With an emphasis on preparing its youngest learners, Cloverdale Elementary School will be offering expanded pre-kindergarten options for its families beginning in the 2023-24 school year.
According to principal Mary Jane Elkins, the idea of expanding Clover Elementary's Pre-Kindergarten program and the launch of a Pre-Clover program originated from discussions with school leaders in January.
"We looked at how we can prepare our 3 and 4 year old students and their families. We decided it was time to do programming, did a survey of K-12 parents and we want to be involved in their lives and prepare them for school and their lives," Elkins told The Putnam County Post.
The Pre-Clover Program is open to 3 year old students and is available in either the a.m, or p.m. two to three days a week. Students must be 3 by Aug. 1 to enroll in the program.
The Pre-K program is five a days a week from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and students must be 4 years old by Aug. 1.
"We launched our kindergarten round-up in March and had approximately 40 families interested in the 3 and 4 year old programs. We have one pre-K class and the difference between that and our Pre-Clover program is the Pre-K will run during the school day. We have a good program in place," Elkins said.
Elkins said Cloverdale Elementary understands a child's social, emotional, physical and cognitive development is best nurtured amongst adults and peers in an environment that extends curiosity and enriches learning. In addition, it is her hope that students enjoy coming to preschool.
"The necessity of the program is focused on young children. Learning words and numbers, how to play well together, exploring their environment, all of this provides opportunities for students to be more prepared for kindergarten. We enjoy providing this service for our families," Elkins said.
The Pre-K and Pre-Clover curriculums will follow the Indiana Early Learning Foundations, with designed learning activities and a focus on basic concepts and skills.
Families can register now through the middle of June and then registration will move online. For more information or to register, call Cloverdale Elementary School at 765-795-4339 or visit https://ces.cloverdale.k12.in.us/news/what_s_new/registration_is_still_o_p_e_n_
