Welcome to the first issue of our online newsletter.  Each month I will write a letter to update you on recent activities here at Lakewood Preschool Cooperative.

Our infant-toddler parent education program continues to grow.  Veronica Williams, the Infant Toddler Parent Educator, is working hard to serve each of the twelve families currently in the program.  She is visiting each family at least once per month and using the resources of a Parent Education Workshop Facilitator to educate parents about growth and development and effective forms of discipline. In order to work more effectively with the Spanish-speaking families, Veronica is taking Spanish lessons.  For now, she is happy for the assistance of Angelina Laris, bilingual three year old teacher assistant, when communicating in the center and over the phone.

In the classroom known here is the “Red Room,” all sixteen of our three-year olds are working hard with their teachers, Ms. Lisa Coppage and Angelina Laris.  This month they are learning about Healthy Foods and “eating their colors” everyday. They are also attending the preschool arts lab and receiving music classes from Community School of the Arts.  Veronica Williams is using the Ages and Stages questionnaire to evaluate the children's progress in meeting developmental milestones.

In our four and five-year-old class room, affectionately known as the “Green Room,” Mrs. Muriel Hart and Mrs. Constance Henderson are preparing their sixteen students for entry into kindergarten. We are fortunate to have volunteers from Myers Park Baptist Church visit each week and provide assistance to the children that require individual help.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) made a validation visit focused upon accreditation. We look forward to their response this Spring.

Courtney Alexander
Executive Director