RPS students bright from the start
Roosevelt offers social, emotional, academic pre-K experience
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer
The Roosevelt Public School family has a newborn that it is not only nurturing, but is getting lots of nourishment from.

PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff Top: Collin Semanchick (center) distracts himself from circle time for a moment during the prekindergarten program at Roosevelt Public School Jan. 16. Bottom: Anthony Orlando (l) indulges in his mid-morning snack during the prekindergarten program.

For the past two years, the school has been celebrating the implementation of a prekindergarten program, which has brought the already close-knit community of students, educators and parents even closer together - as well as a new sense of the possibilities of education.

"The preschool added an excitement to the school," Principal Shari Payson said. "The students certainly brighten my day. The children are so much fun."

Roosevelt Public School started its prekindergarten program for children ages 3, 4 and 5 in September 2006. Prior to that, the town's preschool needs had been fulfilled by the Roosevelt Community Nursery School, a preschool program that was separate from the school district and was located in the synagogue building on Homestead Lane.

In 2005, the community school moved into Roosevelt Public School, and it wasn't long before talk began of combining the best of both school settings to benefit the children of the community.

"The process to combine the schools was natural, and it has been a quite easy and beneficial addition," Payson said.

Virginia Weber, the former head teacher at the Roosevelt Community Nursery School and a certified prekindergarten teacher, now teaches the prekindergarten class at Roosevelt Public School with the aid of three assistants.

"I love teaching and couldn't imagine doing anything else," Weber said. "I want to share what I know with the children, and I love to be with them."

Weber's class takes place from8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. five days a week and currently has 17 children in it.

Every school day beginswith circle time, where the children recite the Pledge of Allegiance, talk about the calendar day and the weather, and learn about letters. On Jan. 17 the letter of the day was "K," so the children learned about kisses, kitchens and kazoos.

ERIC SUCAR staff A picture book enthralls Ann Elyse Kosa (l) and Connor James during prekindergarten.

After circle time, the class breaks down into smaller groups that participate in various activities based on a theme. The recent theme was community helper, and children learned about what people such as carpenters, postal workers, and volunteers do by coloring and cutting out designs, digging with various construction toys and even taking a trip to the local post office.

Payson said, "We followtheDepartment of Education's standards for pre-K instruction. The overall focus is to build social, emotional and academic achievement through a variety of interactive thematic activities."

The students also have lessons inmath, art, gym, Spanish and the library, Payson said. The benefits of early childhood education are well established, according to Payson, who said early learning enhances student achievement in later years. Payson also said prekindergarten programs help reduce the number of students placed in special education programs and provide avenues for childrenwhose parentsmay not be able to afford private nursery schools.

The prekindergarten programis free for Roosevelt residents but also available to nonresidents on a tuition basis.

Currently the school overall has 12 tuition students in grades prekindergarten to six, fromAllentown, Robbinsville,Millstone and Hightstown, according to Payson.

She said nonresidents are drawn to the school because it offers small class sizes that average 13 students, excellent NJASK (New Jersey State Assessment) scores, a high-quality, standards-based curriculum, award-winning teachers, before- and afterschool care programs, before- and afterschool gymnastics, and an after-school art club. Since the school is so small, Payson said, it takes advantage of the many opportunities for families to get directly involved with their child's education and for the students in every grade level to interact with one another in educational and social activities.

"We utilize both our adult and student resources to enhance our educational atmosphere," she said.

Each class, including the prekindergarten class, also offers differentiated instruction, whichmeans lessons are tailored to students' needs, according to Payson.

For her class,Weber explained, "Everyone is different and all come in at the beginning of the year with different ideas. Some don't know how to share, and we teach themhow to do that, and others learn to have a little patience or how to get along with each other."

Payson said the prekindergarten class not only familiarizes children with others but also with the school setting and procedures.

"Parents are surprised when they see their kids go to kindergarten andwalk right through the door," Payson said. "Parents see prekindergarten as a beneficial experience."