Full-day pre-K in full swing in Bellmore

Bellmore’s Charles A. Reinhard Early Childhood Center began its full-day pre-kindergarten program this year, in which 36 of its 80 Pre-K students are enrolled.

The Herald toured the program to see one class learning about sound and instruments by crafting kazoos, another engaging in activities meant to develop pre-writing motor skills and another exploring patterns through art.

“It’s so rare that a school district has this opportunity,” said Superintendent Joe Famularo. The Reinhard Early Childhood Center first offered pre-kindergarten during the 2015-16 school year as a half-day program for students turning 4 by December of that year.

In the past, Bellmore School District residents have been able to enroll their children in a state-funded pre-kindergarten program; their children were placed in nursery schools across the area.

The district’s pre-kindergarten program, Famularo said, allows students to adjust more easily in kindergarten, as they are familiar with the building, staff and class structure.

“They really are models for the other students,” added Elise Cahill, coordinator for student services.