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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, March 20-22, 2019 Continued from A-6 Students rally h e ewant to continue on this path.” She and Smith said they left yempowered to do more, both individually and as a community. Smith is a member of the kschool’s conservation council, a group of students who eduocate their peers and implement teco-friendly practices at the lschool, such as recycling. She nsaid she hopes to grow the reecycling program at the school s Continued from A-5 g e Preschool expands grow older. “There are a lot of studies that show when kids have that early foundation — when they understand what a classroom is and how to behave and how to start learning — they are more ready to learn by the time they get to kindergarten,” he said. The Park City Education Foundation first started preschool in the district as a pilot program. But, as the demand grew, so did the need for space. The district worked with the foundation to provide space for the budding program. Now, preschool is taught at all four elementary schools in the district. The education foundation continues to fund a portion of the program alongside the district. The district offers a 3-yearold program for students to come for two half-days a week and a 4-year-old program where they attend four full days a week. At Trailside Elementary School, there is not enough space to offer four full classes, so it offers only halfdays, said Kathy Anderson, early childhood program spe- and do more to reduce the school’s waste. Now that she knows another 20 students in Park City are interested in issues regarding climate change, she said she does not feel alone to implement those changes anymore. The event gave students like Smith and Herr hope, but also made them realize the urgency to change. Herr said the goal of reducing the effects of climate change still seems far from reach. She said she hopes her peers around the country continue to call for climate change solutions in the coming years, and that politicians will listen. “Our generation is the one that is most affected by the climate right now and the climate in the future. That is our future,” she said. cialist for the district. Next year, the district plans to start a second full-day class at Parley’s Park Elementary School. The full-day class for 4-year-olds will replace its current schedule of two halfday classes for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. Families who previously brought their 3-yearolds to Parley’s Park will have to enroll in another school’s program. There are a lot of studies that show when kids have that early foundation… they are more ready to learn by the time they get to kindergarten,” Andrew Caplan, Park City Board of Education president The district will need to budget an additional $32,000 to make a half-day teacher a fullday one, but the cost will likely be covered by student tuition, said Todd Hauber, business administrator for the district. Anderson said the district added a second full-day class at the request of parents who work all day. She said the program has been successful in part because there are many ENJOY PROVISIONS AFTER DARK COURTESY OF NAOMI SMITH A Park City High School student holds a sign during a climate change rally at the Utah State Capitol on Friday, March 15. About 20 students from Park City High School attended the event. working parents in Park City. There are about 160 students enrolled in the program, and there is a wait list. The program also tries to be affordable. Parents pay tuition on a sliding scale based on their income. But regardless if parents are working, Anderson said preschool is beneficial for students. She said students who attend preschool tend to be better at reading, and they also learn to socialize with their peers and their teachers. “It gives them the right start to be ready to succeed in life,” she said. “They learn how to work with other people, which is a lifelong skill.” She said the district has been supportive of the program, providing her with extra classroom space and other resources when it can. But, she is worried about the future of the program. There is talk of constructing an early learning center on the Kearns Campus so all preschool classes are in one place rather than scattered throughout town. Anderson said the downside to that plan is that parents like to have their kids in the neighborhood schools so they can get used to them. Plus, some students would have to ride the bus for an extended period of time. 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