Mcdougle Elementary Prekindergarten & Head Start
Preschool in Chapel Hill, NC 27516
The mission of the CHCCS Pre-K/Head Start program, in partnership with families and the community, is to provide high quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood education which will prepare all children for a positive educational start.
Our goals are to give each child the opportunity to:
1. Grow in the feeling of self worth, of being an individual capable of achieving success, initiating ideas, and acting with increasing independence and competency.
2. Appreciate and value diverse people, languages, and cultures through a rich heritage of music, art and literature.
3. Develop imagination and the ability to express ideas, feelings, and needs creatively through music, movement, dramatic play, art and language.
4. Learn to feel psychologically safe, respond comfortably and happily to people-peers and adults other than one’s own family.
5. Grow in the ability to express emotions constructively.
6. Build sound concepts, develop good intellectual habits such as the ability to solve problems, make decisions, persists in the face of difficulty, reason, concentrate, and think creatively.
7. Establish a foundation for good health and safety habits. Develop sound habits of eating, resting, elimination, and play.
8. Build strength, small and large muscle coordination, and physical skills.
9. Grow in understanding of the natural and social environment, of spatial and numerical relationships.
- Child Ages:
- 3 years - 5 years
- Rates:
- $$$
- Licenses & Accreditations:
- North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education
- Vouchers:
- This provider accepts vouchers
- Special Needs:
- Children with suspected developmental needs may be identified during our screening and assessment process. A referral may be made for further assessment by our Pre-K Early Intervention team. If eligibility is determined, then services are provided to maximize each child's potential. These services may include education, speech, language, physical and/or occupational therapy, psychological services, and special educational services. Families are involved in developing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for their child with special needs. All preschool sites are accessible and barrier-free.
- Preschool:
- Yes
- Hours of Operation:
- Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.
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The Pre-K/Head Start Program’s curriculum is based on The Creative Curriculum by Diane Trister Dodge and Laura J Colker. It offers the child varied opportunities to learn in these areas: social, emotional, cognitive, creative and physical. Although the program always appears very informal and flexible, the curriculum and environment are the result of careful and detailed planning based on the best available knowledge of child growth and development. In planning, the teacher considers the group needs, ideas, and interests. Observations are done at the beginning of the year and results are used to determine yearly educational goals for each child. In early childhood classrooms, how the curriculum is taught is as important as what is taught. Process is as important as product for young children.
Since we know that young children learn best through activity and experimentation with concrete objects, the major emphasis is on learning through play. Large blocks of free, uninterrupted time are made available and each child is free to choose from a wide variety of thoughtfully chosen materials and experiences. Warm and understanding teachers are always available to give any needed help in moving learning forward. Children move from one learning center to another as their interests and needs dictate.
The Pre-K/ Head Start Program features an integrated day with themes, units of study and seasonal topics woven into the children’s work in classroom learning centers, individualized activities, and small and large group activities. Weekly and biweekly units are based on children’s developmental levels, interests, and learning styles.
There is opportunity for vigorous activity such as running, jumping, climbing, digging, and building. There are materials for self-expression such as blocks, clay, paper, paste, markers, crayons, pencils, woodworking tools, water, sand and mud. There are activities and materials available that will enable the child to lay some basic foundation skills in such cognitive areas as language arts, science, social studies, and mathematics.
Singing, dancing, puzzles, writing, reading, stories, games all these and many more activities are available each day. Fields trips are planned to extend the child’s knowledge of the world.
