Based on the growing demand in the community, Pine Tree Society’s specialized preschool in Auburn has added a third classroom and additional educators to help serve more children than ever before. The Early Learning Center supports preschoolers with significant developmental and physical needs and prepares them with the tools they need to enter kindergarten.
The current capacity of the Early Learning Center is 36 preschoolers. The additional classroom will allow for another 12 students.
“At any given time, I have 30 families on the wait list and new referrals are coming in every day,” said Karen McClure-Richard, Director of the Early Learning Center.
The new classroom is designed for students who can benefit from a smaller setting.
“This classroom is perfect for kids who haven’t had much experience outside of their home,” Karen continued. “It’s a small, intimate setting where they can feel safe dipping their toe in the water to get familiar with the routine and structure of school.”
These preschoolers have significant needs and providing early intervention and educational programming to prepare them to enter kindergarten requires more resources and innovation than ever. This new classroom, called the Cardinal Room, provides a critical stepping stone.
“As they’re ready, the kids can transition to our bigger classrooms, Blue Jay and Chickadee. The initial, smaller classroom setting of Cardinal will allow us to grow their skills and set them up for success,” Karen said. “Our goal is to meet the needs of more children in our community by providing the opportunity for them to socialize with peers, develop the skills they need to enter kindergarten and, most importantly, to have fun learning through play.”
The Early Learning Center classrooms operate Monday through Friday with morning and afternoon sessions. For more information, please contact Karen McClure-Richard at kmcclure@pinetreesociety.org or 207-386-5943. Or visit the website.
Special Education Teachers in the new specialized preschool classroom at Pine Tree Society’s Early Learning Center in Auburn include: Courtney Bonang, Liv Hicks-Merrill and Eva Schroeder, all from Auburn, and Carly Wigmore of Lewiston. This new classroom increased the Early Learning Center’s capacity from 36 to 48 students.
