Need help introducing your child to preschool?
Rocky View Schools (RVS) added an additional Preschool Intervention Program to the school curriculum this year, accepting children aged three to five years old with severe developmental needs and children aged three and a half to five years old with mild/moderate needs.
“It is great to get them into the education system and early intervention is important, the earlier we get them, the greater gains they meet and the transition is much smoother,” explained Lynda Hemsworth, RVS Early Childhood Services supervisor.
The program is still offered in Cochrane at Elizabeth Barrett Elementary School, where the initial program started, and now the second program will be offered at Bow Valley High School until the new RancheView School opens.
“There are more kids and we didn’t want the wait list and we wanted to provide the services to as many as we can because it is beneficial for the children,” Hemsworth said.
With the addition of the second program, the wait list will be eliminated, Hemsworth explained.
If the need increases again, organizers will look into the possibility of offering another preschool intervention class but it will be unlikely to run this year until “there is more space.”
Staff from the programs said preschool intervention programs are beneficial to children because it gives them a head start on speech and language but “kids who come from outside programs can also make gains.”
Children accepted into the program must meet the criteria set by the Alberta Education.
“We accept children with mild to moderate disabilities but we just don’t have the space except for the children with speech and learning disabilities,” Hemsworth explained.
“I wish we had pre-schools that could house all children, we just don’t have the space.”
The program works in partnership with Alberta Children’s Hospital, medical personnel, outside agencies, private preschool programs and the Calgary Health Authority to help children work on personal development needs including speech and language, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills.
The program is also offered in Airdrie and Chestermere schools.
“We are excited we are providing this opportunity for more and more families,” Hemsworth said.
“We are staffed as a team who work together on our goals all the time, everyone is working on all goals for each individual child.”
For more information contact Rocky View Schools’ Early Childhood Services team at 403-945-4022 or [email protected].
