The Switzerland County School Corporation has announced that will begin offering Pre-Kindergarten classes at both Jefferson-Craig Elementary and Switzerland County Elementary beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.
Superintendent Mike Jones said that the program is designed to help identify children who would benefit from getting an early start. He said that the program will involve 20 students at each location; and enrollment will be based on the results of assessments that will be given to the children during the upcoming registration times. Curriculum director Fred Ross said that there is also the possibility of going out to other locations around the county to assess children.
Jones said that he and staff members have met with childcare providers around the county to assure them that the school corporation isn’t looking to put anyone out of business; but is simply using grant funds to identify and give students who may have early challenges the chance to develop both educational and social skills prior to entering kindergarten the following year.
Ross said that children accepted into the program will need to have at least 95-percent attendance; or the school corporation may remove that student from the program and take a child who is on the waiting list and put them in the program.
To qualify to be considered for participation in the new Pre-Kindergarten program, a child must be four years old by August 1st, 2017; have a county-issued birth certificate (not one issued by the hospital); and have an up to date immunization record including the following: four doses of DTaP; three doses of polio; three doses of Hepatitis B vaccine; one MMR (measles, mumps, rubella); one dose of Varicella (chicken pox) or physician documentation of disease history, including the month and year that the child had chicken pox.
Parents are also asked to bring a copy of the child’s social security card, but this is not required. Parents are also urged to bring their child to the registration.
– Pre-Kindergarten registration at Switzerland County Elementary School will be on Tuesday, April 11th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the SCES gym.
For more information, contact the school that your preschooler will be attending.