Preschoolers ready for kindergarten

Preschoolers all over Plumas Lake are looking forward to their next big transition in the next few months - Kindergarten. For parents this marks the beginning of the next journey for their children and with a bit of sadness the end of another.

This transition is especially evident for the Plumas Lake Child Development Center, which opened its doors for the first time last August. The end of their inaugural year brought great success with approximately 70 children leaving the center at the end of the school year to transition to kindergarten.

Of course with this transition the center now has openings for new students and parents looking for a neighborhood option for their young children.

Run by the Yuba County Office of Education, the center offers an academic based program for children ranging in ages from 2 to 5 years old. The program, which has the capacity to hold up to 130 children, works directly with Rio del Oro Elementary to prepare children for kindergarten and not only meets but exceeds the state's prekindergarten standards.

Parents with children attending the center have a variety of program options, which include classes for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds in the morning as well as offering all day care for children in all the age ranges. In addition if enough parents are interested the center can also offer a combination class for 3- and 4 yearolds in the afternoon.

Each year the center starts the year off with an open house and closes the year with a graduation ceremony for those kids moving on to kindergarten in the Fall. Due to the center's unique location and partnership with Rio Del Oro, parents have the option of providing lunch from home or buying it from Rio. Snacks are provided by the center, and menus are posted monthly.

The center is a non-profit, feebased program, so the children and parents of the center spend time fund raising throughout the year to help enhance the program's opportunities. Prices range from $155 to $350 monthly for preschool only services, and $264 to $600 monthly for full time services.

If you're interested

For more information on the center contact the center’s director, Hope Jensen, at 743-4895.