CHILDREN’S VILLAGE AT HOOVER RECOGNIZED WITH
A FINE AWARD FOR THEIR EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING PROGRAM

The students, staff and families at the Children’s Village at Hoover School are hosting a celebration this Thursday, April 29, at 10 a.m. to recognize Hoover’s selection as a First in the Nation in Education (or FINE) award winner for 2003-2004.  They will be planting a tree on their campus and making an exciting announcement about the expansion of the Davenport Community Schools early childhood education program. 

Hoover was one of only three schools throughout Iowa recognized this year with a FINE award.  The Children’s Village joins the 15 other schools/programs within the Davenport Community Schools that have received the FINE award in previous years.  The Children’s Village, which opened in 1998 in a former elementary school, is one of the first early childhood learning centers in Iowa to develop and implement benchmarks and standards for pre-K students.  The program currently houses children ages 6 weeks to 5 years of age and attributes its success in preparing children to enter kindergarten to research-based practices such as quality staff, a suitable environment, appropriate grouping practices, consistent schedules and parent involvement.

In addition to celebrating the FINE award, officials with the Davenport Community Schools early childhood education program will also announce exciting new developments in the expansion of the program for the coming academic year.  With hundreds of names on waiting lists for the district’s pre-school programs, this planned expansion will help not only to meet a community need, but also to provide more area children with the opportunity to benefit from the academic readiness skills now provided at Hoover and other pre-K programs sponsored by the district.