TOWNSHEND — Pre-Kindergarten Preview Dates Announced for Open House and Registration at Townshend Elementary School for Three- and Four-year-olds.
Pre-Kindergarten Registration at Jamaica Village School for Four-year-olds on April 24
TOWNSHEND and JAMAICA - March 7, 2019 - The West River Modified Education District (WRMUED), Townshend School, and Jamaica Village School are announcing dates in Townshend and Jamaica for Pre-Kindergarten registration and Open House Days.
In Townshend, there are three dates for parents and guardians along with their three- and four-year-olds to spend a morning at the school to preview the Pre-K program. The Open House and Registration Days are Tuesday, March 19; Tuesday, March 26; and Tuesday, April 2. The Open House hours on each of those dates runs from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Townshend School is located at 66 Common Road in Townshend.
In Jamaica, the Open House and Pre-Kindergarten Registration Day for 4-year-olds is Wednesday, April 24, starting at 10 a.m. The Jamaica Village School is at 347 Depot Street in Jamaica.
During the scheduled morning visits, there will be snacks and refreshments for the Pre-K visitors and parents.
WCSU Superintendent Bill Anton says, “We are inviting the Pre-k children to spend time happily playing together on these mornings and engaging with our current Pre-K. Parents and guardians will be able speak with the school principals and school nurses.” These events will also give parents and guardians an opportunity to find out about their options and eligibility for meal programs and to learn about After School Care at Townshend School.
At the Open House events, parents and guardians will learn about the many activities in which their child will participate as a Pre-K student, such as literacy, math, art, music, community building, and indoor and outdoor games and play. Parents and guardians will have the opportunity to see how this Pre-K program aligns with the Vermont Early Learning Standards, which are an important guideline for educators in the development and selection of program-wide curriculum and educational strategies for children from birth through Grade 3.
Townshend School principal Craig Roach says, “We look forward to meeting all the families and hope to see new faces on our Open House days and in our Pre-K classroom.” In a statement, Principal Roach said that the Pre-K program offered by the West River Ed District is grounded in research on early childhood education showing that three- and four-year-olds benefit from consistent routines and from a continuity of curriculum and learning activities as they progress into Kindergarten. Young children, the research indicated, can develop a strong sense of what Roach calls “a classroom community.”
Principal Laura Hazard at Jamaica Village School says, “We are excited to welcome families to Jamaica Village School and look forward to sharing information about our four-year old Pre-K program. Our program provides an evidenced-based curriculum that develops social, emotional and academic skills. Through play, art, music, movement and explicit instruction, children learn, grow and thrive, and develop kindergarten readiness skills. Our four-year old program is a very special part of our school; and we invite you to come and experience it with us during our Open House.”
The Pre-K Registration Packet is being mailed to parents and guardians in the district. They may bring the completed forms with them to the Open House events, or they may fill out the forms during their school visit, or take the forms home to fill out later. The Pre-K Registration Packet consists of: a one-page registration form; instructions for verification of residency for Townshend, Jamaica, Newfane, and Brookline; a medical form for the child; a parent questionnaire about the child; and a one-page language survey. Additionally, a one-page After School Child Care contract is available for Townshend School. Applications are being accepted on a first-come basis, as Anton says that spaces in the program are limited.
To obtain the Pre-K Registration paperwork at any time, contact Heidi Russ in the Administrative Office at Townshend School. The Townshend School's website is www.townshendschool.org. Or, for Jamaica, contact Susan Clark in the administrative office at Jamaica Village School. The website for the school is www.jamaicavillageschoool.org
Families who cannot visit Pre-K programs on the Open House dates may contact the administrative offices at the schools to arrange appointments.
BACKGROUND ON THE PRE-K PROGRAM
The West River Ed Pre-Kindergarten program is led by licensed early childhood educators. It is a Full Day Pre-K, five days per week, following the district's annual school calendar. At Townshend School, the day begins at 7:45 a.m. for drop-offs, and ends with pick-ups or bus routes at 2:30 p.m. At Jamaica Village School, drop-offs begin at 8 a.m. and the day ends at 3 p.m.
The cost of the Pre-K full day program is covered by the Universal Pre-K Act 166 for all students enrolling from Townshend, Newfane, Jamaica, and Brookline. Verification of residency in the listed towns is required. For students seeking to enroll from outside the district, the cost is covered as follows: the student's home school district will pay the cost of the first 10 hours of Pre-K; the cost for the additional hours in the full day program must be paid by the family; the fee is $350 per month for the nine-month school year.
At Townshend School, there is an extended Pre-K option for a fee for all families seeking additional child care until 5 p.m. The After School Care program provides a meal for the children between 2:45 and 3 p.m. The fee for the After School Care program is $15 per child.
BACKGROUND ON TOWNSHEND SCHOOL
Townshend is part of the merged West River Modified Union Education District (WRMUED), which also includes Jamaica, Newfane, and Brookline, with representation at the board level from Windham. Townshend's historic school house is the oldest, continuously functioning school in Vermont. In 1989, an addition was built, which added six classrooms, a multipurpose room with stage, library and media center, and kitchen. In its statements, the school writes that the Townshend Elementary School learning environment is exciting because it both challenges and nurtures every student, while celebrating individuality, creativity and the concept of excellence. The school states that its mission is that each student will experience the fulfillment of mastery in reading, writing and mathematics; their educational experiences will make them believe in themselves as learners; their ability to express themselves creatively will be nurtured through the arts; and, their experiences at Townshend Elementary School will enhance their growth as a whole child.
Townshend School faces the town common, across the broad green from Leland and Gray Union Middle and High School. The address is 66 Common Road, which is along one of the four sides of the large square. The school shares the village center with the churches, and other historic buildings and homes. Community facilities nearby are the Townshend Public Library, Grace Cottage medical offices, hospital, and pharmacy.
The school's mailing address is P.O. Box 236, Townshend, VT 05353.
The school's telephone number is 802-365-7506.
The school's website is www.townshendschool.org
BACKGROUND ON JAMAICA VILLAGE SCHOOL
Jamaica is part of the merged West River Modified Union Education District (WRMUED), which also includes Townshend, Newfane, and Brookline, with representation at the board level from Windham. Annually since 2015, the school has been honored with a Vermont Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Certificate of Recognition as a School of Merit. The mission of Jamaica Village School is to provide students with a safe and respectful environment, a quality education that reflects high academic standards, respects and nurtures individual talents, encourages cooperative involvement among family, peers, school, and community and allows our students to develop to their maximum potential as life-long learners and responsible members of the global as well as local community. Included in the school's many core beliefs are maintaining high expectations for academic and social skills lead to lifelong learning and student-focused professional development maximizes student learning.
The school is in a residential neighborhood, close to Jamaica State Park. The Jamaica Memorial Library is nearby.
The school's mailing address is 347 Depot Street, Jamaica, Vermont 05343.
The school's telephone number is 802- 874-4822.
The school's website is www.jamaicavillageschool.org
The Windham Central Supervisory Union is the administrator for Townshend School and Jamaica Village School. Bill Anton, Superintendent. www.wcsu.org
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