Retrofits and Protocols at Education Centers Contribute to Another Successful Academic Year

Pre-K 4 SA staff member embraces student while wearing masks

The 2020-2021 Pre-K SA Cohort completed their last day of school on Thursday, May 27 with an End of Year Parade. Families celebrated by decorating their cars in order to pick up their children at Pre-K 4 SA Education Centers and celebrate the work accomplished over the course of the school year.

As children waited for their parents to pass through the parade, they cheered and danced. One by one they collected their summer goody bags which included books, class photos, and their Pre-K 4 SA Certificate of Completion. Additionally, the San Antonio Food Bank along with H-E-B gave all of Pre-K 4 SA families a summer produce bag to start the summer with healthy food choices.

However, the 2020-2021 academic year didn’t start in such a positive manner. There was so much uncertainty about even starting a new school year with the rise of local and national COVID-19 cases. And, many parents were unsure about allowing their children to attend in-person classes.

In an effort to create options for families, Pre-K 4 SA, for the very first time, offered a remote learning track along with the traditional in-person option. This allowed parents to feel more at ease as they decided on the best option for their child’s education.

Additionally, Pre-K 4 SA worked with city leaders, health experts and their own guiding physicians to implement protocols that went above and beyond minimum standards in order to allow them to both have in-person classes and keep children, families and staff safe.

Before the 2020-2021 academic year began, the Pre-K 4 SA leadership and staff worked earnestly to make the appropriate retrofits to all of their Education Centers. Additionally, the creation of new procedures and protocols were set into place to keep all staff and children safe. More than 100 new comprehensive safety procedures and protocols were implemented as a reactive approach to keep others safe from confirmed COVID-19 cases.

At the same time, the Operations team installed over 1,870 touchless devices which helped tremendously decrease the spread of germs in high-contact surfaces. These devices included touchless sinks, doors, and paper towel dispensers. Each Center also received touchless thermometer stations which quickly allowed temperature checks for staff. The cost of all of these retrofits and improvements came out to approximately $900,000.  These measures were necessary to fulfill Pre-K 4 SA’s commitment to ensure the health and safety of its children, families, and staff.

Additionally, at that given time, the guidance on COVID-19 suggested the virus could spread through airborne transmission. To prevent this from happening, the HVAC systems at all four Education Centers were adjusted to bring more fresh air into the classrooms by adding higher grade air filters to capture germs.

Fortunately, all these retrofits and new safety protocols were effective to keep the 2020-2021 Cohort safe throughout the entire year. Pre-K 4 SA’s Leadership team is thankful to see how everyone worked together and as a team throughout the entire academic year to conclude successfully.

Now, as Pre-K 4 SA personnel looks to return to in-person classes for the 2021-2022 academic year, some safety and wellness protocols will still be in place. Curbside drop-off and pick-up will remain as an option for families. The use of touchless sinks and water fountains, and daily temperature scans will help prevent the spread of infections such as colds, flu, and strep, which is vital to keep children in school actively engaged in learning. These protocols will contribute to the year-round health of Pre-K 4 SA’s students, families, and staff.

Pre-K 4 SA Continues to Pave the Way to a Brighter Future

Children Playing in Tunnel

“Now that the election is behind us, I wanted to send my sincere thanks to all of you for supporting and believing in us. Our families are a huge part of the Pre-K 4 SA success story.

Over the last eight years, Pre-K 4 SA has benefitted over 450,000 children. We could not have done that without the help of our families. We are humbled by your support and enthusiasm, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to serve even more of San Antonio’s children and families.”

I recently reached out to all of our current and alumni families to thank them for their support during the first eight years of Pre-K 4 SA. I would like to take this time to also thank the campaign, Pre-K 4 SA Board, City Leadership, Early Matters, our District and Community Partners, and most importantly our educators, staff, and the citizens of San Antonio.

Since the inception of Pre-K 4 SA, we have accomplished many milestones for our children and their families, as well as for the entire community. However, there is much more work to be done. We intend to continue working to ensure every young child in San Antonio has access to affordable, high-quality early learning and care. This means continuing to work with our partners in child care centers, schools, and community programs to build a strong early learning and care infrastructure.

Over the next few years, Pre-K 4 SA will work with partner programs to expand access to high-quality prekindergarten so that every family with a four-year-old has a place to enroll if they choose to. Here’s how we plan to do that.

1. Pre-K 4 SA Education Centers will continue to serve 2,000 children. We will expand eligibility so the program is free, not only for those that qualify based on state guidelines, but also for middle class families with annual earnings up to $65,000.

2. Public Schools will continue to serve 13,500 children who are eligible for free prekindergarten based on state guidelines. Pre-K 4 SA will provide professional learning and grants to support districts in serving an additional 1,500 children in middle class families with annual earnings up to $65,000.

3. Child Development Centers and Private/Parochial Schools will serve up to 5,000 families. Pre-K 4 SA will provide professional learning and grants to help ensure these programs meet national early learning quality standards, too.

4. Finally, Home-Based Providers will serve the remaining four-year-olds, as some families think home is the best place for young children. Supporting young children who are learning in home settings has been a goal of Pre-K 4 SA for some time. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused us to close our centers and develop a remote learning program, we realized we could use this approach to support home-based programs. With the help of our outstanding teaching staff, we have developed a remote learning curriculum and launched our very own Online Resource Center which is available in English and Spanish to the entire community.  Through distance learning, we also offer our parents specialized workshops and children have the option to become part of a virtual class. This new innovative option of home-based distance learning has opened the door to an additional 2,000 children.

In addition to ensuring all 25,000 four-year-olds have access to high-quality prekindergarten, Pre-K 4 SA is committed to improving both quality and access for children younger than four. According to the Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University, young children develop 1 million brain synapses every second in the first few years of life. That means the earlier we start supporting young children and their families, the better off they will be and the more likely they will grow into healthy, happy, productive adults. Pre-K 4 SA is ready to do our part to continue creating a bright future for our children, families, and community!

Written by: Sarah Baray, Pre-K 4 SA CEO

Pre-K 4 SA Continues to Change the Early Childhood Education Landscape in San Antonio

Children hold up signs that say "I'm a Student," "Future Student," or "Past Student"

I was thrilled to see more than 1,400 alumni families and children join us recently for our 2nd Annual Pre-K 4 SA Family Reunion!

Our Pre-K 4 SA staff worked their magic to make this event possible. Because of the pandemic, the team had to transform the event from a large in-person gathering to a drive-thru experience. Using strategy and imagination, the team turned Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium parking lot into a celebratory fair-like parade full of activities, books and Pre-K 4 SA giveaways, and food for everyone in attendance. The children’s faces beamed as they interacted with their teachers and played games from the safety of their cars. After so many months of limited interaction, I know all of us were glad to enjoy a beautiful fall day in San Antonio.

Seeing the children’s gleaming smiles during the Family Reunion as they passed by reminded me of the very first time I visited a Pre-K 4 SA Education Center. As I drove up to the building, I wasn’t sure what to expect. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary early learning center. Everything changed when I stepped inside. From the moment I entered the building, I was completely blown away. I’ve had a long career in education, and seen schools across the world, but nothing like Pre-K 4 SA. It was classroom after classroom, filled with joyful children and teachers engaged in playful learning and families who are strongly committed to their children’s education. Then I learned that there was not just one Pre-K 4 SA Education Center but four, and that this bold initiative included professional learning and grants for other programs across the city. I couldn’t believe it. It was at that moment that I decided I just had to be part of this program. Every day since, I have been grateful that I am.

Pre-K 4 SA is proud to be leading San Antonio’s effort to develop a world-class workforce through high-quality early childhood education for all children in San Antonio. After the first eight years, Pre-K 4 SA had proven that a city can transform its early learning landscape through a comprehensive approach that includes:

  • Education Centers
  • Professional Learning
  • Competitive Grants
  • Family Engagement

Education Centers

Pre-K 4 SA’s four model education centers serve as demonstrations of what is possible when young children have access to highly skilled teachers and an evidenced-based curriculum, as demonstrated in the 2019 community impact study. San Antonio serves as a model in municipal early childhood programs and Pre-K 4 SA regularly hosts delegations from across the country and the world. In fact, Pre-K 4 SA has provided tours and facilitated detailed conversations with more than 25 municipalities, 3 international entities, and the US Department of the Army.

With research to demonstrate the success of Pre-K 4 SA’s approach, Pre-K 4 SA is supporting other programs to replicate our proven practices. We launched our first replication site in August 2019 at Gardendale Elementary School in Edgewood ISD.  The Gardendale Early Learning Program powered by Pre-K 4 SA is creating greater capacity for high-quality early childhood education in San Antonio. Working side-by-side, Pre-K 4 SA and Edgewood are creating a model Pre-K through 2nd grade early learning program.

Professional Learning

Pre-K 4 SA believes that every child deserves high-quality early education. Pre-K 4 SA’s comprehensive approach includes educating 2,000 4-year-olds annually, providing over 10,000 hours of professional learning for educators, and developing parents as educational advocates. The Pre-K 4 SA Professional Learning division offers free, best-in-class training to any early learning educator in San Antonio serving children birth through third grade. Our comprehensive approach includes workshops, seminars, network events, and job-embedded coaching.

Pre-K 4 SA hosts in-service training for roughly 3,000 teachers, school principals and district administrators, early education leaders, and community providers annually. Through Pre-K 4 SA’s comprehensive Professional Learning Program, the number of highly skilled PK-3rd grade early childhood educators across San Antonio measurably increases each year.

Competitive Grants

Pre-K 4 SA provides over $4.2 million in grants annually to early learning programs across the city, benefitting all of San Antonio’s young children and their families. Pre-K 4 SA provides training and resources to early education teachers throughout our city, and supports and enhances other pre-kindergarten programs as well.

Pre-K 4 SA’s Grants program adds teachers, training and technology to San Antonio’s early childhood landscape annually. The funds create more access to high-quality curriculum for San Antonio’s 4-year-olds in public, parochial and child development centers.

Family Engagement

At Pre-K 4 SA, we believe stronger families make a stronger educational landscape. We believe that by supporting the entire family helps children build a successful learning foundation.  Our Family Engagement Team collaborates closely with teachers, administrators, and staff to encourage educational potential in the home, engage families in school leadership, and build on each family’s unique strengths and abilities.

Most recently, Pre-K 4 SA coordinated a partnership with Vooks, the leading streaming service for children’s books, to provide a free, one-year subscription of Vooks to children and early learning teachers across Bexar County. Made possible by a contribution from Charles Butt, Pre-K 4 SA and its partners will tackle the challenge of limited book access for young children by putting the Vooks library of animated storybooks and specially designed learning guides in the hands of early learning educators and families with a 4- to 6-year-old child.

In Bexar County, where three in five children are economically disadvantaged and more than 30% are not reading on grade level by third grade, the need for early access to books is tremendous. Reading on level by third grade is a critical indicator of future academic success. Children who have access to books at home are much more likely to reach this important milestone. The Vooks platform brings books to life in a kid-safe environment.  As part of this partnership, Pre-K 4 SA facilitated additional partnerships with the San Antonio Public Library Foundation (SAPLF) and BiblioTech, Bexar County’s all-digital public library, to extend the distribution of the subscription program and access to Wi-Fi to families across Bexar County. BiblioTech will allow families to check out personal hotspots for home access to Vooks.

Through Pre-K 4 SA’s first eight years since its inception, we have provided a high-quality education model that empowers our children at such a critical age for academic and even life success.

By 2021, Pre-K 4 SA will have impacted more than 452,161 four-year-olds within the San Antonio community.  Pre-K 4 SA’s bold initiative is changing the landscape by developing a more productive workforce, healthier and more engaged families, less poverty, and civic-minded young adults to take San Antonio into the future. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this incredible work and together we can continue providing young children with a high-quality education for a brighter future.

For more information on how Pre-K 4 SA is changing the landscape, click the following link: https://prek4sa.com/program-overview/

Written by: Sarah Baray, Pre-K 4 SA CEO

A Day in the New Normal at Pre-K 4 SA

An Adult pulls soapy dishes from a bin outside near a playground

As we prepare to open the doors at all four of our Pre-K 4 SA Education Centers, we have developed a three-prong COVID-19 response strategy designed to keep our children, families, and staff safe and healthy:

1) Keep the virus out of our buildings;

2) Reduce the chance of an outbreak; and

3) Respond quickly to a potential COVID exposure.

With new safety features and sanitation protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 set in place, our 2020-2021 school year will look different from previous years. These protocols and procedures will be evident from the very moment a child arrives at the Education Center or bus depot to the moment the family picks up the child at the end of the day.

Although COVID-19 has disrupted our normal way of life, we want the children in this year’s cohort to have the same sense of wonder and awe that previous groups of children experienced at Pre-K 4 SA. Young children learn through play, which includes active exploration and tactile interactions. To ensure children are able to safely move about the room and touch instructional materials, Pre-K 4 SA has developed a sanitation plan that allows children to go about their normal classroom activities and then place used items in a cleaning bin to be sanitized by staff. This approach makes cleaning and sanitizing a normal part of the classroom routine and avoids creating a sense of fear about being in the classroom or using materials.

Teaching children healthy habits has always been part of the Pre-K 4 SA approach. We teach children how to brush their teeth, eat vegetables, and properly wash their hands because those are things we do to keep ourselves happy and healthy. This year, we are adding new lessons that teach children the proper way to put on their masks and face shields and the importance of handwashing and sanitation as part of a general routine of safety and healthfulness.

What does all this look like in practice? Read below about a typical day at Pre-K 4 SA in the 2020-21 school year.

Daily Drop-off

As families arrive for morning drop-off, they are directed to pull up to designated curbside locations where they are greeted by a Pre-K 4 SA staff member who is wearing a mask, face shield and gloves. Families remain in their vehicle and use our new contactless smartphone application, ProCare, to begin the check-in process. The app guides families through the COVID health screening questions while the Pre-K 4 SA staff member uses a touchless thermometer to take the child’s temperature. Once the health screening is complete, a secure one-time QR code pops up on the Center’s device.

The staff member scans the code to automatically update the system to alert the classroom teacher that the child has arrived and is on the way to the classroom. The child puts on a face mask and exits the car with the staff member. The staff member escorts the child into the building where they stop at the hand sanitizing station and then onto the classroom. The staff member scans the child in on the teacher’s iPad to complete the check-in process. [Note: Families without a smartphone may use a Pre-K 4 SA iPad to complete this process.]

The protocol for families that elect to use Pre-K 4 SA transportation is similar, but with a few added safety protocols for the bus. As families arrive at the bus depot, they are directed to pull into designated parking spots. Families remain in their vehicles and use the smartphone app to begin the check-in process. The app guides families through COVID health screening questions. Once the health screening is complete, a secure one-time QR code pops up on the Center’s device. The parent and child put on their face masks and walk to the bus loading zone where a Pre-K 4 SA staff member is waiting.

The staff member takes the child’s temperature, scans the QR code and escorts the child onto the bus where they are greeted by a driver wearing protective gear. Children are seated in a 5-point harness safety seat, from the back of the bus to the front, in designated spots to allow adequate social distancing. Instruction begins as soon as the bus begins moving, with the staff member leading the children in songs and rhyming games. When the bus arrives at the Education Center, the staff member unloads the children from front to back and escorts the children to the classroom, stopping by the hand sanitizing station on the way. Once in the classroom, each child is checked-in on the teacher’s iPad.

In the Classroom

Pre-K 4 SA will provide all supplies for the children, including personal items like water bottles and nap blankets. These items will remain at Pre-K 4 SA and we will take responsibility for sanitizing them. Additionally, any item brought into the building by an adult (e.g., purse, lunch bag) will be sanitized upon entry.

As children arrive in the classroom, they put away their cloth face mask and put on their face shield before joining the teacher for a read aloud. Face shields ensure children’s coughs and sneezes are covered and are more comfortable than face masks for children to wear for long periods of time. Having no more than 10 children in a classroom designed for 20, provides plenty of room for the children to spread out. The classrooms are sanitized daily and the HVAC systems have been modified to provide better air filtration and more fresh air.

One by one, the children wash their hands and select a seat at the table. Plexiglass table dividers allow children and teachers to safely sit near one another. Children eat a healthy, individually packaged meal while the teacher engages them in conversation to support language development.

After breakfast, children wash their hands and find a place on the large floor rug. Each child is individually greeted and welcomed as the child sits down. The teacher shares the schedule for the day, which is written on a dry erase easel all the children can see. The teacher discusses any news or changes to the schedule. Children share their own news and are encouraged to comment and make suggestions about the day’s schedule. Then it’s time for the teachers and children stand up and spread out so they can express themselves through movement and music. The children take turns being the leader by selecting the type of movement activity and encouraging the other children to share in the fun.

After movement, the children select a seat at the table for small group instruction. Each child is given a box of learning materials. To the children, it looks like they all have the same materials. But the teacher has carefully individualized the boxes based on each child’s interests and developmental needs. The teacher demonstrates what the children are expected to do with the materials in their boxes and then the children have time to practice using their own materials while the teacher observers and guides the learning. After small group, it’s time to head outside to one of the outdoor learning environments that has been specially designed to engage children in learning through nature. Whether the children are tending to their gardens, playing restaurant in the mud kitchen, or staging a production on the outdoor stage, the children are supported in developing not only their gross motor skills, but also foundational academic thinking. When outdoor learning time is over, children wash their hands as they return to the classroom for work time.

Work time includes three distinct activities:

1) Plan: A 10- to 15-minute period during which children plan what they want to do during work time (the area to visit, materials to use, and friends to play with);

2) Do: A 40- to 60-minute worktime for children to carry out their plans (or shift to new activities that interest them); and

3) Review: A 10- to 15-minute period to review and recall with the teacher and to discuss what they did and learned.

Engaging in plan, do, and review helps children develop executive function skills, which are essential not only to success in school, but also in career and life.

Lunch Time

The completion of work time marks brings us to the end of the morning, so it’s time for lunch. The teacher reads aloud while children take turns washing their hands. Children select a seat at a table with plexiglass dividers. The teacher uses gloves to serve each child an individually packaged meal. The teacher engages the children in conversation to support language development. As children finish their meal, they clean up their space, and put out their rest mat, being mindful to allow ample space between each mat.

Children take this time to rest quietly on their mats. Having a rest time helps children become more self-aware and regulate their emotions, as well as helps them gain more energy for the other half of the day. Many children sleep during this time, but they are not required to do so. As the children get up from rest time, they join the teacher for story time. The teacher focuses on literacy skills while reading a book or telling a story. After the story, children once again have the opportunity to express themselves through music and movement. The rest of the afternoon is filled with another small group time, more time outside, and a second worktime, which provides children with the opportunity to continue what they were working on in the morning or to select a whole new project.

Daily Pick-up from Education Center

Staggered dismissal times allow the children in each classroom to be safely escorted outside where their families are waiting for curbside pick-up. When a parent is at the curbside pick-up and signs into the app, the Center will be notified that the parent has arrived. A staff member will escort the child to the car and the parent will scan the QR code on the Center’s device to check-out the child. This automatically updates the system to indicate the child has been safely returned to the family.

Daily Pick-up from Bus Depot

At dismissal, the same bus monitor goes to the children’s classroom to pick them up and take them to their designated buses. He or she helps the children get on the bus and makes sure all children are buckled in safely. Children will be sitting separately, and bus monitors will be keeping an empty row of seats between children to maintain social distance. The windows on the bus will be slightly open to allow natural airflow. During the bus ride to the bus depot, the bus monitor will be wearing a mask and shield and will engage children in songs. Once they arrive at the bus depot, the monitor will greet parents, who will sign out their child using ProCare, our new contactless smartphone application. The bus monitor will take a picture of the parent QR code which will automatically sign out each child.

Our Pre-K 4 SA departments have all worked earnestly to make sure our Education Centers are ready for whenever we open our doors to San Antonio’s 4-year-olds. Pre-K 4 SA is here to continue providing a safe and welcoming environment where children can continue learning and receive a high-quality early childhood education.

Written by: Sarah Baray, Pre-K 4 SA CEO

 

A New School Year in the Time of COVID

An adult man wears a Pre-K 4 SA Tshirt while repairing a machine with a hand drill

Every year, schools throughout the nation use the summer months to prepare for the upcoming academic year. With the surge of COVID-19, this summer’s preparation has been like no other. In addition to the usual tasks of giving classrooms a fresh coat of paint and performing routine maintenance, Pre-K 4 SA is adding new safety features and developing new sanitation protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Drawing on the latest guidance from public health officials and our own consulting physician, we’ve organized our work around three goals:

1. KEEP THE VIRUS OUT OF THE BUILDING

  • Limit who comes in the building. Implementing a touchless, curbside drop-off and pickup process will allow us to continue our practice of having a personal handoff of children each morning and afternoon while keeping social distance.
  • Screen every person, every day. Installing touchless thermometer stations in every building will allow us to quickly take the temperature of each adult and screen for symptoms of COVID. Children will be screened as part of the curbside drop-off process. Our full-time nursing staff will help us monitor for symptoms in children and staff throughout the day.
  • Limit items from outside. Pre-K 4 SA will provide all supplies for the children, including personal items like water bottles and nap blankets. These items will remain at Pre-K 4 SA and we will take responsibility for sanitizing them. Additionally, any item brought into the building by an adult (e.g., purse, lunch bag) will be sanitized upon entry.

2. REDUCE THE CHANCE OF AN OUTBREAK

  • Reduce high-contact surfaces. Touchless sinks, toilets, doors, and paper towel dispensers mean fewer opportunities for hands (big and little) to spread germs. We are also moving away from family-style meals with shared serving utensils to individually packaged meals and snacks.
  • Follow strict sanitation protocols. While Pre-K 4 SA always follows the highest sanitation standards, we are increasing the frequency with which we clean materials, equipment, and facilities. Anything that is used by a child or adult will be cleaned and sanitized multiple times throughout the day.
  • Improve indoor airflow. The most recent guidance on COVID-19 suggests it can be spread through airborne transmission. To help prevent airborne transmission, we are adjusting our HVAC system to bring more fresh air into the classroom and adding higher grade air filters to help capture germs.
  • Increase time outdoors. COVID is much less likely to spread in outdoor areas. We are adjusting our daily schedule to allow children more time in our outdoor learning environments. Children will spend most of the morning outside and may even eat and nap outside, weather permitting.
  • Teach children healthy habits. Washing hands and covering coughs have always been important lessons in early learning, but this year we will also teach children how to use hand sanitizer, how to wear a mask or face shield, and why we need to tell an adult when we feel sick. We will follow these lessons with supportive guidance to help children make these habits part of their everyday routine at school and at home.
  • Create opportunities for safe interactions. Having fewer children in a classroom, keeping the same set of children and adults together, and wearing masks or face shields will help keep children and adults safe while allowing children to continue learning through play.

3. RESPOND QUICKLY TO POTENTIAL COVID EXPOSURE

  • Actively monitor for COVID-19. Pre-K 4 SA teachers have always been mindful to watch for signs that children may not be feeling well. This year, they will proactively monitor for COVID symptoms and seek guidance from our nursing staff at the first sign of illness.
  • Isolate potential cases. If any symptoms are detected, the child will rest in our health clinic away from others until a family member arrives to pick him/her up.
  • If a child or adult is suspected of having COVID-19, the classroom will close immediately and families will be notified. Thereafter, a deep clean and disinfect will be performed and classes will resume via remote learning until it is safe to return to the classroom.
  • If there is a confirmed case of COVID-19, the entire Education Center will close temporarily. This will allow us to conduct contact tracing, identify which children and staff need to quarantine, and clean and disinfect the entire building. While the center is closed, children will be taught remotely until it is safe to return to the classroom.

Given the current spread of COVID-19 in our community, we do not know when we will be able to welcome children and families in person, but we do know that when that day comes, Pre-K 4 SA will be ready.

Written by: Sarah Baray, Pre-K 4 SA CEO

Wolf Trap Techniques Engage Children through the Arts

Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning

Over the past 30 years, creativity and the arts have been systematically removed from the core K-12 education system.

However, according to the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts, “integrating the performing arts into early childhood education is a highly effective way for young children to learn and for early childhood educators to teach.”

The Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning is a program developed by the Wolf Trap Foundation and is funded by a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education. It uses art-based techniques to improve the foundation for all sciences, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

In 2016, theArtsFund became an affiliate of the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning. That same year, Pre-K 4 SA became a partner and hosted 10 artist residencies and training sessions. Residencies are defined time periods during which artists from an array of arts backgrounds use their artistic fortes to provide teachers with creative tools to incorporate the arts into their curriculum. Pre-K 4 SA quickly began to implement these learning models into the classroom, which resonated well with its “learn through play” curriculum.

A new Wolf Trap pilot program will begin at Pre-K 4 SA in February 2020 and will last for a total of eight weeks. The pilot program will focus on the following growths: reflection time for staff and resident artists, variety in the techniques used, and teacher support upon the completion of the residency.

Jessica Ambris, a Pre-K 4 SA teacher and Dr. Aurelia Rocha, a San Antonio Wolf Trap teaching artist, have been collaborating and refining the Wolf Trap program at Pre-K 4 SA for the past six months. Together they recognized that a vital aspect of the program should create a culture of professional dialogue and collegiality around new ideas and prior experience.

Since Wolf Trap has residencies from all artistic backgrounds, the teaching techniques will likely differ according to the artist’s talent. For example, a dancer will use dance and body movements to help children understand a concept, while a musician will use an instrument and music to teach children. With that in mind, there is much depth and versatility to using the arts in the classrooms.

“As a teacher, I’ve learned from one of our drama residencies and applied some of the techniques in my own instruction. My class was interested in learning the difference between frogs and toads. Using the imaginary costume closet, I remember the children were engaged as they acted out as if they were changing into either a frog or a toad,” said Ambris. “They would pretend to become their character by imagining specific traits such as smooth or bumpy skin. By using their imagination, children were able to apply what they had learned and really understand the differences between the two.”

Prior to this new pilot program, only one resident artist was assigned to one teacher and his or her classroom. Now, one resident artist will be in one classroom but teaching a cohort of five teachers. The training will last for nine weeks with a total of 21 sessions. Thereafter, there will be a 75-minute reflection time which will give time for teachers and resident artists to discuss and plan for the week. Then teachers will go into their own classrooms and implement the Wolf Trap strategies they are acquiring on a weekly basis.

Each week, all participating teachers will have the opportunity to share what is working for them and at the same time, share what has not been effective. As teachers come together and build this commonality, they will share ideas to build their artistic skills to deliver the lesson to their classrooms.

Using the arts to teach a curriculum should always be engaging and fluid. This new Wolf Trap pilot program will continue to help children use all of their senses to better learn the curriculum. Once the first Wolf Trap pilot program is complete and evaluated at the South Education Center, it will be duplicated into the other Pre-K 4 SA Education Centers.

Executive Function: From the Preschool Classroom to the Executive Board Room

young children play with building blocks

Since its inception in 2013, our vision of Pre-K 4 SA has been to develop a world-class workforce through high-quality early childhood education in one generation.

To make this vision a reality, we needed to go beyond the traditional Pre-K curriculum that prepares our children for Kindergarten and concentrate more on preparing them for life. By including a focus on the development of executive function skills, we are preparing our children for success, beyond the preschool classroom to the executive board room and everywhere in between.

Executive functions are a set of cognitive processes or neurologically-based skills (i.e., mental control and self-regulation) that are necessary to perform functions that help us reach our goals.

Executive functions are sometimes referred to as the “air traffic controllers” of the brain. They take in and analyze the incoming data, filter out distractions and allow us to respond in the most effective, appropriate manner.

Many scientists and educators have developed their own working definitions and lists of key executive functions. The three most commonly discussed executive functions include working memory, inhibitory control which includes self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility.

Using the HighScope curriculum, teachers at Pre-K 4 SA also facilitate the development of initiative, emotional control, planning, organization, problem solving, and self-monitoring or evaluating.

Working Memory – This is the ability to hold information long enough to accomplish the task at hand, like following directions, staying focused during small group, or making a plan and following through with it.

Inhibitory Control – This involves the ability to stop a behavior or postpone it until a more appropriate time. For young children, this includes running to get something they want when running is not appropriate in the setting, grabbing an object from another child, or shouting out answers or inappropriate comments.

Cognitive Flexibility – This is sometimes referred to as “shift” because we need to be able to quickly shift from one focus to another and back again without totally breaking our concentration.

Initiative – Children need to be able to take initiative and begin projects, complete tasks on their own and express their own ideas.

Emotional Control – Children should be taught that all emotions are okay to experience and that there are socially acceptable ways of expressing them.

Planning – Children are taught to create and carry out a plan for their work time every day. As the school year progresses, the plans become more detailed and elaborate.

Organization – The classroom is set up for children to encourage independence. All materials and shelves are labeled so children can keep the room neat and tidy.  Materials are also arranged by function to help children see how different objects can have a common use or purpose.

Problem Solving – Problem solving can be viewed in two ways. Children can solve problems with materials. They need to be persistent and feel safe in taking risks by trying multiple solutions and thinking outside that proverbial box. The other type of problem solving is with another child. Often the problem involves an object that both children want at the same time. We use six steps of conflict resolution to help the children identify the problem and come up with a solution both parties agree will solve it.

Self-Monitoring – Of course there are multiple opportunities throughout a typical day for children to quickly reflect on a decision, action or piece of work, but HighScope curricula creates dedicated times in daily schedules for such reflection. After children make and carry out their daily plan, they are given the opportunity to reflect on how closely they followed their plan (what worked and what didn’t work), if they changed their plan altogether, and why.

We know people are not born with the skills, but the ability to develop them. Therefore, we take advantage of every opportunity to set the foundation upon which our children can build. Pre-K 4 SA recognizes the importance of these executive function skills to be successful throughout life.

Written by: Erin Burnett, assistant director of Curriculum and Instruction