WNWSU Early Ed Classrooms
Now in Bethel, Rochester Schools

The Windsor Northwest Supervisory Union (WNWSU) Early Education classrooms are now located in the Bethel and Rochester school buildings.

"We are so grateful to all who worked to make this transition happen," said director Sue Clarke. "Especially the Bethel and Rochester school boards, who agreed to use space in the school buildings to house the early education classrooms. We’re also thankful for the townspeople who supported this by voting on and passing the local budgets."

Clarke noted that it has been a long-term goal from the beginning to be housed in the public school buildings.

"Over the past 15 years a great deal of research has been published supporting early intervention," she noted. "We have stayed focused and patient while educating people to these facts. This move into the Bethel and Rochester school buildings demonstrates the belief of the advantages regarding early intervention in the WNWSU education system. Deb Matthews and Tim Mock were diligent in presenting this idea to the school boards and worked together to make this dream come true. Principals Andy West and Bob Gray also helped to work out the logistics of our presence in their buildings, and the maintenance staff at both locations was supportive and helpful."

The WNWSU Early Education Program has been in existence since 1988. Funded by various sources, it has served hundreds of children and families. In the beginning, children were tuitioned into existing daycare facilities. In 1992, the WNWSU Early Education Program created two classrooms, one in Bethel and one in Rochester. The classroom was staffed by one Early Education Teacher, one classroom assistant and one Early Childhood Special Educator. Each classroom was open two days per week and ran a two-hour morning and a two-hour afternoon session.

"Two years ago, we increased the weekly hours, due to research stating that effective preschool needs to have a minimum of 10 hours of contact per week," Clarke explained. "Our state early education initiative grant was also in jeopardy if we were not providing services for students at least 10 hours per week."

In order to meet this criterion, the WNWSU hired another certified Early Education Teacher and a classroom assistant. The session hours were increased to two and one half hours per day, four days per week. The program also completed a two-year process to receive accreditation from the National Association for Education of Young Children and last June received that national recognition. At the present time, the WNWSU early education classrooms run five days per week with two and a-half hour morning and afternoon sessions.

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