ECHO Aztec Preschool
505-334-6135 322 N. Main Aztec, NM 87410 aztecpreschool@echoinc.org Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Raising the Future
ECHO Aztec Preschool provides quality, affordable child care to the children of the Tri-City area in a caring environment that promotes school readiness and a lifetime love of learning.
Our Mission Statement
The mission of the ECHO Aztec Preschool is to provide an affordable, caring, safe, secure learning environment for the children of our community.
We meet our children’s needs on three distinct levels of development:
Academically
Our curriculum promotes academic readiness for a smooth transition into the public school system’s learning environment. We provide activities that encourage readiness across the educational spectrum. Children get reading and language development based on the UNM TTAP 3 Star Guidelines, and they get an early start on STEM skills with an age-appropriate curriculum in mathematics, scientific discovery, technology, and computers. Various activities with different arts and craft media encourage the children’s creativity and imagination.
A well-rounded academic approach develops an appreciation for many things in life, such as music, arts, theatre, and science. We introduce the children to each of these areas so their understanding can grow with them into adulthood. Activities such as show and tell, interaction with the seniors in the area, and Library Day at the public library all promote this growth. We take many field trips throughout the year to places like the Aztec Ruins, the E3 Science Museum, and the Bolack’s Museum of Fish and Wildlife, to name a few.
We have 4 classrooms at our center that are split up by age. Classroom #1 serves ages 3-4, Classroom # 2 serves ages 2-3, Classroom #3 is our Pre-K class with ages 4-5 who will be attending kindergarten for the upcoming school year, and our Afternoon Adventures (Latch Key Program) with ages 5-12 years. Weekly lesson plans are created on classroom interest, TTAP 3 Star guidelines, and individual and overall classroom development needs.
Physically
Proper nutrition is one of the most important aspects of physical development for children. ECHO Aztec Preschool provides hot breakfast, lunch, and snacks prepared on-site by a trained and qualified cook. ECHO began participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program over 21 years ago, and we meet or exceed, all government standards of nutrition. We have received numerous commendations for the quality of our menus.
Physical activity is another crucial part of physical development. And the children get plenty of active time to enjoy both outdoor and indoor learning center play each day. Many of our activities are designed to develop both large and small muscle groups and provide the proper exercise to ensure a healthy child.
Emotionally and Socially
The ECHO Aztec Preschool believes that a school environment is also a place where the children can receive the emotional nurturing and social instruction that will help them mature into loving, caring, responsible members of our community. Each child must learn to interact socially to become a responsible adult. Each child learns the importance of respecting others, respecting themselves, respecting property. We encourage self-confidence and the ability to express themselves, but also self-discipline and following directions.
We consider ourselves as a second family for our children, and our trained, caring staff are always ready to listen to a long weekend fishing story or learn about the latest addition to the child’s family in the form of a small kitten. We prioritize the joys, sorrows, and concerns of each child.
Curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to instill a passion for lifelong learning by showing the children that learning is fun! Preschool activities follow weekly lesson plans that focus on school readiness, early literacy skills, and critical thinking skills.
The Fall Session takes up seasonal themes while teaching the basic academics of colors, shapes, sizes, directions, music, and language along with developing the social skills of listening, sharing, and following directions.
The Spring Session continues in its school readiness quest with seasonal themes and the introduction of letters, numbers, name recognition, and word recognition. Computers are available to enhance their learning experience.
Each Summer Session has a special theme of its own with field trips, sports, games, plays, community movies, music, and library reading programs. Above all, summer sessions are full of fun activities and just the right amount of relaxation so the children are rested and ready for their ‘academic’ year to begin in the Fall.
Afternoon Adventures
Finding a safe, enriching environment where children can spend time after school is a significant concern for today’s busy parents. ECHO Aztec Preschool has added ECHO Afternoon Adventures for children ages 5-12. As the name implies, this afternoon program extends the “adventure” of learning into the afternoon. Afternoon Adventures works to fine-tune critical literary skills with activities like reading aloud and writing stories or plays to be performed for preschool children. Additionally, the program offers a variety of activities that promote life skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, leadership, sportsmanship, and community service. The program provides transportation from the public schools to our facility. The children are greeted by our friendly, trained staff who have a nutritious snack waiting for this always-hungry group of kids. The children are offered quiet time, homework time, and activity time while waiting for their parents to pick them up after work.