Pre-K and ECCEW Students Start New School Year on Campus

Pre-K and ECCEW Students Start New School Year on Campus

While most OES students are off-campus attending Continuous Learning classes, our pre-kindergarten students and some of our younger children of essential workers are physically on campus to start the school year.

Pre-K students are in two groups led by Pre-K Teachers Carole Burton and Kimie Fukuda in their regular Lower School classrooms. ECCEW students are grouped in cohorts with facilitators from our Extension and Summer programs, helping students through their daily Continuous Learning in and around the Lower School.

“We learned a lot from the summer program and were able to evolve many of the same practices. That made our launch much easier,” said Extension Director Kati Stenstrom, who is leading the ECCEW effort. “There was a lot of collaboration from all departments: Lower School, Extension, Marketing, Facilities, Leadership, and the Administration. It was a nice exercise in working together as a school.”

Stenstrom and her team worked school-wide to quickly set up the ECCEW program that’s bringing OES students together on campus for the first time since March.

“I am glad that OES is supporting our essential workers who are vital to our community,” Stenstrom said. “We all need to rally together right now to get through this strange time. It is another place where OES can put our school mission into action.”

Just two days in, students are already getting used to the enjoyment of being together.

“The students are all so happy to be back,” Stenstrom said. “We can feel their energy and see how important school is to our kids for so many reasons beyond just academics. They are excited to see their friends and teachers and the Lower School staff. They are excited to jump online, play on our playground, and explore on campus.

One student told Stenstrom that their favorite part of the day was "standing in line with my friends" yesterday.

Thank you to everyone who helped set up these new programs that are, even in small ways, bringing our community together. Learn more about Pre-K and ECCEW here.