Pre-kindergarten program collaboration continues

The RESA 8 Head Start, Morgan County Schools and Doodlebugs Learning Station pre-kindergarten program collaboration agreements were approved at the June 5 school board meeting.

The Creative Curriculum instructional materials used for the program were also approved. The new Common Core content and objective standards have already been implemented in pre-kindergarten classrooms, said Morgan County Schools Elementary Education Director Kandy Kulus.

Head Start Director Diane Ansari and Kulus spoke about the pre-K program collaboration. Ansari noted that West Virginia ranked third in the nation for its pre-kindergarten programs.

RESA 8 Executive Director Jane Lynch also reported on services provided by their agency, which include Head Start, cooperative purchasing, technical assistance, professional development and health, safety and technology services.

Serves most
The Head Start/Morgan County Schools universal pre-kindergarten program is serving most county four-year-olds.

Some parents that register their kids for kindergarten tell them they weren’t aware of the program, said Kulus. She wants every four-year-old to have the chance to attend.

They have spots for around 134 children, she said. Around 100 kids are currently registered for the Head Start and pre-K program.

They reserve some places for children with special needs that may need to transition from the Early Head Start Birth to Three program or that could develop disabilities during the year, said Ansari.

They have a total of five universal pre-K classrooms and one three-year old class which includes children with developmental issues and special needs.

Half-day, full-day
Children attend the Great Cacapon site for a full-day 6.5 hour session. Kids at the Berkeley Springs Head Start Center and Widmyer Elementary Head Start/pre-K sites go for a 3.5 hour half-day session, either morning or afternoon.
Sessions are Tuesday through Friday.

Ansari said that the Great Cacapon site can accept up to 20 children and has a few three-year olds that attend. The Head Start Center in Berkeley Springs has two classrooms for four-year-olds and one classroom for three-year-olds and can accept 17 children for each session.

Widmyer Elementary has one pre-K classroom. Doodlebugs Learning Station offers a six-hour full-day pre-kindergarten class.

They served a total of 107 children last year through the Head Start/pre-K program, she said.

Eligibility, registration
The Head Start/Morgan County Schools pre-kindergarten program is open to all children who will be four-years-old by August 31.

Kids who will be three-years-old by August 31 are eligible for Head Start, which has income eligibility guidelines and serves special needs children. All attend the pre-K program. Classes begin on August 28.

For more information or to register your child, call Morgan County Head Start on Tuesdays or Thursdays mornings through the summer from 8:30 a.m. to noon at 304-258-5335 or leave a message.

Director Kandy Kulus can also be reached at the school board office at 304-258-2430, extension 29. Kulus said that pre-kindergarten registration packets were also available at the front desk at the school board office.