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What's New in Pre-K at Mamaroneck Avenue School?
Open House March 17
by Joan R. Simon
(March 2, 2005) Almost all Larchmont and Mamaroneck families
who can afford it send their young children to preschool – for
socialization, for early education, for fun. During the past forty years,
the Mamaroneck
Avenue School’s
Prekindergarten program has been providing preschool education, mostly
for families in the community with financial or special education needs.
Recently the program has been enhanced, increasing coordination with
the elementary curriculum, expanding inclusion of special education students,
and, thanks to a large, private donation, development of an enriched
science program.
OPEN HOUSE: MARCH 17: The program is already planning
for next year. There will be an open house on Thursday, March 17 for
parents of children born in 2001 and 2002 at 9 am, starting in the All
Purpose Room of Mamaroneck Avenue School.
At this point, the pre-k program has 110 children, almost all of whom
have economic or special needs. Several programs are offered, including
a regular pre-k for three and four year olds, a self-contained special
needs program, integrated classes which include special needs students
in the regular pre-k class, and a TEACCH program for autistic and severely
communication-impaired preschoolers. There are both morning and afternoon
sessions, at 8:20 – 10:50 am and 12:00 – 2:30 pm and one
TEACCH all-day class.
Pre-k social worker Meryl Schaffer explained that the integrated classes
are relatively new. “There is a lot of opportunity for inclusion,” she
said. MAS Principal Carrie Amon added, “We have inclusion in the
kindergarten now modeled on the pre-k program.”
Integrated classes
aren’t the only new feature of the pre-k program,
according to Mamaroneck Schools Superintendent Dr. Sherry King. “Over
the years we have retooled the program in order to try to figure out
how we can support children to better prepare them for success when they
get into a more academic setting.” She noted that now the pre-k
is “very consciously coordinated with the kindergarten program.” Ms.
Amon agreed: “I think that our pre-k program is working closely
with our kindergarten teachers and we’re looking at kindergarten
readiness in the pre-k.” She added, “There‘s a nice
relationship between the pre-k and kindergarten program.”
The
new pre-k science curriculum, which is part of a $100,000 anonymous grant
recently donated to the district (see: Anonymous
Donor) will help students “learn tools of observation and recording,” Dr.
King explained. “They do it in areas that are absolutely appropriate
for preschool like worms and bugs and water tables and blocks and the
outdoor environment.” A major goal is to “build a language-rich
environment for kids.” She added, “For many of our [pre-k]
children it is the need for language whether they come through special
education or are second language learners.”
Support for the program comes from both New York State grants and the
Mamaroneck school district. Dr. King explained that “the rate of
reimbursement from the state has never kept pace with the costs.” As
a result, the program was scaled back some years ago. “We wanted
to make sure it was our own community children in it,” and not
students from other districts, she explained. “By scaling back
the size of the program, we could insure that all of the students are
our own.”
“The community should really be proud of the program,” Dr.
King emphasized. “Long before there was discussion about universal
prekindergarten, this community had already made a commitment to our
youngest and most needy children.”
MORE INFORMATION: Details on the Prekindergarten programs
can be found at
their website. Applications
are available at the pre-k office located in the lower level of Mamaroneck
Avenue School or on the above website. A limited number
of spaces in the regular pre-k program are available to over-income families
on a wait list basis.
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