Your Schools

Preschool & Childcare

Papermaker Preschool

Camas High School’s Papermaker Preschool is a cooperative learning environment where a certificated teacher, two teacher assistants, and multiple high school students work together with preschoolers each day. This team approach provides a unique opportunity for preschoolers to have one-on-one mentoring from high school students who are interested in early childhood education.

The Papermaker Preschool is open for fall enrollment to children who are four years of age by August 31.  The morning session runs 8:45-11:15 a.m. and the afternoon session runs 12:45- 3:15 p.m.  The full-time preschool hours are 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and are available at C.H.S. only. Tuition is $200 per month pro-rated September through May for part-time preschoolers and $600 per month for full-time (nine-hour maximum/day) preschoolers.  If you have any questions regarding the program, please call the Career & Technical Education Office at 817-4479 for more information.

Step Ahead Preschool

JDZ is home to the district's Step Ahead Preschool program that serves three-to-five year old children with and without special needs. Two certificated teachers work with a highly qualified team of early childhood professionals to provide an exceptional program. Step Ahead is designed to meet children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical developmental needs.

The Step Ahead Preschool is open for fall enrollment to children who are three years of age by August 31, 2006, and not yet four years old. The morning session runs 8:30-11:00 a.m. and the afternoon session runs 12:30-3:00 p.m. If you would like to schedule a visit, please call 817-4400 ext. 2537 or ext. 2538 to make arrangements.

Registration for all schools within the Camas School District is now centralized at the Dennison Administration Center. If you would like to register your child, please call 817-4400 or stop by the DAC, located at 1919 NE Ione Street, to pick up the required paperwork.

Camas Childcare

Children need a nurturing environment, which reflects warmth and security. The Camas Childcare Center provides a family-like atmosphere, which emphasizes positive interaction, self-control, decision making and self-responsibility. Developmentally appropriate activities encourage creativity and permit children the freedom to explore and learn through play.

Development of the Camas Childcare Center is based on understanding of the needs of children who are at various developmental levels and stages. Our program offers a safe, accessible environment provided by a warm, caring and responsible early childhood education staff. Parents’ values and cultural diversities are respected and included in program activities, as appropriate.

Program Curriculum

We provide developmentally appropriate curriculum for school-age children based on state and national guidelines for school-age education and childcare programs. The guidelines include the following:

• A developmentally appropriate curriculum for all areas of a child’s development; physical, emotional, social and cognitive through an integrated approach.
• Appropriate curriculum planning based on teachers’ observations and recordings of each child’s special interests and developmental progress.
• Curriculum planning emphasizing learning as an interactive process. Teachers prepare the environment for children to learn through active exploration and interaction with adults, other children and material.
• Learning activities and material are concrete, real and relevant to the lives of young children.
• Programs provide for a wider range of developmental interest and abilities than the chronological age range of the group would suggest. Adults are prepared to meet the needs of children who exhibit unusual interests and skills outside the normal developmental range.
• Teachers provide a variety of activities and material; they increase the difficulty, complexity and challenge of an activity as children develop understanding and skills.

In addition, our before and after school program focuses on social learning. The atmosphere is structured but relaxed. It allows for small group, large group, and individual social interaction through outdoor or gym play, table games and activities, crafts, free choice and homework help. Children learn leadership, teamwork, responsibility, cooperation and friendship skills by planning and directing group games and activities for and among themselves.