BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Finding preschool opportunities isn’t easy for families but Say Yes Buffalo is expanding its Little Scholars preschool program into four more Buffalo Public Schools.
“The kids love it. We make it very fun for them and we have fun,” laughed Demia Dean, co-lead teacher, Little Scholars.
Say Yes Buffalo Little Scholars is a pre-K pilot program designed to accelerate young learning.
It first launched in two Buffalo Schools: Dr. Charles Drew Annex School and West Hertel Academy.
But Say Yes leader David Rust says they are now bringing it into four more city school buildings this fall for the new school year.
"This is not babysitting. This is much more than that. There's a robust curriculum behind it. It's evidence-based learning opportunities, and the goal is that students are ready to go when they hit pre-K and then when they advanced to kindergarten,” commented Rust, CEO, Say Yes Buffalo.
Applications are now being accepted from city residents for slots at Hillary Park Elementary, George Blackman Early Childhood Center, Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center, and Southside Elementary School.
“We do require daycare subsidies from Erie County and that can take a little bit to process, so if they fill out our eligibility screener, we always provide support for that daycare subsidy,” explained Sarah Hanley, family support specialist, Say Yes Buffalo.
Hanley says the two current sites didn’t give school families enough access, so adding four more schools in different parts of the city helps fill the gaps in accessibility.
Eileen Wszalek, assistant principal, West Hertel Academy.
“It really is a fantastic preschool program, focused on pre-K readiness,” declared Eileen Wszalek, assistant principal, West Hertel Academy.
Students attend from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for a full day of learning and fun.
Little Scholars at West Hertel is now in its summer session where these sleepy three-year-olds are the youngest city students now enrolled in this program.
“And the best part about it is when they come in and they see their teachers they love, they're just excited and happy to get their day started with the hugs and you know, just everything -the excitement,” reflected Kareemia Lott, lead teacher, Little Scholars, West Hertel Academy.
The city school district says the goal of the Little Scholars program is to have their students reading at proficiency levels by the time they leave the third grade.
“It’s really preparing the students academically and socially, emotionally. So, they're learning through play. But also, we're making sure that any opportunity to gap that we know exists, we are closing that gap by giving them that early time to be in school. So, at such a young age, and you're coming in you are getting used to a school day, used to the school building and you're receiving the social-emotional supports,” explains Wszalek.
"Assisting with their learning. Their alphabet or letters. They're stronger social-emotional. We focused on a lot of literacy language. We learn through play, of course, so the different centers in the classroom — they spend time in their centers. We do a lot of art with them,” replied Demia Dean, co-lead teacher, Little Scholars, West Hertel Academy.
“It has a curriculum already set up and we just feed into it a little more with the artwork and everything. This semester, for our six-week program we're focusing on water. So, we've been doing things with starfish, turtles, and then what the kids would look like underwater,” Lott noted.
14 spots will be open for students at each of the four new Little Scholar school sites. Nine spots are left at West Hertel.
“In the last few weeks, a huge uptick in our eligibility screeners. We are scheduling home visits, so we are filling up,” Hanley remarked.
Say Yes Buffalo leaders tell me more little scholar classrooms will be added at other city schools in January.
“The goal is that there are as many seats as needed for three-year-olds to access early childhood opportunities in this community and that they're quality, but they're built on academic components,” Rust responded.
