EARLY CHILDHOODOPTIONSGUIDE TO

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Why Early Childhood is ImportantEarly childhood education is foundational for your child’s social and academic success in school and life. Through age-appropriate learning experiences, students develop characteristics and skills encompassing the whole child in the areas of social, cognitive, physical and emotional learning.

High quality early learning opportunities are vital in promoting brain development, understanding that 90 percent of development occurs by age five. Other benefits include increased learning outcomes, decreased crime and incarceration rates, significantly higher literacy and vocabulary knowledge (a strong predictor of literacy success in third grade) and increased graduation rates, preparing students to be college and career ready.

Learn more at: http://stvra.in/earlychildhood

Table of Contents

Why Early Childhood is Importantpage 2

Small Talk, Big Results!A Birth to Three Reading Initiativepage3

Preschool Programspage 4

STEM Discovery at Mountain Viewpage 5

Spark! Discovery Preschoolpage 5

Kindergarten Programspage 6

Community Schools and Wraparoundpage 7

Early Childhood Office

Shela BlankinshipEarly Childhood Coordinatorblankinship_shela@svvsd.org 303-702-7815

Vicki HergottEarly Childhood/CPP Secretaryhergott_vicki@svvsd.org 303-702-7815

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Small Talk, Big Results! A Birth to Three Reading InitiativeSmall Talk, Big Results! is working to build community awareness that reinforces reading success through vocabulary and language development for our youngest learners. This program encourages parents to talk to their infants and toddlers, focusing on the following areas:

• Usemorepositivethannegativewordsandcomments Balance the use of positive and negative words and comments on a daily basis. Positive words and comments reinforce and promote self-confidence.

• Whatyousayandhowoftenyousayitmatters Enrich vocabulary and language by using full sentences, descriptions and questions when talking. Encourage attention to an infant and toddler’s personal world, as well as the world around them.

• Face-to-faceconversationscannotbereplaced Incorporate listening and speaking directly to infants and toddlers in your daily activities. Include talking in your native language and limit the role of technology as a replacement for face-to-face conversations.

• Talking,singing,reading,writingandplayingdeveloplanguageBe creative when deciding how to interact.

smalltalk

big results!

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Preschool ProgramsPreschool programs serve 3 and 4-year-old children and are offered at all elementary schools and Spark! Discovery Preschool. Programs emphasize kindergarten readiness by providing high quality early childhood experiences in safe, supporting and stimulating environments. Classrooms meet quality standards, state licensing requirements, and have low adult-to-child ratios. Students enrolling for preschool must be 3 or 4 years of age on or before October 1. The three options available are listed below.

Tuition-based preschool opportunities include two, three or four-day options for all eligible students. All preschool classrooms are half-day mornings or afternoons. Parents and guardians must complete the tuition based application. Annual rates can be found on the preschool website.

SpecialEducation within St. Vrain Valley Schools identifies children ages birth to 21 who may be eligible to receive special education services. Federal and state law requires eligible children to receive free preschool once the student has turned 3 years of age. Our Preschool Program works collaboratively with the Child Find staff (District Special Education Department) in the assessment, identification and programming for children with disabilities. If a child qualifies for special education services, the Child Find team partners with parents and guardians to determine the appropriate placement and services based on each students individual needs.

TheColoradoPreschoolProgram(CPP) is a state-funded, free program for eligible children identified with certain risk factors. St. Vrain offers four half-days of preschool to CPP eligible children. All CPP preschool students must be 4 years of age on or before October 1. Support services for parents and guardians are part of the program and families are involved as partners in their child’s education experience.

Learn more at: http://stvra.in/preschool4

VisitSVVSD’spreschoolpageforafulldirectoryofschools,sessiondatesandagerequirements:http://stvra.in/preschool

STEM Discovery at Mountain View - BEGINNING FALL OF 2015Mountain View Elementary will offer expanded opportunities for early learners, preschool, kindergarten and wraparound. Mountain View’s renovated facility houses state-of-the-art classrooms and incorporates science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) experiences into early learning classrooms. The new early learning program will inspire students through inquiry-based learning experiences and develop school readiness by working collaboratively with families.

Spark! Discovery PreschoolSpark! Discovery Preschool, located in Frederick is an innovative early learning program for preschool-aged students, focusing on STEM. Spark! provides STEM programming using inquiry-based and design thinking models sparking learning through the application of science, technology, engineering and math with hands-on activities. Students learn to innovate, solve problems, create and communicate ideas in a positive, fun, engaging and rigorous preschool learning environment.

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KindergartenKindergarten students and families are supported during this exciting transition into a more formalized instructional setting. Classrooms assist children to obtain the important self-regulation skills while providing educational experiences for students utilizing the Colorado Academic Standards. St. Vrain offers a variety of enrollment options to best suit student and family needs, offering both half-day and full-day opportunities in all elementary schools across the district. Students enrolling for kindergarten must be 5 years of age on or before October 1.

Parents can select from the following options:• Traditional half-day sections (half-days a.m./p.m., 5 days per week)• Half-day, alternate day sections (1 half-day, 2 full-days per week)• Full-day, everyday sections (full-days, 5 days per week)

Please contact your school of attendance for specific kindergarten schedule information.

Allfull-day,everydaykindergartensections charge a non-refundable registration fee. The half-day district kindergarten program is offered at no expense to families. Monthly tuition fees are charged from September to May to cover the other half of the school day.

Tuitionassistance applications are available for families who need financial assistance for full-day kindergarten. Applications are processed on a first come, first serve basis to those who qualify. Funding for tuition assistance is limited, so please apply early. Please speak with your building principal to learn if they offer additional options for full-day support.

Specialeducationorchildrenwithdisabilities follow the same guidelines outlined above, including children who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The services specified in an IEP will be delivered during the no cost portion of the day.

Learn more at: http://stvra.in/kindergarten6

Community SchoolsCommunity School programs provide opportunities to enrich the lives of students and families in a safe, structured and positive environment allowing students to be creative, social and happy. Community school programs supplement learning and support the well-being of students. All programs are licensed by the Colorado Department of Human Services. The staff is qualified and certified according to state licensing regulations. Below is a list of the enrollment options.

Beforeandafterschoolchildcare for students ages 5 to 12 is offered at specific school locations. Programs open at 7:00 a.m. until school begins and then again when school ends until 6:00 p.m.

Enrichmentclasses are provided before and after school with an extensive menu of opportunities. Interest-based opportunities include, but are not limited to, arts and crafts, music and movement, community awareness, field trips and academic support programs.

Summercampandnon-schooldaychildcareservices are offered on-site, at specific school locations during the summer and non-school days. Times vary by locations.

Wraparound child care for students ages 3 to 5 is offered at specific school locations. Programs are open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and provide wraparound services to students enrolled in a district preschool or half-day kindergarten program. Visit individual school websites or the district website for specific information and program availability.

Wraparound Program

Learn more at: http://stvra.in/commschools 7

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