Ohio County Schools
Parent Guide for Ohio County Preschool
Welcome
Welcome to the Ohio County Preschool, a school created specifically for Ohio County’s youngest citizens! Ohio County operates a blended program with Audubon Area Head Start. Each classroom offers child-sized furniture, a child centered curriculum, and prominent displays of children’s work all help us to create an atmosphere that is welcoming, loving and secure. We know that giving children a strong start is the first step to a positive school experience.
Mission
The Ohio County Preschool team of educators, along with our students, their families, and the community, is committed to a high-quality, child-centered environment that promotes success for all children. We strive to provide a strong foundation with high expectations, which supports our community of lifelong learners. We believe that fostering positive, caring attitudes with our children and their families is essential to their education and future.
Focus
Our programs focus on the children by:
• Addressing the age, development and individuality of the child.
• Encompassing the “whole” child’s development: intellectual, language, emotional, social and physical.
• Emphasizing hands-on learning through the use of
manipulatives and learning by experience.
CURRICULUM
Preschool Curriculum
Ohio County Preschool uses one standardized curriculum, Houghton-Mifflin Preschool Curriculum. Houghton-Mifflin Preschool Curriculum is a comprehensive, integrated program that provides children with the foundational skills they need to succeed. It provides students with a hands-on curriculum that is based on scientific research and aligned with Kentucky’s pre-k learning goals.
Our assessment is called “Teaching Strategies Gold”. This curriculum provides an instructional framework that includes activities to encourage the development of skills in the areas of math, early literacy, fine and gross motor, writing, oral motor, etc. Preschool teachers are aware of instructional theory and best practice and use this knowledge when planning weekly instruction. A variety of hands-on activities and materials are available for children’s use every day.
Children who have special needs have their goals embedded into the regular daily activities so that, with adaptations, everyone participates at their developmental level. Children are encouraged to make their own choices and develop self-esteem. Opportunities to develop self-help and social skills are a part of every day’s events. Diversity is embraced and opportunities to involve families and community members of different cultures allow us to extend this learning. Preschool builds a foundation for success and we provide our children with the strongest possible start.
Traditionally, within the school system, report cards come home every nine weeks. However, in the preschool setting we feel children learn best when given the opportunity to develop skills through physical activities. This gives children time to grow and develop at their own pace. Creative Curriculum Assessments as well as anecdotal notes will be used to document children’s progress. These assessments and notes look at the whole child and help ease the transition into kindergarten. Student growth in the areas of cognitive, fine & gross motor, communication and cognitive skills will be documented, along with social-emotional and adaptive skills which also tie into children’s learning process. In order to ensure growth and document the student’s strengths, we feel that reporting progress should be done twice a year. Progress will be reported to parents in a narrative form documenting your child’s strengths and areas in which to grow. We welcome and encourage parent input through parent-teachers conferences. Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher to schedule a conference at anytime.
SPECIAL SERVICES PROVIDED AT OHIO COUNTY PRESCHOOL
Preschool Coordinator
Meetings with families are an important part of the transition of children entering the Ohio County Preschool. Services are discussed and plans are made to meet the needs of the individual child. Children and families are welcome to visit the classrooms. Our goal is that both the child and the parents feel welcome and know what to expect on their first day.
Speech-Language Service
The Ohio County Preschool, speech-language services are provided in the collaborative classroom as much as possible. We feel this method of implementation is highly effective, is immediately rewarding, carries meaning and enhances carry-over and generalization. It gives the speech-language pathologists, the opportunity to provide intervention not only for targeted students but for the entire class as well. Starting early with intervention allows for remediation before academic requirements are placed on the student and, therefore, it provides a greater opportunity for growth.
Special Education
Special Education instruction takes place in the classroom where the child needs it most. The classroom teachers and instructional assistants are working as a team to make sure that each child is successful regardless of their needs.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is provided as part of a student’s special education program if delays are noted in achieving age-appropriate gross motor skills. We contract with local agencies to provide services to address areas such as safe mobility in the school building, playground access, and negotiating stairs. This service is usually provided in the collaborative classroom setting during daily activities.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is provided as much as possible in the classroom in collaboration with the classroom teachers and instructional assistants. The occupational therapist addresses fine motor skills necessary for age-appropriate activities such as coloring, cutting, pre-writing skills, working with puzzles and building blocks. The occupational therapist also addresses the sensory processing skills that help a child get the most from the school environment. Ohio County Preschool contracts with local agencies to provide these services.
Assistive Technology
With the use of assistive technology, such as button switches and enlarged keyboards, equal access if provided for all students. To meet the needs of students with visual impairments, Braille translators and graphics software are used to produce accessible materials in tactile and Braille format. Technology at the Ohio County Preschool is becoming a big focus of support and integration in our daily environment.
TIMES
Preschoolers will attend Monday through Thursday. Preschool children will not attend on Fridays.
Start and stop times vary for each preschool site. Please contact your building for exact start and stop times.
SAFETY PROCEDURES
FOR ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL
Arrival
Parents bringing children to school are asked to wait with them until they are under teacher supervision and at no time leave them unattended. Arrival time and dismissal times are different for each building.
Dismissal
Please send a note if someone other than the usual person is picking up your child. Include the name of the person who will be picking them up on the note. If you forget to send a note, please call the office PRIOR to dismissal.
Dismissal times will be different for each preschool site. Please contact your child’s school in regards to their pickup procedures. If you need your child before dismissal, please sign them out at the front desk.
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Parents and families need to provide their child’s teacher with names and phone numbers of adults who can be contacted in the event of an emergency. It is very important that every child maintain an up-to-date address and telephone number in the school office. Notify the school immediately if you have a change of address or telephone number during the school year. Your child will only be released to persons listed on their emergency card unless we have written notification from you.
PARENT INFORMATION REGARDING Pickup AND
DROP-OFF PROCEDURES
Drop-Off Procedures:
Drop-off procedures will be different for each preschool site. Please contact your child’s school in regards to their drop-off procedures.
Pickup Procedures
Pickup procedures will be different for each preschool site. Please contact your child’s school in regards to their pickup procedures.
Carpooling
If you will be transporting someone else’s child on a regular basis, you should be listed on that child’s emergency card.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation is provided for all children. Buses are not designated specifically for the Ohio County Preschool and transport ALL Ohio County School students. In addition to the drivers, each bus has an assigned monitor that provides the support needed to insure children’s safety. In an attempt to help keep transportation running smoothly, your child’s school will provide a copy of the state regulations pertaining to the transportation of young children.
PLEASE NOTE: If your child’s transportation permanently changes during the year, please let your child’s school know. If the transportation change needs to occur for a limited time please contact the office at your child’s school immediately so that they can inform the classroom teacher and bus driver of the change.
If someone is picking your child up, please provide that information to your child’s teacher in writing. This includes times when someone different will be receiving your child.
MEALS
Children are provided well-balanced meals everyday. We believe that mealtime provides a wonderful opportunity for learning independence, social skills and self-sufficiency. Families are welcome to join children during mealtime. Meals are free for all income eligible children.
SCHOOL RECORDS
The following documents must be current and on file in order for your child to attend preschool:
• Certified copy of birth certificate
• Up-to-date Kentucky Immunization Certificate which includes the Hepatitis B series and Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccine
• Physical examination on the Kentucky Form
• Eye examination performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist and recorded on the required state form
TELEPHONE
If you need to contact your child’s teacher, please call and leave a message with the office. The office will not interrupt your child’s teacher during class time unless it is an emergency.
Beaver Dam: 274-4478 Fordsville: 276-3601
Horse Branch: 274-4662 Southern: 274-7893
Wayland Preschool: 298-9505 Western: 274-7643
HEALTH
The school assumes that responsible parents will not send a child to school if he/she shows any signs of illness, such as runny nose, red throat, cough, skin rash, fever above 100 degrees, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. We ask, for your child’s sake and for the protection of other children, that your child be kept at home under these conditions. Children should be fever free before returning to school. If any of these symptoms occur at school, parents will be notified. Other communicable diseases for which your child needs to be kept home include:
• Pink eye
• Chicken pox
• Scabies, pinworms, ringworms and impetigo
For the above list, a physician’s note or health department release is required for your child to return to school, with the exception of chicken pox, in which your child must be scab-free to return. If your child has been exposed to a communicable disease, we ask that you notify us immediately.
MEDICATIONS
We are unable to dispense medications of any kind (including cough drops) in the classroom. An adult must bring the medication to school. Medicines cannot be sent to school on the bus.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
Classes will be canceled in the event of severe weather as decided by the school superintendent. Parents should listen to local radio/TV stations for cancellation announcements. Please be aware that the school has a weather radio and that we follow the weather announcements as they occur.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
We believe that parents are a child’s first and most important teachers. We promote effective, lifetime participation in the education experiences of your child.
There are many ways parents can participate in the program. The best way parents develop an understanding of the preschool program is by attending the parent training programs we offer. We need and encourage your participation at every opportunity.
WE VALUE YOUR PARTICIPATION!
HOME VISITS
During the school year, the staff will plan visits to student’s homes. The visits will provide an opportunity for parents and teachers to work together for the benefit of the child. Visits are prearranged in an attempt to schedule them at a convenient time for parents. Parents who need to cancel or reschedule should call to inform the teacher. Preschool teachers will attempt to visit families before the school year begins. This visit will allow families and staff to become better acquainted and to share information.
FAMILY ADVOCATES
The Family Advocates offer a comfortable atmosphere to share and gather information about issues of concern to the growth and development of families. The advocates link parents, children, staff, community, and social service agencies. Workshops and topical sessions are available throughout the year. The Family Advocates will be happy to meet with you and connect you to available resources.
Ohio County Preschool/Head start, 111 Frederica Street, Hartford, KY 42347
Phone (270) 298-9505