Preschool More than Just Playtime and Snacks for Laveen Students

LAVEEN - April 28, 2009 - Do you know how many body parts a moth has? Or if a spider is an insect? Or how many legs an insect even has? The students of the Laveen Preschool, a special needs program, have those answers and many more.

One thing is for sure - the days of preschool consisting of playtime and a snack are long gone. At Laveen Preschool, every minute is jam packed with learning opportunities. The preschool program is offered in the Laveen Elementary School District for special needs students who qualify. There are three teachers and six sessions serving up to 90 students, age’s three to five.

In addition to the core subjects of math, reading, and science, “centers” exist around the room where students can enrich their skills while thinking they are playing. These include a science center where they can learn about everything from butterflies to magnets, a block center to use their large and small muscles, and a library center filled with all their favorite books.

While most of these preschool students have disabilities ranging from Autism and Downs Syndrome to mild speech and language deficiencies, it doesn’t keep them from being very proud of their show-and-tell story or singing their favorite spider song.

Preschool Coordinator Kandy Clauss has been in the special education field for 29 years. She says she still loves it, and feels it is what she was meant to do.

“Our students are like little sponges, wanting all the knowledge they can possibly get,” Clauss said “They are excited about learning and give back so much.”

Clauss stressed parents play a vital role in the success of the program.

“The Laveen Preschool program is truly family-oriented,” she said. “Our parents are so involved in their child’s education and make a real connection with the other families.”

Jonathan Clauss, one of the preschool teachers, has a never ending passion to involve the entire family in the education of his students. Knowing not every parent can visit his classroom, he has established a website containing updates on what his students are doing. He even makes short themed videos of the children while they are engaged in their latest activities.

Mr. Clauss’ videos provide a glimpse of what the world looks like through the eyes of a three-year-old. Harvey, the class hamster, even has a blog on the website. Mr. Clauss, or “Mr. Jonathan” as he’s called, says, “Communication is vital to the success of our students. The website is a window into what we’re doing in class.”

Parental involvement does not stop at the end of a school day or the walls of the classroom. To promote family and cultural learning, many Saturday family field trips aligned to the curriculum are planned and well attended during the year, such as Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Phoenix Zoo, Arizona Science Center, and the Arizona Museum for Youth.

Mr. Jonathan is very clear on what he sees as the best part of being a special needs preschool teacher. “It’s the progress the children make during the year. I’ve seen a child’s first step, heard a child’s first words, and many other childhood milestones we sometimes take for granted. Here we celebrate everything. My main job is to do everything possible to prepare my students for kindergarten. I take the responsibility of academic success for every student very seriously.”

Jill Mendoza, a parent of Mr. Jonathan’s class, says, “He makes learning fun. I want more than anything for my children to love to learn, and each day my daughter comes home full of excitement, ready to tell me all she did at school that day. Mr. Jonathan has paved a path for her that will forever impact her life; he has created within her a love of learning and school!