The Leona Cox Elementary School community celebrated a new preschool recently to provide child care and educational opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families.

“We’re very excited because the Leona Cox State Preschool is a program that will support our youngest students,” said Dr. Catherine Kawaguchi, superintendent for the Sulphur Spring Union School District, “and it’s giving an opportunity for our children to get access to these early learning opportunities to be able to also strengthen their success later in their elementary school years.”

Kawaguchi noted a direct correlation between children’s exposure to socialization and early classroom education, and that child’s potential for success in school.

Click here for a report on the importance of preschool as a factor in a child’s success.

Educators were also excited the preschool will offer a first-of-its-kind programming for special needs elementary school students.

Since Leona Cox Elementary houses the district’s special needs programs, the preschool will also offer educational programming aimed at integrating those students, when possible, with their peers in general education classrooms.

“These will be children who are able to be integrated and will have access to the program with like peers,” Kawaguchi added.

“We have parents support in there, as well,” she said. “It’s an active environment.”

The Sulphur Springs Union School District utilizes the Creative Curriculum System for all preschool classes. Collaboration between teaching staff of all preschool programs takes place to ensure continuity of topics as the children move between classrooms.

The State Preschool program has been available at other Sulphur Springs schools since 2002, but the addition to Leona Cox brings new integration opportunities.

“We know that the earlier that you can get children into early learning,” Kawaguchi said, “the more success they will have later in life.”

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