Courtesy Skool of Fish
By Rod Bacon
An experienced teacher has started a preschool to help ensure that young minds and bodies have a firm foundation as they embark on their educational journey.
Under the direction of Founder and Lead Teacher Mrs. Jill Fish, children ages 3 to 4 will develop social, emotional, and early educational skills in a safe and nurturing environment at Skool of Fish.
Youngsters attend either a morning or afternoon session lasting 2.5 hours in which they are exposed to building social skills like sharing, cooperation, and listening; early literacy skills that include letter recognition and name writing; basic number concepts and simple counting; color and shape recognition; and developing fine motor skills through crafts and hands-on activities.
Mrs. Fish is aided in this endeavor by her daughter, Lindsey Fish, who is a substitute teacher and marketing coordinator working at the school on an as-needed basis. Lindsey is also the owner/photographer of Super Source Media Studios LLC, a business located in the Wilton Mall that provides a complete range of photographic services.
Mrs. Fish is CPR and first aid certified while Lindsey is CPR certified.
She also has an assistant in the classroom.
Mrs. Fish has 17 years of classroom experience that ranges from middle school to preschool. She started while still a teenager as an aide under the guidance of her mother, Kathy McDermott, working at BOCES with special education students and those with behavioral issues.
She wasn’t fully committed to education at that point so she trained as a hairdresser, a career she pursued for four years.
She realized, however, that this was not her calling in life and returned to education as a classroom aide with the Saratoga Springs School District. She spent 15 years there before moving to the YMCA’s preschool program for two years.
“I realized that this was very rewarding for me, watching the growth of the kids I was working with,” she said. “I saw the growth they experienced in every aspect — not just physical but the emotional, the social, the academic — and I thought ‘I had a part in that.’ That’s what led me to where I am today.”
Another motivating factor was her son, Jae, who is on the Autism spectrum. He is high-functioning and through considerable effort on both their parts he has achieved success in his chosen field. He earned a master’s degree from the University at Albany and currently works for the New York State Assembly.
Mrs. Fish has taken the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum and added elements of other educational programs. The Heggerty Curriculum is a structured, research-based program designed to build foundational literacy skills in students from early Pre-K through 5th grade.
“This will prepare them academically for kindergarten,” she said. “It has phonics in it so it starts early reading. It has a writing component because there’s a certain way you have to teach writing. It has all the strong academic pieces. Then I splash in a bit of creative play because it keeps the kids interested and it’s fun.”
Little to no technology is used to ensure the children are fully engaged in hands-on activities, creativity and real-world learning.
Parents are given regular updates on their child’s progress.
The facility has a fenced-in area where the children can play outside, weather permitting.
The school is allowed to have up to 20 students enrolled but Mrs. Fish maintains a ratio of one teacher for every seven or fewer children.
“I want my students to get what they need,” she said. “I want to be able to teach them the way they need to be taught. When you have too many kids they don’t get the individual attention they require and deserve.”
The school operates September through June, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and noon-2 p.m. The five-day sessions cost $500 per month and the optional Monday-Wednesday-Friday sessions are $300 per month. Personal tutoring is available for $50 per hour.
Skool of Fish LLC is located in Suite 52, 100 Saratoga Village Blvd., Malta. For further information go to skool-of-fish.weebly.com.