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Early Learning Initiatives

Early Learning Initiatives

The West Valley School District values early learning as a strategy for school readiness and life-long learning success. The Early Learning initiatives reflect the West Valley School District's mission to provide support services to early learning professionals in our schools and our community.

We strive to provide children preschool through 3rd grade with access to high-quality instruction, family engagement, and other supports related to physical, academic, and emotional well-being.

Early Learning Workshops

Early Learning Workshops are open to any community member and any staff member who would like to expand their professional learning. Topics are chosen by the P-3 Leadership Team. Workshops are held in the evening, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, at Wide Hollow Elementary. In the 2025/26 school year, the workshops will be held on the following Thursdays: Oct. 16, 2025, Feb. 19, 2026, and April 16, 2026.

Play and Learn

Are you a parent or a caregiver of a child between the ages of one and five years old? If so, join bilingual educators and meet other families in the community every Thursday and Friday. You and your child will learn how to use fun playtime activities to build connections and learn new skills.

Play and Learn is available at every elementary school and the Innovation Center. Contact our Director of Family and Community Engagement, Minerva Pardo, for more information about Play and Learn.

There is no requirement to register for sessions this year.  Please join the fun at your neighborhood school on Fridays.  In addition, an after school session is available for all families on Thursdays at the West Valley Innovation Center – Department of Family and Community Engagement.  Sessions are available on school days.  If there is no school scheduled, then there are no Play and Learn sessions.

Thursdays, 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm, West Valley Innovation Center

Fridays, 10:00 am – 11:30 am, Apple Valley, Cottonwood, Mountainview, and Summitview

Fridays, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm, Ahtanum Valley and Wide Hollow

We can’t wait to see you there!

Preschool and Kindergarten

While Washington State provides funding for full-day Kindergarten, the state does not provide universal funding for preschool. West Valley provides a variety of preschool options. In addition, the District has community partners that provide preschool onsite and in community-based preschool classrooms. Contact our Family Engagement Specialist, Jose Carlos Pizano Ruiz, for eligibility requirements for in-district preschool options.

Click here for in-district preschool information: Preschool

Click here for community-based preschool: West Valley Early Learning Official Partners

P-3 Collaboration

West Valley has received state and national recognition for our efforts to collaborate with community-based organizations to support families with young children from birth-to-age-5. Staff and community members work for alignment of instructional practices and family engagement practices from preschool to Grade 3; this is known P-3 collaboration and alignment. Contact our Assistant Superintendent, Stacey Drake, for more information about our early learning initiative and P-3 collaboration.

Click here for P-3 frameworks: West Valley Early Learning Resources

Imagination Library - FREE Books for Early Learning

Did you know all families in Washington State with children ages Birth-to-5 are eligible to receive free books mailed to their home once a month.

To help foster an early love of reading, The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is now available for little learners in our state!

Families who sign up here: Imagination Library Sign Up will be mailed a new, age-appropriate book every month from birth until the child enters kindergarten (age 5).

Families can also enroll by filling out Imagination Library Fillable Form and mailing it to: United Way of Central Washington, 116 S. 4th St., Yakima, WA 98901.

The titles for this program change each year, but you can check out the latest list by checking the following link: List of available books

Early Learning Contacts

Please select a name below to contact the listed staff member

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Jose Pizano Ruiz – Family Engagement Specialist

Contact Jose Pizano Ruiz

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Minerva Pardo – Family Engagement Director

Contact Minerva Pardo

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Stacey Drake – Assistant Superintendent of Learning & Teaching

Contact Stacey Drake