937-349-9000 ext. 2116 saramarker@fairbankspanthers.org

937-594-1361
alexissnyder@fairbankspanthers.org

Our Philosophy: The Fairbanks Early Childhood Integrated Public Preschool program is child-centered and devoted to meeting each child's unique needs. Our concern is for the whole child. We strive to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which to foster each child's cognitive, social, emotional, and motor development. We believe that children learn best through meaningful play. Skills are integrated across activities. Teachers serve as facilitators to guide children in interactions with the various learning opportunities. The preschool classroom is divided into interest centers such as art, dramatic play, block building, manipulative, sensory, computer, science, math, and language. Busy activities alternate with quiet time and children also meet as a group with the teacher for planned activities. Through play and self-initiated learning, the children refine the motor, thinking, language, and self-help skills necessary for success in school.

Students: The three-to-five year old children served by the preschool reflect the makeup of the general population. This diversity helps to build a foundation of compassion and acceptance toward a variety of people.

Included are:
Typical peers who operate at a level of most children their age. The typical child is enrolled one year before he/she enters kindergarten. There is a fee for the typical child. Children with developmental delays that may affect their speech or communication, muscular coordination, social-emotional skills, adaptive skills, hearing or sight development may enroll as soon as they turn three years of age. To qualify for special needs, a child must go through a child check and then if necessary a play based assessment. There is no fee for the special needs child.

Fairbanks Preschool:
Peer Models Contact:  Email Joyce Ellis (joyce.ellis@escco.org) or call 614-542-4107 at The Educational Service Center of Central Ohio (ESCCO) for peer model registration. Peer model students must be 4-5 years of age before August 1st, one year before entering kindergarten. (Fairbanks’ Kindergarten age is 5 years before August 1st).

For children 3-5 years old with concerns of speech-language, motor, social, adaptive and cognitive development, email Jenny Burton (jburton@fairbankspanthers.org) or call 937-349-9000 ext. 2163.

The Preschool classrooms are located at Fairbanks Elementary School. We offer AM (8am-11am) and PM (12pm-3pm) Monday-Thursday sessions. Families will coordinate with school staff to determine which preschool session they attend.

Staff: A state certified teacher and educational assistant lead each class. Children with special needs receive additional support from speech/language, occupational and physical therapists within the classroom setting. Specific goals are developed for each child by the team, and children may work individually or in groups. All children in the program benefit from interaction with the therapists as they work collaboratively with staff on overall program goals and objective. Progress reports and classroom goals are based upon state standards.