Description of Preschool Program
The South Orange Maplewood School District Preschool Program started its humble beginnings with the opening of its flagship preschool, the Montrose Early Childhood Center, on December 4, 2015. With an enrollment of 61 students, the establishment of Montrose set the standard for a new age of preschool programming within the community. Nine years later, the program has expanded beyond our District school and is now home to seven preschool partner sites, with an enrollment capacity of approximately 360 students.
Our program offers inclusive education as well as special programming designed to meet the needs of diverse learners. Our program offers a highly qualified staff of educators, many of whom are duly certified. The support staff provides a nurturing mood to the classroom, which helps students acquire the resources they need to achieve academically, socially, and emotionally.
Our talented staff of coaches provide the utmost support to teachers and students while maintaining the highest standards as indicated in the requirements of the N.J. Department of Education.
Our leadership team supports our program in ways that consistently elevate the inner workings of the District, while creating a level of early learning initiatives that continue to evolve with the fluid changes within education. We would like to send a warm welcome to our proud students and families who have accepted placement into our program!
STAFF:
Mr. Leroy Johnson
Director of Early Childhood Education
e: ljohnso3@nullsomsd.k12.nj.us
p: (973) 762 - 5600 ext 1843
Early Screening Inventory
All general education students who are new to the South Orange Maplewood District Preschool Program will be screened using the Early Screening Inventory-Revised developmental screening instrument. Click here to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
An FAQ has been prepared by educators and parents as a tool to answer essential questions the community may have. You can view the FAQs below:
Preschool Tools of the Mind (TOM) Curriculum
Aligned with the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, TOM is a comprehensive curriculum that presents content in an integrated manner. Its instructional strategies reflect a combination of student-initiated activities, explicit instruction, individualization through multiple levels of scaffolding (problem-solving through teacher modeling followed by increasingly independent student practice), and the ongoing use of multiple assessment data. Progress reports are shared with parents/guardians three times per year, and parent-teacher conferences are scheduled throughout the year. Click here to learn more about the TOM Curriculum.
Registration
For registration information please click here.