WEST ORANGE, NJ – Samantha Aricaya has been named the new Supervisor of Early Childhood - West Orange Early Childhood Learning Center. Aricaya began work on Sept. 2 and is working directly with the Director of Preschool Kalisha Dorlean.

“Ms. Aricaya will be working with ECLC directly and assisting with managing some of the contractual tasks for the providers; I will continue to manage the overall program with expectations, curriculum implementation, fiscal, etc. There are a lot of parts to the program,” said Dorlean.

In fact, there are currently 600 students enrolled at 14 preschool locations. All families who receive SNAP are automatically accepted to a PreK site, but if families have another preference, the district works to ensure they can best accommodate their request.

Aricaya was born in Peru and came to New Jersey as a young girl. She learned English at Belleville Public Schools. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and her Master of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership at Montclair State University. She has a Standard Supervisor Certificate (NJ), a Standard Elementary School Teacher Certificate, English and Spanish OPI and WPT exams, and has Principal and Bilingual Certificatesin English and Spanish pending.

“Even as a child I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I consider it a calling and my passion,” she began.

As a former West Orange resident, Aricaya was excited to have the opportunity to work in West Orange. Her office, along with Dorlean’s, is located at the Community House on Main St., where she serves as the primary person in charge. Approximately 60 students attend PreK there in four classes.

Aricaya believes that her experience as an immigrant integrating into American culture, along with her years teaching in the classroom and in administrative roles, have uniquely qualified her to work in the West Orange PreK program.

In describing her leadership style, Aricaya noted, “I stay positive, even in the midst of challenges, while we are achieving our goals. I have high expectations of myself and staff, but everything should be communicated in a positive and professional manner.”

“I like to give people the time they need and communicate clearly on a daily basis, so there’s no surprises and everyone is on the same page,” she explained.

West Orange is using the High Scope Preschool Curriculum, a research-based, active, play-based approach to early childhood education that focuses on child-centered learning through the “Plan-Do-Review” sequence and adult scaffolding.  Consistency is the key to success, with learning opportunities organized into eight areas:

• Approaches to Learning
• Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development and Health
• Language, Literacy, and Communication
• Mathematics
• Science and Technology
• Social Studies
• Creative Arts

Teachers use the Child Observation Record to track the program and assess the need for individualized instruction.

“Children need routine,” Aricaya continued.

“Children learn through play. We teach independence, help them communicate, make choices, address conflict resolutions, and experience hands-on social and emotional skill building. We help them understand what’s going on, and get them ready for Kindergarten,” she added.

I want to make a difference in the PreK program,” Aricaya went on to say.

“We want to give opportunities to all kids and make it easy for them to learn. I am here to help in any way. Our priority is that kids are safe and happy, and I want any child walking into a classroom to experience it as if it were my own child. We want to give parents peace of mind, and be there to support and help children grow.”   

In her free time, Aricaya enjoys Salsa dancing, walking, and reading. She currently lives in Newark with her husband and two-and-a-half-year-old son, who is already speaking English, Spanish, and Tagalog (his father’s native language).

“We are building history here in West Orange, and I’m excited to bring what I know and what I’m learning to the PreK program. We’re always learning,” she concluded.

Supervisor of Early Childhood Samantha Aricaya