Schonowe Preschool celebrates 25 years of teaching kids of all abilities
Schonowe Preschool celebrated its 25th anniversary on Tuesday, June 7, with a variety of fun activities for children attending the school, which also offers an educationally based nursery school program and daycare for those with special needs and typically developing children. The classes at the nonprofit charter school are integrated, allowing children to have an enriching social experience with peers of all abilities.
Melissa Spring, of Scotia, said she decided to send her twin children to the school because her disabled son and typically developing daughter could be in the same class.
I wanted her to be surrounded by kids that have a variety of needs and learn compassion, understanding and how to be a helpful classmate, said Spring. `This is the only place I saw that had true integration. A lot of places they could be together for a part of the day, but not the whole class time. It was really the only place that I had found that that would happen.`
Spring said that environment has helped her children gain a valuable experience.
`My children have grown tremendously here. They have made tons of friends, and they are so happy here,` said Spring. `The staff loves them. Everyone in the school knows them, even if they don’t work in their classroom. It is a really warm environment.`
Spring said the curriculum is similar to other preschools, which is something she liked about the school.
Lori Blatt, coordinator of admissions at Schonowe, said the fully integrated classrooms have made it more challenging, but children being able to learn from one another provides a rewarding experience.
Schonowe Director John McQueen said that in the ’90s, the state mandated schools to move toward an inclusionary program. The school’s program has no segregated classes.
`This integration has become part of our philosophy because it really benefits both groups of children, the typically developing and the children with needs,` said McQueen. `It really works very well.`
There is also a new parent group at the school, which Spring runs because she wanted to build stronger connections with other parents of children with disabilities. A lot of kids live in different municipalities within Schenectady County so she wanted her son to be able to see kids outside of schools to practice social skills and build friendships.
`I think the group overall is very well received, and I think the parents really want to participate,` said Spring. `It is definitely gaining steam now.`
The school serves around 80 special needs children and around 120 students total. There is currently a waiting list for parents wanting to get their children into the program.
The nursery school and daycare have grown mostly through word of mouth from parents satisfied with the curriculum, said McQueen.
The State Department of Education sets the ratio allowed in the classroom, which results to around 20 students with two teachers and two teaching assistants. While the maximum is 20, Blatt said the school doesn’t want to have class sizes over 18 children.
McQueen attributed the success of the school to the teachers and staff members.
`We have staff that have been here almost the whole 25 years,` said McQueen. `They are with the children on a daily basis and they are the ones making a difference in the lives of all these kids.`
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