Preschoolers may join child development class

Freehold High School, Freehold Bor-ough, is accepting registrations for its Preschool Child Development Program. Eligible students must be 4 years old by February 2007. The preschool program runs from January through May on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. The program, which is free, offers reading, math readiness, songs, games and other preschool activities. For a reg-istration application, call Carol Lifland at (732) 431-8360, ext. 8601.

High school district's

special program honored

The Freehold Regional High School District Student Transition Employment Program (STEP) has received accolades nationally and in New Jersey as an award winning, exemplary program.

In February, the program won national recognition at an awards ceremony in San Diego where it was honored as one of only 35 school programs in the nation to receive a Civic Star Award from the American Association of School Admin-istrators and Sodexho School Services. The award honors school districts for innovative activities that advance student learning.

In April, FRHSD administrators were notified that STEP was selected as one of eight state programs recognized by the New Jersey Association of Partners in Education (NJAPIE) and New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA) as an exemplary school-community partnership.

The two organizations annually award "distinguished school districts for unique school-community partnerships that impact a targeted population and have a relationship to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards."

STEP, a program for special education students, provides transition activities from school to work by exposing students to job training and work experiences.

Job sampling, made possible by a partnership between local employers and the FRHSD, provides students with vocational training at the high school, followed by work experience for one hour a day at a job site. It provides students an opportunity to discover their likes and dislikes, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Students rotate between job sites every two weeks. The district provides student transportation to and from the job sites.