Afternoon Session: 12:30-3:15 p.m.
Welcome to Highland Local Schools Little Hornets Preschool! The half-day preschool program is located at Granger Elementary School and runs Monday through Thursday. The cost is $160 per month. To learn more details on enrollment, please call 330-239-1901, ext. 1256.
All public school districts are required to locate, identify, evaluate, and provide free and appropriate education to children ages 3-5 years who have been determined to have a disability.
Preschool Student/Parent Handbook
The Little Hornets Preschool Program Provides:
1) Mandated preschool services for children that are 3-5 years of age with delays and/or disabilities.
2) Developmentally appropriate preschool experiences for a selected number of typical peers that are three to five years of age.
No more than 16 children are enrolled in the classroom during any one session. Each classroom provides a balance of children with disabilities and their typically developing peers.
Referral for Evaluation Services
If you have a child, age 3-5, whom you suspect may have a disability concern in one or more of the areas listed below, please contact the Little Hornets preschool office at 330-239-1901, ext. 1256 for instructions on how to pre-register for an evaluation.
A disability concern would be in one or more of the following areas: communication, hearing, motor function, emotional/behavioral, vision, cognitive or adaptive behavior. Deficiencies in these areas must have a negative impact on normal development and not due to environmental factors.
For questions or concerns, please contact:
Deborah Mazur, Psychologist
Little Hornets Preschool
330-239-1901, ext. 2108
Now Accepting Applications for Typical Peers
The Highland Local School District is now accepting applications for typically developing three, four, and five-year-old children to serve as typical role models in our preschool program. These children will serve as good language and play models for children with identified disabilities while attending our preschool program located at Granger Elementary, 1724 Wilbur Road, Medina. The program runs half-days, Monday through Thursday, and the cost is $160 per month. Your child must be three years old by August 1, 2024, and use the bathroom independently.
The Highland School District will accept a limited number of children to attend the preschool program. You do not get to choose your child’s teacher or if your child will be in the morning or afternoon session. PLEASE NOTE: No school bus transportation will be provided this year, due to the current driver shortage.
This screening day will encompass a Play-Based Assessment of your child’s interaction with others. Your child must be able to separate from their parent/caregiver and join the group in the preschool classroom for the assessment. After the assessment is completed, the peer role models are chosen by a lottery drawing.
APPLICATIONS MUST BE RETURNED BY MARCH 1, 2024
To apply, complete this APPLICATION and return to Highland Local Schools, Office of Pupil Services, 3880 Ridge Road, Medina, 44256, or email to lgehring@highlandschools.org.
Any questions, please call 330-239-1901, ext. 1256.
DECEMBER 2019 – In recognition of a commitment to quality and an ongoing dedication to the learning and development of children, the Highland Local School District’s “Little Hornets” Preschool Program, located at Granger Elementary School, has received a 5-Star Step Up to Quality Award from the State of Ohio – the highest rating attainable.
Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) is a 5-star quality rating and improvement system administered by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
This is the second time the Highland preschool program has been awarded the 5-star rating. Each year, the program must submit proof that it continues to operate at the same high standards, and, every three years, the state conducts and on site review to determine the final rating.
SUTQ recognizes and promotes learning and development programs that meet quality program standards that exceed licensing health and safety regulations. The program standards are based on national research identifying standards which lead to improved outcomes for children. Star ratings are awarded only to learning and development programs that exceed licensing standards and are committed to continuous improvement, the continuing education of teachers, the use of learning and development standards to support children’s learning, as well as relationship-building with families and communities.
Programs with five-star ratings:
- Exceed learning standards;
- Have low staff/child ratios;
- Use child assessment results to plan activities that best support learning and development goals for each child;
- Share assessment results and create goals for children;
- Develop plans to support children as they transition to a new classroom or educational setting;
- Partner with other organizations or businesses within the community to support children and their families;
- Have an active and organized parent volunteer group;
- Use input from families and community partners to assist in the program’s continuous improvement process.
“Highland’s Preschool Program is proud to be a 5-star program,” said Mrs. Deborah Yorko, Director of Special Education. “We know that every day of learning matters and has a direct impact on young students. It is important that children develop their self-confidence, social and emotional skills and a love of learning at an early age. Our program lays the foundation for learning and development and builds skills that are vital for success in school and in life.”
“Our staff has worked tirelessly to develop our program into the best it can be for students and their families. We have a tradition of educational excellence in the Highland School District, and we understand that setting our students on the right path at an early age is key to maintaining that excellence,” Yorko stated. “We invite the community to visit our program and to see firsthand the impact that a high-quality learning experience has on the children we serve.”
To learn more, visit www.earlychildhoodohio.org.