Interview with Sarah Dahl and Amber Gregg from Sedro-Woolley School District
Rae Allen and I had the absolute pleasure of spending a cold and rainy afternoon in December out in the Early Learning classroom/center at Sedro-Woolley School District.
Sedro-Woolley School District has been dedicated to early childhood education for a long time. They demonstrated it through their commitment to an early learning campus, participation in community events and activities supporting family engagement and child development, as well as their staff’s ability to pivot when needed, as in this time of Covid, and meet families truly where they were standing.
Some of the dedicated individuals who support this work for the district include Tony Smith, Associate Executive Director of Special Programs; Sarah Dahl, Sedro-Woolley Virtual Learning Academy (SWVLA) Principal and Early Learning Coordinator; and Amberley Gregg, Family Resource and Preschool Services Coordinator.
Their district was one of only a few districts that were ready and able to apply for the Inclusive Transitional Kindergarten (ITK) Grant 182, which supports the work and development of systems for full implementation of ITK programs. They received the grant! In their work with the ESD, they participate in Preschool Inclusion Champions, Early Learning Fellows, and Pyramid Model training.
Here are some of the questions and answers from our time together:
How did early learning and the commitment to ITK begin for your school district?
We started with a Sedro-Woolley Early Learning League (SWELL) grant for $800. The objective was to organize community partners to come together for a resource event for families in our district. We had a fantastic turnout from both providers and families, and then Covid hit and everything shut down a couple of weeks later. We also applied for and received the 100 Schools grant as well as the Preschool Inclusion Champions grant. These grants and the professional development that we received helped us to be ready for the ITK 182 grant.
When did the first ITK start for children in your district?
We began our first classroom in January 2019. We currently have two ITK classrooms with 18 children in each classroom.
Will you run a full-year ITK program?
No, I do not think so. We want to make sure that we are filling the programs around our community first. If a child does not have a place to go and has never been in an early learning program, then those are the children we want to pick up in January. We also do not have the staffing to support a full-time program currently. Our staff is in other positions in the first semester of the year, and then they roll into a position within ITK the second semester.
What were some challenges that you faced in starting an ITK classroom?
Initially, our challenge was space. Then, we just had to get creative! We took a portable classroom where OT’s, SLP’s, etc. were providing therapy and they kindly moved to an alternate location. By the end of the year, staff and leaders were offering up their corner of the portable, their office space, etc. as they saw how impactful this program was on the children who attended.
What are you most proud of?
We are really proud of the extraordinary collaboration with our community partners, Head Start, Early Head Start, and YMCA as well as our work with SWELL (Sedro-Woolley Early Learning League). We are all dedicated to supporting families and making sure that children are getting the best educational opportunities available to them.
Do you have any data on the children who attended ITK in 2019?
We do not have a lot of quantitative data, but we do have qualitative data that teachers have shared with us that includes:
● Improved social-emotional capability in their kindergarten classrooms
● A better understanding of classroom routines when they got to kindergarten and saw themselves as leaders
● Improvement of “life skills” that include sharing with others, saying hello and good-bye, etc.
What has the support from your Administration team, Superintendent, Principals, and leaders looked like?
Our leaders, from our current Superintendent, Dr. Miriam Miralles Mickelson to our past Superintendent, understand that the investment made in prenatal through age five pays off in the health and learning of our students. They always make space for us to attend different events, including State of Children and Families, etc. But something we will always value is the times spent together on car rides to and from events where we were able to really have important conversations. We are at the table when there are conversations about early learning opportunities and ideas.
If you had a magic wand, what is the one thing you would change, keep, or stop doing to ensure equitable access for children within your district?
Amber: “Tony Smith, he is our magic wand! Tony is so talented and has worked in other programs, he has walked the walk. He has been a SPED director, para-educator and has worked for Head Start. He “gets it” and advocates for children, staff, and families in our district.”
Sarah: “I think if we could have ITK preschool in every school in our district, that would be my wish. Having our children in the school they are going to attend or attending where their siblings are going to school, would be amazing!”
A BIG Thank you to Amber and Sarah for the time and sharing of their program. We hope you enjoyed hearing directly from them, and they have much more to share if you are interested in talking with them.
Questions or comments: Maureen Hodge NWESD Early Learning Coordinator