Special K's Special T's Pre-K After School Program

Introduction:
After-school hours are a critical time for youth. That time can represent either an opportunity to learn and grow, through quality after-school programs, or a time of risk to youth's health and safety.

The after-school hours are the peak time for juvenile crime and risky behaviors such as alcohol and drug use. Most experts agree that after-school programs offer a healthy and positive alternative. These programs keep kids safe, improve academic achievement and help relieve the stresses on today's working families. They can serve as important youth violence prevention and intervention strategies.

Yet most youth do not have access to after-school programs. Every day, at least eight million children and youth are left alone and unsupervised once the school bell rings.1 While nine in 10 Americans think that all youth should have access to after-school programs, two-thirds say it is difficult to find programs locally. With more and more children growing up in homes with two working parents or a single working parent, today's families can benefit from the safe, structured learning opportunities that after-school programs provide.

Overview:
After-school programs are defined as safe, structured activities that convene regularly in the hours after school and offer activities to help children learn new skills, and develop into responsible adults. Activities may cover topics such as technology, reading, math, science and the arts. Programs may also offer new experiences such as community service, internships or tutoring and mentoring opportunities.

Without structured, supervised activities in the after-school hours, youth are at greater risk of being victims of crime, or participating in anti-social behaviors. In fact, juveniles are at the highest risk of being a victim of violence between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. 2 And the peak hour for juvenile crime is from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., the first hour that most students are dismissed from school.3




Committed to: Excellence
Committed to: our Children
Committed to: making your child’s first experience in after school a success.

To Our New Parents:

Our goal in creating a Pre-Kindergarten After School Program for Dallas community children is to open the door to the beginning of a superb relationship between your child and your local elementary schools. The year before kindergarten begins is such a wonderful time of growth and development and we are extremely excited about having it as a part of our District.

Our educational goals will be to help, enhance and to prepare children for their first year in school. Parents are provided with a monthly curriculum schedule and updates on children’s activities. Children will be helped or introduced to pre-reading skills such as phonemic awareness and letter recognition and given the opportunity to learn and explore in a child-centered environment.

Learning is introduced using weekly themes that incorporate homework, art, music, and social skills. Children will also be given the opportunity to attend community functions and performances.

Children coming into kindergarten after completing a year of pre-kindergarten education in Special K’s Special T’s After School Program will already have a sense of belonging in our schools and transitioning into kindergarten will simply be the next step in a lifelong love of learning.

Age:                    Four & Five (Four years on or before September 1) Must be potty trained

Time:                  3:00pm-6:00pm Monday thru Friday
Class size:          Programs will be limited to 20 students per school.
Transportation:     Parents will need to provide transportation
Fee:                    $40 per month for 9 months (no payment in June) The school week hours   can be flexible for the students, but the tuition rate will remain the same.
Snack:         Students will be served one snack each day
School Closures: Programs will follow the DISD school calendar
Staff:     Our pre-kindergarten teachers are all College Students. They are trained in the District’s reading program, provided in-service meetings on curriculum and appropriate learning practices, and each bring their own unique style to their programs. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to volunteer in their child’s classroom or for any number of other schools related activities.

Registration Information:

Registration forms can be obtained by contacting or stopping by our corporate office 8500 Stemmons Freeway, Suite 1005-C Dallas, TX 75247, or at K.B. Polk Recreation Center.

Pre-Kindergarten classes are placed at various recreation centers based near the schools parent interest and classroom availability. A minimum of 8 students is required to begin a program with a maximum of 20 students in each program.

A $90 dollar non-refundable registration fee must accompany your registration packet. The registration fee is non-refundable upon written notification received within 30 calendar days prior to the program start date. The registration fee will be applied to your child’s first month’s tuition.

Registration is done on a first-come, first-served basis. If a child’s home recreation center doesn’t have an opening the child can attend another location for pre-kindergarten classes.

 
Call:         (214) 694-2031
E-mail:     info@texastalentthon.com
Time:        10:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Visit our web site: www.TexasTalentThon.com

Texas Talent Thon Artist Development

P.O. Box 7773

Dallas, Texas 75209

214/295-1031 ext. 704