Welcome, Caterpillars and families, to Early Childhood Central School Road! We are excited to have you begin your child’s education with us in the Francis Howell School District. At Early Childhood Central School Road, we bring the joy of early learning to our students through play. Our site offers two program options, Multi-Age and Off to Kindergarten (O2K). We offer half-day and full-day programs. Our curriculum focuses on math, language arts, and social-emotional learning. The Off to Kindergarten program is aligned with the district’s kindergarten curriculum, to ensure that your child is prepared for the academic and social expectations they’ll face during that transition.
All of our classroom teachers have earned degrees in Early Childhood Education, and many also hold degrees in Early Childhood Special Education. Our building also has a highly qualified team of occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech and language pathologists to assist students who need additional support. An Educational Support counselor is also on site to offer services to students and families needing additional resources. Our team promotes “whole child” development, supporting their growth in all developmental domains (physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and language).
At Early Childhood Central School Road, our focus is on promoting positive social interactions and play-based learning. We believe children learn best when engaged in meaningful activities that are collaborative and inclusive. We provide ample time for pretend play, sensory exploration, and making friends who will transition to kindergarten with your child. Helping your child build lasting connections is important to us, and is one of the biggest perks of having your child join our program!
By using a team approach to work closely with families, we are confident that your student will build a strong foundation for a lifelong love of learning. We are excited to have your student and family join our school community!
Dr. Jessica Schmelzle
Principal, Early Childhood Central School Road
As a District focused on continuous improvement, each of our 23 schools develops a site-based school improvement plan every year. The plan outlines the goals and actions the building plans to take throughout the year to improve various areas of performance.
A pyramid of intervention is a tiered approach to prevention and intervention strategies to support students both academically and behaviorally. The pyramid uses a variety of strategies and techniques to help all students stay on the right track. The foundation of the pyramid offers Tier 1 supports for all students. Tier 2 interventions provide additional support for smaller groups of students who need more targeted help. Tier 3 provides the most intensive supports for individual students when Tier 1 and 2 interventions have been unsuccessful. Our schools review and update their pyramid on a regular basis to ensure new strategies are incorporated and all are aligned with best practice.
Foster an inclusive learning environment for all students and families.
School Handbook
The student handbook summarizes District policy and contains general guidelines and information. Translated copies of this Handbook are available. Contact the school office.
