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Early Childhood Educational Services
New Friends Integrated Preschool Program
Happiness House offers preschool services for three and four year old children with and without disabilities at sites in Geneva, Waterloo and Canandaigua. The preschool program provides an enriched, developmentally appropriate environment where each child's individual strengths are emphasized to promote success. Children with disabilities are enrolled into this program through their school district's Committee on Preschool Special Education. Parents of children without disabilities may also choose to enroll their children in the New Friends Integrated Preschool Program. Interactions between children with and without special needs facilitate the development of social skills, positive self-concept and independence. Children experience creative and exciting preschool activities in a supportive preschool setting.
Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK)
UPK is a school-district-run preschool education program for children four years of age. Happiness House is an approved UPK provider site for children in the Canandaigua City School District, Geneva City School District and Waterloo School District. UPK children are students in the New Friends Integrated Preschool program. (See above.) Happiness House also runs the Waterloo School District UPK at their Main Street site in classrooms with only UPK students.
Special Class Program
Happiness House also offers a non-integrated classroom environment for children with disabilities that require a small group learning environment that is highly structured. The classroom provides an individualized approach to meet the intensive learning, social, and behavioral needs of each child.
Head Start
This comprehensive early childhood education program is for children, ages three and four, that live in the Canandaigua area, with priority given to low income families and children with special needs. There is no cost to the parents of the children enrolled in the program. The Head Start program provides for the educational needs of the children, as well as for their social, emotional, physical, health and nutritional needs. Healthy meals, including breakfast, lunch and snack, are served daily. We recognize the major role of the family in child development and give families an opportunity to learn about the needs of their children.
These programs are staffed by a comprehensive team of certified/licensed and experienced professionals including special education and early childhood teachers, speech pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, music therapists, psychologists and nurses.
Learn more about the Happiness House Early Childhood Education Programs where you live.