I extend to you a very warm welcome to the Early Learning Center in District 59, home of the Junior Hawks! The Early Learning Center is where District 59’s youngest learners begin their educational journey in a nurturing and inclusive environment that honors each child and inspires curiosity, interaction, growth, and learning. Our program is recognized with a Gold Circle of Quality Rating from the Illinois State Board of Education. I am honored to be the principal of the Early Learning Center and look forward to serving students, families and staff.

Early childhood is an exciting time in your child’s education and we want to make sure that these early experiences are positive and rewarding! At the ELC, our students engage in modern learning through learning experiences and environments which allow for student choice, exploration, creative expression, problem-solving, practice of school-readiness skills, technology, and growth across domains (social-emotional, motor, cognitive/language). These hands-on experiences foster the development of the whole child. Utilizing the Creative Curriculum, researched-based teaching and best practices, children’s interests, and the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS), our highly qualified, dedicated staff collaborate to design learning experiences for children that promote learning and growth throughout the entire day, thereby supporting our district mission – preparing all students to be successful for life.

To help us monitor each child’s development and share that information with their families, we use a tool called COR Advantage (powered by Kaymbu). The COR Advantage assessment, developed by HighScope Educational Research Foundation, is a whole-child assessment built on 36 items that are proven by research to best prepare children for school success. COR Advantage is a reliable and valid assessment for all children. 

At the ELC, we acknowledge that our family and community partnerships are essential to the success of our school. We look forward to collaborating with you on behalf of all of our students to ensure a year filled with learning, excitement and growth.

Thank you for visiting our website. Please continue to explore our site to find out about all the wonderful happenings at the District 59 Early Learning Center!

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Warm regards,

Michele Ramsey
Principal, Early Learning Center