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SOMERSET ACADEMY

INFORMATION FOR YOUNG 5's PROGRAM
September 2012 – June 2013

Many families are faced with a difficult decision when determining their child's kindergarten readiness. Often this occurs when a child's birthday is in the few months just prior to the December 1 deadline (the age eligibility requirement for entrance into kindergarten set by the State of Michigan for school districts) or when a child's development might benefit from an additional year. At Somerset Academy, we have developed a program called "Young 5's", that provides an additional year of school between prekindergarten and kindergarten in order to support these children. Some aspects of our unique program are listed below.

• Children must be 5 years old by December 1.
• The Young 5's program will meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons.
• Class size will be limited to twelve (12) children.
• Curriculum will be developed by our staff, guided by the Michigan Department of Education's Standards of Quality for Prekindergarten and the Grade Level Content Expectations for Kindergarten.
• Included in the curriculum will be areas of content such as language and early literacy, creative exploration, physical education, mathematics, science, social studies, technology, social/emotional development, and handwriting.
• Families may supplement their child's Y-5 schedule by registering for additional sessions in our prekindergarten program. While in the pre-k classroom, each child will receive additional support from their Y-5's teacher along with opportunities for enrichment. NOTE: Each member of the pre-k staff holds a degree in Early Childhood or a related field.
• Throughout the year, special enrichment sessions may be offered on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. The frequency of these sessions will be based upon interest.
• Tuition rates and payment schedule will follow that of our preschool and prekindergarten programs.
• The teacher for this year's program is Kirsten Charnesky. Kirsten has been part of the Somerset teaching team for five years in the pre-k program and will continue to support pre-k in the mornings. She graduated from Michigan State with a bachelor of arts degree in Elementary Education and has recently completed her master's degree in Early Childhood at Oakland University.

Please contact the school for additional information
(248) 643-8404