Kathleen Szmit Photos
BUDDING ARTISTS – Barnstable Integrative Preschool students Will, Xander and Julia learn about color and texture while marble painting during a recent morning session.
District preschool program a foundation for success
On a recent morning at the Barnstable Inclusive Preschool Program, students are happily engaged in various activities that look like lots of fun. Some are building with blocks, while others paint with marbles and still others gather for a sing-along.
While seemingly standard happenings for a preschool classroom, each activity is also part of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and will help prepare students for success in kindergarten and beyond.
The program at CES is not only the school district’s sole preschool but also an integrative program that partners young children having special needs with their mainstream peers.
“I think [this] is the first starting place for children with and without special needs,” said CES Principal Matthew Scheufele, who noted that all of the preschool’s lead teachers are certified. “I think you could go to a preschool and not necessarily have the certified teachers we have.”
Lead teachers include Jane Anglin, Margaret Donahue and Joelle McCarthy, who are joined in their cheery classrooms by a number of personal care assistants (teacher’s assistants).
The preschool has morning and afternoon sessions based on age, with each lasting two-and-a-half hours.
According to program secretary Joan Perry, the inclusive preschool provides children with basic knowledge of colors, shapes and English, while also encouraging them to socialize through play. Students with various needs, including learning English as a second language, work together, developing and strengthening skills while forming friendships that may last a lifetime.
Even though it is public, the specialized program charges a fee for students to attend, and not all students will be selected, which Scheufele said is always difficult.
“It’s not free and there are limited spaces because its primary purpose is to help students with disabilities,” he said. “The hard part is not having a child selected as a peer.”
By pairing students whose primary language is English and who have strong speech with those in need of speech assistance, non-English-speaking students and those with speech challenges have the opportunity to develop those skills in a caring environment.
“We look for children who can interact with their peers and encourage them to speak,” Scheufele said. “It’s not a program where you walk through the door and sign your child up.”
The preschool is, however, an integral part of the elementary school that houses it.
“It is like they’re part of Centerville Elementary School,” Scheufele said. “We’re trying to help them feel like a part of the community here, and not just a separate program.”
To emphasize that, a table for preschoolers will be included at the CES Lego Night April 5. There is also a screening planned for April 10 that will help the program generate a wait list for four-year-olds. Since spots are currently available for three-year-olds, Scheufele encourages parents to attend the screening.
“Our preschool prepares students for future success at elementary school,” Scheufele said.
For more information about preschool screening call 508-790-6493.