The goal of the Lincoln
Preschool is to provide a developmentally appropriate preschool experience that
addresses each individual child’s physical, emotional and intellectual
growth.The program sets high standards
for all children while valuing and accommodating individual differences,
strengths and needs.The Lincoln
Preschool is open to students between the ages of 2 years, 9 months and 5 years
and offers a variety of programming and schedules to meet a wide range of
student and family needs. The
Lincoln Preschool continues to follow regulations issued by the Massachusetts
Department of Early Education and Care and maintains accreditation by the
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Program Model
The Lincoln Preschool has six classrooms across two campuses and although the
classrooms are located on different campuses, the program operates under the
same philosophy and vision.The
Lincoln Preschool is committed to providing a safe and nurturing learning
environment where students feel comfortable interacting with both adults and
peers and where they are exposed to learning new concepts.The preschool teachers work
collaboratively to discuss curriculum, assessments and lesson plans to maximize
student learning. The Lincoln Preschool has identified the need for ongoing
communication and support between the preschool teachers and this is reflected
in the preschool improvement plan as a goal for this coming school year.
While the classrooms on
both campuses are viewed as part of one entity, there are some variations that
were created to meet the needs of a variety of students.The Hanscom campus offers morning and
afternoon sessions. Currently,
there are two morning classes that meet five days per week for 2.5 hours each
day.There is also one afternoon
class that meets four days per week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) for
2.5 hours per day.The Lincoln
campus has programming that meets on two days, three days or five days per
week.The program runs for 4 hours per day.
In addition to providing
support to typically developing students, both campuses offer specialized
services.The Lincoln campus
provides a program that meets the needs of students identified with special
education needs. The length of the
program and the staffing plan support the inclusion of students with more
moderate special education needs.In addition, the Lincoln campus also has an Extended Day program for
students who require more intensive skill work as outlined by their
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
The classrooms at the Hanscom campus were designed to provide opportunities for preschool students of Hanscom Air Force
Base to attend an early childhood program.The program at Hanscom primarily supports students who are
typically developing or have been identified with mild needs that require
related services including speech/language therapy, occupational therapy and
physical therapy. The Lincoln
Preschool makes placement and services recommendations based on the individual
needs of the children.
