YMCA Charter School at TMC
Expanding to Meet the Need for Early Childhood Development

"The YMCA Charter School and wrap-around care help make my daily separation from my daughter Meaghan a little easier," says Monica Kelley, employee of The Methodist Hospital and mother of first-grade student Meaghan Kelley-Gaynor.

Supplementary school buildings, more teachers and students, plus an added second-grade class are the buzz inside the YMCA Charter School at the Texas Medical Center. On the first day of school this year, the YMCA Charter School welcomed more than 100 pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first- and second-grade students, along with 10 certified teachers and full-time teacher aides. Working in partnership with Houston Independent School District (HISD), this is the third year of operation for the YMCA Charter School at the Texas Medical Center, and the first year for a second-grade class.

Preparing for the anticipated enrollment growth, already up 20 percent, four modular buildings were recently installed to better accommodate new and returning students and teachers. The buildings house a library and classroom space for kindergarten, and first- and second-grade classes, which run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pre-kindergarten classes, each running half a day in length, are housed in the main building.

The on-site YMCA Child Care Center at the Texas Medical Center provides the added benefit of before- and after-school, or "wrap-around," care for students. In fact, about 90 percent of YMCA Charter School students get the benefits of wrap-around care. All-day care is also available on school holidays and teacher in-service days.

In partnership with HISD, the YMCA Charter School follows the same 180 school-day calendar. Further, teachers at YMCA Charter School are afforded opportunities to utilize district resources, including an HISD curriculum for kindergarten and above, teacher trainings and in-service days, professional resource manuals, standardized tests, and various academic materials. Pre-kindergarten teachers have similar opportunities with HISD, but they follow a bilingual curriculum that was developed for the YMCA by the Harris County Dept. of Education.

Additionally, the YMCA Charter School is involved with HISD School Improvement Plans and has included strategies to improve parental involvement. There are planned parental functions and activities for students and their families, including regular parental committee meetings, parent education circles and family activity nights.

"As we embrace the 1999-2000 school year, we are excited about the upcoming challenges," says Pamela McKinley, executive director of YMCA Child Care Center at the Texas Medical Center and YMCA Charter School Coordinator. "Having prepared a School Improvement Plan, we are anxious to achieve our goals, and with the addition of the modular buildings and second-grade class, we look forward to providing quality education and helping our children reach their fullest potential."

With trained and dedicated staff, the YMCA also wants to provide children with a meaningful experience outside of school. All children ages three and up receive educational enrichment components such as computer training, Spanish, values and character development, dance, basic fitness, and seasonal sports.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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