Our next Early Childhood Spotlight is on one of our most fabulous GSRP classrooms! These past two weeks have been nothing short of fun, learning, insect adventures, and hands-on fine motor opportunities! Students are enjoying hands-on experiences by making their own photo frames with their classmates and creating their own unique designs. There are mindfulness and yoga breaks in the dramatic play area that are enjoyed by all, as well as free choice time in the block area where designs are being created and creativity is flowing.

Don’t forget the insect study and the natural science learning that comes along with it as students created ant farms and hatched butterflies! It is a great time to be in GSRP!
3 days ago, Lindsay French
A female student making a homemade picture frame.
Two preschool boys creating a picture frame together.
Two female preschoolers sitting on the floor and looking at plastic dolls togeher.
Two female preschoolers sitting on the floor and looking at plastic dolls togeher.
Four preschool students creating a pretend plane with chairs.
Three preschool boys laying on their stomachs on a floor trying to do yoga poses.
Two boys looking at the camera and smiling while they build blocks together.
Two boys looking at the camera and smiling while they build blocks together.
A live butterfly making.
Hungry Catterpillar drawing with colors.
This week's Early Childhood Spotlight is on our Mixed Age Preschool Classroom! What a fun past few weeks of learning, exploring, adentures and filling our buckets with social emotional learning! Students engaged in their curriculm study of insscets and all the hands on learning that comes with this topic. Free choice movement with our musical scarves and bubbles help reset our bodies and enhance our gross motor skills, not to mention to have so much fun while doing it too! Outdoor wagon rides are always a fun little school adventure to breathe in the fresh air and explore our surroundings! It is a great week to be in our Mixed Age Classroom!-Ms. French
12 days ago, Lindsay French
A male student using tweezers to pick up a pretend grasshopper.
A femal student using tweezers to pick up pretend worms.
A male student using tweezers to pick up a pretend bug.
A little boy smiling at the camera.
A toddler girl playing in the kitchen.
A toddler girl soring bug cups.
A toddler boy making a bug collection in a box.
A group of toddlers coloring a bug worksheet.
A group of students playing with bubbles in a classroom.
A group of toddlers being pulled on a wagon.
Family Literacy Night #2 was a huge success! Thank you to all of our families, parents, caregivers and community members who came to attend this wonderful event! It was so great to see many of our families, the Portage District LIbrary, share a meal together and share a love for reading! -Ms. French
15 days ago, Lindsay French
Three preschool students in pink dresses.
A little boy reading a book while standing.
A Mom and Dad sitting on a couch reading a book to their child.
A grandmother and her grandchild reading a book together.
Three girls talking to a librarian .
A girl sitting on a sit and spin.
A mom and dad reading a book.
A boy and his Mom sitting together and reading a book.
Kids jumping up an down in the gym.
Three adults and a child standing in the hallway together.
Early Childhood Program teachers engaged in professional development today with our KCR4 partners during Data Review #3 sessions. It was a wonderful morning of learning, data analysis, student growth, and collaborative support as we continue moving learning forward through data-driven decisions for our students!

– Ms. French
15 days ago, Lindsay French
A large group of teachers sitting at tables together.
Three teachers sitting together at a large table.
Slide takling about Student Reflection.
Three female teachers standing and talking together.
Two teachers at the table working on their computer.
Slide deck talking about Data.
Tomorrow is our Second Annual Early Childhood Family Literacy Night #2 at our Early Childhood Program Building! This will be from 6:00-7:00pm. Dinner and give aways will be provided. Thank you to all who RSVP'd and we look forward to seeing all of you here tomorrow! Thanks! -Ms. French
18 days ago, Lindsay French
This week’s Early Childhood Spotlight goes out to one of our wonderful KRESA Head Start programs here in Portage! This classroom had the opportunity to experience an onsite visit from Ms. Shelly, who brought along her special baby chicks.

This hands-on experience gave students the chance to hold, touch, and interact with the chicks while learning what it is like to care for and safely handle baby animals. Students also learned how to approach and interact with animals safely outside of the classroom setting.

It was a wonderful experience for everyone!
— Ms. French
19 days ago, Lindsay French
A female student sitting and holding a baby chick with her hands.
A little girl holding a chick in her hands.
A little girl holding a baby chick in her hands.
A little boy holding a chick while sitting in a blue chair.
A little boy holding a little chick in a classroom.
A group of students sitting at the rug together.

This week’s Early Childhood Spotlight shines on our wonderful ECSE Intervention Classrooms! Our students have been enjoying an imaginative, child-led ice cream shop, where they serve up sweet treats to their friends through creative play. Along the way, they’ve been building important skills such as scooping, stacking, identifying colors, mixing, and learning how to share during cooperative play.Our hallways are proudly displaying student artwork, showcasing the creativity and excitement buzzing throughout ECSE. In the classroom, students are also exploring different animals and their habitats, including the ocean and the zooIt’s truly a great week to be part of our ECSE Intervention Program! -Ms. French

25 days ago, Lindsay French
Artwork with bumble bees on the wall.
Ice Cream Shop signs in the classroom for pretend.
A little boy sitting on the floor playing with pretend ice cream cones.
A little boy hugging a toy giraffe doll.
A little boy playing with a green alligator.
a little boy playing with a ball game.
Tecaher and student playing with pegs and standing.
A speech therapist and a little boy matching a puzzle together.
Meal menus for May and June.
29 days ago, Curious Kids
May and June Breakfast Menu
May and June Lunch Menu
Snack Menu
Have you registered your child for Three Year Old Preschool yet? We'd love to meet them! Hurry in, spaces are limited.

There are two ways to register:
1) New this year: you can fill out, and submit, the registration online at portageps.org/preschool.
2) Register in person in the preschool office between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

We look forward to having your 3 year old preschooler join us for the 26/27 school year!
about 1 month ago, Curious Kids
3s Preschool at PPS, Learn more about Preschool at PPS at portageps.org/preschool.
Next Tuesday, May 5, is Teacher Appreciation Day!
Although we appreciate our teachers each and every day!
about 1 month ago, Curious Kids
Teacher Appreciation Day is May 5, 2026 We are grateful for all our teachers!

Our next Early Childhood Spotlight goes to one of our GSRP classrooms this week! We are enjoying all the fun and engaging activities that we get to explore and participate in each and every day! Quiet time is a great opportunity to allow our bodies to recharge and reset for the afternoon and some friends even take a nap as part of this time. We love to show our own class artwork on display in the hallways so our friends and family can see what we have created. If we miss our family/caregivers, we can go over to our family area and see pictures and learn about other friend's family members as well. Sometimes we have a member of the KSO come play music to accompany a book being read and sometimes we have a special therapy dog visit in our classroom. It's a great week to be in GSRP! -Ms. French

about 1 month ago, Lindsay French
Student resting on a blue cot.
A male student resting on his cot and smiling.
A wall full of family pictures.
A wall full of artwork with straws glued on.
Students sitting on a carpet and watching the KSO play the violin for them.
Students petting a white colored therapy dog together.
Student listed jobs on a board.
More from Bring Your Family to Work Day at Early Childhood. -Ms. French
about 1 month ago, Lindsay French
A tall teenager and preschool students playing.
A female teenager playing with a puzzel with a male student.
A tall teenage boy holding stacking cubes with a four year old.
A teacher and her two male children smiling in a picture.
Two ladies smiling and holding their ID badges together.
What a special day at Early Childhood! Today the teachers participated in bring your child/neice/nephew/grandchild to work day! It was a wonderful day for the families and the students to get an opportunity to meet their teacher's family. We are hopeful today sparked some interest in the future Early Childhood potential careers later in life like their family! There were family member ID Badges, certificates and lots of enjoyment and fun! -Ms. French
about 1 month ago, Lindsay French
Big girl and a three year old on a teeter-totter together
A Mom and her younger son holding a certificate together.
A first grade girl walking two girls down the hall together.
A 8th grade girl helping two female three year old students on a ball.
A teacher amd a two year old hugging.
A 9 year old boy sitting with three four year old students at lunch.
A big kid and three younger boys tracing their names at the table together.
A child reading a book to a group of four year olds.
A teenager playing with preschool students in the play area.
A teacher and 6 four year old students doing artwork together.
Congratulations on your nomination Ms. Nicolini! Your students are lucky to have you as their teacher!
about 1 month ago, Curious Kids
Airika Nicolini is nominated for the 2026 Sandy Standish Excellent Educator Award
This week’s Early Childhood Spotlight shines on one of our Three-Year-Old Preschool classrooms here at Early Childhood! Students thoroughly enjoyed a special in-house visit from Patch the Therapy Dog, learning how therapy dogs support our social-emotional well-being. Dramatic play continues to be a favorite, as students express their creativity in the kitchen area—working together to make all kinds of “delicious” meals. Our sensory bin is filled with new surprises each week, and yes… we might get a little wet with all the fun! Fine motor activities are also a popular choice, with students engaging in playdough creations and car play that spark imagination and creativity.
It’s a great week to be in Three-Year-Old Preschool!
– Ms. French
about 1 month ago, Lindsay French
Two female three year old students petting a white poodle together.
Two male three year olds petting a whilte poodle on the floor together.
Two male students who are 3 years old putting the top part of a whilte poodle's body.
Student artwork hung in the hallway with bring colors.
Four male students sitting at table together with cars and play-dough.
Two female three year olds looking at a paining together
Two female students playing together in the kitchen area.
A message on the whiteboard with I can statements to show the classroom goals.
We are still taking Three Year Old Preschool Registrations!

There are two ways to register:
1) New this year: you can fill out, and submit, the registration online at portageps.org/preschool.
2) Register in person in the preschool office between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

We look forward to having your 3 year old preschooler join us for the 26/27 school year!
about 1 month ago, Curious Kids
3s Preschool at PPS, Learn more about Preschool at PPS at portageps.org/preschool.
Congratulations on your nomination Mrs. Boyl! We are so proud to have you as a part of our 3 year old preschool teaching team!
about 2 months ago, Curious Kids
3s Preschool Teacher, Anna Boyl, is nominated for the Sanday Standish Excellent Educator Award
This week’s spotlight in our Early Childhood Programming is one of our fabulous GSRP classrooms. The past few weeks have been such a rich learning experience! Several mystery readers joined the class, including special surprise visits from parents, caregivers, and even a local state trooper. Free choice time has been full of adventure, with new manipulatives and toys that encourage teamwork and help develop fine motor stacking skills. The current curriculum study is recycling, and the students have enjoyed using “reused” items to incorporate into their play. It’s always a great time to be in GSRP!
about 2 months ago, Lindsay French
A parent reading a book to a class of students on the rug.
A male state trooper reading a book to a group of four year old children.
A little boy playing with colorful legos.
Two girls and two boys stacking recylced yogurt cups.
Multiple four year olds on the rug stacking cups and wooden blocks together.
Four boys playing with legos and stacking them together.
Two four year old boys lining up recylced yogurt cups on the carpet together.
A female teacher and a little boy sitting at a table together working.
April is OT Appreciation Month!
about 2 months ago, Curious Kids
April Occupational Therapist Appreciation Month!
Important dates for April and May!
about 2 months ago, Curious Kids
Important Dates to Remember for April and May