The school’s unique, integrated program is one of the few in NJ that brings together special needs students with their typically developing peers
In Stacy Pogoda’s classroom, her students are engaged in a rousing game of pass the potato, but what’s really happening is much more than just child’s play.
“There’s no stopping here,” she says, taking a breath from the near-constant auditory stimulation she gives the small children circled around her. “We have to keep their attention.”
At Charles Street School, Pogoda is the leader of a unique preschool program that stands out from others in New Jersey. The integrated, language-based program, which brings together children with special needs in the same classroom as their typically developing peers, puts learning in motion by exercising all the senses at once.
The lottery-based program is split into two classes, on half-day for three year olds that integrates special needs students, and a full-day, tuition-based class open to Palmyra resident children who are four years old by Oct. 1. Empty spots are hard to come by in this coveted program.
Pogoda has taught the CSS preschool program for the past 17 years, and her energy and enthusiasm continue to grow with each day. Through a passion for early childhood development, the creative curriculum she was instrumental in developing aims to instill skills that her students will take with them throughout their schooling.
“I strongly feel that play is a foundation for learning. Play expands imagination, encourages their sense of wonder and provides a comprehensive infrastructure that they can build on,” Pogoda said.
Watching the students, it seems they hardly know they’re learning. Pogoda and her five classroom aides provide continuous stimulation via new, interactive activities that change every day. Each task the preschoolers are given is designed with intense attention to detail, from the size of their crayons, which stimulates certain muscles, to the movements they perform while repeating their letters and numbers.
The collaborative classroom environment allows students to experience a variety of early reading and math concepts, language development, fine and gross motor skills, related arts and social skills. The creative, play-driven curriculum is state-approved, developmentally appropriate and based on best practice in early childhood education, Pogoda said.
Another unique feature of the CSS pre-K program is the way it accommodates its students with special needs. Typically, children who need additional therapies or support are taken out of the classroom, which creates a separation between them and their peers. This is also a common practice for K-12, and it can often make differently-abled students feel singled out.
In Pogoda’s classroom, all students reap the benefits of these additional therapies from a specialized support staff. Occupational therapists, speech pathologists and physical therapists visit the classroom every Thursday for integrated group therapy, where every student participates in additional skill-bolstering exercises regardless of need or ability.
“All children have differing abilities, and its those abilities that make them so special,” Pogoda said.
For more information for the preschool program, residents can contact the Palmyra School District Registrar’s Office at (856)786–9300, ext. 1000.
