With the start of the 2012-2013 school year, Westfield Washington Schools is opening a new pre-school program called All Aboard and All Aboard Readiness. The programs are designed to emphasize an enriched kindergarten readiness curriculum.
“It’s pre-K instruction for children we know are going to kindergarten the next year,” Executive Director of Student Support Programs Cindy Keever said.
All of these children will be immersed in the skills necessary to succeed in kindergarten and gain familiarity with an elementary school environment. Keever explained that the program is run by professionals and not teachers. She said elementary principals created a three-page kindergarten readiness checklist that the All Aboard and All Aboard Readiness will use as a guide.
“The goal is to build the program and have one at each elementary school, or adding a third section,” she said. “Then it becomes so naturally aligned.”
Full time and partial week programs are offered to meet both a family’s childcare needs and the desire for their child to enter kindergarten the following year, well-prepared for school. The full time programs are located within both Maple Glen and Monon Trail elementary schools. Keever said the district is also offering a three day program which will run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday at Monon Trail Elementary.
“With Full Day Kindergarten, some parents don’t want their children gone all day (in preschool).” She said adding the partial week program prevents students from “going from nothing to everything.”
Cindy Keever explained that WWS has offered a TOTS program, which is an on-campus childcare program for children of teachers and staff, city workers, and younger siblings of enrolled students. TOTS is available for 21-month-old infants to five year olds. The district also offered Beyond the Kindergarten Bell, but that program is no longer needed.
“Beyond the Kindergarten is no longer necessary because of Full Day Kindergarten,” Keever said.
All Aboard and All Aboard Readiness programs are open to pre-kindergarten aged children of WWS families. Children who are eligible must be at least 4 years old by August 31, 2012.
For enrollment materials, visit www.wws.k12.in.us/subsite/dist/page/all-aboard-3240. For more information, contact the Student Support Programs Enrollment Support office at 867-8017.