All children learn through their play. Intellectual growth occurs in a social context, influenced strongly by the quality of social interactions. The community preschoolers in the program have the unique opportunity to make new friends, share experiences, and receive the guidance of highly trained educators. A maximum of eight students with special needs plus the community early childhood students comprise each class staffed by an early childhood specialist and an instructional assistant

APPLICATION CRITERIA
Children must be three or four years old by September 1, reside within the Kings Park School attendance area, and demonstrate age-appropriate development in English language and other skills. To maximize opportunities to work and play with new friends, siblings of enrolled early childhood students are not typically considered.

Parents interested in the community early childhood opportunity should complete an application form. There is an opportunity to indicate a morning (9 a.m. -12:15 p.m.) or afternoon (12:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.) preference; however, final placement is determined by the needs of the class.

Upon reviewing the application, the Kings Park early childhood staff will schedule a convenient time for the parent and child to visit the program. The parent will have an opportunity to talk with a teacher about the program and his/her child while the child plays with other children in one of the early childhood classrooms.

A lottery, consisting of children with developmentally-appropriate skills as determined through parent interview and observation, will be used to select the participants for the program. Placement will be made for one school year only.

Children will be expected to attend all three days of the program (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).

PARENT REQUIREMENTS
The Kings Park staff believes that parents are the primary facilitators of their child’s development. Through the school year, parents will be encouraged to participate in the early childhood learning environment and to enjoy the laughter, excitement and challenges of their child’s first years of school. If a child is selected to participate in the Kings Park Early Childhood Program, the parent will be expected to:

Complete enrollment requirements
Provide transportation to and from school
Pay a monthly snack fee
Participate in parent-teacher conferences
Be available to volunteer at Kings Park School at least three times per month