Staff explain growing need, noting long waiting list
Parents can feel a little less stressed about preschool options now that Aurora United Methodist TLC Preschool is adding classes on Friday starting in the fall.
Preschool director Sara Willis, who has been a teacher for six years at TLC and two years as director, shared the details about the new addition to the sessions and the reasons two new classes are being added.
“We just kind of want everybody to have somewhere to go and learn, so they’re ready for kindergarten to get started with numbers, reading and activities,” she said.
Willis stated that preschool will run five days a week, divided into four sessions. There will be two sessions in the morning: a Monday and Wednesday morning class from 9-11 a.m. and a Tuesday and Thursday morning class from 9-11 a.m. For the afternoon, each session will go three days a week for 2-1/2 hours. One session will be Monday and Wednesday afternoon from 12:30-3 p.m. and Friday from 9-11:30 a.m. and another session will be Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons from 12:30-3 p.m.
“When I first started as director, we saw the demand of all the kids that were on our waiting list, so we decided we could get all those kids in preschool that don’t have anywhere to go for preschool before kindergarten,” she said.
Willis reported that there were 26 kids on the waiting list and when two preschool classes were launched last year, she saw an opportunity to add more classes.
“Last year was our first year that we opened up a second class for the morning group because, looking at our waiting list, we had about 26 kids wanting a spot in preschool,” she stated via email. “So last fall, we decided to take a gamble and add that second class, knowing that we wouldn’t know if all the kiddos would come to TLC,” she said. “We thought we would give it a try, so one of my morning classes, which are the 3 and 4 year olds, I had five in one last and seven in the other. Since the new year, TLC has gained four kiddos in the class that had five in it.”
For next year, the preschool classes that are in the morning will move up to the afternoon and go three days a week, she added.
“As of now I am full in one of my classes and have a few more spots in the other,” she said. “As for the morning sessions, I still have a few spots open for the 3- and 4-year-old group. So if you would like to get your child into preschool give TLC a call or email us.”
TLC assistant teacher Erin Sams added that some of the preschool kids will not go for the extra pre-kindergarten training at ages 4 and 5, so having more preschool classes offers more spots for parents looking for preschool education.
Willis said as of May 1 there are still spots open for some of the classes. Parents can call at 402-694-6471 ext. 25.
“(Parents) can call now to see if we have spots open,” she said. “So if they want to call now, we can get out information for them and then they could be on our list.”
Willis ended by stating that every kid deserves a chance to get ready for kindergarten.
“I look forward to helping kiddos out in any way I can,” she said. “I would love to get them socially, academically ready and interacting with others for kindergarten because we all know that there is a need for preschool.”