The Yachats Youth & Family Activities Program is very happy to announce that preschool classes for 3-5 year-olds will begin in Yachats in September.  The Yachats Preschool is open to all south county children.  Families are asked to pay whatever they can afford on a sliding scale from $0 – $100 per month.  Classes will take place at the Yachats Commons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 am until noon.  The objective of the Yachats Preschool is to meet the needs of the total child: physical, emotional, social and intellectual. Children will be provided learning opportunities that encourage growth and development in a fun, warm, secure and educational environment.  This program is made possible by grants from Our Coastal Village Foundation, the Children’s Trust Fund of Oregon, Juan Young Trust, the City of Yachats, and many individual donors.

If you are interested in enrolling in preschool, or want more information, please call Debbie at 547-4599.  Space is limited. Classes will begin on September 14.

Wow, I can’t believe our preschool year is over!  And what a year it’s been.  Both our Yachats and Waldport centers were at their capacity of 15 kids, who came from areas spanning between Greater Yachats and Seal Rock.  Parents and families sat in tiny chairs and cheered their kids on as we performed our songs (“Down by the Bay,” “Shake My Sillies Out,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”) and passed out certificates, diplomas, and the much-talked-about goody bags.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with these wonderful kids, and to see their growth, which is enormous.  Looking back at the extra clothes kids brought in when they began preschool in September, there is no way these clothes will still fit.  And that says everything about their journey through preschool – they have shot up like sprouts, and they are still growing.  How great that our service has been here to support them in their growth: academically, emotionally, and physically.  We sent them home for the summer with conflict resolution skills, a knowledge of their own feelings and others’ (these are the building blocks of empathy), and with their natural curiosity of learning still intact!  This is a great success, to see kids who are so ready to be the leaders, peacemakers, movers, and shakers of the next generation.  And maybe even a couple of rockstars, too.  (You’ll know what I mean when you see the video.)  ~ Miss Jackson