Special Schools

Head Start and Early Childhood Education

Mission

• To utilize staff and all resources to facilitate growth in children and their families.

• To provide a nurturing environment for children and their families.

• To encourage and provide a compassionate partnership between staff and parents.

• To provide families with a collection of community resources that address the issues that affect children.

The Head Start and Early Childhood Education Program

The South-Western City Schools Head Start and Early Childhood Education program is for income eligible three and four-year old children. South-Western City Schools strives to meet the social, intellectual, emotional, and physical needs of each child. It provides parent involvement opportunities for families and stresses positive attitudes instrumental in developing individual abilities.

• Head Start and Early Childhood Education classes are center-based: Children attend half-day sessions, Monday through Thursday. Classrooms are located throughout the school district.

School Times

A.M. Head Start/Public Preschool: 7:45-11:15 a.m.

P.M. Head Start/Public Preschool: 12:15-3:45 p.m.

Benefits for Children

1. School readiness by focusing on the child's development in: language and literacy, early math, social

2. skills, self-help, nature and science

3. Daily nutritious meals

4. Close review of health history

5. Active "hands on" involvement in learning.

Benefits for Families

1. Opportunities to be involved in your child's education

2. The encouragement to be self-sufficient

3. The promotion of family literacy

4. Opportunities to attend training throughout the year

5. The development of Family Partnership Agreements

Facts About Head Start and Early Childhood Education

• Parent Involvement: Parents are wanted, needed, and encouraged to be involved. We love to have

• parents visit the classroom and volunteer.

• Children with Special Needs: We enroll children with special needs when our program is the best placement to serve the child's needs. We will work with you to develop an individual plan to provide the same program available for all children.

• Transportation: All Early Childhood Education and Head Start children will need to be transported by a parent/guardian.

We are also able to provide full-day services through the following sites within the district:

• Cherry Creek YMCA (Fox Ridge Street, 43228)

• Vaughn E. Hairston YMCA (Urbancrest, 43123)

Learning and Growing Together - A Series of Fun and Practical Online Resources for Families

The Ohio Department of Education has produced a series of fun and practical online resources for families titled "Learning and Growing Together." The focus of these resources is to provide:

• Information about your child’s development

• Activities to do at home that enhance early learning in reading, writing and mathematics; and

• Guides that prepare children for school and explain what to expect.

Parent Resource Programs

All of the programs are available in English and Español. If you do not already have Macromedia Flash Player and Adobe Reader, click on the titles of these software programs so you can download them to properly view the following:

• Pre-K Reading and Writing

• Pre-K Mathematics

• Kindergarten Reading and Writing

• Kindergarten Mathematics

• First Grade Reading and Writing