EARLY CHILDHOOD PRE-KINDERGARTEN
GUIDELINES
“Let the children come to Me and do not hinder them.”
2009
Pre-Kindergarten Table of Contents
Forward and Acknowledgements
Mission Statement of the Diocese of Allentown
Early Childhood Philosophy
Catholic Values and Goals
Characteristics of High Quality Programs
Characteristics of Appropriate Development
The Pre-Kindergarten Program
Professional Staff Certification
Teachers
Assistant Teachers
Aides
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Registration
Handbook
Health Requirements
Immunization
Medical/Dental Exams
Health Records
Health Regulations
Medications
Accident /Incident
Universal Precaution
Communicable Diseases
First Aid Kit
Safety
Facilities
Child Protective Services
Supervisory Procedures
Arrival and Departure Procedures
Field Trips
Emergency Procedures
Fire Drills
Medical Emergency
Emergency Contact Information
Custody Information
Schedules
Pre-Kindergarten Learning Environment
Choosing a Facility
Organizing Classroom Space
Learning Centers
Social Competence
Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum
Guidelines for Compliance with State Standards
Religion
Math
Language Arts
Social Studies
Science
Physical Education
Health
Creative Arts
Evaluation and Assessment
Observations
Checklists and Anecdotal Notes
Samples of Student Work
Inclusion of Children with Special Needs
Adaptations for Physical Space and Equipment
Adaptations for Visually Impaired
Adaptation for Hearing Impaired
Adaptation for Significant Communication Deficits
Parent/Guardian Involvement
Parent/Guardian Handbook Newsletters and Calendars
Telephone
Progress Reports
Parent/Guardian Conferences
Homework
Parent/Guardian Orientation
Child Orientation
Appendices
Forms
Registration
Parent Guardian Authorization List
Pre Kindergarten Information Sheet
Authorization for School Medication
Incident/Accident Report
Notice of Communicable Diseases
Parent/Guardian Consent Form, Liability Waiver and Medical Matters
Adult Participation Release Form
Driver Information Form
Screening Form
Parent/Guardian Involvement Form
Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences
Resources
FOREWARD
†††
Research shows that quality early childhood education has positive and lasting benefits
for young children. Strong foundations for learning are established and children are encouraged to develop to their full potential.
The Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines have been updated to provide each classroom teacher with the tools needed to develop and guide children throughout these early and foundational years.
We are most grateful to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio for the use of their Kindergarten Guides as reference. They were beneficial to the committee in their work of preparing a Pre Kindergarten Guideline based on our Catholic Faith, the Pennsylvania Standards, the expectations of the Diocese and the State in order to meet the needs of the Pre Kindergartens in the Allentown Diocese.
Gratitude is also extended to the Pre Kindergarten Teachers who worked so diligently on this document.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines 2009 prepared by the
Pre-Kindergarten Committee:
Sister Anita Patrick Gallagher, IHM Office of Catholic Education
Sister Beverly Ann Pellegrino, IHM Seton Academy
Janice Boyle St. Jane School
Martha D’Achille Saint Catharine of Siena School
Theresa Heintzelman St. Joseph the Worker School
Eileen Huylebroeck Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Helene Keenan St. Columbkill School
Gerri Murphy Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Nancy Northrup St. Columbkill School
Terese Perez Holy Infancy School
Top of Form
EARLY CHILDHOOD Bottom of Form
MISSION STATEMENT
OF THE DIOCESE OF ALLENTOWN
Provide quality Catholic Early Childhood programs that promote safe and nurturing environments where each child can grow spiritually, socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively.
Early Childhood Philosophy
The first years of life are of vital importance to a child’s growth and development. Early Childhood Education should be a journey, not a race. Since each child is unique and special, Early Childhood Programs provide learning opportunities that are age and developmentally appropriate. Early Childhood Educators promote Catholic education by teaching gospel values. Young children are encouraged to develop a positive self-image and a respect for others as they begin to learn the gospel message.
Catholic Values and Goals
Pre-Kindergarten Educators endeavor to live, model and promote the following Catholic values and goals:
· Share the love of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit through stories, music and prayer
· Provide a safe, nurturing and caring environment
· Foster a love of learning
· Spark the child’s imagination and curiosity
· Help the child develop a positive self-image and respect for others’ rights and feelings
· Develop the child’s basic social skills through cooperative play and a celebration of diversity
· Enrich the child’s use of expressive and receptive language
· Encourage the child to think and act independently to develop problem-solving skills
· Support emerging cognitive and self-help skills
· Strengthen gross and fine motor skills
· Provide opportunities for self-expression through creative arts
· Promote a cooperative home-school relationship for both child and parent
Characteristics of High Quality Early Childhood Programs
· The teaching of religion and God’s love is clearly manifested
· Competent, qualified and committed teachers work to provide support
and individual attention to children
· Teachers continue their education through professional organizations and
in-service training
· The program is well managed and monitored
· Parents become partners with teachers in educating the child
· The program meets the Early Learning Standard for Pre-Kindergarten set
forth by the State of Pennsylvania
· The program is organized around the Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum as set
by the Diocese of Allentown
· The program is regularly assessed to assure that goals for high quality are
being met
Characteristics of Appropriate Development
Three Year Olds
· Spiritual: Three year olds develop a sense of God’s love and goodness from
the care they receive from their caregivers. Children who are respected,
valued and loved will learn to respect, value and love others. This is the
foundation upon which their spiritual awareness of God is developed.
· Physical: Three year olds are free spirits and find it difficult to remain still for extended periods of time. Their gross motor skills are better developed than their fine motor skills. Activities which involve movement, music, repetition and freedom to initiate their own learning, strengthen their physical development.
· Cognitive: Three year olds learn best by doing activities in short intervals. A sensory approach is the most effective. By touching, tasting, smelling, looking and hearing, they process information and therefore, develop their cognitive skills.
· Social/Emotional: Three year olds are becoming more aware of themselves. They are beginning to recognize differences in others and find it difficult to take turns, share toys, or respect the rights of others. Teacher-directed group activities help to develop a child’s capacity to learn to respect and have empathy for others.
Four/Five Year Olds
· Spiritual: Four/Five year olds are curious about God. They enjoy hearing
Bible stories. They are becoming aware of the difference between right and
wrong. To develop spiritually, their religion curriculum should be crafted
around God’s creation of nature, animals, family and themselves.
· Physical: Four/Five year olds still have limited attention spans. They are aware of their bodies and interested in comparing themselves and their skills with others. Locomotion plays a large role in motor and skill development and includes such activities as moving the body through space—walking, running, hopping, jumping, rolling, dancing, climbing and leaping.
· Cognitive: Four/Five year olds are quite verbal. They display rapid language development at the pre-operational stage and enjoy conversation with both peers and adults. They are aware of details in their world and the world around them and are able to classify, sort and understand spatial relationships. A variety of choices will help them initiate their own learning.
· Social/Emotional: Four/Five year olds are very sensitive to both praise and criticism. They are eager to succeed and impatient with their own limitations.
They enjoy group play and often seek out “best friends”. They are cooperative and respond well to positive motivation.
The Pre-Kindergarten Program
Professional Staff Certification
Teachers must meet the following qualifications:
1. Must be approved by the Parish, fulfill Diocesan professional requirements and present the following documents:
§ Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse Clearance (if hired on or after July 1, 1996) no more than one year old
§ F.B.I. Fingerprint Check (if hired on or after January 1, 1986 and not a resident of PA for two years prior to date of application) no more than one year old
§ Protecting God’s Children Workshop
§ Diocesan HireRight Background Check
2. Complete physical/health form.
3. Complete other Diocesan forms and policy acknowledgements required of all parish/school/diocesan employees, which include the Human Resource and Charter requirements such as: the I-9, Code of Conduct, and Sexual Abuse policy.
The following are strongly recommended for all early childhood teachers:
Be a graduate of an accredited four (4) year college or university with a PA Certificate in Early Childhood, Elementary or Special Education.
Assistant Teachers must meet the following qualifications:
1. Must be approved by the Parish, fulfill Diocesan professional requirements and present the following documents:
· Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse Clearance (if hired on or after July 1, 1996) no more than one year old
· F.B.I. Fingerprint Check (if hired on or after January 1, 1986 and not a resident of PA for two years prior to date of application) no more than one year old
· Protecting God’s Children Workshop
· Diocesan HireRight Background Check
2. Complete physical/health form.
3. Complete other Diocesan forms and policy acknowledgements required of all parish/school/diocesan employees, which include the Human Resource and Charter requirements such as: the I-9, Code of Conduct, and Sexual Abuse policy
The following are strongly recommended for all early childhood assistant teachers:
1. Teachers must meet the following qualifications: Be a graduate of an accredited two (2) year college having specialized in Early Childhood, Elementary or Special Education.
Aides
An aide may be employed by a school to assist the teacher.
An aide must meet the following qualifications:
1. Be a high school graduate, 18 years or older, with good physical and mental health, be of good character and possess personal qualifications for working with children.
2. Be under direct supervision of a teacher at all times and not be permitted to assume independent responsibilities for a group of children.
3. Be included in in-service training.
4. Must be approved by the Parish and fulfill Diocesan professional requirements:
§ Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse Clearance (if hired on or after July 1, 1996) no more than one year old
§ F.B.I. Fingerprint Check (if hired on or after January 1, 1986 and not a resident of PA for two years prior to date of application) no more than one year old
§ Protecting God’s Children Workshop
§ Diocesan HireRight Background Check
5. Complete physical/health form.
6. Complete other Diocesan forms and policy acknowledgements required of all parish/school/diocesan employees, which include the Human Resource and Charter requirements such as: the I-9, Code of Conduct, and Sexual Abuse policy
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
The number of children you enroll will depend on the size of your facilities and the State of Pennsylvania Guidelines, which set ratios of adults to children at different age levels. Current guidelines state that class sizes should be determined in the following ways:
Number of Pupils
Age Groupings / 3 / 4 / 5 / 3 & 4Director or teacher 12 17 25 15
Director or teacher and one assistant/ aide 17 21 30 19
Director or teacher and two assistant/ aides 22 25 30 23
(If the Pre-K is not located in a school building, an assistant/aide would be necessary for all groupings)
Registration
Catholic Schools Week (begins the last Sunday in January) is a good way to introduce your program to the community. Parents should be provided with all the needed information including registration, immunization and medical forms. All medical forms must be completed before entering school. It is helpful to follow the same format used by the elementary school, if appropriate. The following age regulations should also be met:
· Three, Four and Five year olds must meet the entrance date of October 15
· Upon entrance all children must be able to use lavatory facilities independently
· An assessment is never used to exclude or include a child in an Early Childhood Program
· A school is not required to admit a child as a beginner whose chronological age is less than the school’s established admission age for beginners
PA Regulation 51.62 (d)
Registration (Form 1)
Parent/Guardian Authorization List (Form 2)
Pre Kindergarten Information Sheet (Form 3)
A Parent Orientation meeting should be scheduled. A Pre-Kindergarten Handbook, which specifies all policies and procedures can be given and explained to the parents.
Handbook
A Pre-Kindergarten Handbook is developed at the local level explaining the philosophy, goals and policies of the program. (To review sample handbooks, contact a member of the Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Committee.)
Health Requirements
Immunization
· No child in grades Pre-K through 12 may be admitted to or permitted to attend a non-public school unless the child has received immunization required by 28 PA code or has received from the director a medical or religious exemption from immunization.
· Refer to your doctor, school nurse or local health department for more information or call 1-800-986-KIDS.
Medical Examinations
A complete medical examination must be made by a licensed physician. The school will provide the necessary forms.
Health Records
Each child enrolled in a Pre-K program must have a health appraisal completed by the family physician on record. Emergency contact information should also be on record and easily accessible
Health Regulations
Medications
Medications, including cough drops, vitamins etc. should not be given to a child without a physician’s current written instructions and written consent from the child’s parent(s)/guardian(s).
· Authorization for School Medication Administration (Form 4)
· The medicine must be in the original container with the original prescription label indicating the dosage for that day only.
· All medication in the facility should be kept in a place inaccessible to children.
Accident/Incident (Form 5)
School nurse of local school district may have specific forms to use.