LEAP to replace TK program at Cherry Valley next school year
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
News from Polson School District No. 23
Over the course of the past four years, Cherry Valley has offered early learning opportunities for Polson children through our Transitional Kindergarten program. Mrs. Keniston has spearheaded and grown this program from its beginning. With changes happening in Montana legislative law, this program will be sunsetting and a new offering will be available. LEAP! Literacy Enrichment and Advancement Program will be our new program title and purpose.
House Bill 352, a new law, will be instituted during the 2024/25 school year. Polson Public Schools will continue to offer early learning opportunities for our young learners. While there will be changes to who has access to these opportunities, Cherry Valley and Mrs. Keniston look forward to serving our district’s youngest students through fun and engaging learning activities centered around literacy.
Parents who are interested in enrolling their child into LEAP must do so prior to June 30, 2024. Cherry Valley will host their first enrollment period on April 12 in coordination with our Kindergarten Round-Up (Cherry Valley’s initial kindergarten enrollment period). In order to be admitted into Cherry Valley’s LEAP program, students must be 4 years or older by September 10, 2024, must be assessed using a state approved screener, and must show a need for this program based upon the screener’s evaluation.
While screening may sound a bit overwhelming, the screener is simply an early childhood reading test that informs the administrator about what a child knows concerning early reading concepts. Picture naming for oral language, rhyming and alliteration for phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and identifying “which one doesn’t belong” for comprehension, are the components of the assessment. All of these activities are conducted with an adult in a fun and engaging manner.
Once your child has been screened, our test administrators will score the assessments and inform all parents of their child’s qualification for the program. If your child qualifies for LEAP, parents will have the opportunity to choose from a morning class from 8:25-11:05 or an afternoon class from 12:15-3:05. Class sizes will be limited to 15 students in each section and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please contact Cherry Valley to schedule your April 12 appointment or if you have any questions about the new LEAP program. We look forward to hearing from you and serving your child.
