Curriculum Information

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Room 100’s Blended Preschool Classroom! As some of you know, my name is Amy Rooney (Miss Amy) and I will be your child’s teacher for the 2018-19 School Year. I’m looking forward to an exciting year ahead with lots of learning in Room 100.

Mrs. April Mosier (Mrs. Mosier) and Mrs. Eleni Pappas (Mrs. Pappas), classroom assistants, and the specialists on staff will be working with me to plan and implement meaningful learning experiences for your child. At Jefferson we use the Creative Curriculum. Goals and objectives from this curriculum provide format for tracking progress in four areas: Social/Emotional Development, Physical Development, Cognitive Development, and Language Development.

In accordance with the Creative Curriculum, we utilize in depth units of study that last 4-6 weeks. Some of the units for this year will be Buildings, Clothing, Snowballs and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Our first 5-week unit of study will be Beginning the Year. Topics will include: (1) What names do we need to know at school; (2) What are our rules? (3) When do things happen at school? and What should we do if we get sad or scared at school? (4) How do we make and keep friends?; and (5) Who works at our school?

The early childhood classroom environment is carefully designed to provide a supportive environment for each child. Classroom activities consists of small group, whole group, individualized instruction, with both teacher directed and child-initiated activities. The morning classroom schedule includes the following components: Arrival/Dismissal, Opening Circle, Small Groups, Developmental Play/Centers, Snack Shoppe, Large Motor (P.E./Playground), Bathroom, and Closing Circle.

Arrival/ Table Toys

One of the most valuable skills a preschool-age child can acquire is independence. As children become more independent, their confidence grows. Every morning at arrival/dismissal, the children will learn to complete the locker routine, independently, within a short time of the school year beginning. Children quickly learn to pack and unpack their backpack with their folder and snack box. The fall/winter/spring months also provide many learning opportunities for putting coats, hats, gloves, boots, etc. on and off. Once their locker routine is completed, children enter the classroom. Please encourage independence at home. Have your child unpack their backpack, give you their folder and put away their belongings. Your child can also help pack their snack for the day. After the students unpack their backpacks and sign in their names, they will go to a table to work with different manipulatives. Since students unpack and sign in at different paces, Table Toys allows time for students to stay engaged and ready to learn during the duration of the arrival process. This is typically a student lead activity or a collaborative activity with the other students at the same table. This is an important part of the early childhood curriculum because children can use this time to independently engage in a wide variety of skills: fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, visual discrimination, recognition of shapes, colors and materials, comparison of similarities and differences, matching, classification, pattern recognition, chances to practice creativity, and problem-solving.

Large Group

Preschool age children can only sit for small amounts of time; therefore, our large group activities are split in two; opening circle and closing circle. During our large group times, activities include discussions, shared writing, stories read aloud, nursery rhymes, songs, chants, games and movement opportunities. Within each of the above activities, there are many skills being addressed such as vocabulary, oral language, answering simple questions, demonstrating listening skills, all while learning how to be a member of a group. At Jefferson, we are also fortunate to have SMART Boards located in our large group area allowing for many opportunities to incorporate technology.

Small Groups

Daily small group activities are carefully planned to incorporate our early learning targets in math, literacy, and social-emotional development including but not limited to: vocabulary, name identification, sorting, oral counting, number recognition, sharing and taking turns. Activities include free art, counting games, independent journals (drawing pictures and recording child’s words verbatim) fine motor tasks (stringing beads and playdoh), problem solving tasks (blocks and puzzles), and more.

When teaching our students to print their names, we follow the preschool handwriting guidelines from Handwriting Without Tears. We encourage students to learn correct letter formation by tracing yellow, CAPITAL letters in their first name first; once mastered we introduce their last name. Printing lower case letters are introduced at a later point once capital letters have been mastered. In addition, we also utilize HWT’s Mat Man lesson, which incorporates music to build and draw a self-portrait.

Developmental Playtime/ Centers

Developmental play is an essential component of the Preschool curriculum incorporating literacy, math, science, social studies, socialization and much more. During playtime children can choose from a variety of centers in the classroom: writing center, reading center, blocks, dramatic play, fine motor/manipulatives, music center, art center, sensory table, science and snack shoppe (see snack shoppe information below). Centers provide opportunities for both small group and individual activities. The same center activities are available for several days and may remain open for the entire week or even longer, depending on the interests of the children.

Socialization is very important and a key factor in Preschool! We will work on sharing, cooperating, taking turns, working together, getting along with others and using our words to solve problems, as well as being kind and respectful to our friends and classroom materials.

Snack

Snack is one of our centers open daily during developmental playtime. It is important for children to learn to self-regulate; therefore, children choose whether or not they would like to eat their snack while at school. Water will be provided. Children learn to pour water using a small pitcher. They will also use scissors to open their snack bags. Children must bring their own healthy peanut/tree nut FREE snack daily. Snacks CANNOT be processed in a facility that manufactures peanut/tree nut products. Any snacks containing said items, will be sent home with a note. If you have any specific food related questions, please contact the health office. **The students put all their snack into ONE bin and take it out themselves, therefore, PLEASE send snack in ONE bag with name on it. If you have multiple small containers and a drink bottle they must all be within one snack bag with name on it to avoid losing, misplacing, or confusing snacks with one another.

Physical Education (PE) Class

Jefferson students will participate in gross motor activities five days a week. Three days a week, students will attend P.E. class, lead by a certified P.E. teacher. Please be sure to send your child in gym shoes or send a pair of gym shoes to be left in their locker at school.

Park Ridge Library Story time

Once a month, a Park Ridge Librarian comes to Jefferson for story time. She brings a variety of books, felt board stories, puppets, songs and more. Be sure to stop by the children’s desk and say “Hi” when you visit the Park Ridge Library.

Rainbow Dog Therapy

We are pleased to have therapy dogs return to Jefferson. Rainbow Assisted Therapy is a goal-directed intervention in which the trained dogs play an important role in a child’s physical, social and emotional therapy activities. Children can work to achieve growth and development in their individualized goals by participating in therapy sessions. The therapy dogs will visit Jefferson one time each month throughout the school year for both morning and afternoon students.

ELF (Elementary Learning Foundation) Grants

Outdoor Learning Environment

We received an ELF Grant to help create an outdoor learning environment in our existing, underutilized courtyard space. The grant includes adding native plant species, pocket greenhouses, and window nest boxes.

STEM Education Boxes

During the 2015-2016 School year, we received an ELF Grant to purchase Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) materials that are developmentally appropriate for our early childhood students. Some of the activities include design and build engineering centers: bridge building, vehicle building and house building. Preschool age students are naturally curious and inquisitive, asking questions about the world around them and the STEM education boxes are a great way to promote and support their learning.

Prop Boxes

During the 2013-2014 School year, we received an ELF Grant to purchase materials for 10 prop boxes to be shared amongst all preschool classrooms. Prop boxes are play materials grouped by themes that spark creativity and enhance imaginative play. When preschool age children use prop boxes they are reenacting familiar life experiences by acting out what they know about a specific theme.Birthdays

According to district policy, we are unable to serve edible treats for celebrations including, Birthdays, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Easter, etc. We do have several non-edible choices:

PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU WISH TO COME IN OR SEND SOMETHING IN FOR YOUR CHILDS BIRTHDAY! You can send non-edible treats to be distributed to the children (stickers, small toy, etc.).

• You can arrange to come to school and read a story for your child’s birthday, or if you are unable to come, please send a favorite book to be read aloud at school.
• You can donate a book to the classroom in your child’s name, which will be read on their birthday and then displayed in the book corner.
• Create your own non-edible celebration by contacting me to discuss more options.

Communication

We have provided your child with a Home/School folder. The right hand side is for papers and materials to keep at home. The left hand side is for papers and materials that need to be returned to school. In addition, the left hand side contains a Home/School Communication Log. Please use this as a quick way to communicate back and forth any information that is pertinent to your child such as doctor appointments, sickness, absences, change in pick-up or drop-off information, etc.

Otherwise, I can best be reached via email at arooney@d64.org. I check my email every school day and will respond within 24 hours. You may also contact me via the classroom phone at (847) 318-4474 before or after school. If I do not answer, please leave a message on the classroom voicemail and I will return your call. There will be newsletters sent out at the end of each week to talk about we what did at school so you can discuss and extend learning at home!

Absences

If your child is absent, please call the office and inform the secretary. You can leave a message on the office voicemail at any time. If your child is absent and the secretary has not heard from you at the beginning of the school day, she will be calling you at home and/or work.

The School Office Phone Number (847) 318-5360.

If your child takes the bus to school and is going to be absent, please call Lakeview at (630) 408-9343 so the driver will not come to your house.

School Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Morning 8:50-11:25

Afternoon 12:25-3:00

Wednesday

Morning 8:50-11:00

Afternoon 12:00-2:10