2012-2013 Pre-Kindergarten Registration

Residents of the East Hampton School District can register their children for pre-Kindergarten for the 2012-2013 school year beginning on April 4 and 5 from 9:00AM to 1:00PM at East Hampton Day Care Learning Center, 2 Gingerbread Lane Extension (behind John Marshall Elementary School).

Requirements:
Children must be 4 years old on or before December 1, 2012 to be eligible to attend Pre-K in September, 2012.

Please bring the following documentation with you in order to register your child:

1. Proof of Age -- bring one of the following:

• Birth Certificate
• Passport

2. Proof of Residency -- bring one of the following, must list street address

• Deed
• Lease
• Contract of Sale
• Tax Bill

3. Child's complete immunization record

Residents of other districts are also eligible to register, and will be charged a private fee rate. Out-of-district residents are enrolled on a space-available basis.

Pre-Kindergarten is a half-day program, offered in a morning session (8:30 - 11:15) and an afternoon session (12:30 - 3:15). Enrollment in each session is on a first-come, first-served basis.

EHDLC offers an extended day program so that parents can be confident that their child is in a safe, engaging learning environment while they are at work. Children in the morning Pre-K can stay for lunch (provided by the Center or bring your own), nap, projects, play time, learning labs, and playground time in nice weather. Children in the afternoon program can get child care in the morning and will be brought to their Pre-K classroom at 12:30.

For information on child care services, including space availability and cost, please contact Lillian or Maureen at 324-5560.

Background

The East Hampton Day Care Learning Center is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) which provides year-round early education for over 100 of East Hampton Town’s children between the ages of 18 months and four years old.  With a staff of 25 and a contemporary facility, the Center provides a safe, nurturing and educational environment for the social, intellectual, emotional and physical development of the community’s toddlers and pre-school aged children during one of the most important periods of their lives.

Research findings in both education and sociology repeatedly and consistently demonstrate the need for pre-kindergarten education as preparation for the intellectual and social skills required for school learning. Significantly, children who do not receive necessary preparation lag behind their peers throughout their academic careers.

Because of the Center, parents can go to work knowing their children are well cared for, learning and happy. East Hampton employers also benefit. Since the Center offers high quality child care at a reasonable price, more year-round residents can afford to stay in the area and remain in the local work force.

Tuition and grants cover much of our $1.4 million operating budget, the Center must still raise over $400,000 each year from donors to make tuition affordable.

At A Glance

The Center offers a full day Toddler Program, Three-Year-Old Program and Four-Year-Old Program which combines a half-day of pre-kindergarten with a half-day of child care, providing a structured, exciting learning experience for each age group. 

Facility: A 12,000 square foot building in East Hampton Village

Hours: Year round, Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm

Staff: 25 employees, including six lead teachers and 12 teacher assistants

Children: An average of 100 per day, including 18 toddlers (18 months to two years old), 24 three year olds and 60 four year olds (pre-kindergarten)

Ethnic Mix: 10% African American, 30% Latino and 60% Caucasian

Student/Teacher Ratio: 5 to 1 (toddlers), 7 to 1 (three year olds), 8 to 1 (four year olds)

Tuition:  A maximum of $250 for full time children. Financial aid is available to families.

Language:  English proficiency to our English language learners so that they become fluent and comfortable before entering Kindergarten

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and two snacks, all made in the Center’s kitchen

Curriculum: The rigorous “Success for All” curriculum for each age group

The Community

For East Hampton families, child care is not a luxury, it is a necessity.  The cost of living in East Hampton has increased dramatically and has forced many year-round residents—including those whose families have lived in East Hampton for many generations—to leave the area.  For those families who stay, both parents—if there are two--must often work.  Child care allows them to make their living.  And, as a result, local businesses can hire the local work force they need to succeed.

Located on the eastern tip of the south fork of Long Island, East Hampton Town stretches east from Wainscott to Montauk and also includes East Hampton Village, Amagansett and a portion of Sag Harbor.  According to the U.S Census Bureau, during the 2005-2007 period the Town had a population of 19,806, of which 934 were under five years old.  Although the median family income was $96,415, it is worth noting that 20% of the families made less than $50,000 and 3% of the families were below the poverty level.

The Facility

The Center is located in East Hampton Village on Gingerbread Lane Extension, near the YMCA East Hampton RECenter.  The East Hampton Day Care Center owns the building, which is built on two acres of land leased rent-free from the East Hampton School District.  The one story, 12,000 square foot building was completed in 1996 at a cost of over $1.25 million.  It is light, airy and completely child friendly.  It houses a large octagonal activities room, eight classrooms, a kitchen, a staff room and administrative offices.  There are three outside playgrounds, each for a different age group.

The Staff

The Center’s 25 member staff comprises an executive director, a development director, six lead teachers, twelve teacher assistants, and five administrative employees including a cook, certified by the Suffolk County Health Department, and a custodian. Staff retention has been excellent.  Each of the lead teachers and teacher assistants has worked at the Center at least four years and some as long as twelve.  Lead teachers hold master’s or bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education or related fields.  As required by New York State, the pre-kindergarten lead teachers are New York State certified.  The teacher assistants must meet a 30 hour training requirement every two years.  Several of the lead teachers and teacher assistants are bilingual in Spanish.

The Curriculum

The Center develops and teaches the children by applying the “Success for All” curriculum.  This research-based curriculum was developed by the not-for-profit Success for All Foundation, widely regarded for its research in, and programs for, early childhood education.  The Success for All Foundation continues to develop this program, and in 2008 chose the Center to pilot its new Child Assessment Tool.  Due to  the Center’s excellent staff retention, the lead teachers and the teacher assistants know the curriculum well.

All rooms have a lead teacher and at least one teacher assistant.  Each week, the activities and lessons are structured around a new theme.  Themes have included holidays, transportation, plants, pets or community helpers.  Literacy plays a major role in the daily program.  Materials are carefully planned to take individual differences into consideration.  Skills are introduced systematically and sequentially throughout the year and from age group to age group.

The pre-kindergarten program for four year olds is funded by the East Hampton School District.  This cooperative effort helps the district provide pre-kindergarten development to enrolled children. The program combines a half-day of pre-kindergarten, staffed by the Center’s New York State certified teachers, with an optional half-day of child care paid for by the child’s family.

The children also participate in an early childhood music program, a yoga program, and a fitness and nutrition program.

All of the children participate in the following special events:
Halloween Parade
Thanksgiving Feast
Holiday Sing-a Long
Literacy Day
International Day
Graduation

Parents and community members are invited to join the children on these special days.

The Center assesses each child on an ongoing basis and meets with parents at least twice a year.  Parents evaluate the program through questionnaires.  The staff evaluates the program through regular staff meetings.  Success for All Foundation representatives also evaluate the program during annual site visits.