Helping Hands
Sayre School Expands, Enlarges
Its Preschool Programs
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By John Lynch

Looking for the newest ideas in early childhood education? Try looking at Lexington’s oldest private school.

With the addition this school year and next of exciting new preschool programs, Sayre School, founded in 1854, is now serving students from 18 months to 18 years old.

Sayre launched two early childhood learning programs this winter -- Little Readers and Toddler and Adult, both of which are for children and their parents.

In the fall, Sayre will introduce a Preschool Pilot program that features revamped and expanded preschool offerings with multiple options for families.
Sayre appreciates that in the 21st century each family is different and has diverse needs.

The Preschool Pilot program is designed to offer options for full-time stay-at-home parents to full-time working parents -- and everything in between.

“We try to stay current by understanding the needs of a new generation of parents,” Sayre Headmaster Clayton Chambliss said.

“Sayre has survived because it has always adjusted to the needs of the community.”
And the community has responded enthusiastically to Sayre’s Little Readers and Toddler and Adult programs.

Little Readers is a free program for children 18 months to 3 years old who accompany their parents or caregivers to a once-a-week, 45-minute class in a cozy spot in the Sayre library.

The class features stories, songs and finger plays with the goal of instilling a lifelong love of reading while emphasizing Sayre’s philosophy that learning and fun go hand-in-hand. That also applies to the teachers -- librarians Judy Offutt and Melanie Bishop.

“We really look forward to it and wish we could do it all the time,” Bishop said.
Added Offutt: “It’s really been great fun. It’s also been interesting to see the interaction among the parents.”

And it’s not just parents. The caregivers who accompany children represent a cross-section of modern families. On any given Friday, the toddlers will be accompanied by moms, nannies, grandparents, dads in business suits and babysitters.

One thing remains constant -- “Everybody leaves with a smile on their face,” said Anna Martin, the school’s Assistant Director of Admission.

Martin sees those same smiles in the Toddler-Adult class she teaches for 90 minutes on Wednesday mornings for children 2 and older. (The fee is $250 per semester.)

Children and adults participate together in play, art, music, group activities and storytelling that are age appropriate in a class limited to eight children.

Free choice among hands-on activities, many at the tactile table, is the hallmark of the class.

Plus, parents and caregivers learn, too.

“Because we’re a full service school, available to us are school counselors to talk about childhood development, a speech pathologist, and fine arts and language specialists,” Martin said.

“Plus, parents e-mail me all the time throughout the week with questions about their children.”

That diversity of options also fortifies Sayre’s entire preschool program, which this fall will include five options:

* Prekindergarten for 3-year-olds, five mornings a week
* Prekindergarten for 3-year-olds, three mornings a week
* Prekindergarten for 4-year-olds, five mornings a week
* Montessori for 3- and 4-year-olds, five mornings a week
* Montessori for 5-year-olds, five full days a week

Extended day is also available.

All preschool classes are taught by degreed teachers and offer developmentally appropriate, hands-on activities, plus Spanish, art, music, physical education and library work.

And the preschoolers can explore all the offerings on the Sayre campus, which comprises 10 buildings along North Limestone, within walking distance of numerous downtown destinations.

“When we see the preschoolers walking somewhere on campus, you can tell they feel like they’re on an adventure,” said John Hackworth, the Director of Admission.

“They can go on a field trip and not leave the safety of the campus.”

Current preschoolers got to visit the International Fair put on by the middle schoolers, and a trip to the high school to visit the rabbits, snakes, iguana, chinchilla and tarantula in the science department is always a treat.

“All these options allow us to serve so many more people in the community,” Martin said.

“Our students become well-educated and well-rounded, and our preschoolers love coming to school. They love their teachers and know that they’re appreciated.”

And that’s a concept that’s never out of date.