Mission
Promoting the safety, well-being, and development of every child while partnering with schools and community to be the best choice for families.
Vision
A safe community where exploration and growth are encouraged and celebrated.
Program Requirements:
What is the age requirement for Little Cubs?
The child must be 3 years 9 months old by August 7th (no exceptions).
What is the price for the full day Little Cubs program?
Tuition is based on $55.00 a day. This pricing includes lunch. Reimbursement will not be made if your child is absent. If you choose to withdraw your child from the Little Cubs Program during the school year, a mid-month reimbursement will not be made.
Will Little Cubs get specials?
Yes, our Junior Kindergarten students will have options such as world cultures, art, music and PE available to them. Please see our parent board and our newsletter for our rotations schedules.
What are the hours of operation?
We are open from 6:30 am - 6:00 pm Monday through Friday. We are only open when the rest of the Mountain View Elementary School is open. We will continue to review the needs of the community and we will send surveys out from time to time to determine if these hours and day will change.
How does the sign-up process work?
On Tuesday, January 18th at 10:00am, we will go live. Please visit our website to access the sign-up link. Please don’t hesitate to sign up for these valuable spaces. Based on our surveys and community response, we expect these spots to fill quickly. Spaces are limited to a first come, first served basis and will be time-stamped. Once a class fills we will create a wait list.
Curriculum:
Does the Little Cubs curriculum follow the district preschool curriculum?
No. Our Little Cub program will follow Mountain View’s K-2 curriculum. This program is designed to prepare students for kindergarten or to give older students one more year of extended learning before entering kindergarten.
Handwriting and Math
The handwriting curriculum used in Little Cubs is Learning Without Tears and Get Set for School which uses multi-sensory, developmentally appropriate strategies to increase success with early writing and math skills. Learning Without Tears and Get Set for School is incorporated into the daily curriculum and children will gain both fine motor strength as well as confidence in their math and writing skills based on the implementation of the LWOT strategies.
Learning Without Tears
The math curriculum used in Little Cubs is Bridges. Bridges in Mathematics is a comprehensive PK–5 curriculum that equips teachers to fully implement the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in a manner that is rigorous, coherent, engaging, and accessible to all learners.
The curriculum focuses on developing students’ deep understandings of mathematical concepts, proficiency with key skills, and ability to solve complex and novel problems. Bridges blends direct instruction, structured investigation, and open exploration. It taps into the intelligence and strengths of all students by presenting material that is as linguistically, visually, and kinesthetically rich as it is mathematically powerful.
Bridges Math
Language development
Little Cubs uses Zoo Phonics for developing children's phonemic awareness and pre-reading skills. Zoo Phonics is a multi-sensory kinesthetic curriculum that teaches children how to identify different sounds in words and the distinct sounds of each letter.
Zoo phonics
Social/Emotional
Little Cubs uses a combination of several different social/emotional programs to enrich our whole child learning experience.
2nd Step
The Zones of Regulation
Celebrations-
We love to celebrate birthdays in our class! If you would like to provide a birthday treat for your child, please provide enough for 24 students and make sure the treat is store-bought, nut-free, and all the same flavor and type :)
Communication-
In order to be successful with teaching your child, please communicate any necessary events with us (family changes, behavior, life transitions, sickness, dietary changes, etc.) It is our priority to keep your child safe and happy!
Conferences - We have formal parent-teacher conferences twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. We will email when the time gets closer with information on specific dates and times.
IEP/504:
My child is on an IEP. He/She is serviced through the district and receives his/her services in the part time preschool program. Will my child have the opportunity to participate in this pre-kindergarten program?
The Junior Kindergarten program abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides that no otherwise qualified individuals with a disability shall, on the basis of a disability, be excluded from participation in Douglas County School District activities and programs.
Role of Individual Educational Plan (IEP) and 504 Student Service Plan: The Pre-Kindergarten program falls outside of the realm of general education curriculum and is defined as an optional, enterprise (sole source of funding is from tuition paid by parents) program. Special education services outlined in these plans do not apply to the Pre-Kindergarten program, although specific modifications or adaptations may apply, depending on the accommodations.
Pre-enrollment meeting: If it is determined that the [Junior K] program needs to provide accommodations that are not currently in place (additional training or higher staffing levels, for example), and these accommodations are necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of the child, the Program Manager may request a pre-enrollment meeting with parents and appropriate school team members who have knowledge of the child's needs prior to the first day of attendance. We may need to delay or suspend attendance if time is needed to implement accommodations (Ex: Staff need to complete specific health and safety training, additional staff needed, etc.). The purpose of the meeting is to gain a clear understanding of the child's needs, assess current and needed accommodations, and develop a support plan.
Parent Responsibility: Parents shall communicate their child's physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs with the pre-kindergarten program director and school principal prior to the first day attended.
Students who have an IEP and are being serviced through the half-day preschool program and would like extended learning in our pre-kindergarten program will be afforded a discounted rate of $44.00 a day M-Th.
What is the difference between a preschool and junior kindergarten program?
Although there are many similarities, the main difference between our two programs are age and depth of school readiness. Here at Mountain View, our Little Cub program is focused on students who are at least 3.9 years old on August 9, 2021, and it is aligned with our Mountain View curriculum which provides students with more advanced learning opportunities and skill development.
Helpful Links for Parents:
Spanish
Tip Sheets - Talk, Read and Sing Everyday! - professional printable tip sheets from the US Dept of Education; available in English and Spanish