The Children's School at Saint John's | High Quality Early ...



Welcome to

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The Children’s School at St. John’s

Parent Packet for 2019-2020

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Dear Parents,

Welcome to our preschool room! We are very excited for the new school year to begin. Your preschool teachers are Miss Rebecca, Miss Danielle, and Miss Susan. This year your children will be introduced to the Letter People which will increase their understanding and recognition of the alphabet and numbers. Your children will also gain a sense of responsibility and independence over the year as they learn to set up their own lunches, learn to put on their jackets, and aid teachers as helpers in the classroom. It’s exciting to see how much they can do! We are very pleased to have your children in our class and are looking forward to a wonderful year! Your children are very important to us and we wish to make our classroom a pleasant, comfortable learning environment for everyone. Please feel free to come to us with any questions and concerns!

Sincerely,

Miss Rebecca, Miss Danielle, and Miss Susan

“Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. Childhood is a small window of time to learn and develop at the pace which is right for each individual child”.

-Magda Gerber

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About the Teachers

Miss Rebecca

Hi everyone! My name is Rebecca Coit. I just celebrated my 10th anniversary at The Children’s School and am so excited to start my first year as the lead teacher in Preschool! I have my bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a concentration in Autism studies from Saint Joseph’s University and I am currently working towards my master’s degree in Elementary Education (Pre-K-4) at Saint Joseph’s University. During my time here, I’ve had the pleasure to experience working in many different classrooms. I have worked mostly in the Two-Year-Old classroom, but I have spent time in the Infant and Preschool classrooms before. I have three amazing and loving boys. Trey who is 10 and going into 5th grade, Cameron who is 8 and going into 3rd grade and Levi who is 4 and who will be over in Pre-K this year. All three have attended The Children’s School from 8 weeks old and I couldn’t be prouder to have them attend such a great school. I believe that when children have the chance to explore and create, that’s when they learn best. I want to love, support and nurture your little ones and help them have the best time in Preschool! I really look forward to this year and can’t wait to get to know you all!

Miss Danielle

Hi, I’m Danielle McDaniels also known as Miss Danielle. I would like to say that I am super excited to begin the 2019-2020 school year. This will be my third year here at The Children’s School and I look forward to building awesome relationships with my students and their families. I have my bachelor’s degree in psychology and have experience with children and adolescents who suffer from different behavioral, psychological and learning disorders. My goal is to become a child psychologist and also teach parenting classes to families who have children with different disabilities.

Miss Susan

Hi, my name is Susan Packer. I will be one of your child’s Preschool teachers for this year and I am very excited. I have my associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Montgomery County Community College. I also have my Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University. I previously taught in a Pre-K classroom in the Montgomery County area. I have three siblings, one older sister (Kaitlin), a younger sister (Kelly), and a younger brother (Matthew). In my free time, I love to discover new restaurants, spend time with family and friends, travel, and exercise. I have been enjoying my time working at The Children’s School at St. John’s so far, looking forward to the new school year!

Tentative Shift Schedule:

Miss Rebecca: 8-5 Miss Danielle: 7-4 Miss Susan: 9-6

Getting Ready for Preschool!

The Necessities:

1. A lunch box including ice pack, thermos container (for hot foods) and a cup/water bottle

• This year we will work on our independence skills and one of the ways we do that is by having the child setting up their own lunches and opening their snacks. We have found that the Bento style lunch boxes work best or easy open containers

• There is a small bin in the refrigerator labeled ‘Preschool Perishables’ in which you may put your child’s cup if it must be cold as well as any perishable items. As the bin is quite small, please use it only for what must be refrigerated as the whole class uses just the one bin. Lunch boxes will be stored on a shelf of your child’s cubby.

2. A complete change of clothes in case of spills or accidents changed seasonally

• Top, bottom, zip up, underwear, socks, shoes if potty training.

3. A small nap mat for nap time

4. A family picture to be hung in the classroom

*Please label all personal items with your child’s full name or initials*

Thank you!

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Daily Schedule

7:00 – 9:20 Drop Off, Sign In, and Free Play (Block Center, Transportation, Dress-Up, Reading Center, Art Center, Manipulatives and Puzzles)

9:20 – 9:30 Clean Up

9:30-9:40 Good Morning Circle

9:40-9:50 Bathroom/ Wash hands

9:50-10:00 Morning Snack

10:00-10:30 Special (Music, Spanish, Yoga, Tumble Tots, Science)

10:30-10:35 Introduce Topic and Activities

10:45-11:15 Daily Activities (Art, Cooking, Science, Math)

11:15-11:55 Walk outside/Free Play on Playground (weather permitting)

(Jungle Gym, Train, Swings, Sandbox, Soccer, Bouncy Balls)

11:55 – 12:45 Walk inside/Bathroom/Wash hands/Lunch

12:45 – 1:00 Clean up/ Bathroom

1:00 – 3:00 Nap Time/ Quiet Time

3:00-3:30 Quiet Table Activities

3:30-3:40 Afternoon Check In

3:40-4:00 Afternoon Snack/Bathroom

4:00 – 6:00 Walk to Playground (weather permitting) (Jungle Gym, Train, Swings, Sandbox, Soccer, Bouncy Balls) or Free play inside.

Special Activities

Monday at 11:00 – Music (Mr. David) -September 9

Tuesday at 10:30 – Spanish (Señora Esther)- September 10

Wednesday at 10:30 – Yoga (Miss Katie) -September 14

Thursday at 10:30 – Tumble Tots (Miss Dana) -September 15

Friday 10:00 Science- TBA

*This is a flexible schedule and may be subject to change.*

Drop Off

When dropping off your child, please come into the classroom and help your child hang jackets and backpacks in their cubbies as well as wash their hands. Please remove perishables from lunch boxes without ice packs and put them in the bin in the refrigerator. Lunch boxes can go in your child’s cubby. Water bottles should be placed in the water bottle bin.

The teachers will be there to welcome you to the room and are more than happy to help your child settle in. This may be a difficult transition for some children, but we will be there offering comfort, hugs, and different opportunities for play.

Hand Washing

Hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of infection. It is strongly recommended by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Keystones Stars that Hand Washing starts the moment an adult or child enters a classroom. Each morning, as you enter the classroom, the teachers will encourage you and your child to go over to the sink and wash your hands. When you come to pick up your child, we ask you again, to please wash your hands before you start to pick up your child’s material for the day. Throughout the day, the teachers will continue to practice hand washing with the children.

Free Play

This is when the children independently choose what activities to do in the classroom. It is an opportunity to socialize and interact with the other students, while playing with their favorite toys and games. It is a good opportunity to develop social and communication skills, such as compromising and sharing during activities. The teachers will be supervising and engaging the children as they play. Afterwards, the children clean up their respective centers which promotes a sense of responsibility.

Circle Time

The first day of school we will send home a plain paper circle for your child to decorate. When you bring it back, we will laminate it and it will become their circle time spot—a place for them to call their own during circle. Circle time in the morning is broken up into two smaller chunks. The first is a 10-minute period during which we will go over routine information for the day.

We begin singing our “Good Morning” song to say hello to all of our friends. We then pick jobs such as ‘calendar helper’, ‘weather helper’, ‘line leader’, ‘door holder’, ‘caboose’, ‘Fish Feeder’ and ‘teacher helper’. Once jobs are assigned, we go over the weather and calendar. After we complete those tasks, we will review the schedule for the day, our topic and what we will be doing. Each week brings a new letter and topic which will follow the Letter People curriculum (included in this packet). Topics are introduced using puppets, books, songs, and other materials. From here children will be split into two or three smaller groups to do their activities. The groups rotate to different stations so that everyone gets to do every activity. We find that working in smaller groups gives the children an opportunity to engage with the materials in a more meaningful way and that it gives us as teachers an opportunity to assess each child and make changes to push them if activities seem too simple for them.

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Snack and Lunch Time

The Children’s School provides morning snacks such as cereal, fruit, or yogurt, and an afternoon snack which consists of items like cookies, crackers, or veggie chips. Children also use their water bottles at snack time. If your child suffers from a food allergy or should otherwise not participate in our snack items, please bring in an alternative and alert your teachers. The snack list we be posted at the beginning of each month.

When setting up for lunch time, preschoolers will unpack their own lunches! This includes getting their lunchboxes from their cubbies, unpacking their lunch, and retrieving food they might have in the refrigerator bin. The teachers will be sitting with the students to assist them and make sure they eat their healthy foods first and save their snacks and special treats for last. After finishing, children will re-pack any unfinished food into lunchboxes, throw away their trash, and recycle any recyclables.

Brushing Teeth

Each day, the children will have the opportunity to practice brushing their teeth with water after lunch. Each child will have their own, labeled, toothbrush. Every six (6) months, the teachers will give the children a new toothbrush. This is a great way to practice oral hygiene.

Nap Time / Quiet Time

Nap time is scheduled from 1 to 3 pm. Each child will have their own labeled cot. To help each child rest and relax during nap, please send in a small nap mat for their cot. The sheets or mats will be sent home to be washed every other week.

Children who do not nap will be encouraged to rest quietly on their cots from 1 to 2:30. At 2:30 they will be permitted to read books quietly on their cots.

Show and Tell

Show and Tell will take place every Friday. Each child has the opportunity to bring in an item to share and discuss with his/her classmates. The item should relate to the letter being discussed that week. Please check the communication board on Thursday afternoon for details. The children do not have to bring in an item every week, but they are welcome to if they choose. Please remember that there are no weapons (swords, guns, etc.) permitted in school. Also, please limit what your child brings in to one item! If your child brings in an item, please place it in the show & tell bin so we know they brought something.

*Outside toys are only encouraged on Fridays. Please refrain from sending your child with toys for it becomes a distraction throughout the day. Thank you!

Music

Every Monday morning at 11:00, our friend Mr. David is scheduled to come and sing silly songs with preschool. The children love singing and dancing along with him and afterwards everyone gets to enjoy a special picture that he has drawn just for the class.

Spanish

On Tuesdays at 10:30, the preschool class has the chance to learn Spanish with Señora Esther. Over the year, the children will learn colors, days of the week, weather and a great variety of vocabulary words in Spanish.

Yoga

On Wednesdays, the preschool class will be participating in basic beginner’s yoga with Miss Katie. We will be practicing breathing, learning new poses and harvesting some positive energy! We do take off our shoes for yoga so please send your child in shoes they can take off and put on themselves.

Tumble Tots

Thursdays at 10:30, the children will be able to participate in a variety of gymnastic exercises designed to help develop gross motor skills and coordination. It provides a fun outlet for energetic preschoolers and hopes to encourage a love of physical activity! Prepare for an exciting and active time by wearing loose clothing and sneakers.

Science

Children will have a 30-minute science class. This is a program that all the children and teachers have come to enjoy. Your little explorers get hands on approach to many different science subjects and activities.

Creative Cooking

Each week preschool will participate in a cooking project that relates to the letter or theme we are discussing. Please feel free to offer suggestions or recipes! We are constantly on the look-out for healthy alternatives or kid-friendly recipes.

Medicine Log

If, for any reason, your child needs to take medicine at school, you are required to fill out the medicine log located in the teacher’s binder. You will be asked to fill out the name of the medicine, when it should be administered, the amount, and your signature. If you wish to leave any medication at school, it must be labeled with your child’s name and the prescription and place in the medicine bin, which is located on our emergency shelf.

Evaluations / Assessments

The preschool children will be evaluated on their progress twice during the school year. The first evaluation period occurs in November and consists of a developmental checklist and brief summary that describes your child’s progress up to that point. In May, a second assessment will be sent out for each child. This includes an updated developmental checklist and a short summary describing your child’s growth, strengths, and areas that may need improvement. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress during the school year, please feel free to talk with us at any time.

Communication

We feel that keeping the lines of communication open with the parents is a necessity. Thankfully there are multiple methods of communicating in the classroom. There is a message board hung in the classroom that will describe each day’s activities and to inform parents of any upcoming events or activities. Also, the mailboxes located above their cubby will hold children’s art projects as well as any notes from the teachers or administration that need to be sent home. Finally, at pick-up a teacher will verbally relay your child’s day. Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have any concerns! Miss Rebecca’s email address is rebeccacoit3329@

Volunteering

Throughout the year, parents have often mentioned that they would like to volunteer in the classroom. If you are interested in volunteering in the classroom, please contact Miss Rebecca about when is a good time to come and spend some time in the classroom. Some ideas for volunteering include but are not limited to: cooking with the children, creating an art project, story time, singing, or just playing with the children.

Early Dismissals

The following are dates on which the school will be closing by 4:30 PROMPTLY for staff meetings. As a NAEYC accredited school, we are required to have regular staff meetings throughout the year. Staff meetings are utilized to help keep the staff informed of all upcoming events and to communicate and share with one another about different activities or lessons that have worked well for classrooms. This will also give Miss Jennifer and Miss Indrani, our two mentor teachers for the school, the opportunity to offer suggestions and guidance on child development milestones for the different ages and reinforce the importance of positive communication amongst the children and parents.

Early Dismissal Dates:

Monday, October 7, 2019

Friday, December 13, 2019

Monday, January 20, 2020

Monday, March 10, 2020

* Wednesday, November 27, School will close at 3PM for Thanksgiving break *

Parent Information

We, at The Children’s School, are here to guide children and to help prepare them for Kindergarten. We believe the children need to be actively involved in learning through play and have opportunities to explore and succeed through the principles of growth and development. As educators we are here to educate the children and to work with the parents to further assist the children with their development. When we are not sure if we are doing everything, we can to assist a child’s development, with a parent’s approval, we will look to the community or educators who can help the child and the teachers in the classroom. A couple of resources that we rely on are:

1. Dr. Lisa Dissinger, A Consulting Psychologist who works for the Lower Merion School District and the Bala House. Lisa is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist who specializes in preschool children. Her consulting practice include psychological assessment of children and adolescents, consultation to parents, and educators.

2. Montgomery Intermediate Unit, Early Intervention is available to help a child’s educational development in cognitive skills, adaptive (self-help) skills, social/emotional skills, communication skills, and/or gross and fine motor skills.

Letter People Curriculum

The letter people curriculum is divided into 5 themes:

1. All About Me

▪ Mr. N: What’s My Name?

▪ Ms. W: What Will I Wear?

▪ Ms. P: My Body

▪ Mr. H: I’m Healthy

▪ Mr. M: All About My Senses

▪ Ms. A: We All Have Feelings

2. Getting Along With Others

▪ Mr. B: We Share

▪ Ms. K: We’re Kind

▪ Mr. D: Families Help Each Other

▪ Ms. F: We’re All Different

▪ Mr. O: What Is Opposite

3. Everyone Has Needs

▪ Mr. C: Everyone Needs Food

▪ Ms. E: Everyone Needs Exercise

▪ Ms. Y: Everyone Needs Rest

▪ Mr. G: Everyone Needs A Home

▪ Ms. T: On The Go Safety

4. Animals, Animals, Animals

▪ Ms. S: Animals At Home

▪ Mr. R: Animals On The Farm

▪ Mr. Z: Animals At The Zoo

▪ Mr. I: Insects Everywhere

▪ Mr. Q: Dinosaurs Long Ago

5. Nature All Around Us

▪ Ms. V: Seeds and Plants

▪ Ms. L: Light and Dark

▪ Ms. U: Water

▪ Ms. J: Sounds

▪ Mr. X: Planets and Stars

Additional Information

To supplement the Letter People curriculum, teachers will be using additional texts and activities as well as online resources. Some of our digital resources include Go Noodle, the Story Bots website, and Storyline Online.

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