Testimonials
Your Donations at Work!!
Parents and preschool teachers have shared many insights into the benefits of preschool …
One of the parents whose child received a subsidy said that he had seen his child become more creative, using innovative ideas to try different activities at home during the year she was in preschool. He wrote,
‘She asked us to buy some supplies so she could make a surprise for us. She was able to show us how a volcano erupts! It was very interesting to know that she knew how to do this even at her age … I hope [the preschool tuition subsidy] continues in the coming days ahead. A lot more families and their children are benefitted with this project. Thanks again for all your help.’
A mom who was a newcomer to Canada told us that her daughter …
‘knew only a few words when she started school. She used to point with her hand to explain what she wanted. Now she can speak English [very well]. She is more confident and more social. One day she was singing all the months and letters and we were surprised because we had never taught her that. She showed interest in drawing and can sit for hours drawing different pictures for us. When we go to the park, she says hello to other children and introduces herself and asks their name, so she is better at socializing.’
Preschool teachers also report changes they see in the children.
One preschool teacher shared with us that a Kindergarten teacher remarked during the first month of kindergarten that she knew which children had been to preschool. The preschool teacher said she just had to ask how she knew that. The kindergarten teacher said,
‘The children who attended preschool tend to be more independent, they have strong skills in literacy and numeracy and the transition into Kindergarten is just easier.’
The preschool teacher went on to say that some of the preschoolers had “areas of concern” that they worked on improving throughout the preschool year. When they entered Kindergarten, their teacher let her know that all the hard work paid off!
Some of those students were part of our preschool thanks to the tuition subsidy provided by the Saskatoon Preschool Foundation! What a gift that keeps on giving – from child, to family, to teacher and beyond!
How You Can Help
Please consider donating to the Foundation! Research tells us that early learning programs benefit children from all socioeconomic backgrounds in terms of academic success during primary grades and long term measures of success such as high school graduation.
Another preschool teacher wrote …
‘One of my students could not understand any English at the start of the year and at the end had enough English to make conversation… This student was extremely shy and would not make eye contact at the beginning, but now, at the end of the year, he has come out of his shell and made many friends!’
The same teacher went on to say …
‘Preschool subsidies help many families afford preschool, especially when coming from other countries. It helps to bridge the gap when their preschoolers learn English and make connections to other families within the preschool. Without the subsidy, many of our students would not be able to attend preschool.’
