A Boost for the Youngest Pottsgrove Students

The media landscape of the day can be very distracting.

And I would like to tell you that I was late to the Pottsgrove School Board meeting Tuesday night because I was working on an important story.

And that does happen.

I swear.

But not this time. This time I had burrowed into a Facebook hole on an issue which was neither immediate, nor important, but which indeed did make me late.

As a result, I missed what a helpful source later told me was the news that some financial software the district uses will expire within the year and that Business Manager Dave Nester said it will require a purchase of $200,000 to $300,000 of unbudgeted funds to buy a new one.

I don't have the particulars so you will have to keep up with The Mercury for news of that development.

However, given that unpexpected expense, one wonders at why some members of the school board -- Robert Lindgren and Bill Parker -- would raise a warning note about a free Pre-K Counts class being offered to 20 students at West Pottsgrove Elementary School.

Well, you don't have to wonder, you can see their reasons in the Tweets below.

Region Picks Up $1M in 4-K State Funding Grants

Four early education programs in the Greater Pottstown Area have received an additional $1 million through the new state budget which remains unbalanced.

According to a spreadsheet of the grant awards provided by State Rep. Thomas Quigley, R-146th Dist. programs in Chester and Montgomery counties have received a total of $1,020,000 in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts grants.

No grants were issued in Berks County.

Pre-K Counts provides quality half-day and full-day pre-kindergarten to eligible 3- and 4-year-olds and is designed for children who are at risk of school failure; living in families earning up to 300 percent of the federal income poverty level (such as a family of four earning $72,900); and, or who may also be English language learners or have special needs.

At $357,000, Pottstown School District received the region’s largest grant, which is in addition to the grant money it already receives from that program

Owen J. Roberts School District has received a grant of $170,000.

The two others issued in Montgomery County are for the county’s Intermediate Unit, which provides services throughout the county and received $340,000; and Montgomery Early Learning Centers, which has five locations, including one at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Pottstown, and which received $153,000.

Pottstown Schools Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez said he had not expected to receive word so soon, given the uncertain state of the budget, which has yet to be the benefit of a revenue package agreed to by Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The upshot for Pottstown is the district can now offer a full day Pre-K Counts classroom at Franklin, Lincoln and Rupert elementary schools, in addition to the Barth 4K classroom that started last year.

The grant funding, combined with district funds, means the district can now offer a full-day 4K classroom experience to all families of 4-year-old children regardless of income, as long as they reside in Pottstown School District.

Rodriguez explained that during the last school year, a full-day 4-K program was set up at Barth Elementary School, but only had 20 seats, all of which were filled.

Now an additional 60 seats — 20 at each of the other three elementary schools — will be funded thanks to the grant

Kathryn Soeder, Assistant Superintendent at Owen J. Roberts School District said the district has taken advantage of the Pre-K Counts program for the last 10 years by passing the grant money through to programs at two locations run by Warwick Child Care.

The program offers child care and instruction “aligned with our kindergarten and pre-K program.

“We started with 20 seats, ten in each of Warick’s two locations, and added 20 more in 2016,” she said.

The additional $170,000 brings the district’s Pre-K Counts grant to $516,000 and will allow for services to be provided to 60 children from low-income families, she said.

Getting a Jump on Kindergarten

The first day of school, particularly when it's your child's FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL EVER, can take some getting used to.

But thanks to a new, free program being offered through the Pottstown School District, parents can get some help smoothing out the butterflies. 

PEAK's Summer Kindergarten Readiness Program runs from Aug. 10-21.

The state-funded program is designed to take away your child’s kindergarten jitters and get a jump start on transitioning into the new school year.

Reasons for considering the Summer Kindergarten Readiness Program include:

• Introduction to Kindergarten routines and structure
• Get into the body rhythms of school before the school year
• Fosters independence and responsibility

Whether your child has been to PreK or not, the summer readiness teachers will help make the new experience of entering school fun.

To participate in SKRP, your child must be entering a Pottstown School District Kindergarten and the family income cannot exceed 300% of federal poverty level (for a family of four, yearly income cannot exceed $72,750).

Contact the following PEAK sites to register your child:

• KinderCare Learning Center 610-326-0554
• Pottstown YMCA 610-323-7300
• YWCA Tri-County Area 610-323-1888
• Montgomery Early Learning Centers 610-326-3819
• Pottstown School District Pre-K Counts 610-970-6655

Or contact the PEAK Coordinator at 610-970-6655

Also, parents of children entering a Pottstown School District kindergarten this fall should know that registration is now done online at www.pottstownschools.org. 

Free Classes Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Blogger's Note: The following comes courtesy of Mary Rieck, coordinator for PEAK, Pottstown's early education readiness program.

The Pottstown School District Pre-K Counts partnership announces a new early learning opportunity for Pottstown students entering kindergarten. 

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning awarded the partnership funding for six summer kindergarten readiness classes.

The six free Summer Kindergarten Readiness Program classes will be offered at the PEAK community early learning partner sites beginning Aug. 12.

To be eligible for the classes, students must be entering Pottstown School District kindergarten in September and meet income requirements. Family income cannot exceed 300% of the federal poverty level – for a family of four that is an annual income of approximately $70,000.

Spaces are limited – call now to register. 

Mercury Photo by John Strickler

Children in a pre-K program at Warwick Child Care Center,
a PEAK partner.

The classes will be offered at Montgomery Early Learning Centers, Pottstown YMCA, KinderCare Learning Center, Warwick Child Care Center, YWCA Tri-County Area and Pottstown School District Pre-K Counts. 

A complete listing of the sites and contact information can be found on the PEAK web site at www.peakonline.org.

PEAK (Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten Readiness) is a partnership between Pottstown School District and community early learning programs and agencies seeking to prepare children and families for success in kindergarten. 

To learn more about PEAK or the Pre-K Counts classes, visit www.peakonline.org, e-mail Mary Rieck at mrieck@pottstownsd.org or call 610-970-6655.