On October 1st, 2013, Bel Air High School’s, “Lil’ Bobcats Preschool,” will be welcoming 3 and 4 year olds for their first day of preschool.
Lil’ Bobcats is a preschool for 3 and 4 year olds that is part of the Early Childhood Education career pathway. The school is directed by Mrs. Leach and Mrs. Kissel, and is planned and taught by BAHS students. The students write the lesson plans, decorate the classroom, send out newsletters, and most importantly they act as the teachers. The program was made to teach high school students how to interact with younger students in a healthy, appropriate way.
The preschoolers have many events coming up including a football night on October 11th, where the kids will come to Bel Air’s home game against Havre De Grace and perform a half time cheer. The kids have a Halloween celebration around the end of October where they will go trick or treating in their costumes around the school to different teachers. “The kids are super cute and it is fun to watch them grow up,” Kayla Pron, a student in the Working with Children class, said.
The Lil’ Bobcats Preschool is what is known as a lab program, meaning it is meant to be a hands on learning for high school students. 4 year olds have preschool on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while 3 year olds have preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The students attend the preschool year round until about mid-May when they graduate in the courtyard across from the cafeteria.
“The main goal of the students in the program is to learn how 3 and 4 year olds develop, and how to work with them in a classroom. They have to write lesson plans and teach them developmentally appropriate things so that when the preschoolers are here the lessons are beneficial to them,” Mrs. Leach, Lil’ Bobcats Preschool advisor and teacher, said.
The Lil’ Bobcats classroom is next to room C116 and is a career pathway program that anyone can join as a sophomore if interested in children or education.