St. Mary’s School Rockledge Hosts Free VPK Info Night

By  //  April 7, 2014

Prekindergarten Education event set for tuesday

This tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. children at St. Mary's in Rockledge can listen to stories alongside special guest — Clifford the Big Red Dog. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)
This tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. children at St. Mary’s in Rockledge can listen to stories alongside special guest — Clifford the Big Red Dog. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)

BREVARD COUNTY • ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA — It’s the season parents with preschoolers start hearing about Voluntary Prekindergarten Education, also known as VPK and Florida residents are eligible to send their children to VPK at no cost if they meet some basic requirements.

Sandy Basinger
Sandy Basinger

“Often parents have questions about how the whole process works,” said Sandra Basinger, principal at St. Mary’s. “If it is their first child, they often don’t know that they need to do more than just show up on the first day of school. We hope our information night will help them understand the process and it also gives us an opportunity to share with the community the excellent program we have here.”

To make it easier for parents with young children, the school will have several activities for children ages 4 to 6 at the school while parents learn more about VPK.

To make it easier for parents with young children, the school will have several activities for children ages 4 to 6 at the school while parents learn more about VPK. From 6 to 8 p.m. children can listen to stories alongside special guest — Clifford the Big Red Dog. They can also visit the musical zoo, complete crafts and play games. Meanwhile parents can listen to Julia Ekhlassi give a talk about “What you can do over the summer to help get your child ready for school.” Information about VPK and the process for qualifying will be discussed. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)
To make it easier for parents with young children, the school will have several activities for children ages 4 to 6 at the school while parents learn more about VPK. From 6 to 8 p.m. children can listen to stories alongside special guest — Clifford the Big Red Dog. They can also visit the musical zoo, complete crafts and play games. Meanwhile parents can listen to Julia Ekhlassi give a talk about “What you can do over the summer to help get your child ready for school.” Information about VPK and the process for qualifying will be discussed. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)

On Tuesday, April 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. children can listen to stories alongside special guest — Clifford the Big Red Dog. They can also visit the musical zoo, complete crafts and play games. Meanwhile parents can listen to Julia Ekhlassi give a talk about “What you can do over the summer to help get your child ready for school.” Information about VPK and the process for qualifying will be discussed.

Summer reading recommendations and activities will be shared. And teachers from St. Mary’s Prek3, VPK and kindergarten will be on hand answer questions about the school’s early childhood education program.

Just before 8 p.m. there will be prize-giveaways and then participants can join the rest of the school and community for the Night Sky Watch Party.

Volunteers from UCF’s Robinson Observatory and the Astronomy Society will have telescopes set up on the school grounds to view the night sky. The volunteers will be able to help families locate the moon, stars, Mars and even a few nebulae as the evening progresses. The last viewing is scheduled for 9:30 p.m.

There is no cost for either event. The school is located at 1152 Seminole Drive in Rockledge. For more information call St. Mary’s at 321-636-4208 or email info@stmarys-school.org.  For more information about the Robinson Observatory visit http://planets.ucf.edu/observatory.

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St. Mary’s Catholic School opened its doors in 1958 in the heart of Rockledge, Fl. Since then, the faculty and staff have been providing a Christ-centered environment where children learn to be responsible, independent and enthusiastic life-long learners. The fully accredited school serves children in prek-3 through eighth grade. It delivers the Orlando Dioceses curriculum to its students, which is rich in academics, the arts, music, athletics and provides an emphasis on the sciences as well as foreign languages starting in kindergarten. The small size of the school provides a nurturing family environment that is steeped in the spirit of Mercy taught by the Catholic Church. St. Mary’s graduates not only enter the best high schools in the county, they become astute critical thinkers who will succeed in the 21st Century and beyond.