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EGUSD in the Spotlight
Parents and students grow and learn together at Partners Preschool
Photo:
Three preschools pose for a picture on Dress-Up Day.
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Preschool can play an important role in the educational development of young children. At Elk Grove Adult and Community Education (EGACE)’s Partners Preschool, parents play an integral role in the educational process.
“Our preschool program is theme-based and emphasizes hands-on learning, positive social interaction and acquisition of pre-reading and math skills based on each child’s developmental stage,” said Kathy Hamilton, director of EGACE. “In our Partners Preschools, parents are key to their children’s success.”
Partners Preschool is offered at four sites throughout the Elk Grove Unified School District: James McKee Elementary School, Sierra Enterprise Elementary School, Irene B. West Elementary School and Valley High School. There are two sessions offered daily at McKee, West and Valley – in the morning and the afternoon. Sierra Enterprise offers a morning class. Classes meet four days a week, Monday through Thursday, for three hours a day.
Classes are usually a mix of both 3- and 4-year-old children. Although each class can have up to 24 children enrolled, there are as many as six parent helpers in the classroom each day. The child-to-adult ratio is always at least 4 to 1.
“One of the highlights of the program is that the parents are in the classroom with their children at least four times a month,” said Gail Womack, a preschool teacher at McKee Elementary School with Partners Preschool. “They also have to attend parent education night classes. Having them in the classroom assists the teacher in providing a unique and creative learning environment for preschool children.”
The parent involvement component is what links the Partners Preschool into EGACE. The program is unique in that parents must attend parent education classes three times a month. Guest speakers are brought in to speak on a variety of topics. Then, parents can utilize their time in the classroom as a “lab” to practice what they have learned.
“In the beginning, many parents are reluctant about the parent involvement portion of the program,” said Hamilton. “But eventually as they move through the program, they see the value in the classes and begin to create friendships. Many parents look forward to the night classes and develop close bonds with other parents with children in the preschool.”
Photo:
A firefighter helps a preschool students off of a fire truck during a visit to the fire station.
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Each month there is a different theme and classes sometimes take field trips to places that help reinforce the theme. For example, in October the theme is Fall Harvest and students have visited pumpkin patches in the past. Other field trips have also included outings to fire stations, the fish hatchery and Byers gymnasium.
One of the hallmarks of the preschool has been the subsequent rise in diversity over the past five years.
“Multicultural Day is one of the highlights of the program,” said Hamilton. “Each year, the variety of cultures represented grows. It’s wonderful to see the children, their parents and sometimes additional family members display and teach others about their culture’s customs and traditions. Our preschool program is just as diverse as the district we are a part of.”
Partners Preschool can trace its origins back to the early 1960’s when it was started by a group of mothers led by JoAnne Gatejen, who went on to become an EGUSD teacher, principal and ultimately Associate Superintendent of Human Resources. The first site was the Florin Methodist Church. The program expanded to Elk Grove Methodist Church in the 1970’s and has been housed at a variety of sites ever since.
“I believe that people truly see the value in the preschool – its one of the reasons it’s been around for so long,” said Womack. “I have been teaching for Partners Preschool since 1979 and I’m starting to see a second generation of students come through the program. Quite a few of my old students are now bringing their children to the program.”
Partners Preschool is a fee-based program and is intended to be a whole-family learning experience. To be eligible for Partners Preschool, children must be: 3 or 4 years old by December 2, 2008, toilet-trained and up-to-date on the most current immunizations. Parents also have requirements they must meet to participate in the preschool, including: verification of a negative TB test, regular attendance on assigned workdays and night classes and payment of monthly fees on or before the due date. Priority is given to residents within the Elk Grove Unified School District.
A student does not have to live in the attendance area of a certain school to attend the program. All sites are still taking registration applications.
For more information on Elk Grove Adult and Community Education’s Partners Preschool, visit http://www.egusd.net/adulted/ParentEd.html or call EGACE at 686-7717.
Partners Preschools – At A Glance
James McKee Elementary School
8701 Halverson Drive
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 686-8933
4-day program (M-Th)
8:30-11:30 a.m. class or 12-3 p.m. class
$25 non-refundable registration fee
$100/month
Sierra Enterprise Elementary School
9115 Fruitridge Road
Sacramento, CA 95826
(916) 383-4623
4-day program (M-Th)
8-11 a.m. class
$25 non-refundable registration fee
$100/month
Irene B. West Elementary School
8625 Serio Way
Elk Grove, CA 95758
4-day program (M-Th)
8:30-11:30 a.m. class or 12-3 p.m. class
$25 non-refundable registration fee
$105/month
Valley High School
6300 Ehrhardt Drive
Sacramento, CA 95823
(916) 689-3562
4-day program (M-Th)
8:30-11:30 a.m. class or 12-3 p.m. class
$25 non-refundable registration fee
$90/month
Spotlight Archives
2008
June 16, 2008 - EGUSD Goes Gold – Celebrating 50 Years of Educational Excellence
June 6, 2008 - Kaiser Permanente Rewards EGUSD Elementary students with perfect attendance with the gift of a two-wheel ride
May 30, 2008 - Sheldon High School Student Matthew King wins Elk Grove Auto Mall 2007/2008 Graduating Seniors Attendance Drive
May 20, 2008 - Harriet Eddy Middle School student wins pair of round-trip tickets from Southwest Airlines
May 21, 2008 - Elk Grove Unified and the Elk Grove Education Association Celebrate the Day of the Teacher
May 6, 2008 - Elk Grove Unified School District’s 2008 Employees of the Year
April 28, 2008 - Sacramento County Educators Host Budget Forum at State Capital
April 16, 2008 - EGUSD Launches New Attendance Campaign Videos
April 4, 2008 - Winners selected for 3rd Annual Superintendent’s Art Contest
March 26, 2008 - Megaconference Jr. 2008 - Arthur C. Butler Students Take Their Voices to the World
March 17, 2008 - Elk Grove Unified Joins Call to Fix Governor’s Proposed Budget
March 4, 2008 - Elk Grove Unified Hosts Sacramento County Superintendents’ Press Conference on State Budget Cuts
Feb. 19, 2008 - 4th Annual High School Conference helps train the leaders of the future
Jan. 16, 2008 - Laguna Creek High School hosts ConnectEd Policy Site Visit
Jan. 02, 2008 - Senior Attendance Drive returns for second year
2007
Dec. 12, 2007 - John Ehrhardt Elementary students combine academics and community service
Dec. 03, 2007 - EGUSD’s Commitment to Service Learning Honored
Nov. 15, 2007 - Winners announced for No Excuses – Go to School Rhyme & Poster Contests
Nov. 13, 2007 - Veterans Day celebrated at Elk Grove Unified
Oct. 23, 2007 - Time of Remembrance Project and Website
Oct. 15, 2007 - Markofer Elementary offers “Donuts for Dads/Muffins for Moms"
Oct. 3, 2007 - EGUSD elementary schools participate in Walk to School Day
Sept. 18, 2007 - Options abound on new College and Career website
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