Empowering You to Become A Proactive Educational Partner

Ever wonder what your child should know by the time they finish preschool, kindergarten or first grade, in order to be ready for the next year of learning? Did you know that parents who understand the educational learning objectives for their child can reinforce these skills at home by incorporating fun family activities? Join a school readiness course, and learn how you can help your child reach their educational goals.

Choose from:

• Preschool & PreK Readiness for Parents/Caregivers
• Kindergarten Readiness for Parents/Caregivers
• First Grade Readiness for Parents/Caregivers

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Readiness Courses

Courses are designed to empower parents and caregivers of children ages 3 to 6 to become learning partners with a child and their school based educators. Participants will learn engaging ways to help children learn school readiness skills. Age appropriate games and everyday activities will be taught to help foster learning in a fun and effective manner. Develop awareness of phonemic awareness, phonics, number sense, spatial relationships, and fine motor skills that promote school success for the child, as well as how to support students in print, as well as verbal and nonverbal reasoning. Parents and caregivers will learn how to proactively embed readiness skills in everyday life, and will be provided with a list of resources to make learning engaging.

Critical Thinking and Logic Skills courses for parents and caregivers of children through the 5th grade are coming this fall. Registration is open.

Instructors

Live online classes are taught by certified gifted education teachers.

• Julie A. Quillin, M.T., B.A.

  Julie is certified in teaching grades PreK-8 with a certification in Gifted Education. She has earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Teaching from the University of Virginia with distinction as an Echols and Jefferson Scholar.
  
  

  Read more about Julie

  Julie has worked as a classroom teacher with gifted clusters in grades K-5 for the last ten years and is currently a Gifted Resource Teacher in Hanover County. Julie is the 2022 Teacher of the Year for Cool Spring Elementary School, where she leads a School Improvement Action Team and serves on the Instructional Leadership Team. She has also completed the Hanover County Public Schools Teacher Leadership Institute and Online Education Certification. Julie has experience as a VCU Educational Consultant for the GeneSmart and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Interdisciplinary program and coaches teachers through the VCU Clinical Faculty Program. She has worked with individuals and small groups for specialized educational consultations as well as lead small group Kindergarten Readiness programs. Julie currently is interested in developing educational partnerships between families, students, and the community as well as exploring critical thinking as a Rubik’s Cube Ambassador.

• Maureen Ambrose, M.T., B.A.

  Maureen is certified in teaching grades PreK-8 with a certification in Gifted Education. She has earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Teaching from the University of Virginia.
  
  

  Read more about Maureen

  Maureen has worked as a classroom teacher with gifted clusters in grades K-5, was a Center Based Gifted Teacher and an eLearning Integrator for Chesterfield County for 14 years, and was the 2006 Teacher of the Year for Marguerite F. Christian Elementary School. She is currently a Gifted Resource Teacher in Hanover County, and was the 2021 Teacher of the Year for Mechanicsville Elementary School, where she spearheads programs focusing on family engagement and developing critical thinking skills. Maureen continues to develop educational partnerships between families, students, and the community by writing grants to fund kits for families to check out to promote family game night and geocaching. She loves to share her interest in new and exciting platforms in her role as an Ambassador for Rubik’s Cube, OSMO, SeeSaw, GooseChase and FlipGrid.

What to Expect

Synchronous Online Sessions

Our Zoom sessions are in real-time and offer an opportunity to interact with the instructor and other participants.

Attendance and Participation

You are required to have your camera on during these sessions to allow for student engagement. VCU expects that students limit outside distractions, remain in one location for the duration of the session (no driving/errands), and actively participate in group discussions and activities.

Cancellation/Refund Policy

You may cancel your registration up until 7 days prior to the course start date, and receive a full refund minus any credit card processing fees. After that date, no refunds will be given. Cancellations must be received via email at ocpe@vcu.edu. (Processing fees are being waived through 6/30/2023.)

In the unlikely event that this program is cancelled or postponed due to insufficient enrollments or unforeseen circumstances, the university will fully refund registration fees, but cannot be held responsible for any other expenses, including change or cancellation charges to include but not limited to airlines, hotels, travel agencies, or other organizations.