ODESSA, Texas — With ECISD starting back classes next week, teachers and staff are preparing for their students.
ECISD's Director of Early Childhood Education, Beatris Mata, is ready for the new kiddos this year.
"We are ready. We have a curriculum. We’re opening the boxes, we are taking our everything out. We are getting ready, it’s like Christmas in our classrooms right now," says Mata.
I mean what's a better gift than some fun learning.
"We want our students there, we want to expose them to mathematics to literature to just the wonderment of learning and we want to pull them in," she says.
In two ECISD schools, Lamar and Carver Elementary and the YMCA Pagewood Learning Center students will be exposed to a lot of material in the classroom.
"They start collaboratively. They have a music and movement throughout the day we have great technology pieces that we're integrating into our instruction as well and of course we always have our hands on approach; through small group instruction and our center play," she says.
"Within our strategic plan our main focus is Kindergarten readiness. We feel like in order for our kids to feel successful in Kindergarten. In 3rd grade and later on in life that foundation is so crucial."
Especially with this being the first time most of these kiddos are away from mom and dad, Mata says the district wants to make sure every child is in a good place.
"We are looking at a social, emotional growth. You know that’s a really big piece here. Our kids coming in from the year we just had of COVID and we want to ensure that we have a safe learning environment so of course that’s number one. Our kids come in they feel safe you know we make sure we do everything to lay that foundation for that community," says Mata.