The student news site of Greater Latrobe High School

The High Post

The student news site of Greater Latrobe High School

The High Post

The student news site of Greater Latrobe High School

The High Post

Kitty Kat Preschool

Kitty+Kat+Preschool

Imagine walking into preschool all over again and feeling anxiety having to be in a classroom with other children you’ve never met before. This happens to every student when starting their first year of school at the ages of four and five. While the young ones may be nervous, this anxiety happens to high school students also, occurring in a different way.

                Greater Latrobe Senior High School has provided the opportunity for teenagers to participate in a course of learning which allows them to gain experience with involvement of the kids using interactions which include songs, reading, crafts, and finger plays.  Offering hands on experience, students who are taking the course has the responsibility of creating lesson plans that are used realistically each week depending on the theme to teach and also learn themselves more about young children’s behavior and eagerness to take in the education that is provided throughout.

                Focusing on skills necessary for the preschoolers to further their learning, both groups who are involved are fortunate enough to have the ability to impact and be a role model towards the youth.“I expect that we create a positive experience for everyone and that learning is taking place for both levels, high school students and preschool,” says Mrs. Burford, both leader and instructor of the course.

 In the classroom, students are joined by the children on Tuesdays and Thursdays, giving them a better understanding about their development shown, also giving a great advantage to senior high teenagers who wish to resume into childhood education continuing within their college years. Everything is set up to give preschoolers’ skills necessary that will eventually help them after their first year of school, going into kindergarten and up.

On the first day, the main focus was to have everyone get to know each other and feel comfortable in their new environment.  “I was really anxious and nervous to meet the kids but when I got into the classroom I calmed down. The kids in my opinion were really cute and very well behaved,” says junior, Chelsea Vallorani.

With Kitty Kat being around for as long as it is successfully, the kids get a lot out of it with the opportunity to meet and interact with other children the same age; also engaging in a variety of activities which help them develop skills and questions to further their knowledge more thoroughly. “Based on my past experience, I’m enjoying the opportunity to work with younger children again,” says Burford. Similarly, high school students gain immense experience for the future also.

Though the preschool children were more than excited to engage in different crafts and learning experiences, the participating high school students were as well. “I took the first life span and I really had fun with it, says Vallorani. “Because I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to enroll in the second lifespan so I could interact with the preschool kids.”

This program not only provides a great opportunity to both groups, but the teaching methods available are taught in a well stable environment, welcoming the kids through their first year of school and giving teenagers a better idea of basic classroom skills and what to expect of children at this age concerning their interests, thinking, praise, and discipline. Kitty Kat preschool has always been more than an education experience for everyone included and will continue to be throughout the rest of the 2012 school year.

More to Discover