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OCPS Employees: 1, 2, 3. Welcome to Mondays with Maria!

Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Hi everyone. Thank you for that wonderful introduction. We have so many big anniversaries this year. Here is another one: voluntary pre-kindergarten, also known as VPK, is celebrating its 20th year in the state of Florida. And Orange County Public Schools has been offering VPK just as long, 20 years. Unbelievable! Joining me today is Claire Steele, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, along with Pamela Clark, Senior Administrator in Early Childhood Services, and one of our amazing VPK teachers, Josymar Hernandez, who teaches at Wetherbee Elementary. Welcome. Thank you for being here. 

Guests: Thank you for having us.

Dr. Vazquez: So I understand that a couple of you have been celebrating 20 years working in VPK. Is that true? you and Ms. Hernandez, correct? Correct. Wow, you guys don't look a day over 30. You look amazing. That is great. And for families who may be new to Florida or have preschool-age children, what is VPK, and why does it exist?

Claire Steele, Director of Curriculum and Instruction: Sure. So VPK is voluntary pre-kindergarten. It's a free program offered through the state of Florida. For our 4-year-old children, we have it here in OCPS as well at 91 of our school sites. And it is a great opportunity for our youngest learners to come and get prepared for kindergarten, learning, literacy, math, and social skills.

Dr. Vazquez: All while having fun.

Claire Steele: Fun and playing. Yes.

Dr Vazquez: And playing. So, Josie, 20 years I still can't get over that. So why VPK, and what keeps you working with our youngest children?

Josymar Hernandez, VPK Teacher: I love teaching VPK because we start with the essential skills they need, and we build that foundation that they need for kindergarten. In my dual language classroom, we start with a simple “Buenos Días.” “¿Cómo estás?” And that's amazing to see them learning both languages at the same time and playing every day and having these wow moments. It's what keeps me here, and it's why I love VPK.

Dr. Vazquez: It is when you walk into a VPK classroom, and there is so much activity. They're having so much fun, they are intentional, and they're learning. So thank you for all the 20 years and more to come. So, Pam, what does a parent need to do if they want to enroll their child in a VPK program, and what are the requirements?

Pamela Clark, Senior Administrator of Early Childhood Services: So it's a very simple process. The first thing they would need to do is go to the VPK family portal. So, on the portal, they're able to fill out the application to enroll. We call it the pre-registration process. So, if they're eligible, they'll get a VPK eligibility certificate, and they can then take that certificate to a school to get their child enrolled. And the only requirement, as Claire mentioned, is being four years old by September 1st of the current school year. And that's it.

Dr. Vazquez: And that's it. That's wonderful. Free?

Pamela Clark: It's a free service.

Dr. Vazquez: And most of our programs are full-day, correct?

Pamela Clark: Most of our programs are a full day, and we do have some half-day programs.

Dr. Vazquez: Such a great opportunity for our families and for our youngest learners. So I do have to brag just a little bit because it is a lot of fun. They're learning as they are playing. And the research supports that, but there's also accountability that comes with that. And our VPK programs have done exceptionally well according to the standards the state of Florida has set. We received above expectations. I want to say that again, above expectations from the state of Florida, and now it's going to be included as part of the accountability report. And as you mentioned, we have over 91 sites across the county, and that includes all of the learning gains, how they did from when they started. Many of our students, when they come in, don't know their letters, they don't know their numbers.

Dr. Vazquez: And so, to be able to see how much progress they've made during that year, to give us such a rating. And again, it's back to the incredible teachers that are working with our youngest learners and the great support they receive from the district and our incredible parents, who are partners with us from the very beginning. I'm so proud and congratulate all of you for those incredible marks from the State. Thank you so much for being here. It was such a pleasure to see you and to hear about our wonderful VPK program that is 20 years old. I'm still trying to wrap my head around those numbers. Thank you all for watching. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe. We'll have more on our podcast. Just go to wherever you get your podcast and search for Mondays with Maria. Have a great week.

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic. Listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count as in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at AdditionFi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.OCPS.net. I'm your announcer. Emily Hannon, a student at Audubon Park School. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.