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Guest column: West Branch offers quality preschool options
by Jess Burger, Hoover Elementary principal · Op-Ed · April 10, 2014


West Branch Community Schools participates in the Statewide Voluntary Preschool initiative that provides quality educational opportunities for four-year-old students in the community.


Classrooms are located at both Hoover Elementary and the West Branch Community Early Learning Center (formerly West Branch Daycare). Each classroom operating under this initiative has the following:

• A certified elementary teacher with an early childhood endorsement

• A paraprofessional with special training and experience in serving young children

• Quality program standards under which they operate and are measured by

• A curriculum that supports school readiness and positive transition to kindergarten

• At least 10 hours of instruction/week (four half days/week at no cost)

• A common formative assessment system that is nationally normed

• An operational calendar similar to the K-12 school system

• Facilities that support quality educational experiences

• Support services from Grant Wood Area Education Agency

In recent months, both the Hoover Preschool and West Branch Community Early Learning Center Preschool programs met all required criteria as assessed through their respective accreditation process.

Both programs also excelled in performance on additional (unrequired) standards in categories of relationships, curriculum, teaching, professional development, assessment, health, families, community, physical environment, and leadership.

An Open House for all preschool classrooms will be held on Saturday, April 26, from 9-11 a.m. at Hoover Elementary and West Branch Community Early Learning Center.

A joint registration night (for both locations) will be held on Monday, April 28, from 4-7 p.m. in the Hoover Elementary library with an informational session repeated at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. for parents. Representatives from both preschool program locations will be on hand to provide information and answer questions.



Jess Burger is the principal at Hoover Elementary. You can reach her at 319-643-7211 or jburger@west-branch.k12.ia.us.