The Mt. Daniel Preschool Program is an inclusive
program that offers three preschool classes. Two classes are designed for students with special needs who require an individualized education plan developed for them. The third is a Family Literacy Program that serves families and children that are often second language learners. These small, developmentally appropriate classes will have a combined total of eight to twelve openings per year for preschool peer partners.
Tuition is free and transportation
is provided for all preschool students.
Students with Special Needs:
Each class has up to eight students with special needs. These
students have completed the special education eligibility process and
have been found eligible for special education services. Through
their IEP process it has been determined that classroom based services
are required to best meet their needs.
Child Find:
Preschool children are screened for special education services through the Mt. Daniel Child Find program.
Peer Partners:
The preschool program includes about four peer partners per classroom. The
purpose of including peer partners is to complement the makeup of the established
class of special needs students. Peer partners are selected
each year according to the needs of the special education students.
Peer partner applications
are reviewed on a first come, first served basis according to the date
the application was received in the Mt. Daniel office. A waiting
list is maintained.
Eligibility for peer partners:
-
Must be a Falls Church City resident during the upcoming school year.
-
Must be three years old by September 30th of the upcoming school year.
Process for Peer Partner Application:
- The parent/guardian fills out an application form which can be
printed from this Web site or can be obtained from the school office (703-248-5644). The parent
returns the completed paper copy of the application form to the school
office. (Forms cannot be filled out electronically.) The preschool application is viewed in Adobe Reader. Click here to download a free Adobe Reader program.
- If an application is being considered for one of the available places,
a screening will be arranged. The screening
is conducted by an early childhood specialist, an occupational therapist,
and a speech and language pathologist to determine the child's age appropriate
skills in all areas of development.
- The screening committee will review the parent/teacher checklists and the information
from the screening. At this time a staff member may observe
the child in their current preschool program or invite the child for a play session in the Mt. Daniel preschool.
- After considering all of the above elements of the screening process, the
screening committee will make a decision about whether or not the child is
an appropriate match for the next year's preschool classroom.
- If the child selected for the screening process is not determined to be
an appropriate match for the special education classrooms, additional
selections will be made until all of the openings for peer partners are
filled.
- For further information about peer partners at Mt. Daniel, contact the peer partner coordinator at 703-248-5655.
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