An open letter from Principal Leanne Smith:
Dear ECC Families,
As we move into the middle of August, it’s time to start thinking about the beginning of a new school year! I’d like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome new families to our school community and to welcome back those who have been with us already. As always, I’m excited for the start of school—it’s a time for new beginnings as well as reconnecting with the familiar.
Below are a few important pieces of information:
Screenings – August 28 and 29
Your child has been scheduled for a screening on one of these days. Each screening will take approximately 45 minutes. If you have not yet scheduled a screening, please give us a call.
Open House – September 2 | 5:30–7:00 PM
Join us for a fun evening of meeting your child’s teacher, seeing the classroom, and touring the school through a scavenger hunt!
First day of School – September 4
School Hours:
- Full-Day Students: 8:45 AM – 2:50 PM
- Half-Day Students: 8:45 AM – 12:00 PM
On the first day, please look for your child’s teacher’s name posted on the windows in front of the school. The teacher will greet you and your child there and walk in with them.
Please send your child to school with the following items:
- Backpack
- A change of clothes to remain at school
- Comfortable clothing
- Closed-toe shoes
- A reusable water bottle
- A snack or lunch if you wish (both will also be provided)
You’ll be hearing from your child’s teacher in the next couple of weeks. They will introduce themselves and share any additional information about their classroom. You and your child will also have a chance to meet the teacher during the screening appointment.
You’ll receive more information at both the Open House and screenings, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or to Mayra Aviles, our office manager.
I can’t wait to see you soon!
Warmly,
Leanne Smith
Principal, Salem Early Childhood Center
What makes our program unique:
The integrated classrooms at the Salem Early Childhood Center are designed to meet the needs of three and four-year-old students. Peer partners and children with special needs learn side by side. The implementation of specialized interventions occur naturally without disrupting the curriculum and educational routines of the classroom.
Sometimes a skill needs to be taught in smaller steps or practiced longer for the child to achieve success. Support services include:
- Speech/language therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Physical therapy, A.B.A. (Applied Behavior Analysis)
- Vision and mobility training
- Social skills groups
- School adjustment counselor
- Sign language
In addition, the Salem Early Childhood Center has an intensive preschool model designed for students with significant social and cognitive delays. Students in this class class have a diagnosis of Autism and/ or intensive global delays. This is a self-contained program with a low student-teacher ratio. The program is centered upon a language-based curriculum with strong emphasis on the use of communication aids to enhance language acquisition. The daily schedule included a typical range of activities structured to enhance academic learning. The curriculum included language lessons incorporated into early literacy, science, social studies, math, life skills, and therapies. Social and play skills instruction is integrated throughout the curriculum.
At the Salem Early Childhood Center we are also firmly grounded in the principles of early childhood development. Each child in the program is regarded as a unique person with an individual pattern and timing of growth. Curriculum and instruction are responsive to these differenced in ability and areas of interest. Different levels of development and a variety of learning styles are expected, accepted and used to design appropriate curriculum. We identify, nurture, and treasure each child’s strengths and abilities.