Preschool

The Digital Age and First Presbyterian Preschool

I’m grateful today that you have stepped away from your smart phone, computer or tablet to review our monthly newsletter. I am guilty of finding fun, mindless, time-consuming games to play on my phone any time I get a chance at home. At work, I’m logged into my email account all the time and can view our web-based student database at any point during the day. I’m always plugged in, in some form or fashion.

While this works for me, and maybe even many of you, we have chosen a curriculum path for our Preschool students that steers them away from using advanced technology during their school days. Our students are with us for only four and a half hours and we like to focus their time and attention to peer interactions and social skills. Many families have access to technology at home, but quality learning environments and social interactions are our specialty. This gives us the opportunity to teach important life skills such as conflict resolution, turn taking, sharing, communication, etc.

While we may not use technology in our classrooms, we do use technology to reach out to our families and advertise to new families. Our web-based student data base incorporates a parent portal where the parents and Preschool staff can communicate directly with one another. We can provide them with reminders about closings, ask them to complete a survey as to their child’s exposure to COVID while they electronically sign their child in and out each day. In addition, the Preschool hosts a Facebook (FP) page and an Instagram (IG) page. These social media avenues allow us to advertise our enrollment opportunities, special events, and fundraising efforts. Using our FB and IG pages, we have reached many families outside those that are currently attending the program. With this outreach, we have been able to raise $250 during our recent Turco Taco fundraiser. We can also accept fundraising donations through our website (in case you’re interested in donating to our new playground!!!). Several years ago, we built a website for the Preschool and now, families can take a virtual tour of our facility, access event calendars and parent newsletters, register for 2021-2022, and much more. We’ve made an effort to go paperless, and so far, it’s working quite well. Our website, www.fppnaples.org, had over 3,000 views in the month of February. Have you visited our website? Check it out the next time you have a free minute and you find yourself holding your smartphone or tablet.