents and special guests as we celebrate this special occasion.”

After the initial welcome, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chip Zullinger and school board members took part in the ribbon cutting. The ribbon was cut by Vice Chair Gloria C. Lee while board member Emma H. Johnson and Pamela Chamblee aided Dr. Zullinger in holding the ribbon.

Following the official dedication of the new playground, the festivities moved inside to celebrate the new Five-Star rating received from the North Carolina Division of Child Development.

Richardson announced that both C.G. White and its sister center, Askewville More-At-Four and Preschool, had received perfect scores during recent testing.

According to Richardson, the facilities received seven points of a possible seven for staff education, seven of a possible seven for program standards and one quality point.

“We earned a total of 15 out of 15,” she said. “It is the highest rating we can receive as a child-care facility.”

Richardson expressed her appreciation to Dr. Zullinger and the Bertie County Board of Education for their support as well as to the schools’ maintenance staff for their hard work and assistance.

“The staff at C.G. White has done an excellent job of following the standards,” Richardson said. “You are a super staff.”

She went on to say the group had worked together to receive the Five-Star rating and she was proud of their accomplishments.

“We have put in many hours and worked together as a team to get the job done,” she said. “Now we can sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor.”

She said the main focus of the center was the children.

“What kept us going was knowing we were doing the best for our children,” she said. “We can say without reservation our children will be ready for kindergarten.”

Following Richardson’s explanation of the celebration, each class at the C.G. White More-At-Four and Preschool gave a presentation.

A similar ceremony was held at the Askewville site on Friday.