New Hartford
Preschool Program
The New Hartford Public Schools preschool program is designed to serve the needs of children eligible for special education services. The program uses a reverse mainstream model, which includes "typical" children, providing positive role models.
The New Hartford Public School Preschool Program offers a rich and varied range of developmentally appropriate activities and materials, a professional staff, a multi-disciplinary support team, and a low student/teacher ratio. The developmental curriculum for this program encourages children to initiate their own learning activities within a supportive environment, increasing self-confidence and emphasizing decision making and problem solving skills. An integrated environment exists where children with special needs work and play alongside typical peers, while working at developmentally appropriate activities.
There is currently one scheduled morning session for the school year. The session is held Tuesday through Friday from 8:45 to 11:15. Special Education referrals are made through Birth to Three, through our screening process, or directly by parents who have concerns.
A screening is conducted by the Special Education staff each spring. Children must be three (3) years old by June 30th in order to be screened. Please contact the Director ofStudent Services at 860-379-1653 to discuss enrolling your child in our preschool program.
There are two purposes for the screening: one is to identify developmental or language deficits and offer services to those children through our preschool program. The other is to compile a list of children interested in participating in the program as "typical". The number of openings for typical children varies each year. Children are notified of their acceptance into the program by June for the following year. A tuition fee is applicable for the typical children, currently $1,100 for the 2013-2014 academic year.
Staff 
Angela Ehrenwerth - Director, Student Services
Janine Cimmino - Administrative Assistant
Michele Gallant: Special Education Preschool Teacher
Diane Curtis: Speech and Language Pathologist
Meagan Brown: School Psychologist
