Poudre School District is pleased to announce that Greg Strutz has been named the first Early Childhood Education site director for the preschool at Eyestone Elementary School beginning in the fall of 2023.
For the past 10 years, Strutz has worked with three Wellington schools in different roles. He began as a physical education teacher at Rice Elementary School, followed by dean of students at Wellington Middle School and has been the assistant principal of Eyestone Elementary School since 2017.
Rebecca Benedict, director of Early Childhood Education, highlights Strutz’s experience with the district and skills as a problem solver and innovative thinker. She is excited to work with him as the ECE team leads the way for the PSD community to expand access to more students and families through universal preschool.
“He has a strong foundational knowledge of early childhood and has supported ECE classrooms at Eyestone in recent years as their assistant principal,” said Benedict. “This makes him the perfect candidate to build a system in the Wellington area.”
No-cost and tuition-based preschool programs in PSD have existed for decades, serving children ages 3-5 in 21 district elementary schools and seven community sites. PSD preschool learning environments help our youngest learners develop academic and social skills that benefit them throughout their school career.
Universal preschool in Colorado was approved by the legislature in 2022 and will be implemented across the state for the 2023-24 school year. This will increase access to preschool for any 4-year-old. PSD is excited to join a network of school district and local daycare providers that will offer universal preschool slots with the launch of a new pilot program in Wellington.
As part of the universal preschool implementation in the district, PSD will expand its current site at Eyestone to 10 teachers and 16 paraprofessionals for the 2023-24 school year.
PSD will accept preschool student applications for the 2023-24 school year the same day the state universal preschool portal opens on Jan.17. The PSD Early Childhood Education Program will host a series of open houses to assist families with the registration process from 1-5 p.m. on Jan. 17-19 and 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Eyestone Elementary School, 4001 Wilson Ave., Wellington.
With his new position, Strutz says he is thrilled to continue to support the community that has become his second home.
“Our early childhood program looks forward to providing our families a positive and supportive first experience in school,” said Strutz. “I know that the administration at all three schools is excited to be able to provide the Wellington community an exceptional, linear and aligned pre-K to 12th-grade experience.”
Strutz also says the announcement of his new position comes at a particularly exciting time for him and his wife, Erin, as they are introducing their 4-year-old Kira and 2-year-old Zara into their first formal school experiences. Outside work, Strutz and his family enjoy cooking, hiking, taking their dog Buckley on adventures and spending quality time with family and friends.