The Hickman County School System has four Pre-K classes funded through the Tennessee Voluntary Lottery Pre-Kindergarten Program, two at Centerville Elementary and two at East Hickman Elementary. All children must be four years of age by September 30 to qualify for attendance. Students must qualify for free/reduced lunches in order to be considered for initial enrollment in the program. Space will be limited to 20 in each class.

Beginning the Year

Pre-K teachers have the responsibility of identifying the child’s needs in language, cognition, gross motor, fine motor, and social skills. During the two weeks of school, only a small group of students will attend each day. The small numbers will provide teachers with time to personalize their relationship with the students and accustom the students to the school in a small group setting. Pre-testing of skills and literacy will also be completed during these limited class days.

Pre-K Curriculum

Opening the World of Learning™ (OWL) , the curriculum used for Pre-K students in Hickman County, covers all domains of learning: Language and Literacy, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, The Arts, Physical Development, and Social and Emotional Development. OWL uses six thematically organized units reflecting real-world experiences common to preschoolers: Family, Friends, Wind and Water, the World of Color, Shadows and Reflections, and Things that Grow. The academic content of OWL is presented with a literacy focus organized around these thematic units that draw from multiple domains. This helps ensure that children will show language, literacy, mathematical, and socio-emotional growth with a program that is aligned with the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards.

The goals of the Hickman County Pre-K program are:

To create a full day, quality education program to adequately prepare Pre-K children with specific at-risk factors to learn.
To coordinate district Pre-K programs with family support services.
To develop a comprehensive plan for involving families in their child’s educational career.
To assist parents in obtaining quality services with public and private child care agencies that provide full-day/full-year care services, if needed.

The Importance of Pre-Kindergarten Parental Involvement

Parental involvement can strengthen the parents’ ability to support their children and reinforce the learning that occurs in the classroom. The following family engagement components will be implemented for the parents of Pre-K students:

Teachers will be required to request a home visit at the beginning of the year. If the parents refuse, a neutral meeting site will be substituted.
Two parent teacher conferences will be required; additional conferences will be scheduled as needed.
Parenting skills training, when needed, will be provided through the Family Resource Centers in Hickman County.
Parents will be given ample opportunities to volunteer in their child’s classroom. Parents will be encouraged to volunteer at least 5 hours per semester, if their work schedule allows.

If needed, the Centerville Family Resource Center will assist students’ families obtain after school/extended year care at Centerville Elementary School. At East Hickman they will assist parents in locating quality day care in the area

Basic Principles

Ø Voluntary – Parents, communities and school districts can decide locally whether they want and need high quality Pre-K classrooms.

Ø Access For All – Pre-K in Tennessee will be accessible to all 4-year olds, with an emphasis on at-risk students.

Websites for more information on Early Childhood Education:

PreK Teachers Order Forms