A student creating a caterpillar during the Mountain Elementary Family Literacy Night. Photo Courtesy LAPS
Barranca Mesa Elementary School PreK teachers Secilli Keeler, left, and Abigail Lopez, right, join LAPS Preschool Director Gina Terrazas at the Barranca Elementary Family Literacy Night. Photo Courtesy LAPS
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
The Los Alamos Public Schools Preschool program hosted the first of four Family Engagement Nights at all elementary sites. The PreK team chose “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” as the theme for the evening. Chamisa Elementary chose “Five Little Monkeys” as their theme for the evening.
Students and their families enrolled in the PreK programs attended Family Literacy Night at Mountain and Piñon Elementary schools last month, while the program was held at Barranca and Chamisa Elementary Schools this past Wednesday.
The program included rotations among music, art, PE and the library, with each station incorporating the Hungry Caterpillar theme through hands-on activities and projects.
Students played games, read a story, learned a new song and created caterpillars and butterflies. At Chamisa, students heard the story about the five monkeys jumping on the bed, and learned several songs about monkeys.
“The purpose of Family Literacy Night is to introduce both students and parents to the AMPL (Art, Music, Physical Education and Library) classes and to share the many ways art, music, and movement can be integrated into literacy,” said Preschool Director Gina Terrazas. According to a parent survey following the event at Mountain and Piñon, the night was a success. The only area of improvement was a request for longer sessions.
The LAPS PreK program has a current enrollment of 135 four-year-olds at each elementary school, with the exception of Aspen Elementary. Students who would have attended Aspen are currently attending Mountain Elementary due to an issue with classroom space. The program at Aspen will be up and running next fall.
The program also includes classes for three-year-olds at Barranca Elementary and Piñon Elementary with a combined enrollment of 26 students. There are 11 PreK teachers and 22 Instructional Assistants.
“The PreK program provides students with a basic foundation for learning, including early literacy skills,” explained Ms. Terrazas. “It also focuses on socialization and early intervention.”
Additional family nights are planned throughout the school year.