Pre-K program educates across borders

By Brian Alexander and Jennifer Waters

BengalNews Reporters

His name isn’t Eddie, it’s Edward.

That’s what the 4-year-old told Belle Center Early Childhood director Laurie Beck after learning how to spell his first name in the center’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program.

Edward started at the Belle Center when he was a baby. He has transitioned from the toddler room and early intervention program, through the 3-year-old room and into Universal Pre-K.

In June, Edward will graduate and move onto kindergarten in the Buffalo Public Schools, having gained the skills Beck said are necessary to be a successful life-long learner.

The Universal Pre-K program is in its second year. A Peter Towers Grant of about $3,000 was recently awarded to the program to provide technology in the classrooms.

“There are no computers or anything in here currently. This will allow for technological development and an upgrade for the early childhood development center,” said Marketing and Communications Director Callie Johnson.

Beck said the Peter Towers grants are a competitive grant awarded to different organizations focused on aiding children with learning disabilities. 

  

The Belle Center’s Early Childhood Director Laurie Beck talks about what the center has in store for its Universal Pre-Kindergarten program as it begins its second year:

She said the computers are necessary for teachers to assess their students’ development, input the results and send them off for research.

With the new possibilities provided by technology, Universal Pre-K will help 3-year-old students like J.J., Johnnie and Evan continue with the center’s program next fall.

Universal Pre-K has also started implementing a new program for learning outcomes called “Second Step,” a social behavior program in which the teacher plans lessons specific to a different emotion each week.

The lessons are meant to teach the children how to deal with their feelings and express them in a healthy manner when dealing with other children and adults, an important lesson for when they move on to kindergarten, Beck said.

“Kindergarten will have different rules they will have to follow. The goal is to give them all the skills they will need to succeed at an early age,” she said.

The UPK program day starts promptly at 8 a.m., or earlier for students whose parents need work accommodations, and runs until 4 p.m. Packed with activities to engage their minds and bodies, students participate in circle time for stories and activities such as letter recognition, exercise time, two meals a day and swimming every Friday.

Keeping the whole routine on track are 15 full-time daycare workers, along with AmeriCorps volunteers who teach early literacy to the three year-old group, work in the offices or volunteer in the community.

“Two year-olds, they just wake up running,” said AmeriCorps Volunteer Naomi Porter as the toddler group clambered into wagons for a morning walk.

Porter admits the job can be hectic at times, whether with paperwork or preparing meals for classes, but said the experience is rewarding.

Each classroom in the center is prepared with a bilingual teacher like Tasha Vega who has been with the 3-year-old group for three years now.

“My daughter also attends classes here. I think I’ve moved forward a lot working with the program,” Vega said.

The center provides educational programs for ages six weeks to senior citizens. This allows parents to be involved with the program as well.

Beck said one of the most amazing things to see is a Pre-K student and their parent learning English as a second language together.

“We have many parents who will drop their child off at daycare and head upstairs for their class,” Beck said.

Among the many first languages of those who attend the center are Burmese, Spanish and dialects native to Africa.

Noting the various cultures found at the center, porter said, “(The program) helps me develop my ability to work with such diverse groups. It will help me go anywhere in the world.” Edited by Jason Murphy