By Chad Simmons
Madison Record Staff Writer

In a tech-savvy town like Madison, parents are looking towards their children's future and Madison Premier Preschool is on the cutting edge.

Each classroom at the preschool is equipped with a camera that feeds directly to the school's website. Parents can access the pictures, which are updated every 10 seconds, from work, home or anywhere with Internet access by typing in a simple password, said Leslie Davis, owner and director of the school.

"We're pretty excited about that feature," Davis said. "We're the first preschool in Alabama to offer that. We want parents to know they're welcome in our classrooms at any time and the cameras are a way to do that."

In addition to providing an outlet for parents to check up on their children throughout the day, the staff at the school has addressed more basic concerns, such as the safety of the students.

All of the gates in the playground are self-locking and childproof. Each student is given a personal identification number that parents and family members can use to check the children out of school. By typing the number into an electronic keypad at the front desk, parents are assured that only those who know the code can pick up their children.

"Our campus is very secure and that's a nice feature for parents today," Davis said.

Also up to date is the preschool's curriculum. It's designed to stimulate growth for the students, Davis said. The child-centered program was developed to encourage learning, she added.

"We have an active, hands-on curriculum to help promote cognitive development. Our classrooms are designed to offer children a place where they can be creative, explore their environment and come away with meaningful experiences," Davis said.

Madison Premier Preschool welcomed local residents to the facility for an open house recently. Representatives from the Madison and Huntsville chambers of commerce were on hand for a ribbon cutting and reception.

It was a success and we had a nice turn-out," Davis said. "We want to thank the parents for coming out."

The preschool located on Slaughter Road just south of Hwy. 72, is open from 6:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Half-day and partial week programs are available to parents who want a secure program where their children can interact with other children their own age.

An after-school and summer camp program is available for children from kindergarten through sixth grade. For more information, call 256-864-8450 or visit the website at http://www.madisonpremier.com.