Sterling pre-K centers preparing ‘littlest learners’ for the road ahead

STERLING – Sterling’s pre-kindergarten centers at Jefferson and Franklin elementary schools are setting up their “littlest learners” for success by teaching them the importance of what it means to be a student.

Jefferson Elementary Principal Heather Wittenauer said Friday that the pre-kindergarten centers help make the transition to full-day kindergarten easier by teaching students preliminary skills needed to be a good student, including patience, sharing, problem-solving, social interaction and following a structured routine.

“It’s those basic things that we take for granted because we assume that they’re being taught at home, but maybe they’re not,” Wittenauer said. “You might have an only child at home who doesn’t have to share, or they come from a family with lots of kids, and then suddenly they’re on their own.”

Franklin Elementary Principal Brooke Dir said that socialization is a critical component of a student’s future success. She said her pre-kindergarten center serves some students with exceptional needs, providing additional specialized staff, such as physical and occupational therapists, to support each child’s individualized education plan requirements.

“Some kids have siblings they’re used to letting speak for them,” Dir said. “Then, all of a sudden they’re in a classroom where they need to express their needs. So, we work on how they can express those needs and wants.”

Challand Middle School math teacher Jase Hippen shared a similar story about his son at Sterling’s board meeting Wednesday evening. He said his son started at Franklin Elementary’s pre-kindergarten center as a mostly nonverbal student who used an iPad to help him communicate.

“He went from leaving for school the first day, and the terror that he went through, and losing his mind being away from mom and dad and not being able to speak,” Hippen said. “He’s made so many leaps and bounds since then. He’s a singing monster. I can’t describe to you how different he was six months ago.”

Both centers house four classroom units, office spaces, bathrooms and an inside activity area for kids to play during unfavorable weather. Each classroom has a teacher and teacher’s aide. They also regularly receive visits from local high school and college students studying to work in education, as well as volunteers from the Foster Grandparents Program.

Wittenauer said there was a strong need for pre-K services in the area, with a waiting list of almost 80 kids before the centers were constructed. Both centers offer morning and afternoon sessions that run for two and a half hours, and they have almost reached their capacity since opening late last summer.

Superintendent Tad Everett said the total cost for both pre-kindergarten centers was about $4 million. Wittenauer said Jefferson’s center was funded through the Preschool for All grant, and Franklin’s center was funded through the district.