Odin PSD #722 Pre-K for All Program

Mission Statement

The mission of the Odin PSD #722 Preschool for All Program is to provide an all-inclusive early childhood education program that meets the individual needs and interests of each child. Our goal is to help our students build self-confidence, gain tools for positive connection to others, and develop a love for learning.

Philosophy

We believe that each child is unique. Our program is designed to foster the development of each child to their fullest potential. We strive to provide all children ages 3-5 with the most inclusive, developmentally appropriate, and positive preschool experience as possible.

We believe that children learn through play. This recreation based program incorporates educational elements in a fun and safe environment. The goal of the preschool program is to provide each child with an environment which will promote their optimum development at a period when growth is rapid and the child is vulnerable. All aspects of growth are to be considered in the program; physical development, the development of social relationships, the emotional development, (confidence in and understanding of oneself as a person) growth in the ability to express thoughts, feelings, and intellectual development which includes language and speech.

The preschool program advocates for preschool families, and works to identify and provide services to those with the greatest need. We aim to coordinate family-school-community partnerships which encourage community agencies and organizations to engage families in meaningful and culturally appropriate ways. By providing this support, it helps to ensure that those families have the tools to be active partners in their children’s school experience.

Program Goals

To set the foundation for a lifetime of learning
To increase the parents knowledge of child development and its stages
To encourage and promote educational reinforcement at home by providing fun activities, games, songs, etc…
To prepare students for future school readiness
To provide a fun, comfortable, positive and safe educational atmosphere in order to promote learning
To set students up to succeed by providing positive reinforcement and praise to encourage self worth
To have an integrated curriculum that promotes creativity, social skills and problem solving
To understand that every child has a unique learning style and to teach to his or her individual needs.
To assess student progress according to the Illinois State Standards
To develop children’s portfolios to monitor progress and share with parents
To encourage parent involvement in student’s progress
To develop a partnership within our community
To offer parent-child events to encourage learning together

Preschool Program Eligibility

The Odin PSD #722 Preschool For All Program is available for children ages three to five who are not age eligible for kindergarten. PFA programs may NOT discriminate against children who are not toilet trained. Children are identified through preschool screenings. Components include vision and hearing screenings, family history, and health backgrounds. Screenings also assess vocabulary, visual/motor integration, language and speech development, social/emotional skills, fine and gross motor skills. A preschool screening MUST be completed before a child will be eligible for enrollment. Students do not have to reside in Odin PSD #722 school district to be enrolled in the PFA program.

Program Design

The Odin PSD #722 Preschool For All Program is designed to meet the criteria set by the Preschool for All Children Illinois State Grant Program and also meets the needs of students that have qualified for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under IDEA. The preschool program has classrooms for students that have qualified as at-risk under Preschool for All Children, Early Childhood Special Education classes and classes that blend the students identified as at-risk and students with an IEP. Related services such as social work, speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, hearing and vision support, orientation and mobility are available for students who qualify for the service. These services are integrated into the classroom setting whenever possible. Some of these services may be provided by removing the students from the classroom when appropriate. All program placements are determined by the school team with the parent/guardian and follow the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) procedures and requirements. Please visit www.isbe.net for more information.

Waitlist Policy

Students qualify for enrollment through procedures as outlined in the Illinois State Board of Education Preschool for All (PFA) grant process. Each student is given a total score as recorded on the weighted eligibility checklist.

If the school program is at capacity, students who qualify for enrollment will be put on the waiting list. Spaces may be reserved for students who qualify for special education services coming in through Early Intervention or transferring from another district/program. Vacancies are filled based on weighted eligibility score, screening score and age. Students in homes with crisis status, (homeless, violence, etc), older students, and students with the highest at-risk total score are given priority. Extenuating circumstances may also be considered. Students who reside within Odin PSD#722 boundaries are given first priority. As classroom vacancies become available, families on the waiting list are contacted to confirm if they are still interested in the available seat. All non-kindergarten-age students on the waiting list in the spring are given a classroom placement to begin the following school year.

Families whose child is placed on the waiting list will be directed to Regional Office Of Education #13 for possible placement in a nearby PFA program.