 Lakeland Public Television presents Currents. Hello. Welcome to Lakeland Currents. I'm Bethany Wesley. In August, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton announced that 74 school districts and charter schools would benefit from $25 million in new state funding, allowing more than 3,304-year-olds to attend voluntary pre-kindergarten programs free of charge. The expansion of the state's pre-kindergarten funding aims to prepare Minnesota's youngest learners for academic success. More than 180 school districts and charter schools applied for funds, but 60% did not receive the state aid. According to Dayton's office, had all the requests been funded, more than 10,000 children in 183 districts and charter schools would have been enrolled in pre-k programs this year. Tonight, however, we focus on one of the programs that is benefiting from the increased funding. Nevis Public Schools was one of the successful applicants, having been allocated more than $142,000 for around 70 students. While it's too early to discuss the impact of the state funding on the Nevis program itself, having had it for only a few months now, we welcome this chance to highlight the Nevis Early Childhood Education program, its class offerings, and its staff. And so, I welcome to the program tonight Abby Henry, the early childhood coordinator who also teaches the four-year-old kindergarten preparedness program and Jen McNamee, who teaches the three-year-old school readiness program. Welcome to the program. Thanks for coming up. Thank you. Thank you. As we get started, let's just do some introductions first. Talk a little bit about how long you've been teaching and how long you've been in Nevis. Abby? I've been in Nevis for seven years now. This is my seventh year. And now, before Nevis, you were in other places as well. Yes. I went to two other settings where I worked as well. Okay. And Jen, you started around basically the same time. Yes, I've been in Nevis for seven years as well. And prior to that, you had career elsewhere. Yes. Let's talk about the programs themselves because there's two separate programs. Abby, let's start with Jen's first since yours is the younger one. I have three and four-year-olds. Okay. Children start in my class when they're 33 months and some of them are four-year-olds as well when they're starting my program. And how frequently does that class meet? We meet two days a week. I have two different groups. One meets on Monday and Wednesday. It's on Tuesday and Thursday. And we meet from 8.30 to 11.30. Okay. So they're half-day programs? Half-day programs, yes. And Abby, your program? My program is a full-day program. I also have two groups of 20 students in each class. And they are four or five-year-olds getting ready most likely to transition to kindergarten. Okay. So are they structured similar? Obviously, different ages, different timeframes. But are they structured similarly? Are they different? Do they have different emphasis? I would say yes. I mean, mine are geared down a level from what Abby does. Sure. My classroom gets the kids ready for Abby's class transition. So fair to say that as they grow, assuming that they start in the three-year-old and continue on, yours is more challenging than they are when they first get started. And now, in addition, we do want to touch on, in addition to yourselves in the classroom, you also have additional teaching assistants for adults who are there as well. Correct. So what are, give or take, you know, roughly the staff to kid ratio? I mean, is it usually... The preschool ratio is 10 to 1. Okay. So I have one classroom aid in the classroom all day with me. Okay. Let's talk about a typical day, like how the kids get started. And so I know that they're kind of arranged similarly. But let's start with your class first. What is a typical day for your kids? My kids come in and have breakfast in the morning if they haven't eaten at home. And then we have playtime, social time. And then we also do some one-on-one skills. We pull the kids out and do some one-on-one time. And then we have our circle time where we discuss calendar and do some skills and get ready for our centers, which are based on usually a letter and a theme for the week that we're working on. And then we have five different centers that we do. One is a skill center, usually based on the letter that we're working on, a sensory, and a gross motor, a fine motor, a dramatic play area, and then usually an arts and crafts center. So they get used to that schedule, right? Yes, yes. The schedule is very consistent. Yes. Is that helpful for younger kids? Yes. To know what's coming up? Yes. They thrive on structure. Is it similarly structured for your kids as well? Obviously you have a fuller day, but do you have the same schedule kind of throughout the day? Yes. My morning time, they come in and have breakfast as well. It's a good transition just to get them comfortable into the classroom. Each day starts out brand new, so it's a good time to give them comfort in the classroom. And then we also transition into our learning centers and we focus on letters and fine motor skills and large motor skills as well. The play, the communication, and those kinds of things that we do in our centers. And our day continues on with lunch and outside time and play time and rest time and things like that. Do you find that you can get further as the year goes on, like those first few weeks? I mean, I'm assuming just circled can take up almost your entire day. I mean, do you find that as they get more used to the routine, that you incorporate more? Yes. We were discussing that on our way down this morning and how much, just in the last couple of weeks, we've seen growth in the children just socially and being more comfortable in the classroom and emotionally being comfortable with us as teachers and with their peers. And going back to routine, routine is safe for them. So they feel really comfortable in the classroom by now. So we can really start to really engage them and move on with some of those skills that they can prosper from. As they get comfortable with the schedule and the routines, do you find that then you can kind of, they challenge themselves to kind of break out of their own shells and learn more? Yes. Yes. Yes. I want to talk about early childhood education just kind of generally for a second. Is it, would you say the focus is academic? Is it social? Is it emotional? Is it all of those things all together? Is it different at your level versus the kids that are in your class? It's all of those things. I think for mine being just three, it's, for the families too, it's an adjustment. It's, the parents are sending their three-year-olds off to school for the first time. And so, you know, it's difficult for them and for these children, it's the first time that they've left their parents if they don't go to daycare on a regular basis. And so for some of them, it can be quite an adjustment. And it's an awesome opportunity for them to be able to branch out socially, emotionally, and academically. And then you build on that. I build on that. Yep. And the social and emotional portion of that is really critical. I think in these early years with how education has pushed down a little more, so it's good for them to have school routine and structure so when they get into the academic portion of their day, they can be able to focus and stay on task. We should say that the kids that are in your program, the four and five-year-olds, are not necessarily required to have gone through Jen's program, correct? Yes. Okay. And so you've seen some kids that come straight from wherever, home or daycare, and you've seen kids who have come through Jen's program. Can you tell the difference quickly? I mean, can you tell on that? Oh, you can. Yes. Yes, you can. In terms like, what is the difference? Like, how can you tell? Just overall following the structure of the day. Oh, okay. Following someone else's routine, things like that, that they need to adjust to. And we do get some that have had their first time ever being away from home and to meet that emotional adjustment as well. Is early childhood education more important now than perhaps it was a decade ago, two decades ago? Would you say that there's more of an emphasis on it than there was before? Yes. Because of what you were referencing earlier, that perhaps education's more intense, younger than it used to be? Education is younger, you know, than it used to be, and I also think it has to do with our societal changes as well. Okay. Have you seen that parents really buy into that, or have there been times that you have parents that say, I don't know if we really need preschool? Like, how do you help parents kind of walk through that? Does that ever come up? I think I know when I first conference with parents, they are amazed at all the different things that we work on with the academic skills, the fine motor skills, just sitting down and having snack and what our expectations are, their self-help skills. I mean, there's a lot that goes on in the classroom, and for their first time, you know, for some of them, it's their first child coming in. So the expectations for them, they're surprised at what we require of them to do. I want to talk a little bit specifically about those individual stations so people can kind of just get better ideas to how they're different. And so I think the day that I was visiting most recently was were you doing a lesson on bears? Yes. And so you read a book about bears, and then each station was set up to kind of focus on a different skill, but still kind of reflect that general idea. Maybe you could walk us through the stations. Would that be... Sure. Trying to remember. One of the centers we were working on was patterning, and that was our skill for the day. Our sensory table had a flower kind of building consistency where they can make caves. It had animals in there, and they were building caves for the animals. At our arts and crafts center, we were making bears and putting the pieces together to make the face, the ears. And then we had a bear cave in the classroom, and the children were reading books in there and dramatic playing with the bear. And then our last center was our gross motor center where there were animal tracks throughout the classroom of different animals that hibernate and migrate and adapt to the winter. And then children had to crawl like bears, fly like geese, run like a deer, and hop like a rabbit. So we practiced those gross motor skills as well. So they're all at these different stations simultaneously, right? Yes. So you have smaller groups. Yes. When you break into smaller groups in your classrooms, does that help you and your teaching assistants kind of help kids more individually than you can in a big group? Yes. Yes. We can focus on different skills, needs in areas where they need more. And the centers themselves, they're learning independence. They're learning communication skills. They're learning those language skills. The gross motor, they're learning how to manage those things on their own with adult supervision. So we're able to step in if we need to. But they also are developing then more of that independent learning and things like that. And I'm assuming that's also when you can kind of work on some of your testing and evaluations without necessarily doing it too publicly. I want to talk a little bit about when you can help a kid earlier. Like if you find, I'm assuming that when you have kids who are younger and you're working with them daily, that you can probably identify some kids who might need some extra attention or extra help as the school year goes on. Have you seen that? Yes. And is it easier from what you've seen to help a kid when they're younger versus later in their educational career? Yes. How does that work then in your programs? When you have a kid that you say, you know what, this child might just need a little bit more attention or a little bit extra assistance. Well, all the children have to be screened. Okay. And so when we screen the children, that helps us to know, okay, we're seeing some issues here. Then we can go ahead, especially if they don't pass the screen and go ahead and start with the testing. And then, Abby and I will discuss with our special ed, early childhood special ed teacher. Because you guys haven't dedicated early childhood special education teacher, right? Yes. And so she's working with you guys pretty constantly. I mean, you guys are pretty firm teaching team. Yes. And so, does she work in the classroom or out of the classroom or how does she work with the kids? She does a little bit of both. She will work in the classroom or if there's anything more specific about her as she works through first grade. So she's able to follow them on as they get into the school setting and continue to meet some of those needs early on. So as they transition the kid from early childhood to K and beyond, at least they have that familiar face who's kind of there to help them. Yes. Oh, that's great. I want to talk some more too about some of the other things you guys do. I know that when weather cooperates, you guys do have a lot of people there but there's more involved than just the actual play time. What is it that kids are learning as they prepare to go outside and are they kind of, it's a learning process. Yes. Can you speak a little bit to them? Yeah, they're learning their independent skills. They're learning to do things on their own. They're learning to zip their coats, put on their snow pants and boots all on their own. They're learning to keep track of their own items as well. And is it for some of them, is it the first time they've done that? I mean, in a lot of cases, moms and dads have done those for them. And so, I bet you hear a lot from parents, the growth that they see from their kids from fall to spring. Yes. Yeah. Did you see that when you were having conferences recently, like even in the first half of the year? Yes. That is one of the things that is on my assessment is that they're able to put themselves. I know we talked a little bit about parents and kind of their response to preschool, but do you feel like the community as a whole has really supported your program? Do you feel like the community supports the expansion of the program? And I know that you guys have a fairly new facility, correct? And that's just a few years old? Yes. And that was bond money? Was that a referendum or something like that? Yes. The facility is now a dedicated part of the school, correct? Yes. And so it's an easy drop-off for parents. How important is it that you have this facility and with the amenities that came with it? Did that help the program blossom? Do you know what I'm saying? Like have there been features of that new facility that helped you out? Yes. Such as? A new facility, which was a walk. Yeah. It was a safety walking through a parking lot and now parents can just drop them off, come right in at the front door. We have the roundabout there where parents can pull in and drop them off and it's much easier. Okay. And now I know that in your rooms you also have restrooms. You have certain amenities closer which has to make it easier for the kids. How do you use a smart board with little kids? I have a curriculum that I use through it and it's interactive so they can interact with it as well. Any kind of music, large motor, things like that that they can follow along with they love to do. There's all sorts of things that you can use your smart board for. Does it help to have those kind of different things to keep their interest? I know they get used to their routine but they get used to it when it's smart board time and things like that so it's fun. They really enjoy it. Tell me about when you see the kid, what is your favorite part of teaching throughout the day? Do you like the small time? Do you like the big time? Do you like all of them? I enjoy all of them. The one-on-one time with the kids but yet the large group they're sharing it's always you never know what you're doing. You two work in tandem. I know you have your separate programs but you work in tandem. How do you go about planning for the school year together? Like to make sure the programs are aligned well to make sure that what they're learning here helps them in your program. How do you work together in those ways? We started a professional learning community with the kindergarten teachers as well so we are doing what we think would help each other out. And each year it varies depending on the kids and so we adjust curriculums, adjust what we do, skills based on the kids that are coming in as well. Do you have some years where you have kids that seem to be kind of up here and other years when maybe they're just not quite as ready and you do know that before that first day or do you kind of have to figure that out? We talked a little bit about how you can tell which kids have gone through Jen's program. Do you hear similar things from kindergarten teachers and beyond that they can tell which kids have been through preschool? Yes. Yes. Yes. And from what you've heard does it seem to benefit them beyond those first couple years of elementary? Like is there any way to know? I think the biggest benefit that we've got is that they catch on quickly and they learn quickly. So I think it just just falls back on that routine and knowing how to function in the classroom I think has been the biggest the biggest point made. And it's great that we're now a part of the actual school. And so coming into the elementary school for the first time as a kindergartener isn't as overwhelming for them because they've been in the school before and they're the teachers and there are a lot of familiar faces for them so it isn't as overwhelming for them. They're comfortable. Yes. So I'm sure that first day kindergarten is a little less I'm sure there's nerves but it's a little less intense than perhaps it could be otherwise. Yes. We've heard you know that kindergarten's kind of the new first grade preschool's kind of the new kindergarten. Do you guys teach the kids to read at your level in kindergarten? I tell parents at my conferences all the things we do don't have to be mastered by the end of preschool it's just experiences in it and like I said if they catch on they catch on but it's all things that they review in kindergarten as well and it's just it just gives them that extra step into the familiarity and the comfort in kindergarten. I think parent you might be talking about next steps for a kid either in your program or your program where you might suggest you know what I just don't think your child's quite ready for that next step I mean the decision's ultimately left to the parent but do you ever have those conversations where you're like this kid might benefit from Yes. Are they pretty receptive to that? Yes. Because everybody wants what's best for the kids and how often are you talking with parents and then how strict is it in terms of evaluations to move forward? Do you know what I'm saying? How often do you evaluate kids? Let's start. We do our progress report is in the spring and the fall so we start with our fall one which is about six weeks into school and then our last one is in March. Okay. And you can certainly document then the games and so is it just if you don't see a consistent gain that might be when you might just talk to a parent about your child? Yeah. We're continually assessing and watching our children every day. I bet you've seen kids who have off days and they have good days and kids certainly seem to enjoy being in school. I mean do they like the challenge of school generally speaking? Yes. I think so. And then you've seen from the first day I mean I'm sure you've had kids who just drop off crying and then by the end they're running inside. Yeah. Yes. How do the kids respond to you when they come back the next year? The kids that you haven't seen in the summer that maybe I know they might be going to Abby's program but they might see you. I mean are they excited to be back? Yes they are. They are. Always a smile and a hug. Yeah. When you go about setting up your stations in different sections for pumpkins and Halloween are you trying to tie it in to just reinforce that overall larger lesson? Yeah. The theme based I think helps expand their vocabulary. Some kids aren't exposed to different things like opening up a pumpkin and looking inside or even just learning about hibernation or migration and things like that so it really expands our vocabulary and experiences overall. I wanted to touch a little bit about the sensory table itself because for somebody who hasn't been in a preschool it might be a strange concept the fact that you're giving people just different textures to play with. What is the purpose of it or what's the benefit of a sensory table or what do the kids get out of that? Well a lot of it is it's play but it's also the fine motor and it's sensitive to different textures different touches and so it's an experience for them a learning experience not only with just the play but also with the sensory and those fine motor skills. I mean because you expect kids to be writing and to be doing certain things like that in a school setting but when you see kids doing bear crawls around the room it's hard to sometimes understand I wanted to talk a little bit more specifically about circle time because there's so much involved in it it's not just reading a book tell me a lot what you take the kids through every day so they know circle time really sets up the day right so what is it that they're learning at circle time that you got calendar and things like that can you walk us through that? Yeah they're learning body awareness how to sit in a group with others without being distracted and staying on task with your friends any kind of finger play that focuses on counting rhyming numbers and then calendar just focuses on all those math skills as well So they start to get familiar even if they're not learning all of the months in a row they're starting to get familiar with the fact that there's generally 30 days in a month and then they see how it progresses through the week by the end of the year they really have that circle time down I mean they know what's going and they look forward I'm sure to finding out what those tables are right because that's really what the big unveiling is is what the activities are each day and now how do you decide who goes to which table do they rotate every day or yeah they rotate we rotate them and you have a schedule that they are announced to I've seen that so tell me some about what made you guys want to be teaching these grades what is it about this age that really appeals to you that you enjoy the most for me choosing early childhood it just came so naturally to me I was a babysitter I babysat kids when I was young I just I don't know there was something about it I just loved and they're so eager to learn that it's just fun to watch them grow so much over the year yeah and I knew when I went to school that I wanted to work with and this opportunity came up to work with preschoolers and I've just fallen in love with it I love my job we who don't teach have frequently heard from teachers about that moment the light goes on in the kids in this age do you see that repeatedly all the time because they're constantly mastering a new skill yes they're very excitable they take absolutely everything in they appreciate everything that you do with them and they're so excited to learn new things well it sounds like you guys have really mastered the program and kind of gotten your program up and running and going well and going forward what do you see in the future of your program do you see it possibly expanding or is it pretty strong how it is now I think we have a pretty strong program yes great well I want to thank you guys for coming up today I want to thank you for having the opportunity in your classrooms it was the kids were having excitement and laughing and it was just fantastic to see so thank you thank you for joining me today on this latest episode of Lakeland Currents please join me the next time thanks