Hopewell School [Preschool Program]

Here at Hopewell School we have an amazing opportunity to bring a collaborative and unique learning experience to all of our students.  We are a service provider to all of the public schools in Coshocton County so our students come from each school district.

Each of our preschool classes have 12 students comprised of 8 children on Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and 4 typically developing peers.  We have found that our children on IEP’s learn so much from their typically developing peers; but the typically developing children learn so much from their peers that have IEPs as well.  They learn to be accepting and patient with others.  When they leave our building to go to public schools they are open and welcoming to other kids who may look a little different than they do.

We have four different preschool classrooms in our school.  Two of the classrooms are geared toward the younger students (ages 3-4) and the other two classrooms are geared toward the older kids that are getting ready to transition to kindergarten (ages 4-5).  The reason we have broken up our classrooms in this manner is to help the children learn age appropriate skills.  Our 3 year old students are learning their social skills like how to play and interact with other kids their age.  Our 5 year old students are learning skills that they will take with them to kindergarten such as writing their names, the alphabet, numbers and colors.

All four of our preschool classrooms use the Creative Curriculum which is a center based curriculum.  The children start their day in circle time where they sing, do the calendar for the day, talk about the weather and more.  Then the children break off and go into their learning centers.