About Us
The Northborough/Southborough Public Preschool Programs, located at the Mary E. Finn School in Southborough, MA provides a rich learning environment for all students; with and without special needs. Our inclusive classrooms are dedicated to ensuring that all children learn and develop in a caring, supportive, developmentally appropriate, and fun-filled environment. Additionally, our highly qualified staff and flexible learning models allow us to individualize programming for students in order to help all children reach their fullest potential.
Staffing
Our preschool classrooms are supported by a variety of staff members in order to meet the learning needs of all of our students. Each classroom is overseen by a preschool teacher who is dually certified in early childhood and special education, as well as preschool tutors (who co-teach with the teacher to implement curriculum) and special education aides. Additionally, preschool classrooms are supported by various related service providers including: Speech Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, an AAC consultant, and District BCBAs. A multidisciplinary team approach is used to effectively address the learning needs of each of our students.
Curriculum
Each child’s unique learning style is respected and nourished. The preschool special education teachers and tutors provide a flexible but structured approach to teaching and offer lessons and activities that align with the Common Core. Our curriculum addresses the following developmental domains: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Emotional, Motor Skills (including Gross and Fine Motor Skills), and Sensory Processing.
Focus on Early Learning
Our main integrated curriculum is the Focus on Pre-K curriculum which facilitates powerful learning experiences for three- and four-year-olds. The Focus on Pre-K curriculum was developed by Boston Public Schools and supports children's development across intellectual, social-emotional, and physical domains, addressing State learning standards in Approaches to Play and Learning, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science and Engineering, and integrating the Arts in child-driven and teacher-guided learning experiences. National research has identified Focus on Pre-K as one of the strongest, most consistently proven interventions for closing the achievement gap.
Resources to learn more about: Focus on Early Learning
Building Blocks
Building Blocks™ embeds mathematical learning in PreK students’ daily activities—from designated math activities to circle and story time—to relate informal math knowledge to formal concepts.
Resources to learn more about Building Blocks
Al’s Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices
Our teachers use Al’s Pals to help develop the foundation our children need for success in school and life by promoting social–emotional skills such as self-control, problem-solving, relationship building, and healthy decision-making in children ages 3-6. Al’s Pals is highly regarded as an evidence-based model prevention program, Al’s Pals is endorsed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning.
Resources to learn more about Al’s Pals
In addition to the above, we also supplement with the following curriculums: , Zones of Regulation (a curriculum to develop emotional regulation skills), Handwriting without Tears (a multisensory curriculum for developing early writing skills), and Heggerty (a phonemic awareness curriculum).
Heggerty Parent Information Zones of Regulation Parent Information