Preschool is Full of Night Owls

With her pink sunglasses on and her dad in tow, a talkative Izzebella Savona didn't want to be late for class. She gushed about the school bus she made, the autumn tree she helped decorate and all the things she might do this week.

"It's going to be busy," the 4-year-old said, just as one of her teachers, Ms. Connie, showed her the letter of the week – B –and the Band-aid used to help children match objects with letters of the alphabet.

And then the other children filed into the class one by one, waiting for things to get underway.

One girl searched for the brown teddy bear she loves. A few children ran toward blocks, and the rest made their way toward the dinosaurs and books.

And this is how a typical preschool session starts for the group of eight children. But there's one catch: the classes are offered at night.

The Huntley Park District started Night Owl Preschool sessions about four years ago when offficials realized there was a segment of the population that wanted to put their children in preschool, but for whatever reason, couldn't find time to fit classes into their daytime schedule.

"It's going well. It's just another option for working families that cannot get transportation during the day or families who have other commitments but want their children here to learn," said Debbie Kraus, recreation director the park district. She suggested the program and modeled it after a similar one that was offered in Belvidere.

The 90-minute classes, also taught by Ms.Dena,  are offered two times  per week. Classes start at 6 p.m. The sessions feature most of the trademarks of preschool, including art, music, story time and learning. It cuts out other signatures, such as snack and nap time.

Earlier this month, the evening class worked together to paint a giant pumpkin and painted individual leaf displays.They took part in play time, reading books to animals, building bridges and setting up a doll house. The lights flickered, and they knew it was time to clean up and move to the rug where they  sang songs together as they welcomed a new student.

Anna Kubik, of Lake in the Hills, peeked inside the classroom anxiously, sneaking a glance at her daughter who joined the group for the first time that evening.

"I want it to be good for her. I think it will. She seems to do well," Kubik said, of her daughter. Cathrane speaks Polish. Her mom enrolled her in the class to help improve her English.

For other parents, the convenience is what lured them to the evening classes.

"I was so excited. During the day, it was kind of hectic, so we couldn't do (the earlier preschool,)" said Heather Greve, who, along with her husband, works full time.

Still, they wanted 4-year-old Addison to take part in some kind of organized learning environment.

"This worked out perfect. She's doing everything the other kids do during the day, and she loves it," Greve said.

The Mazur family found the night preschool classes by chance. They searched the Internet after they learned they wouldn't be able to enroll Lucas, who turns 4 this month, in a Gilberts preschool class.

"My wife found it, and we were ecstatic because the timing works. Everyone has to work nowadays to get by," said Peter Mazur, adding that he plans to enroll another son later this fall. "We like it so far. It's very small. They have a great student-teacher ratio, and he's learning. You can't beat that."

Children must be at least 3 and potty-trained to join the preschool. The registration fee is $60 for district residents and $70 for non-residents. The monthly fee is $80 for residents and $95 for non-residents.

For more information on how to sign up for the class, go to: www.huntleyparks.org.