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VILLAGE BEAT (Continued from page 12)
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Montecito YMCA Preschool is back in session! Teachers Ruth Ambriz, Diana Felix, Miss Annie, Mindy Andrade, and Alexis Rogers were busy last week getting their classrooms ready for the fall.
enrolled in the program. “Now I’m a grandmother!” she laughed as she took us on a tour of the modest, threeroom school. “It’s a well-kept secret in Montecito, and I love being here,” she said. The school, which is allowed to enroll up to 36 kids, currently has about 27 kids, divided among three classrooms: two-and-a-half to threeand-a-half year olds, three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half year olds, and a pre-kindergarten, which Miss Annie teaches. Fischer describes the school as “a slice of the real world,” with a diverse enrollment. “We cater to fulltime working parents, and are open year round,” she said. The preschool opens at 7:45 am, and many kids stay until close, at 5:30 pm. The school is closed for a few select weeks out of the year, including last week, when the teachers had an opportunity to have the carpets cleaned, and they were able to clean, sanitize, and organize their classrooms, as well as create curriculum for the upcoming school year. The school is a Christian-based facility, and Miss Annie says she strives for all the children to be taught values, prayer, and kindness to others. A main part of the school’s mission is to keep kids engaged in play and edu-
cational activities, especially outdoor activities. The school is recognized by the Orfalea Foundation’s Outdoor Classroom Project, which requires that 50 percent of the day (or more), is spent outdoors. The kids can often be found running the track or on the upper and lower playgrounds, and in the summer, the kids are in the pool for swim lessons. “We incorporate the beliefs of the YMCA into our curriculum, and physical activity is a big part of that,” Fischer said. The kids also enjoy monthly themes, holiday festivities and activities, literacy events in collaboration with the Montecito Library, and four field trips per year. The proposed Master Plan update and remodel at the YMCA will give the preschool a new home, with an updated facility to better accommodate new technology and updated curriculum. Reps from the Orfalea Foundation have been working with the architects of the new facility to ensure the plans reflect an outdoor learning environment, Fischer said. The school is also part of the foundation’s food initiative, which encourages healthy snacks, no sugary juice, and fruits and veggies at every meal.
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20 MONTECITO JOURNAL
• The Voice of the Village •
12 9 0 C o a s t V i l l a g e R o a d , M o n t e c i t o
P R E V I E W S I N T E R N AT I O N A L
8 – 15 September 2016