Cotopaxi Early Learning Center
Preschool Director:
Margaret Leatherbery
mleatherbery@cotopaxire3.org
719-942-3676
The purpose of the Cotopaxi Early Learning Center is to provide a developmentally appropriate educational environment in which active participation, artistic expression, and cooperative learning cultivate each child's potential to become a competent and caring individual.
Our approach to education is distinctive in that we incorporate the following concepts into our program"
Active Participation: Children learn by doing and that concept is woven throughout our educational programs. Through hands-on projects, guided experiments and comprehensive and imaginative instruction, we strive to instill in our students a love for learning, which will help the children develop the skills and confidence they will need as they grow.
Artistic Expression: The expressive arts are integrated into daily classroom activities. When children create with artistic materials, information becomes alive, and learning becomes active. Our focus on the artistic process rather than the product allows children to apply knowledge in multiple ways and demonstrate what they have learned.
Cooperative Learning: We believe that children learn by constructing their own knowledge through active, hands-on experiences in the context of supportive and responsive social interaction. Because of this belief, we have a process-oriented curriculum in which children have an active role, supported and guided by knowledgeable and caring adults.
Universal Pre-K (UPK)
UPK Memos
Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, families in Colorado can receive at least 15 hours per week of free, voluntary preschool for 4 year olds through the Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado program. 3 year olds with qualifying factors are eligible for 10 free hours per week. UPK Colorado is administered by the newly-created Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC).
UPK Colorado is not a first-come, first-served program. All applications submitted by February 24 will be matched together, with additional matching rounds to follow. You can begin your application at any time and return to it as many times as you like before submitting. If you have already submitted your application and need to make changes, contact your Local Coordinating Organization (LCO).
Qualifying 3-year-olds - Families of 3-year-old students with at least one qualifying factor, wishing to send their child to a program run by a school district, will not be able to select a specific school location and should select the school district where they reside. School districts will match 3 year olds in a separate process.
Eligibility - Some participating school districts around Colorado have local Board of Education adopted policies allowing for alternative dates for kindergarten eligibility. If you live in one of those districts and your child is showing as ineligible in the State application portal, please reach out to your LCO to ensure you are placed for matching in that school district.
Some families may be eligible for additional hours of free preschool based on various factors, including income. Families seeking additional hours based on income are required to submit proof of income documentation.
If you need help adding a document to your application, contact your local coordinating organization for assistance. Your LCO can assist you with any part of your UPK Colorado application.
How to Enroll
1. Request a tour of our preschool and meet with our director to answer any questions you may have. Currently we do not have an electronic application available however, the Director will provide the necessary paperwork upon request.
Items that will be included in the application are: the application for the program which includes emergency contact, who is authorized to pick your child up, parent permission to go on walking field trips (we walk to the big school to go to the library), sunscreen application, emergency authorization (permission to provide 1st Aid), Medical Evaluation (General Health Form) - this will be due 30 days from date of enrollment however, the sooner you can get your child in is best, immunization record (mandatory first day of school), a picture authorization form (so the school can take pictures of the children for a year end book, the school website's Live Feed) and the Transportation policy and agreement form to ride the bus (must be 3 years of age in order to ride the school bus). Once a child has been enrolled, a mandatory Parent Orientation meeting will be held (prior to school starting) to review the parent handbook, answer any questions, and to hand out a parent/child questionnaire so the teachers can get to know the child and their family a little bit better. Once the Parent Handbook has been reviewed, the parent will sign that they have had it reviewed with them.
2. Complete an application as soon as possible and return it to the director for enrollment as space is limited.
Items that will be included in the application packet and/or will be needed for registration: Application Medical Evaluation form - General Health Form Immunization Record Emergency Contact information - part of the application Parent Permission form - Walking Field Trips, application of Sunscreen and Emergency Authorization to provide 1st Aid/medical treatment Transportation permission to ride the school districts school buses Once all the required forms are completed and submitted, the director will review them to see that everything is complete. Once enrollment into the program is determined, a parent orientation will be set up to review the parent handbook and school policies. Parents/guardians will receive a "Receipt and Knowledge of Parent Handbook" and sign off that it has been reviewed with them.
3. If needed, we can schedule another tour of the facility prior to start of school.
Call the director at 719-942-3676 to set up a time if needed! This tour could be done 1:1 to help the child and family feel more comfortable as school starts.