Superintendent Justin Bartholomew and the Pentucket School District are excited to announce the launch of early childhood programs for toddlers and young children. These programs aim to prepare them for their future school years.
The Massachusetts Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) Network funds these initiatives. Pentucket is one of 80 school districts across the state to receive funding from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). This grant enables the district to offer programming designed for both children and their parents to ease their transition into school.
CFCE classes are available at all three Pentucket elementary schools located in Groveland, Merrimac, and West Newbury. The district joins several local areas, including Ipswich, Wenham, Wakefield, Triton Regional, Haverhill, and Gloucester, along with public libraries in Topsfield, Beverly, Middleton, Georgetown, Swampscott, and Boxford, in providing these programs.
The first session took place at Bagnall School on Wednesday morning, attended by four toddlers. While the final schedules are still being finalized, Bagnall Elementary School in Groveland will host “Story, Music and Movement” classes on Wednesdays. The John C. Page School in West Newbury will offer four programs: “Tiny Tots” and “Preschool Process Art” on Thursdays, along with “Pre-K Play” and “Tinker Time” on Fridays.
The “Music and Movement” program is designed for infants and toddlers. It helps develop young minds by encouraging positive play behaviors, social skills, fine motor skills, emotional regulation, creativity, vocabulary, balance, coordination, and rhythm. Research from the Northern Illinois University Child Development and Family Center shows that music education not only enhances fine motor skills in toddlers but also improves pre-reading abilities, which can significantly benefit children in their early school years.
Brent Conway, the assistant superintendent, stated, “The Pentucket Regional School District has made great strides over the past decade in our curriculum offerings, including expanded pre-K options, full-day kindergarten, and extended day services. These programs have helped improve our students’ reading and ELA scores. Programs like Music and Movement and Tinker Time help us ensure that infants and toddlers start off on the right path for school. We are very grateful to the state for funding these programs at no cost to Pentucket families.”
Community members have expressed concerns about security for these programs. The sessions will be staffed by Family Connections CFCE, a state-funded program that supports families with children from birth to school age. All staff members are fully background-checked and cleared, just like public school employees. The programs will generally run two mornings per week in designated areas of the schools, with specific parking and entry/exit points. Attendees will only have access to their assigned rooms, such as the “Small Gym” at Bagnall, with an escort provided at the Page School. A school staff member will oversee each session to ensure proper access control.
Conway emphasized, “From a security standpoint, the procedures are the same as if a parent were visiting the school for events like band concerts or plays. We want to create a welcoming and safe environment for everyone, especially since these attendees are future school parents. CFCE programs are intentionally held at public schools to promote school readiness, helping children become comfortable with their future school environment and fostering long-term relationships between families and school leaders over the years.”
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