To view the Maize Early Childhood Pre-K Parent Handbook,
  CLICK HERE .

Maize Four Year Old Pre-K Program

Pre-K Program goal: All children will enter Kindergarten ready to be sucessful.

A Day at Pre-K

A day in Pre-K includes engaging circle time activites with songs, rhymes, stories, calendar time, and an intoduction to the alphabet, letter sounds, colors, numbers, shapes and patterning.

Learning centers provide children with opportunities to participate in enrichment activities that build on the skills taught during circle time.  The children develop reading, writing and math skills, along with creative expression through art and dramatic play.  Center time also allows children opportunities to problem-solve, share and develop positive social skills.

Eligibility Criteria

The Maize USD 266 Four Year Old Pre-K Program is a half day preschool for children in Maize who will be four years old by August 30, 2009. This Program is free of charge to children who qualify and reside in the Maize school district. Each child must meet at least one of the following criteria:

1) children eligible for free lunch,
2) children eligible for reduced lunch,
3) single parent families,
4) teen parents,
5) parent lacking a high school diploma or GED,
6) referrals of at-risk 4 year-olds from early childhood programs,
7) limited English proficiency,
8) developmentally or academically delayed based on assessments,
9) SRS referral,
10) children of active duty military.

For more information, contact PAT Coordinator June Rempel at 722-3105 or jrempel@usd266.com .

Why Support Early Childhood Programs?

• Brain Development: Ninety percent of children's brain development occurs before age 5.
• Improve K-12: Studies show that high quality early childhood programs are the best way to support improved academic outcomes in K-12.
• Return on Investment: Decades of research proves that for every $1 invested in early childhood programs, the state saves $7.

Key Finding in Brain Development:

• Interaction between genetics and early experience shape brain architecture.
• Early experiences contribute significantly to the structure of the brain and it's capacities.
• Early interactions, how we relate and respond, directly affect the way the brain is wired.
• There are optimal times of brain development.