About Santa Fe

About NYE Early Childhood Center
Grade Levels Served: Pre-K
Enrollment: 200

School’s Mission:
Nye’s preschool program provides services for children who are three years old (or will turn three during the school year), and four and five year olds with disabilities. On the continuum of special education services, Nye ECC is the District’s most restrictive PreK setting. Classrooms average eight students with special needs and three typical peers for three hour sessions in the morning and afternoon; there are 13 sessions. In addition to meeting the individual needs of children, as identified through the IEP process, the program delivers a pre-kindergarten experience that blends children with special needs with typically developing community peers. The focus is on preparing children to succeed in the District’s kindergarten curriculum with the greatest degree of independence. In addition, Nye serves children with IEPs for drop-in services (i.e. speech language). The District teams with Head Start to provide a less restrictive environment for students who are 3 and 4 years old. There are two classrooms and three sessions which are co-taught by a Head Start teacher and a SFPS special education teacher. These programs are 50% typical peers and 50% students with IEPs. These classes average 17 students, eight of whom are students with special needs.

Our School’s Operations and Functions:
Our premier preschool utilizes Creative Curriculum for Preschool , Stickids (a multisensory program that utilizes icons to help children self-regulate), Creepster Crawler (physical therapy equipment that helps non-ambulatory children learn to crawl, and Silabas (a Spanish to English articulation program). The students’ individualized programs are driven by their respective IEPs.

Why Our School is Unique:

• Highly qualified special educators and therapists who team to deliver Pre-K academic and social skills and therapeutic services for students 3-5 years of age;
• Small class sizes ensure individualized attention and support; and
• Large and versatile facilities including two handicappedaccessible playgrounds
• Spanish-speaking children are instructed in Spanish, consistent with best practice
• A state-of-the-art sensory/motor room equipped with a variety of materials and apparatus that allows therapists to innovatively and effectively address gross motor and sensory development.