District #200 Early Childhood programs will provide opportunities for families and staff to listen, learn, teach and grow together.

• Listen…to what families tell us.
• Learn…together about each child and parent’s strengths and needs.
• Teach…responsibly with regard to current research, best practices and individual needs.
• Grow…together to provide the best possible community of support for families.

Community Education Preschool and School Readiness programs are designed to provide a variety of experiences that contribute to growth and development of children ages 3 to 5 years old.  These experiences serve as a foundation for later school experiences and recognize that:

• Each child is a unique individual and develops at his or her own rate.
• Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher.
• Play is a child’s work and is seen as a productive avenue for learning.
• All areas of development are important.
• A group experience fosters independence, builds self confidence, and helps children develop self-identity outside of the child’s role in his or her family.

General Information:

• Class size: Maximum class size is 20 students. 
• Maximum adult to child ratio is 1 to 10.
• Staff:    The teachers and classroom aides meet or exceed state requirements for this type of program.
• Calendar: All Classes run from Mid-September through up to Memorial Day and generally follow District #200 calendar breaks.
• Curriculum:  We use a developmentally appropriate, research-based curriculum and assessment tool that is recommended by the state department of education called “Creative Curriculum”.
• Registration: We use a random draw to process registrations each Spring prior to the school year due to our limited number of preschoolers we are able to serve. 
• All of our preschool classes include children with identified special needs as well as typically developing children.

 In addition we provide…

• Information and referral to services that may be helpful to families.

• Parent/child events and information about ECFE parent classes are offered throughout the year.

• A sliding scale for tuition is available to families who qualify for fee assistance.