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First Class Pre-K registration continues
By Leigh Anne Butler
For the past two years, Tallassee City Schools has offered a First Class Pre-K to the Tallassee community. This program is Alabama’s nationally recognized program that is funded through a grant process. Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year is underway now.
“This program has been a really good thing for our school system,” explained Dr. Brock Nolin, Assistant Superintendent of Administration for Tallassee City Schools. “This will be our third year and we are looking for 18 children per classroom for the upcoming school year.”
Enrollment is open to all children four years of age on or before Sept. 1, 2020 who are residents of the state of Alabama and meet the Tallassee City School’s zoning requirements.
Samantha Baker, Tallassee City School Pre-K teacher noted, “In our first class Pre-K program we focus on something called DAP, Developmentally Appropriate Practice. A lot of our program centers around making sure children are learning through play and are using their social skills, fine motor development, and large motor development; basically everything they need to develop in order to move into kindergarten in a social aspect is what we really focus on in Pre-K. The children get the academic side of learning too but in order to be developmentally appropriate they have to have the social skills in order to make friends and communicate with others to be able to learn letters and numbers.”
Hillary Eckstein, another Tallassee Pre-K teacher added, “The best part of the Pre-K program is that the children are developmentally appropriate but another important aspect is that we (the teachers) let the children take charge in what we are doing in the classroom. We transform our classroom based on different units we study. For example, we are currently doing a unit on clothing. That may seem silly to some, but we have centers where we focus on different aspects of clothing. We have a center that is set up as a laundry mat where we learn how to wash and fold clothes and work together.”
Nolin added, “This is a good thing. It’s a chance for four year old children in school and get a leg up.”
Registration is on-going through Feb. 26. There is no registration fee for this program and applications can be made online at https://alprek.asapconnected.com Enrollees must provide a copy of the child’s birth certificate and two proofs of residence (example: current utility bill, copy of lease or mortgage). Children who are eligible for kindergarten are ineligible. No child will be denied participation on basis of income, sex, race, national origin or disability.
Acceptance in the program is strictly through a random drawing to be held on March, 11 at 3:30 p.m. at Tallassee Elementary School at 850 Friendship Road. A parent or guardian does not have to be present at drawing. For more information, contact the Tallassee Board of Education at (334) 283-6864. |
