Warren County R-3 Early Childhood Special Education

Hopewell Academy Early Childhood is the Warren County R-III School District's early childhood and special education school in Warrenton. We serve children from their third birthday until they are eligible for kindergarten who qualify as having an educational disability under Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education criteria.

Families start by requesting an evaluation through our ECSE Process Coordinator. The team meets with parents to learn about the child's strengths and areas of concern, and, with written consent, evaluates speech and language, gross and fine motor skills, social and emotional behavior, and cognitive and functional skills. When a child qualifies, parents and educators write an Individualized Education Plan together that sets goals and the services needed to reach them.

Our classrooms use Positive Behavior Intervention Supports with three school-wide rules: be safe, be respectful, and be responsible. We also teach the Zones of Regulation so young children learn to recognize their feelings and manage them, and families can send home notes that we display in the classroom when a child does something well.