The Putnam County Early Learning Academy will open as scheduled for its first full day of classes next Friday.
The project faced major delays in remodeling the former Park View Elementary. Early Learning Academy Principal Allison Painter said the administration managed the construction timeline by focusing on internal tasks such as creating schedules and moving furniture.
“With any school, there is always going to be things that are barriers, but I think the most important thing is how you overcome and how you handle the situation,” Painter said. “I can confirm that Mr. King, Mr. Martin, and Mrs. Magura, and Mr. Pearson, and Dr. Wood, and Mr. Winningham and all the other employees and faculty have been so supportive in making sure the needs are met for us, so we have made a great progress and worked extremely hard for the building to be open on time.
Painter said the facility is designed specifically to accommodate the developmental requirements of three and four-year-old students. Painter said the school system has already completed the process of moving supplies into the building to allow teachers to prepare their classrooms for the upcoming school year.
Painter said the academy will host an open house on August 11 with two separate sessions to accommodate family schedules. Painter said the event will allow parents to meet administration and visit individual classrooms.
“This is an exciting time to be in a building where everything is tailored to meet the needs of three and four-year-olds, so the transition has been smooth for the most part, and we look forward to serving all of our students, families, and community at the Early Learning Academy,” Painter said.
Painter said teachers are currently contacting families to provide information regarding the registration period scheduled for August 8-August 10. Painter said the school system informed parents as early as April that the plan was to house the Voluntary Pre-K program at the new academy.
“I’ve been extremely excited and passionate about serving early learners, so it just puts us the opportunity to get kids in school in a school that’s tailored to meet their needs, the teachers the opportunity to plan with teachers that teach the same grade as them, and us to make sure that we prepare students for the skills that they need to be successful in kindergarten and beyond,” Painter said.
Painter said the faculty and staff have worked throughout the summer to facilitate a seamless transition into the new building in time for the new year. Painter said the value of early education is difficult to overstate.
“Just really thinking about specifically for students are ready to read, write, speak, and listen, and that’s so important in this day,” Painter said.
Painter said the new learning academy will be one of the biggest pre-K centers in the state.