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Welcome to my page! My name is Erica Jones. I am the current Director for our Voluntary Pre-K Program. I also teach Pre-K in the classroom. 

Our program serves children who qualify under Tennessee state guidelines and will be four years old by August 15th of the school year. 

If interested, please complete and submit a universal Pre-K application and income verification form and submit the completed forms with supporting income docs (options listed on the form) quickly as our spots fill up.

If interested, we are accepting applications for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. We accept applications until all seats are filled and we have wait lists, if needed.

Applications are processed for eligibility determination all year long. Once accepted, letters will be mailed out/emailed late July/early August sharing dates for required parent/teacher meeting option dates/times. Parents will pick ONE and simply show up that day/time. Staggered schedules will be distributed that day during your meeting. Our Pre-K kiddos do NOT have to attend on NGS´s 10 am registration day.

About our program:

The Voluntary Pre-K program teaches the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards using Kaplan's Connect 4 Learning curriculum to instruct and state-approved sounds' first supplemental materials to inform literacy instruction.

Our program hours are from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. daily, and parents must sign in and sign out their child daily. We follow the Newport Grammar School's calendar. There isn't a fee or tuition for qualified students, as this is a state-funded program.

About me:

My teaching-related education includes a Master of Science (M.S.) in teacher education earned in 2014 from the University of Tennessee with a concentration in elementary education. I was blessed to learn as part of an urban multicultural program and take additional graduate coursework for an add-on license in early childhood special education for children ages birth to age eight. I graduated with my Specialist of Education degree (EdS) in Educational/Instructional Technology in May of 2026. As a doctoral candidate working towards a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in learning, design, and technology (LDT) at the University of Tennessee, I completed all courses required and passed my comprehensive exams. I plan to return soon to full-fill the dissertation portion.

During this journey, I presented my pilot research at Middle Tennessee State University at the Southeastern STEM Education Research Conference. I have also served as a graduate research assistant and designer, working on coding and creating grant-funded training modules for the University of Tennessee to contribute to the TRAIN platform.

I have worked with children in many roles over the years, from volunteering at multiple local vacation Bible schools (VBS) to working with children in orphanages and schools in Africa while serving as a Marine to volunteering as a camp counselor in California for the local MDA Camps (Muscular Dystrophy Association) to assisting special needs children at reprieve camps aboard Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. I have enjoyed all the experiences I have been afforded. 

I am originally from a small town in Southern Mississippi. I have also lived in California and North Carolina and spent time overseas. However, I have called East Tennessee my home for some time now. I have two bubbly and handsome boys who are warriors for life and whom I love spending time with. I enjoy hiking and have loved leading our school's hiking club for middle schoolers and their parents for years in the past. I am a proud Marine Corps veteran, and I am a die-hard VOL for life.

While caring for two children, attending grad school full-time, working my full-time teaching job, serving as a graduate assistant, and teaching graduate-level courses for UT, I can relate to how wild and crazy life can sometimes be. 

Feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance.

Erica Jones

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