Providing quality care in an environment that promotes social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.
Providing quality care in an environment that promotes social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
You are not too late! We still accepting enrollments for the '11 - '12 Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten school year. VPK is a free preschool program for 4-year-olds paid for by the state of Florida. This session will run from 8:45 am to 11:45 am, August 8th, 2011 Full day wrap-around care is available at the rate of $75 per week. For more information on the VPK program, visit the Florida Department of Education, and the Learning Coalition of Florida's Heartland.
Due to smaller class sizes to comply with VPK standards, there is limited space available. Your child must be 4-years-old prior to September 1, 2011 to be eligible for this government subsidized program. To enroll your child in VPK, you must contact the ELCFH at (941) 255-1650 to set up an appointment for obtaining a VPK voucher. Once you receive your voucher, you may enroll your child in our VPK program. New enrollees may be accepted after the start of the program.
The Schedule: The VPK program runs from 8:45am - 11:45 August 10, 2010 However, we do offer wrap-around care for those who need child care for the full day. Therefore, the following schedule reflects the morning VPK program as well as wrap-around care. Like the 3-year-old class, the VPK daily schedule includes time for teacher and child-directed activities, quiet and active times, as well as small and large group activities.
The Classroom:
The VPK classroom is designed to stimulate independent thinking, problem-solving skills, and the formation of positive social relationships. According to the Beyond Centers and Circle Time curriculum used in this program, teachers scaffold the children's free choice time, by offering more support with new tasks, and lessening that support as the child's competency increases, thereby fostering the child's autonomy and independent mastery of skills. The classroom contains the following interest areas: Literacy Corner, Discovery (featuring Copper the Snake), Math, Manipulatives, Writing, Blocks, Sand and Water, Music, Dramatic Play, and Creative Arts. Below are a few pictures of us enjoying our stimulating learning environment. You may view more pictures in our photo gallery.
Please click here to see our daily schedule.
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The Program:
The Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program is comprised of 540 instructional hours, designed to give your 4-year-old child the skills and knowledge necessary for entering kindergarten. The mission of the voluntary pre-kindergarten program is "To ensure that all children are intellectually, emotionally, physically and socially ready to enter school and ready to learn, fully recognizing the crucial role of parents as their child's first teacher." VPK gives children a jump start by preparing them for school and enhancing their pre-reading, pre-math, language and social skills. By developing the skills children need to become strong readers and students at an early age, children are more likely to be successful in school. VPK classrooms offer high-quality programs that include high literacy standards, developmentally appropriate curricula, manageable class sizes, and qualified teachers.
The Teacher:
Merry Childs - Lead Teacher. Miss Merry has been involved in early childhood education since 2000. She quickly found a passion in teaching young children, and acquired the Florida Child Care Professional Credential in December of 2003. Miss Merry is an excellent motivator of her students' learning and does a fantastic job at classroom management. She is the proud mother of 3 children Kristin 13, Kerryn 10, and Hunter 6.
