Welcome to听Kooken!听
Its name doesn鈥檛 tell you what Kooken Educational Center really is, but once you go in and start walking the hallways, you quickly find out. Each detail of the center is catered to pre-K students and their early childhood development. Built in 1938, the building opened again in 1988 as the only school in 极速六合彩 that exclusively houses pre-K. With child-sized bathrooms, fun colors, decorations and knee-high chairs and tables, the Kooken experience is unique and memorable for each student. 听
Kooken has it all when it comes to pre-K, including every pre-K program the district offers:听
- Pre-K 4 full day听
- Pre-K 4 full day bilingual听
- Pre-K 3 half day听
- Pre-K 3 half day bilingual听
- Pre-K 3 half day 鈥 tuition based听
- Pre-K 4 full day 鈥 tuition based听
Learn more about the 极速六合彩’s pre-K programs.
Kooken’s Head Start Program听
Kooken is also the only school in the district to offer a unique program called Head Start Pre-K Plus.听Initiated in听2020听in partnership with听Child Care Associates,听Head Start Pre-K Plus is听designed to increase students’ oral language development, early literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, personal, social,听emotional听and physical developmental skills.听The听program听caters听to families with听children ages听three to five听who may be experiencing homelessness, foster care, poverty or听are听in of need public听assistance.听
Learn more about听Head Start Pre-K Plus.听
Family Nights听
Kooken听is big on family听and does a lot to build community.听Staci听Nelson,听a teacher at Kooken,听shared that听each family听in the school听can听paint a ceiling tile听that is听placed in the hallways.听Students love听looking up at the ceiling and听seeing听their tile听as encouragement every day.听听
International听Picnic听Night听is another听big hit听with families. Families听and听staff bring lawn chairs and blankets along with a听big dish to share.听With a听diverse听student body, the event听is a fun chance for听families to听taste foods from听different cultures.听听
STEM meets STREAM听
At Kooken,听STEM (Science,听Technology,听Engineering &听Math)听is听now听STREAM听and听includes听Reading and听Art.听It鈥檚听a program听that听Mary Eldredge, Kooken’s听librarian of over听10听years,听is most proud of.听Her听STREAM maker听lab听introduces a听new听theme听each month to the students.听While the themes are听not identical to what the students听do in the classroom,听they are听always听tied听into the curriculum听and guidelines听of听the state.听Students听get to do all kinds of hands-on activities that foster curiosity.听They鈥檝e learned about听animals听and built a zoo听in shoebox dioramas听mimicking听each animal’s听habitat,听worked with wind tunnels,听and听created a Chinese restaurant听for Lunar New Year.听听
Two of the听students’听favorite activities from this past year were water painting on听Buddha boards and gift wrapping.听These kinds of projects help students work听on听their motor听skills.听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 problem solving. We tell the teachers the only thing they should be doing in the maker听lab is asking questions.听It is a switch for the teachers听that听at听first can be听a little hard, but we let the children create the learning.听We prompt the students听and guide听them听as听they figure听it out,鈥澨鼸ldredge said.听听
Eldredge听is听especially听proud of听their听1,000听Books听Before听Kindergarten听project.听It is听a national听program,听but Kooken has adapted it听by creating听100听book bags in English and one hundred book bags in Spanish听to aid their bilingual program. Each bag has听10听books听inside听and parents听can听check them out as often as they want.听听
鈥淲e听were blown away by听the participation,鈥澨鼸ldridge said.听鈥淏etween August and March parents checked out听over听15,000听books.听Kooken听had the highest print circulation听of听all听schools. High school,听junior high,听elementary, and it was all because of this project.鈥澨听
Outdoor Learning听
Kooken places a big emphasis on outdoor learning for its three- and four-year-olds. Lessons听for this upcoming year听will include mud kitchens,听rain gauges,听water听tables听and听water troughs.听听
Former teacher听turned听associate听principal Elizabeth Huebner is most excited about听new clear garden boxes they will incorporate into outdoor learning this year. Students will be able to plant plants in the听clear听boxes and then watch the roots of each grow!听
鈥淭his hasn鈥檛 been in place yet so it鈥檚 brand new听and it鈥檚 perfect timing听because we are about to听get new playgrounds,鈥 said Huebner.听鈥淎lthough it is not the playground,听it is just as engaging!鈥听
Once a Kookenite Always a Kookenite听
Every student at Kooken is included听in everything at Kooken.听In 2005, Kooken was recognized as a听TEA听Promising Practice听school听for the integration of disabled听students听with their non-disabled peers.听听
鈥淲e do everything together. When classes听come into听the听library,听Special Education听(SPED)听comes with them. It makes a real difference for the kids because they are comfortable and do not really notice the difference. The SPED students are just听some听of their friends. They just see the person,鈥澨Eldridge said.听
And those new playgrounds the principal talked about will be accessible for all students听with rubber surfaces, ramps and accessible equipment.听
Sadly,听some of Kooken鈥檚 students deal with disabilities that cut their lives short. But听they听are never forgotten听at the school.听Kooken makes a point to dedicate areas of the听campus听to their memory. Areas like听鈥淢alcom鈥檚 Place鈥澨齛nd 鈥淪am鈥檚 Place,鈥澨齱here听learning and outdoor听play take place听for students, honor their听memory.听
Huebner also has a special place of reflection听at Kooken听dedicated to her father, a devoted听Kooken听volunteer.听听
鈥When my father passed,听Kooken brought us in for a听鈥楶ipo Celebration,鈥”听Huebner said.听鈥淭hey had special seats marked for my mother, brother and I right up front.听It听brought听us a听bit of joy and peace听that听we were missing without him. As the children danced and pictures of him in some of his happiest moments flashed on the screen, we were able to truly smile and laugh in a time of such loss. Kooken is truly a magical place that changes the lives of every single person walking through its doors, especially a retiree volunteer and his family.鈥听
Once a Kookenite, always a Kookenite.听
Register for Pre-K听
If you are interested in a pre-K program at Kooken or any 极速六合彩 school for your child, you can still register. Please visit听aisd.net/prek听to get started. And if you have any Kooken or pre-K questions, feel free to call听(682) 867-9418 or听prekquestions@aisd.net.听