Family Child Education

SCUSD has offered early education programs for more than 20 years and we are excited to announce that we are accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year!

👶 Infant & Young Preschool: “Hands-on”, developmentally appropriate experiences based on current early childhood education, research, and practice where children can learn through play, grow at their own pace, and feel valued and secure.

🧒 Pre-Kindergarten: Emphasize kindergarten readiness skills as well as social, emotional, physical, and creative development in an active participatory learning environment.

For more information, check out the Early Learning Program Guide at bit.ly/ELProgramGuide.

Application Tutorial: bit.ly/FCEApply

Check out some of the crafts that the Art of Fun did this summer during their Flower Fantasty and Melt, Color, and Shape weeks. Along with these 4 crafts, they also learned the techniques behind soap, quilling, embroidery, and resin.

The Art of Fun piques aspiring artists' curiosity and creativity as they learn new and exciting crafting techniques.

Can't wait to see what they create in 2025! If you are interested in getting more information about upcoming camps, when it's available, complete this interest list: bit.ly/CampInterest

Enjoy a sampling of what the SCUSD culinary camp, Simmer, Stew, and Bake it Too!, cooked (and baked) up this summer!

During the week long sessions, young chefs learned and explored new cooking techniques, kitchen terms, and safe food handling, as well as prepared a full menu of recipes from scratch. These engaging & intensive, week-long courses had our young chefs wowing family and friends with their new culinary skills.

Can't wait to see what they cook up in 2025! If you are interested in getting more information about upcoming camps, when it's available, complete this interest list: bit.ly/CampInterest

Enjoy these incredible photos of some of our campers making their Friday pizza! Our SCUSD Farm to Table Camp hosted over 200 students coming through the SCUSD Farm, through field trips or week-long camps. These young farmers had the opportunity to learn where their food comes from and enjoy farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs while being able to understand the science of farming with hands-on experience. In collaboration with Stanford University, this marks the 14th year of Farm to Table Camp!

For more information about upcoming camps, complete this interest list: bit.ly/CampInterest.

📸 Credit: Shelley Anderson, Cage + Aquarium

Farm to Table Camp had nearly 100 students attend farm camp this summer and another 146 students visited the farm during single-day field trips. We are lucky enough to collaborate with Stanford University on their research.

Check out this article from the Stanford Report coming out Monday!

Farm to Table Camp cultivates kids’ love for veggies Stanford researchers and local educators team up to show elementary schoolers where their food comes from and research the best ways to get kids to eat healthfully.

Happy First Day of School from Early Learning and Extended Learning!

Check out part 2 of our 2024-2025 Extended Learning staff!

Not pictured is our wonderful Laurelwood staff!

Meet your 2024-2025 SCUSD Extended Learning staff! We are all excited to see what this year brings!

SCUSD Extended Learning programs are located at 17 different sites, so check back for part 2 of our sites tomorrow!

For the first time, our Early Learning and Extended Learning teams joined all of SCUSD for the 2024 Welcome Back Orientation at MacDonald High School today!

We listened to Superintendent Dr. Waddell and Keynote Speaker Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade on how to unlock the infinite potential in all of our students.

Week 5 of Kidventure Camp had a puppet show for Agnew, a culinary lesson for Laurelwood, a visit from Draco the Juggler for Millikin, and a straw rollercoaster project for Ponderosa. Check out that plate-spinning teamwork!

Check out SCUSD's spotlight on our very own, Ms. Maria! We are so lucky to have Maria as one of our incredible Site Supervisors!

Spread the 🧡 for our Maria De La Torre! 👏🏽

Program Administrator Nancy Morin says, "Maria De La Torre has been a dedicated preschool Site Supervisor at George Mayne Children's Center since 2011, demonstrating leadership and commitment to early childhood education. Before stepping into her supervisory role, she spent four years as a preschool paraeducator and twelve years as a preschool teacher. Maria's experience has enabled her to implement creative teaching methods, inspire her team of educators, and foster a sense of community and trust. Her commitment to building strong relationships with families and students is an invaluable asset to the George Mayne community." ✨

We are so fortunate to have Ms. Laxman working in our Extended Learning programs! Way to go, Ms. Laxman!

Let's show our 🧡 and appreciation for Laxman Dasanayaka with an ! 👏🏽

Programs Specialist Anita Velasquez says, "Laxman Dasanayaka is a passionate and dedicated educator in our Extended Learning program. For over 20 years, Laxman worked as an aide in preschool and later became a teacher in the Extended Learning programs at Westwood and Haman. Her positive energy and can-do attitude make her a great team player. She is creative and supportive, demonstrating endless patience as she works with students on homework assignments or learning new skills during activities. She greets students and families with excitement and a warm smile, creating bonds that bring many students back to visit her to share promotions and graduation achievements. Ms. Laxman truly embodies what it means to be a 'caring adult' in students' lives." ✨

Week 4 of Kidventure Camp was full of special visitors! Agnew was visited by the Bay Area Panthers and Churros El Guero while Ponderosa was visited by Draco the Juggler. Over at Millikin, it was Imaginarium Week! The campers worked on straw rollercoasters, marble mazes, and learned how to use a mini sewing machine.

Kidventure Camp's Agnew, Laurelwood, and Ponderosa took a field trip to the SCUSD Farm and Bryan Osborne Nature Center this week while Millikin received a visit from a bubble artist!

Week 2 of Kidventure Camp was all about the Olympics for Agnew and Laurelwood as they designed their own obstacle courses and created their own artwork. Millikin received a Lego visitor while Ponderosa went back in time to the Wild, Wild, West where they had potato sack races and a visit from San Jose Art for Fun.

Kidventure Camp started the first week with some cool visitors! Millikin and Ponderosa welcomed RAFT's Maker Mobile and Laurelwood had a visit from Lego Builders and Kona Ice.

Spaces are still available for select weeks of camp! For more information, go to tinyurl.com/scusdcamps

Don Callejon Extended Learning has donated over 100 gifts over the last few years to Family Giving Tree's Holiday Wish Drive. With help from their school community and program families, they were able to complete 42 wishes this year.

With the help of students Natalie, Lilianna, and Meryem, Callejon Extended Learning celebrated another year of participating in the Family Giving Tree's Holiday Wish Drive! From new bedsheets for children to foot spas for seniors, their school community and Extended Learning families came together to make 42 wishes come true this holiday season! 🧡💙

Way to go Bracher Exended Learning and Ms. Denise! Thank you for being kind to your school staff!

For SCUSD's One Million Acts of Kindess campaign, Braly Extended Learning's students created stickers to spread kindness around their school community!

Early Learning

Why is Early Learning so important? 90% of a child’s brain develops by age 5!

When children enroll and regularly attend high-quality early learning programs, they build a strong foundation that creates positive long-term impacts.

Ready to enroll your child? Apply using this tutorial: tinyurl.com/FCEApply

Kidventure Camp and Camp SPARK! is here for the breaks! If you are not currently enrolled in one of our programs, please enroll now using this tutorial: tinyurl.com/fceapply

Already enrolled in one of our programs? Please see your Site Supervisor for more details!

Today is Lights on Afterschool and our programs have decorated the front of their classrooms to let everyone know! Thank you for helping us celebrate this week!

Check out why students from our Extended Learning programs think that afterschool programs are important to the lives of our students and families!