Just last week, two students in their 20s from the Discovery Point Program at Swampscott High School returned to visit the teachers who launched their academic journeys. The former students, who began at the Swampscott Integrated Preschool, brought special education teacher Nicole Kameese items from the library. They also joined current preschoolers in arts and crafts activities.

Another student, now 22, invited Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Martha Raymond to his graduation. Raymond, who had been his preschool teacher, as well as the student’s bus driver and waitress at a local diner were in attendance.

“It’s really kind of nice to be the witness to that,” Raymond said. “And that’s not just me. The people in this program touch these littles, and they remember.”

The Swampscott Integrated Preschool serves children ages three to five, offering a range of learning styles designed to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond. Located within a corridor of Swampscott Middle School, the program provides a structured, developmentally focused environment in one-on-one, small group, and large group settings.

“It’s different than being in a preschool in a public school system because we are all in dedicated classrooms that are specifically run by special education teachers,” Director Alyssa Brothers said. “We touch upon every single area of development to make sure that children aren’t just going to the areas that they really enjoy and are good at. We want to make sure that they’re working on areas that are difficult as well.”

Students enter the program either through a lottery or by qualifying for special education services via evaluation, Brothers explained. According to Raymond, there’s always a waiting list.

“It’s definitely a wanted program,” Raymond said.

Unlike many private preschools that operate only in the morning or afternoon, Swampscott’s program provides more comprehensive coverage.

“If a parent was looking for a preschool program and they just so happened to have a disability, we would want them to have the same options as they would have if their children did not have a disability,” Raymond said. 

Kameese added that the inclusive model helps students become more accepting of differences.

“Everyone is accepted,” Kameese said. “They’re all learning at their own pace.”

Each classroom is led by a special education teacher and supported by at least two additional staff members. The curriculum blends self-directed discovery learning with direct instruction, fostering behavioral, social, and cognitive growth.

There’s also a focus on helping children become more participatory and socially aware. Families are encouraged to follow a technology policy that limits device use – except for speech-generating devices – in places like cars, restaurants, or waiting rooms. The idea is to reduce distractions and encourage interaction with the world around them.

“You can tell when families do make that commitment. School becomes much more accessible,” Raymond said. “We’re really wanting the to learn from their peers and you can’t do that if you’re constantly expecting your own needs and wants to be met because there’s others. You have to build that empathy piece.”

Many of the students are “multimodal communicators,” according to Speech and Language Pathologist Leigh-Anne Postizzi. They use a variety of gestures, verbalizations, vocalizations and words within sentences.

“I think what’s unique about our program is that it really benefits all of the children, all of the different systems and visual supports that we have,” Postizzi said. “We use a lot of AAC, which is augmentative and alternative communication, and I think one app we use a lot is called Touch Chat. All of the teachers are familiar with that…so all of the students have access to the visual support and to support language, which we know language is those foundation skill in early learning and literacy.”

Raymond added that language is the biggest predictor of academic success, making these early communication supports especially important.

The integrated preschool team has worked together for decades, with many staff members working within the program for around 20 years. They said this has helped to build strong relationships with families over time.

“We work extremely well as a team for the past 20-something years,” Brothers said. “We work really well together, trying to support each other, obviously for the best outcomes for the students.”

This has also allowed for the teachers to foster relationships with families, they said. 

“We’ve had families who started with their oldest, and we’ve got their youngest coming through. It’s really nice to build the relationships with families,” Raymond said. “That three-to-five age range is just a real critical time for development.”