How to go
What: S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. (ages 4-5) and PreS.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. (ages 3-4) preschool program open house
When: 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22
Where: In the children’s room, Fairfield Community Arts Center, 411 Wessel Drive, Fairfield
Cost: Free
More info: Contact Lori Haven at (513) 896-8410 or lhaven@fairfield-city.org
Residents will have an opportunity meet the instructors, view the children’s room, and get more information on the preschool programs offered at the Fairfield Community Arts Center during a preschool program open house on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Children who attend can also play a game or have a snack.
Lori Haven, Recreational Programmer, Fairfield Community Arts Center said the recreational/educational preschool programs offered include S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. (ages 4-6) and PreS.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. (ages 3-4). The programs are not state-licensed, but follow what Fairfield City Schools require to enter kindergarten. Children must be potty trained.
“Guests will have an opportunity to meet-and-greet the instructors that will be teaching the preschool programs the following year, they can see the location, and experience some of the activities that we will be doing throughout the year,” Haven said.
S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. stands for Social Studies-Science, Math, Art, Reading, Together In an Educational Surrounding.
In S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S., children are writing learning and recognizing. S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. is three-day program, offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for children who are getting ready for Kindergarten, or who are already in Kindergarten and want or need some extra help. S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. is designed for kids who will attend the whole year (Fairfield school calendar). To enroll in S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S., children should turn four by Dec. 31. This is the ninth year for the S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. program.
“With S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S., we follow what kindergarteners do in the Fairfield City Schools. We have ‘circle time,’ and ‘calendar time,’ and that is preparing them for kindergarten. We start phonics in the second-half of the school year, and we do field trips like a visit to the dentist office, and holiday parties,” Haven said.
PreS.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. focuses primarily on hands-on learning activities, such as teaching the children how to listen, and how to follow rules other than from parents and grandparents. It teaches them how to get along with others. It also prepares them for being away from their parents during the school day. Children must be three-years-old by Dec. 31 to enroll. PreS.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon.
“Because we are a parks-and-recreation-based program, up at Huffman Park, we have our own garden, so we do take the children up to the park two to three times a year to plant flowers, or clean out the garden beds. Each child usually gets their own plant, so they can point it out to their parents, and other family members when they visit,” Haven said.
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