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Farmingdale Pre-K program off to good start This fall, Farmingdale School District, partnered with Dowling College, in providing a prekindergarten program in the district. It has gotten off to a good start, without a hitch. "It's really fantastic," said Ellen Krammer, administrative director of Farmingdale Schools. "All new programs have bumps in the road, but we have had very little bumps." The program was developed after Farmingdale Schools applied for and was awarded a New York State Universal Prekindergarten grant. The grant came to the school's attention in May and provided the district $72,900 to establish a program for 28 students. But after hearing that another grant was available, Farmingdale Schools applied for and received an additional $56,700 to seat 21 additional students. After the grants were obtained, a committee was formed to develop the curriculum for the students and to get the word out to the community. "The parents were ecstatic," said Krammer. The community response was overwhelming and a waiting list was established. At this point, Farmingdale Schools asked New York State for one more grant, and received enough funds to teach 10 more children. "The only thing I think we'd have to change... would be making more spaces," said Diane Impagliazzo, executive director of professional development at Dowling College. Forty students are currently attending Saltzman East Memorial School, five days a week, with morning and afternoon sessions. An additional 16 children are attending Farmingdale Care which implements a stipulation in the grant agreement that requires 10 percent of the award be used to "help develop preschool capacity in the community." Two seats in the course are currently still available. The program is a so-called "laboratory school," which seeks input from both staff as well as parents which is then included in the program to the community's needs. Dowling College is providing the teachers and aides for the course. The certified Pre-K teachers are Masters degree students in Literacy Education at the college. The aides are also students at Dowling College, working toward their teacher certification. "It's a college and a public school coming together and this is the first time this is being done," said Krammer. This experimental program is being evaluated by a full-time faculty advisor at Dowling College, Dr. Sandra Longhran.
Parents with questions concerns or suggestions for the new Pre-K program can contact Ellen Krammer at Farmingdale Schools, 516-752-6665.
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