Cam High’s annual Little Scorps program started on Oct. 15, 2018 and will continue until the end of the school year. 

Ms. Ida Lange, Cam High’s Developmental Psychology teacher, is the adviser of the program, and a select group of students assist her as student teachers.

The preschool program was established in 1972 by Ms. Donna Maygren, a Psychology teacher at Cam High. She wanted the program to offer a cheaper education and an opportunity for parents to have time to take care of themselves.  

“There is value in preschool,” said Lange, “like preparing [the students] for school settings and learning how to navigate with other people their age.” The program also offers lessons in other subjects, including science, math, and singing. Mr. Daniel Cook, father of Bailey Cook, a former student at Little Scorps Preschool found the environment to be suitable for young children. “[The classroom] is very isolated from the rest of the high school students where they won’t be exposed to anything they were not supposed to see,” said Cook.

The student teachers are normally juniors and seniors who are interested in pursuing a career that involves interactions with young children. “I aspire to be a pediatrician,” said Esha Anand, junior and student teacher, “Working in the preschool helps me gain knowledge about the different stages [of development] and how I can work hands-on with kids.” 

Courtney Forde, student teacher and junior, said, “All of [the kids] are adorable and have very different personalities, which teaches me to be patient and understanding with little kids.” Forde wants to become an elementary school teacher.

According to Anand and Forde, the process to enter the Little Scorps student teacher program was difficult. Each year in Developmental Psychology, students were required to do an extensive project. In their freshman year, the student teachers were tasked with caring for a robot baby. For sophomore year, student teachers were tasked with creating and presenting a lesson that included a game, science, math, singing and English. By junior year, students are allowed to become student teachers.

The Little Scorps program has 24 students who attend the preschool three days a week — Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. — in room K-3. The children enrolled are between the ages three and five.