Many Mustangs may not know about various distinct spots on the Lakewood Ranch High School (LRHS). This series serves to spotlight these campus locations.
Taylor Knoll—Mustangs Ahead
(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL)—Students at Lakewood Ranch High School (LRHS) may not realize that there is a Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program housed on campus.
The Mini Mustang VPK program is run on the LRHS campus and is focused on early education that can prepare children for school readiness.
If children reside in Florida and turn four before Sept. 1 of the school year, they are able to attend. There are currently 18 students in the program and up to 20 can attend.
Sara Lay is the head teacher, and Christina Mohr is the paraprofessional for the class.
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Lay noted how important it was for the program to be structured well.
“Our classroom is where students can learn through structured activities, play and guided exploration. All these activities are designed to help prepare them for kindergarten while keeping learning fun and hands on,” stated Lay.
The program uses the HighScope curriculum that outlines learning through specific categories such as approaches to learning, social and emotional development, physical development and health, language, literacy, and communication, and creative arts.
The program was created to be an additional VPK option for families in Manatee County. It also serves as an opportunity for Mustangs in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) elective to get hands on experience teaching children.