Mary Ford Early Learning and Family Center (MFEL&FC) is helping all students develop the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the Graduate by creating an environment that is safe, well-prepared, and intentional about ensuring children's success. While promoting curiosity, exploration, and self-expression, children are encouraged to become actively engaged in their learning. We have an excellent staff of professionals helping all students develop the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the Graduate by meeting individual student's needs, including academic, social-emotional, physical, or a combination of supports. To support our scholars’ well-being, we include families as we educate, nurture, and advocate for children to bring access and equity to early learning. Our children and families are immersed in Conscious Discipline knowledge and skills, empowering them to build self-confidence and pursue their goals and dreams. As a National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited school and Cognia Early Learning Accreditated school, we do this by respecting how children grow and develop.
In Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, teachers work diligently with individual children, small groups, and whole groups while differentiating instruction and using best practices to meet the needs of all students. Kindergarten teachers focus on best practices by implementing core curriculum from state-approved curricula, including modules that allow students to build essential content knowledge based on compelling science, social studies, or literature topics. In addition, we also use Heggerty, a Phonemic Awareness research-based 35-week curriculum of daily phonemic and phonological awareness lessons. Our math curriculum is Bridges Math, implemented with fidelity, focusing on numbers, operations, geometry, and measurement. We also utilize the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP), a systematic and intentional formative assessment system in mathematics based upon the mathematics education research on how students learn specific concepts, standard errors, or pre-conceptions or misconceptions that interfere with learning new ideas and solving related problems. These strategies support students as we aim to differentiate individual students' needs to increase growth in all areas for academic success.
Prekindergarten teachers use the Creative Curriculum as their core academic learning tool. The curriculum focuses on social-emotional skills and units of intentional studies that allow students to meet the rigor of the profile of a South Carolina graduate. The studies are implemented through purposeful play and help students become communicators, critical thinkers, and problem solvers.
All students have “Academic Arts” opportunities. These include the STEM lab, where students explore and inquire into science and math, the Media Center (library), Physical Education, Music, and Art. In addition, field trips are planned strategically to support lessons taught in the classroom, enabling students to make life connections with their learning.
Our teachers communicate with parents through newsletters, Class Dojo, emails, and text messages. They have office hours where parents can contact them with questions or concerns. Teachers met with parents via Zoom, Class Dojo, or Google Meet to review student expectations, strengths, and concerns. Our parents actively engage in school-sponsored activities like literacy nights, Math nights, STEM nights, Read Across America, and The Week of The Young Child. The backbone of our parental involvement is the Parent Teacher Organization, whose members have been tremendously helpful with time, talent, and resources. They have supported the school by enhancing and supporting activities and school celebrations.
We thank our students, staff, parents, and community for a productive and fantastic school year!
Loretta Hart, Principal
Lissa Long, SIC Chairperson
