Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Erin Simon (right) blows bubbles with Alex Evans, 2, at Saratoga High School's on-site preschool.

Saratoga High School operates preschool as an elective course

By Cecily Barnes

Saratoga High School's on-site preschool reopened this month. Some kids hesitantly waved goodbye to mom through a blurry veil of tears, while others took one look at the palace of toys and bolted off to play. It was like any first day of preschool, only for every child present, 1.2 teenagers filtered into the facility to help out.

For the past 19 years, SHS has hosted an on-site preschool with a staff of teenagers, and an adult-child ratio of better than 1-to-1. On the first day back, Director Jill McFarlen, a.k.a. "Teacher Jill," spent the afternoon dodging curriculum stations as she ran to greet parents, preschoolers and high-school students.

The two large play rooms and the outside area were buzzing with kids and high-school students, and whatever parents and siblings chose to stick around. Fifty-six high-school kids had enrolled, in addition to the 26 preschoolers.

For some kids, the people-packed environment was energizing and exhilarating; for others, it was a bit too much. For one 3-year-old boy and his twin sister, it was definitely too much. The two erupted into a fit of tears that didn't end until their mother was phoned and asked to come in.

"If the child is really unhappy, I mean out of control, they don't need to be here. I call the parents and have them either come and stay or take the child home. I would call a parent also if the child is sick," McFarlen explained.

But most kids did fine and were reluctant to depart the fun-filled center when mom showed up at 2 p.m..

"I have no doubt it's going to be a very positive experience for my child," Jaclynn Bol said as she watched her 2 1/2-year-old run from the caged bunny rabbit to the dress-up clothes. "A lot of people would say 'Oh, it's young kids [working here],' but I think it's better that way. Having four kids, I've been to a lot of day cares, and a lot of times [day-care workers] turn around and put on a big old smile that you know disappears when you leave."

Jennifer Burris, 16, is one of the teens who has enrolled in the child development elective. Unlike some of the other students, she has been babysitting for the last nine years.

"A lot of the high schoolers aren't going to be good around kids, so they can learn from the people who have experience," Burris said. "I think it's a great course."

Twenty-one years ago, Jill McFarlen and five other homemaking teachers conducted a community student and teacher survey to find out what was missing from the school's curriculum. Childhood education scored the highest, and McFarlen took action, founding a student-run, adult-supervised preschool on the SHS campus, now in its 19th year of operation. Parents from Saratoga, Los Gatos, Campbell and Cupertino have signed up their little ones for the two-hour afternoon preschool.

Some of the parents heard about the program through word of mouth and were very excited about young people working with their kids.

"I think the kids get more attention here than at a regular preschool," said Lisa Sousa, as she dropped off her 4-year-old son, Matthew. "I trust Mrs. McFarlen, and the high-school students are great."

But the high-school students aren't just thrown into the playroom. The class, which is only available to upperclassmen 16 years and older, spends the first six weeks preparing and educating the teens on how to work with kids.

"We studied about how children learn; we talked about children's art, literature and music, how to manage children, and how to set up an environment that's best for children," McFarlen said.

McFarlen has divided the preschool into six stations: the science corner, the dramatic-play corner, the large-block corner, toga land, the patio area and the car-and-train area. Each station is assigned two students; one is the designated teacher, and the other is an overseer. Every overseer is assigned a child to bond with, care for and observe. The station's other student must stay at the station to implement the age-appropriate lesson plan approved by McFarland. Every week the preschool presents a new theme, and students who were teachers become overseers, and overseers become teachers.

The program runs in 13-week sessions and is open to kids 2 to 6 years old. One session, at two days per week, costs $75. Four days per week is $140. Drop-off time is noon, and pick-up is at 2 p.m. While the program is presently full, McFarland is putting names on a waiting list. McFarland can be contacted at 867-3411, ext. 221.