ACPS Partners with Fairlington Preschool to Open Two Inclusion Classes

ACPS Partners with Fairlington Preschool to Open Two Inclusion Classes

Alexandria, Va. - An open house on Thursday, Jan. 16, will celebrate a unique collaboration between Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and Fairlington Preschool, where ACPS opened two community partnership inclusion classrooms in September 2013. Each class includes 12 students: six with disabilities and six who are typically developing children.

 

“The ACPS Early Childhood Special Education team is very excited about the partnership we have established with Fairlington Preschool,” said Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator Jane Richardson. “This community partnership has provided ACPS students with disabilities the opportunity to participate in an inclusive community preschool environment. We believe that all children learn better together, and the program helps in fostering positive relationships between children with and without disabilities, as well as their families.”

 

Inclusion classes offer a variety of benefits to all children as they learn together. Children with disabilities experience stimulating, positive peer modeling from their typically developing peers. Equally important, typically developing children gain, through their interactions with children with disabilities, an understanding and acceptance of differences among people.

 

The classes feature mixed age groupings for 3 1/2- and 4-year-olds. Licensed ACPS Early Childhood Special Education teachers and paraprofessionals teach the community partnership classes. Including these classes, Fairlington Preschool has seven classrooms, which serve children ages 2 through 5.

 

ACPS offers special education preschool services at John Adams and Charles Barrett elementary schools, Jefferson-Houston School and Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology.

 

The public is invited to attend the open house, which will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. on Jan. 16 at Fairlington Preschool, 3900 King St. For more information, contact Richardson at 703-578-8217 or Fairlington Preschool Director Carol Keller at 703-671-3939.