Texans Can Academies, an open-enrollment, public high school of choice, recently opened their very first state-approved pre-K classroom at the Texans Can Academy – Dallas Ross Avenue campus on January 29, 2018.
In fall of 2017, a parent survey disclosed that several parents of Texans Can Academies students were interested in partnering with the school to offer full-time early childhood classes. The school held a registration round-up in early December 2017 and is now accepting full-time enrollment for the new pre-K program at the Dallas Ross Avenue campus throughout the semester.
The new classes began on Monday, January 29th and will be held between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The pre-K classes are tuition-free to those who qualify and age requirements for enrollment are three and four years old.
The full-day pre-K program will share the same core philosophy of Texans Can Academies, which centers around education development and personal success in and out of the classroom. The academic-rich pre-K program will introduce reading skills, develop social and emotional intelligence, while offering a safe, nurturing and educational environment. Experiences are woven in to the state-approved curricula to stimulate the physical, emotional and cognitive growth of each child.
“We are so excited to open our doors to pre-kindergarten education,” says Joseph Mena, lead master of instructional specialist of Texans Can Academies. “Early childhood development is important to Texans Can Academies and we know that we will be making a big difference for children in our communities.”
Researchers from The Current State of Scientific Knowledge of pre-Kindergarten Effects found that children who have had early experiences of economic scarcity or insecurity often gain advantage from early educational programs. Children who are also dual-language learners show relatively large benefits from pre-K education.
Prior to efforts to open pre-K classes, Texans Can Academies created Wee Can Academies, an early childhood development program that was created as part of the school’s commitment to removing barriers to education for their high school students. Wee Can Academies provides a safe, nurturing and educational environment for young children. The program offers affordable, enriching and nurturing care for the children of their students, staff members and the communities in which they are located. There are currently six Wee Can Academies located within Texans Can Academy high schools in Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio.
For more information on the newly opened pre-K program and how to enroll, please visit the “Parents & Students” section at www.texanscan.org.