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Early Education
Update on new DPS Center for Early Education
Located in building currently occupied by Knight Fundamental Academy, on Exposition and Steele
To prospective parents, community members and neighbors:
We would like to give you with a brief update on our progress towards opening the first Center for Early Education in Denver Public Schools for Fall 2009. We are very excited about this new opportunity for our earliest learners! Below is an overview of what is included in this update:
- Director hired!
- Center offerings
- Before and after school options
- Session schedule
- Upcoming activities
Director hired!
We are proud to welcome Suzanne Rougier as the Center's first director. Suzanne currently works as an Instructional Specialist for Denver Public Schools, working with principals and faculty in over a dozen schools, overseeing the mentoring and curriculum development for special education in her area, including Early Childhood Education. Suzanne will be working throughout the summer to finalize details and make sure that the coming year is a great success:
About Suzanne
A "near-native" of Colorado, Suzanne Rougier grew-up in Southeast Denver, and is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School.
Suzanne completed her undergraduate degree from Colorado State University in Human Development and Family Studies, with a concentration in Elementary Education. She earned a Master of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Special Education.
Her first job in education was as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher in Adams County District #1 (Mapleton), where she worked for the next 12 years. Her work in Mapleton consisted of full-classroom responsibilities in an inclusionary classroom and culminated in the coordination of all special education aspects of the preschool program in her final year of work with Mapleton. The Mapleton preschool program was a multi-school program that housed 5 different elementary school sites in one location. Suzanne not only had the opportunity to teach in this center, but piloted an "off-site" program in the later years.
After taking some time off to raise her daughter, Suzanne went back to the University of Denver and completed the Weekend School Executive Personnel Preparation program (WSEPP) to earn her Professional Principal License. She has been employed with Denver Public Schools as an Instructional Specialist for Special Education supporting 14 to 15 schools, teachers and administrators since late summer 2006.
She served on the board of the Colorado Division for Early Childhood from 1994 - 1997 and provided state-wide teacher training as a consultant for preschool health and nutrition through the Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education from 1996 to 2000.
From the first few moments of conversation with her, one realizes that Suzanne is absolutely passionate about Early Childhood Education. We are all very excited to have Suzanne heading up this Center.
Center offerings
The center will house preschool classes from Cory, Slavens, Steele and Asbury schools, including a special education class. It will also house a half-day Kindergarten class from Cory. Some students from University Park Elementary will participate in one of the classes from Slavens.
Before and after school options
The Denver Public Schools Kaleidoscope Corner will offer wrap-around care for families. Activities will run from 6:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. A noon-time activity, called Lunch Bunch, will be held for half-day students (morning and afternoon students will have the option to participate). Full-day students will have lunch as part of the school-day program. The program is fee-based. A flyer explaining tuition rates for the wrap-around program and with an application form is included here.
Session schedule
Exact start times will be up to the Director to determine but will fall in the following general timeframes:
- Start: 8:30-9:00 a.m.
- Morning half-day release: 11:10 - 11:40.
- Afternoon half-day start: 12:45-1:05.
- Release: 3:15-3:45.
- Wrap-around care is available from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- We are anticipating finalizing the schedule in the next few weeks.
Upcoming activities
We are planning several events in advance of the opening of the Center.
- In the coming weeks we will be holding a welcome reception for Suzanne, the incoming Director. Check back for exact dates and times.
- We will also be holding an open house in early August, before school starts
- Check the Early Education website for updates and other events: http://earlyeducation.dpsk12.org/
» Kaleidoscope Corner Brochure [pdf]
