Story Tools

Email this story | Print this story

Indexes

Today's Stories

Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• San Joaquin County supervisors to consider lower-cost option to repair overweight sheriff command vehicle

• Group threatens to display on billboards how council members vote on invocations

• Fairsite Elementary School in Galt is now home to successful pre-school program

• Lodi Kohl's open for business

• Regional Roundup

November 19th, 2009

• Logbook

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Operation: Christmas

• Corrections

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Chase ends in crash

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

November 18th, 2009

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

November 17th, 2009

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Regional Roundup

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Clarification

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

November 16th, 2009

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Regional Roundup

• Correction

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Public Meetings

November 14th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

November 12th, 2009

• Logbook

• Correction

• Robotics team at Jim Elliot invited to compete in Israel

• City of Lodi begins annual leaf removal program Monday

• Liberty Ranch construction at standstill as state pulls funds

• Will Lodi adopt a program that will allow volunteers to work at parks?

• With song and speech, veterans are recognized in Lodi

• 20 years later, Acampo man remembers the fall of the Berlin Wall

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (126)
• Obama is not a moderate (126)
• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved (94)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (58)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (48)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (42)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• The haves should help the have-nots (24)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)

ADVERTISEMENT

Fairsite Elementary School in Galt is now home to successful pre-school program

In her more than 20 years with the Galt elementary school district, Donna Mayo-Whitlock has seen education from various viewpoints.

She has taught English classes for parents learning the language, overseen the district's reading program and spent two decades as an elementary-age school teacher.

Now it's all coming together at Fairsite.

The site's preschool campus and adjoining school readiness and family resource center is flourishing, partly due to a First 5 grant the district received earlier this year to operate a free state preschool. Students are already enrolled and there are still openings for 10.

"We're fortunate because so many parents have returned here for help because it's always been a neighborhood school and open to many who are bilingual," Mayo-Whitlock said, adding that she wants people to know the campus is still here and operating.

Fairsite Elementary School officially closed as a regular K-6 campus at the end of the 2007-08 school year and reopened to preschoolers, kindergarteners and first-graders last year. Those students were moved to different campuses this school year. At the same time, the pre-school classrooms housed in portables were moved closer to the front of the Fairsite campus. But it wasn't only the move that made them feel closer to the district, Mayo-Whitlock said, adding that the teachers are now receiving the same coaching as their peers who teach elementary school.

It's an effort that began last fall.

Using grant funding

Last October, the district was chosen by the county's First 5 program to receive a $912,269 grant. The state collects revenue from the cigarette tax approved by voters 10 years ago and distributes it among counties and their programs aimed to reach out to children under age five. Through the 50-cent tax, the First 5 Sacramento Commission distributes an estimated $17 million throughout Sacramento County each year.

Health assistant Sherri Miller works with students from the special education preschool class in the school readiness center at Fairsite Elementary School in Galt. (Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)

---

---

Among other things, the money will go toward better preparing preschoolers for kindergarten. A portion of it will go directly to summer programs for pre-kindergartners who did not attend preschool and need assistance in readiness skills, such as listening and other fine motor skills.

Galt was one of three districts to receive the funding from the county commission and without a state matching component.

First 5-related programs, including a jumpstart kindergarten camp that brought in 40 students in July, have already been operating on the campus, according to Mayo-Whitlock.

A parent-toddler playgroup that starts today has close to 30 enrolled, the group will not only assist parents in learning about other caregiving options before kindergarten, but give them a support system, she said.

Additionally, there are four regular preschool classes with a total of 96 students and two special education preschool classes with a combined 18 enrolled. There will also be classes for parents on literacy, discipline and more through the adjacent school readiness center.

Many of the offerings at Fairsite are partnerships between the city and the district, or with private preschools or private childcare providers within Galt. And local church and other non-profit organizations are partnering with Fairsite to kick off a clothing and food closet.

"There are connections to other agencies," Mayo-Whitlock said, adding that she hopes to connect parents with the city's parks and recreation department and toddler reading group at the library.

'Working together'

Across Sacramento County, school readiness programs focus on improving physical and social health among the county's youngest residents, according to the county's First 5 school readiness coordinator.

Research shows that children's brains develop quickly in the first five years, and what caregivers and parents do to promote this growth greatly affects children throughout their lifetime, according to the local First 5 commission.

Academically, Mayo-Whitlock said, 40 percent of students enter kindergarten already one or more years behind, so it's clear the achievement gap starts even before they get to school.

Fairsite's school readiness program is one of several funded by the state tax, but by far is the largest component. Eligibility is based partly on a district's API scores.

"I do three different programs in our district," Mayo-Whitlock said. "I'm most excited about all of them working together to close the achievement gap."

Most participants walk to the campus because, according to Mayo-Whitlock, the district never wanted transportation to be a barrier to attend.

Parents will also receive a free First 5 resource box chock full of information and resources, including a free bilingual book, among other things.

Mayo-Whitlock leads a team of five to serve the hundreds of students in different programs at Fairsite. Among those is a licensed education psychologist who can help spot learning disabilities early on for intervention.

Parent liaison Melissa Diaz is on board to help bridge any language concerns between parents and the school, while health liaison Sherri Miller spends her days teaching pre-schoolers about health and her evenings holding wellness classes for parents.

On Monday, she was showing a small group of special education students tools a doctor might use when performing a routine check-up.

Closing Fairsite as a regular comprehensive school was the culmination of a yearlong process to redraw boundary lines to create more balanced school sizes while maintaining neighborhood schools.

Because of declining enrollment and fewer financial resources, the Galt elementary district board took action to approve a study for boundary changes a year ago and a districtwide reconfiguration plan was approved in July.

At the time, plans for Fairsite included a school readiness and family resource and learning center, community day school or community after-school program and teen center.

A private appraiser has determined the site is worth $1.9 million if sold in current economic conditions, although a proposal to do so has yet to officially come before the school board. A decision is expected by spring after the district completes its facilities master plan, according to Mayo-Whitlock.

The First 5 grant is available to Galt for five years.

"Just knowing the focus is getting kids ready earlier," she said. "And it's not just academics. It's about health and playgroups."

Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.