There are times, when the Little Patriots can be seen marching alongside the student body. Accompanied by their team of three student teachers and overseen by the head teacher, Andrea Lesko, these young students require diverse and attentive care during their Tuesday to Thursday school week.

Early Childhood Education offers students who are interested in pursuing a future in childcare the opportunity to experience the field firsthand. The class provides students the chance to work directly with the children while earning certificates and degrees, such as restaurant safety and child development accreditation. The students, or teachers as known by the children, are faced with a diverse array of tasks that they must build skills in while accommodating to the many different personalities within the classroom. These teachers rotate between stations including: snack, lunch, music, educational subjects, and many more. The teachers who work with the lunches are in the fourth/fifth period block and can receive that rotation up to three times.

“I had lunch for the first time this year,” senior Hayleigh Bodoh said. “ I  had snack my first time in the preschool and it[preparing lunch] was a big change, I had to make sure their[the kids] food was okay because it’s not my child, so it’s not like I can do whatever I want.”

The teachers working the lunch rotation have a set conduct that they follow in order to safely prepare the children’s lunches. The students bring their own lunches and the teachers are responsible for preparing their lunch according to the wants of the child and their parent. While doing so, the teachers must consider and take precautions regarding any allergies that the children may have.

“Sometimes certain parents will leave notes in the lunch box[instructions for the children’s lunch] and other times we just learn by doing it each week,” junior Sam Parnell said.

Early childhood Education provides a clear insight into the childcare field and aids students in their future accommodation and success at jobs like this. The students begin as teachers and if they choose to continue with the course, they can  earn the title of assistant director by their senior years. Due to the level of certificates that the teachers can receive and their skills in the field, students who go into the childcare profession often experience speedy promotions.

“I think it’s[this class is] definitely a great tool, and I’ve had many students who have gone on to work in many types of childcare centers or preschools, and they feel very prepared,” applied technology teacher Andrea Lesko said.  “They have been very clear that they understand the rules and what they’re supposed to be doing.”