BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — We are just about three weeks away from the start of a new school year, but today the Buffalo Public School District was celebrating a milestone.
Say Yes Buffalo's ‘Little Scholars program held a graduation ceremony for some of the youngest city students.
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley has been following this pilot preschool program since it launched in March.
The Little Scholars graduation featured all the "pomp and circumstance" of any graduation day with young students at School #90 on the east side marching into the ceremony, wearing graduation caps.
The three-year-olds are being celebrated as the inaugural class - of a first-ever preschool program in the city school district.
“This is our first cohort of young people who are graduating from our Little Scholars program,” declared Dr. Tonja Williams, superintendent, Buffalo Public Schools.
The city schools superintendent is calling this a “remarkable day” as this is the very first class of little scholars to graduate in the district.
“What these young people have proved to us is that when they are given the opportunity to explore, learn, grow, socialize, and be brilliant. It can happen. I don't ever want to hear that it can't happen if you live in this zip code or it can't happen if English is not your first language or can't happen if you are of a certain race or social economic status,” remarked Dr. Williams.
“They can't wait to come back to school every morning they wake up ‘Oh we're going to school’”, described Arnold White, Buffalo School parent.
When the program kicked off in March here at School #90, Buffalo parent Arnold White enrolled his twins, Terriyah and Terrell Wilson, and says it has had a "major impact" on their early learning.
“Giving them this early jump start because most children don't have the fundamental tools of reading writing, ABC's, they can count from one to 20,” White explained.
“They know their numbers, some of them even up to 20. they know all their colors, the days of the weeks,” described Demarkus Clark, teacher, Say Yes Little Scholars.
Say Yes teacher Clark says 14 children are enrolled at the school in the program. The goal of Little Scholars is to have students reading at proficiency levels by the time they leave the third grade.
“That they will at least be propelled enough where they will definitely be little leaders in their classroom, excel at reading and the sky's the limit for them,” replied Clark.
"Is this going to help that deficiency of what’s been happening with some Buffalo School children, where they are not performing at great levels?” Buckley asked.
“Yes, definitely. Some of the kids, come from different cultural backgrounds, some broken homes or different things like that, but with that being said, when he comes to the school, we create such an environment, at this age and this early start where they're able to be comfortable with teachers, they're comfortable with their fellow students, they're able to develop a routine,” responded Clark.
"I think it would be better for all children, of all races, to take advantage of this program so they can excel later once they get older, and they can go to college versus having this high school dropout percentage that we have,” noted White.
The program was also established at West Hertel Academy in March.
As I reported earlier in August, the Say Yes Little Scholars program is expanding into four more schools this fall, for a total of six city schools.
School #90 Principal Dr. Mirlene Dere said having access to a ‘head start’ program five days a week with this preschool program is “invaluable”.
“We need to continue to have this program throughout our Buffalo Public Schools because it works and something that works -- we need to just keep duplicating it,” commented Dr. Dere.
