Henry County
Early Childhood Center
Handbook
2011-2012
Philosophy:
The Henry County Preschool Program strives to actively engage children in an environment where they will gain the skills and knowledge they will need in order to enter the primary school ready to achieve and excel in learning. The program is a language based developmental preschool, which provides experiences that focus on the developmental needs of each child in the areas of language, cognition, social and emotional development as well as gross and fine motor skills. The preschool curriculum is delivered to all children using a multi-sensory approach, which allows the children to learn basic concepts and skills through hands-on experiences and activities. These activities promote literacy and language development as well as pre-math skills and encourage children to explore, question and discover answers while the teachers observe and record each child’s ongoing growth and development.
Preschool Program Goals:
The preschool program provides an environment which:
· Develops creativity, interest and the joy of learning through direct experiences and the promotion of choice.
· Enhances communication skills by fostering dialogue between children and adults.
· Develops self-control and responsibility by setting clear, consistent, fair limits for behavior expectation and by guiding children to resolve conflicts and problem solve.
· Promotes both fine and gross motor skills through a balanced set of activities that improve these skills on a daily basis.
· Advances pre-academic skills by exposing children to letters, numbers, colors, shapes, etc. through an integrated, thematic approach.
· Encourages appropriate interaction with both children and adults through communication, cooperation, sharing and making positive choices while developing a respect for gender, age and cultural diversity.
District Calendar:
Parent Information:
As school progresses, we will try to provide you with continuing information regarding the preschool program and school events such as field trips and holidays. Weekly parent newsletters will communicate the curriculum theme, projects, special events and any other important notices concerning the preschool classroom. All children will have a home folder that will be used to send notes, newsletters, student work and homework to and from school. The folders need to be checked by the parent each night. Please feel free to use this folder to send messages to the preschool staff as well.
All students will receive a preschool report card 3 times a year. These usually come home in early November, early March and late May. The preschool staff will deliver the progress report in late May to you during their last home visit of the year. Students who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will receive the regular preschool report card along with a progress report on their IEP goals and benchmarks. These IEP progress reports come home 4 times a year and the dates will vary slightly from the regular preschool report card. If you have questions about any progress report that you receive, please contact your child’s teacher. Parent conferences are available in during the school year. Your child’s teacher will contact you regarding the dates and times available for these conference(s), however you may request a parent-teacher conference at any time during the school year.
Separation from the Parent:
The process of separation from you, the parent, as your child enters and attends preschool is one of the most important accomplishments of his or her developmental years. Children react differently to this situation as they mature and begin to identify themselves as an independent personality. It is important to remember that as your child separates from you they are learning:
· To develop an interest in the preschool program activities.
· To feel comfortable with other preschool aged children and adults.
· To understand that when their parents leave them at school or put them on the bus, they will come back and pick them up or see them at home later.
Please remember that some children adjust readily to new situations while it may take others two to eight weeks or even longer. Many times this unhappiness occurs for a few moments in your presence. Please trust us and go ahead and leave. Crying is very normal the first few days or even weeks of school.
It is also important to point out that at some point after the initial successful adjustment to school is made, all children want to explore the limits of not going to school. This adjustment period may occur after long breaks, holiday breaks or during the spring, but they usually only last a short period of time. If this happens with your child, here are some suggestions that may help you handle the situation:
· Place an emphasis on what your child is doing at school rather than what your activities are when he/she is at school.
· Talk about school in a positive, exciting way with your child and ask them questions about what they are learning, friends that they have made, etc.
· Avoid prolonged good-byes either when you drop your child off or when you put them on the bus.
· Ask your child’s teacher for help. Most of the time children stop crying soon after the parent leaves the classroom or the child enters the classroom and becomes involved in an activity with their peers.
Attendance:
Attendance in the preschool program is not mandatory, however punctual and regular attendance is strongly encouraged for all children who have been determined to be eligible for preschool services. By having good attendance, your child will become comfortable with the structure of school and the length of the school day, which will make his/her, transition to Kindergarten much easier. The teacher keeps preschool student’s attendance so if your child is absent from school, please send a parent note or doctor’s note to your child’s teacher upon their return.
Sign In/Sign Out:
If your child arrives at school tardy, please sign them in with the receptionist when you enter the early childhood center. Should you need to pick your child up early from school, please follow the same procedure to sign them out with the receptionist when you enter the early childhood center. If your child is to be picked up by someone other than you, the parent/guardian, written permission must be sent to the teacher prior to their release. The school will not release your child to anyone who is not on the list of approved persons unless there is written permission from the parent/guardian.
Visitors:
Parents are encouraged to visit their child’s preschool classroom anytime, however please make sure to sign in and out with the receptionist.
Inclement Weather:
Sometimes the weather forces the cancellation of school for the day or requires that classes be dismissed early. Should inclement weather occur, you can use one of the following options below to find out about school closings and/or the early dismissal of school:
· All families are contacted by the One Call automated phone system, which will call your home, work, cell phone, etc. to notify you that school is cancelled for the day or that school needs to be dismissed early.
· Local radio and/or television stations are notified and will run the closings on these channels as well.
We ask that you keep your contact information up to date so that we will always have the correct phone numbers in our One Call system therefore, if you change any phone numbers that were listed on your child’s enrollment form at the beginning of the school year, please call the school office and notify your child’s teacher so that these changes can be made promptly.
Home Visits:
Preschool teachers are required, by law, to conduct at least 2 home visits per school year. One home visit will be conducted at the beginning of the school year and the other will be conducted at the end of the school year. During these visits, you will be given additional information about the preschool program, the classroom, your child’s progress, etc. Feel free to ask any questions that you have. Typically, the preschool teacher and the preschool instructional assistant will be conducting the home visits and you will be contacted to schedule a convenient time for the visit. If the teacher is unable to contact you to schedule a visit after several attempts, a drop-in visit will occur.
Parent Involvement:
Parents who wish to volunteer in the preschool classroom, attend parties and/or fieldtrips, must complete a Criminal Background Check form in the school office prior to an event taking place. During the school year, your child’s teacher will have at least 2 parent nights that are specific to preschool. These are in addition to what the school will do as a school-wide event. You will receive notification of any event(s) that are to occur and be asked to participate. We encourage all parents to participate in both classroom and school-wide events.
Information Updates:
Please notify your child’s teacher of any change in address and/or phone numbers as soon as possible. This is extremely important in case of an emergency. We appreciate your cooperation with this task.
Student Information:
Students must complete the school registration process before beginning preschool. Registration includes bringing all health documents, legal birth certificate and social security card to the central office and filling out the required paperwork. This can be done throughout the summer but must be finished prior to the first day of preschool in order for your child to attend school the first day.
Sample Daily Schedule:
7:45-8:00 Welcome early bus riders, Wash Hands, Sign-in
8:00-8:20 Continue Welcome, wash hands, sign-in, Free Choice Centers
8:20-9:00 Choose helpers, Wash hands/ Breakfast, restroom break
9:00-9:10 Music and Movement
9:10-9:20 Calendar, Weather and Story
9:20-9:30 Small Group
9:30-11:00 Center Time
11:00-11:15 Large Group
11:15-11:30 Small Group time
11:30-11:50 Gross Motor Time
11:50-12:40 Wash hands/Lunch, restroom break
12:40-1:40 Rest time
1:40-2:10 Gross Motor Time
2:10-2:25 Snack
2:25-3:00 Center Time
Supplies Needed:
Most supplies that your child will need for preschool are supplied by the preschool program, however there are a few things that he/she will need to have. These items are listed below:
· Small pillow
· Crib-sized blanket
· Complete change of clothes
· Regular sized backpack (no wheels please)
· Two pocket folder
The pillow, blanket and change of clothes will remain at school. The pillow and blanket will be sent home periodically to be washed and returned to school. Your child will need to bring the backpack and folder to school on a daily basis.
Supply Wish List:
While these items are not mandatory, it would be helpful to have them if possible. If you are able to send any of the wish list items to school it will be greatly appreciated.
§ Tissues
§ Gallon or quart size baggies
§ Glue sticks
§ Baby wipes
§ White paper towels
Medication/Illness/Allergies:
Medications should be administered at home if at all possible. However, should medication need to be given at school, please contact your child’s teacher for the proper procedure regarding this issue.
Students who are ill should be kept home. If your child exhibits any of the following symptoms please keep your child home. If they experience any of these symptoms at school you will be contacted to come and pick them up since these are typically symptoms of contagious illnesses. Your child needs to be free of the following symptoms for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
· Nasal discharge that is green or yellow
· Ear pain/drainage
· Severe sore throat
· Eyes that are pink, burning, itching or producing a discharge that is discolored
· Diarrhea or vomiting
· Fever
Severe allergies to food or other substances need to be discussed with your child’s teacher so that they can assist you in what needs to be done in order to care for your child should an allergic situation occur.
Head Lice:
Head lice is a very common occurrence in young children and have nothing to do with cleanliness. Children are checked for head lice if they exhibit symptoms such as constant scratching or visible nits. If your child contracts head lice you will be notified to pick them up from school. They will need to be treated with a product formulated to remove head lice and be clear of lice and nits prior to their return to school. A head check by a school official must be done before your child can return to school to make sure they are lice/nit free. It is important to remember that all family members need to be checked and treated if they are infected with head lice. This needs to be done for approximately 2 weeks once the head lice have been detected. Please contact your child’s teacher or the school nurse if you have questions/concerns regarding head lice and how to treat or remove them.
Student Transportation:
Prior to the first day of preschool, your child’s bus driver will contact you by phone to discuss the pick- up and drop off times as well as any specific issues regarding the pick- up site(s). For preschool children, an adult must be at the bus stop to receive the child or the bus driver will not allow them to exit the bus. Should this occur, you will be contacted to come and pick your child up at a location determined by you and the bus garage personnel.
Weather Permitting:
Students will be spend time outdoors every day, even during the winter months, in order to increase/improve their gross motor skills. Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for outdoor time each day. During the fall/ winter months, students will go outside each day unless the air temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or if the wind chill is below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. During the spring/summer months, students will go outside unless the air temperature is above 89 degrees Fahrenheit or if the heat index is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.