(Pictured: St. George Early Childhood Special Education teacher Alexis Tozier with a student in the 3-K classroom.)

When St. George School signed on to be part of Cohort 1 of the transition of Early Childhood Special Education services for children ages three through five from Child Development Services (CDS) to school administrative units (SAUs), staff did so with the belief that early support creates lifelong success. What they didn’t expect was just how quickly and powerfully this transition would transform not only the lives of children but the entire school community.

Originally planning to launch a program for four-year-olds during the 2024-2025 school year, St. George’s staff realized mid-year that there was a significant need for more localized Early Childhood Special Education services for three-year-olds, as well—including occupational therapy, speech, and individualized instruction. So, the team at St. George acted quickly.

“We had the space,” Dr. Jessica Berry, the school’s Special Education Director, said. “In January, we figured out how to build a three-year-old classroom.” 

The school provided transportation for families and integrated the children into the school community. It was, as Early Childhood Special Education teacher Alexis Tozier, who helped to set up the 3-K program, called it: “fun chaos.”

“It was so incredible to see those kiddos come back this fall,” Tozier said. “They knew the school; they knew the routines. [I’m] not saying they were flawless, but they were ready to go.”

In addition to St. George’s 3-K classroom, Dr. Berry also helped to pilot a new “Zero to School” program, a separate community-wide effort available through support from the John T. Gorman Foundation. The Zero to School program integrated well with St. George’s ongoing special education transition and helped to expand community “Child Find” efforts to identify and support students even before they turn three. 

The two new programs, Zero to School and the 3-K classroom, helped St. George to work with the surrounding community to build relationships with families early—sometimes, before their children are even enrolled in school.

“We started by asking, ‘How do we get to know these little kiddos in our community who aren’t in school yet?’” Mallory Tripp, a parent, school board member, and strong advocate for early childhood programming, said. “We showed up at [the] St. George Days [town event] with bounce houses and popsicles to meet families and let them know the school is here for them.”

Those outreach efforts became the foundation for a more connected, supported community. Throughout the year, St. George hosted family events nearly every month—including a back-to-school bash and parent nights where caregivers could ask questions, make connections, and even talk to a pediatrician in a no-pressure setting.

“It was just a learning space,” parent Laura Vanevery said. “No judgment—you didn’t feel like you were bothering anyone. It was exactly what I needed as a new mom.”

Many families shared that the CDS-to-school transition gave their children—and themselves—what they had been missing: community, routine, and support.

“My son was getting kicked out of daycares because he couldn’t express himself,” Vanevery said. “He came home frustrated; I was frustrated. But, once he started at St. George, he had structure, routine, peers. He came home tired—in a good way. He was calmer. And, he loves going to school. He feels safe here.”

Another parent, Kaylie Lee, described how her son, Riker, began receiving in-home services through CDS and continued to really blossom when he joined St. George’s 3-K classroom this year.

“Bethany [Yovino] from CDS said, ‘He’s doing well, but he needs peers his age.’ The amount of development we’ve seen since starting school—he has come very, very far,” Lee said.

Even families that didn’t go through the full CDS transition were impacted by the more recent expanded community offerings. Selina Staples’ son graduated from CDS services just before turning three but still participated in Zero to School’s weekly summer programming and St. George School’s week of summer camp, which was made possible through a Maine Department of Education (DOE) Kindergarten Transition grant.

“That summer program helped him transition, and now he’s more than ready,” Staples said.

Staples described how she was able to attend the program with her son until he felt comfortable enough to go off on his own with friends, leading up to pre-K this year, where he was more than confident in a space he now considers his own.

From the principal to the classroom teachers, St. George’s staff proved that compassion, flexibility, and teamwork are the backbone of success.

“You have to be flexible,” Tozier said. “Needs vary, and working as a team is the only way to make sure every child gets what they need.”

And while Tozier described the mid-year shift to running a three-year-old classroom as unexpected, Dr. Berry had no doubt that Tozier could handle it.

“She won’t say it for herself, but she will do whatever it takes to make sure a child feels safe and loved—and not just the child, the whole family,” Dr. Berry said. “That’s what Alexis does every single day. This program works because of people like her.”

Principal Jess McGreevy agreed.

“We were lucky to have the space and the people. It let us move quickly, and that made a huge difference,” McGreevy said.

For Tripp, one of the most compelling reasons to join the CDS transition was the long-term academic benefit for students.

“When kids get support early, they’re not just more confident; they’re more ready to learn. Our kindergarteners now show up ready to go. And, by the time they’re in third or fourth grade, they need less intensive services because we started early,” Tripp said.

At its heart, St. George’s approach to early childhood education is about community, connection, and equity. By bringing early intervention services directly into the school, hosting events that welcome families of all backgrounds, and maintaining close partnerships with local CDS providers like Yovino, St. George ensures that every child starts school included, supported, known, and ready. In doing so, the school has become a model for what’s possible across Maine.

“It’s the staff here that is key,” Vanevery said. “They’ve made my child feel safe, and that’s what every child deserves.”

St. George School and the Maine DOE Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education contributed to this article, written as part of a series highlighting the ongoing efforts of CDS and public schools in providing comprehensive educational services to Maine’s children with special needs. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.