Principal's Message

Dear Early Learning Academy Families,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at our new site--the Early Learning Academy!

For those of you who are returning families, welcome back!  We are excited to continue to partner with you to help your child grow to his/her full potential!

For those of you who are new to Early Learning Academy, it is my pleasure to introduce myself as the Principal.  I have been in the field of education for 28 years. I was a teacher for 20 years, and I have been an administrator for 8 years.  As a teacher, I taught general education kindergarten and first grade, special education elementary school (grades TK-6), and special education middle school (grades 7-8).  As an administrator, I have worked in the Special Education Department in multiple school districts as a Program Specialist, Coordinator, and Director of Special Education, and for the past three years I have been the Principal here at Rainbow (now the Early Learning Academy). Although I have enjoyed each of my experiences, I enjoy working with very young children the most. Early Intervention is most definitely my passion!

We have fifteen Early Childhood Education Specialists (Teachers), two of which teach in the Infant program and thirteen which teach in the Preschool program. In addition, we have six general education teachers at the new site!  We also have a Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, three School Psychologists, nine Speech and Language Pathologists, an Adapted Physical Education Specialist, an Occupational Therapist, and a Physical Therapist. Early Learning Academy teachers and service providers are all highly-qualified, and they deliver engaging lessons to the children each day that focus on developing communication, social, motor, adaptive, and/or cognitive skills in addition to teaching routines.  Visual supports and positive behavioral strategies are implemented when necessary. 

Parent communication and involvement are highly-valued at Early Learning Academy. We will communicate in multiple formats: Parent Square, phone calls, emails, text messages, and face-to-face conversations. This school year we have scheduled many “Parent Days” to help you feel more connected to our school community and to help you build your repertoire of strategies for supporting your child at home. Our Parent Day themes are Learning at Home, Harvest Festival, Speech and Language Strategies, Behavior Support Strategies, and many more!

We at Early Learning Academy are committed to the District’s vision and mission.  We are dedicated to  empowering our students to become future-ready and positively impact the world; we will provide an equitable education for all of our students to be prepared for college and/or a viable career path for a successful life.  Early intervention is key, and it is never too early to start ensuring our little learners will be prepared for their futures!

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance to you at any time.  I am here to support!

Respectfully,

Mrs. Michelle Ballesteros

Principal, Early Learning Academy

951-571-4710

mballesteros@mvusd.net