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About Us
Welcome to the Barrett Russell Early Childhood Education Center. Our school is a wonderful place where preschool children with and without disabilities learn and grow together.
Our dedicated staff of early childhood and special education teachers, specialists and paraprofessionals work together to provide outstanding programs for learning in play and language-based classrooms.
The Barrett Russell Early Childhood Center offers
- An environment where children with disabilities learn in the least restrictive setting.
- A continuum of service from substantially separate special needs classrooms to integrated classrooms where special needs children learn alongside typically developing children.
- Dually certified teachers, an Occupational Therapist, Speech & Language Pathologists, Physical Therapist, Adapted Physical Education Teacher and a Music Therapist.
- Curriculum that meets students’ needs in a play-oriented and experiential learning environment.
MODERN CLASSROOMS FOR OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS
The center was recently renovated and includes new technology in every classroom, including interactive white boards and document cameras.
A WELCOMING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL
Our school is a wonderful place where preschool children with and without disabilities learn and grow together. Our dedicated staff of early childhood and special education teachers, specialists and paraprofessionals work together to provide outstanding programs for learning in play and language-based classrooms.
A PARENT/GUARDIAN IS THEIR CHILD'S FIRST TEACHER
We believe that every parent/guardian has a critical role to play in their child's education and we encourage our families to be an active participant in their child's learning experience.
Our Process
Special needs children enter the program through the TEAM Evaluation process. Preschool age children are referred by parents, pediatricians or community agencies.
Each child is evaluated to determine if a disability exists. Following these assessments the TEAM meeting is held. If the child is determined to have a disability, and is eligible for special education services, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written. Services provided to special needs children are determined by the TEAM and may include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and adapted physical education. The TEAM also determines if a child will benefit from placement in a self contained class, one with special needs children only, or in an integrated class, one with special needs children and typically developing children who serve as peers. Children must be a minimum of three (3) years old to enter the program. Peers are usually three and four years old.
Typically, developing children who serve as peers are screened in late spring to enter school for the following September. Screening is done by appointment only. Children accepted as peers must be toilet trained, separate easily from their parents and have good language and play skills. If more children pass the screening process than there are spaces available, a lottery is held to select the children.