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Committee highlights preschool program and high-school early-childhood pathway
Summary
Presenters described a hands-on preschool program run in partnership with high school students, outlined course progression (Exploring Childhood → PreK1 → PreK2 → internships), noted a concurrent EC 104 college-credit agreement with BCC, and said the preschool is intentionally capped at 12 students despite regulatory capacity for 20.
Presenters from the district’s early-childhood program described a multi-year pathway that brings high-school students into a preschool setting to learn through practice and to prepare for careers in education.
Jack Pleti and preschool staff described the program’s activities—weekly greenhouse and library visits, hands-on apple-cider and gardening projects, firefighter safety demonstrations, and cross-age reading—highlighting how high-school students gain practical experience by working with preschoolers. The presenters said the program’s team includes high-school teachers and support staff who collaborate to run the preschool five days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The committee heard that the course progression begins with a one-semester Exploring Childhood course (often taken as a freshman course), followed by PreK1 (full-year), PreK2 (advanced practicum), and then senior-year internships in community settings. Presenters noted a concurrent-course agreement (EC 104) with Berkshire Community College that allows students to earn college credit through the program.
Panelists said the preschool currently enrolls about 10 children and is intentionally capped at 12 even though state regulations could allow enrollment up to 20; the cap is intended to preserve the learning environment for both preschoolers and the high-school students who serve in the room. The program is tuition-based and draws many families via word of mouth and staff-child placement. Presenters said the longer, full-day schedule was adopted to better align with families’ schedules and to meet Chapter 74 requirements for career-focused programs.
Committee members asked about gender balance and recruitment of male participants; presenters said several male students take Exploring Childhood and that visible male participants (student-athletes, for example) have helped encourage others to enroll. Alumni outcomes were presented as a success indicator: several graduates have gone on to college programs and to roles in local early-childhood settings.
What’s next: The committee heard requests to preserve program artifacts (a wall of graduate handprints) in the proposed new building, and administrators said the new school design would provide a larger, dedicated preschool space and a separate drop-off entrance for families.
