Parent handbook

St. Marys’ Elementary School

2 St. Mary’s Hill

Lancaster, NY 14086

Phone: (716) 683-2112

Fax: (716) 683-2134

Email: smes@smeschool.com


Dear Parents:

It is our pleasure to welcome you and your child to St. Mary's Pre-K Program. This is surely an important milestone for both you and your child, as he or she becomes part of our family at St. Mary’s Elementary School, and begins the educational, social, and spiritual journey outside the home. Our program is child-centered and each child is considered an individual. It is our goal each day for the children to be kind to others, feel good about themselves and their accomplishments, to gain self-confidence, and to love learning.

 

It is natural for you to feel some anxiety during these first days, but we want you to know that your child is precious to us and we will care for all children as children of God, with love, kindness, and a watchful eye. We want our environment to reflect our philosophy, that childhood, be a time of fun, warmth, security, exploration, and discovery. 


We hope that this guide will provide you with some basic information and helpful hints to ensure for your child a smooth transition from home to school. Please feel free to call us at 683-2112 if you need additional information or wish to discuss your child's status. If there is information you feel we should know about your child, please contact us by phone, email, or by Remind/Class Dojo



Mrs. Tegan Guenther:

guenther@smeschool.com   Room 102

Ms. Christine Swierczynski: swierczynski@smeschool.com  Room 103

Ms. Alexis Bartkowiak:

bartkowiaka@smeschool.com   Room 104


Mrs. Jayne O’Grady:

ogradyj@smeschool.com   Room 105

Miss Valerie Iannucci:

iannucci@smeschool.com  Room 107

Miss Megan Kusowski:

 kusowski@smeschool.com  Room 109



Arrival/Dismissal Procedure:  

Mrs. O’Grady, Miss Iannucci & Miss Kusowski students: parents or responsible parties are asked to pull up one car at a time and will be greeted at door #5 (by STOP sign going into the main parking lot) for drop off and pick up. 

Ms.Bartkowiak, Mrs. Guenther & Ms. Swierczynski students: will have drop off and pick up at the side door in the front parking lot (door #6). Traffic will enter the driveway closest to the stairs and exit out of the driveway closest to the trees.  

Early care is available from 7:00-7:30. There is no charge for this service. Arrival will be at the main door for this. Regular arrival will be between 8:00-8:15. One of your child’s preschool teachers will be at the door to greet you.  

At your child’s dismissal time, parents or responsible parties are again asked to proceed to door #5 for Mrs. O’Grady’s, Miss Ianucci & Miss Kusowski  or side door in the front parking lot (door #6) for Ms. Bartkowiak, Mrs. Guenther &  Ms. Swierczynski. Your children will be dismissed in the order that parents arrive. Your child’s teacher will only release your child when she is sure that the designated parent or responsible party is present.  Please do not send someone else to pick up your child from Pre-K. Any changes in your normal pick-up routine must be sent via email or Remind/Class Dojo. Your child will not be released to anyone without prior written authorization by the responsible parent/guardian. If an emergency occurs during class time and the usual driver is unable to come, please notify teachers by calling the main office at 683-2112. Our school secretary will get the message to us immediately. Pre-K students’ dismissal time is 1:50. This is just before elementary students are dismissed, so we must be prompt. Children remaining after Pre-K dismissal is over, will be placed in our After School Care, for safekeeping, until their ride home arrives  (After School Care pricing information can be found on the school’s website. After School Care will be  held in the school’s gym and dismissal from the program will be at door #5). Please be cautious when the lot or side street is congested and keep traffic flowing so that buses can be loaded safely.  


Early Release Days: 

When the school has early release days, preschool is released a half hour earlier than the rest of the school. This is to make dismissal time less congested and an easier flow of traffic. A 10:45 dismissal will be a 10:15 dismissal for preschool. A 1:00 dismissal will be a 12:30 dismissal for preschool.


Bathroom Use:

As stated at the time of registration, children attending St. Mary's Preschool must be completely potty trained and fully independent in the bathroom. This means that the child goes into the bathroom as needed without being told to go, can remove clothing, wipe, and pull underpants and bottoms up all by himself/herself. Elastic waist pants make this easier for little fingers. We understand that an occasional accident may occur. The extra set of clothes you sent in the beginning of the year will be stored at school for use in the event of an accident. In those instances, children will change themselves into clean clothes.  If they are unable to clean themselves, we may have to call someone on the emergency list. Teachers and staff members are not permitted to assist children in the bathroom.  Soiled items will be sent home to be washed. Please replace and return a complete change of clothes; top, bottoms, socks, underpants and shoes (if needed). If independent toileting is a consistent issue for a child, parents will be notified and placement in the program may need to be reconsidered. 

The Daily Folder:

Each child will bring his/her folder (provided by the school) to school each day in his or her backpack. The first thing the child does upon arrival each Pre-K day will be to put his/her folder in the folder box. The daily folder has two main purposes. The right side pocket will hold any correspondence from school to home and from home to school. It is our daily communication tool, and must accompany the child to school every day. Please empty the folder when you return home with your child, and read any newsletters, memos, Scholastic book orders, or other information sent home. In addition to learning through play at preschool, much work is accomplished, and should be reviewed and celebrated at home. To foster the development of good school habits, encourage your child to be responsible for returning the emptied folder to his/her backpack for the next school day, and we thank you for supervising that it is done.  

 

Monthly Snack Calendar and Behavior Management Plan:

The second main purpose of the daily folder is also very important. In the left side pocket, a calendar will be placed. On it will be important dates and information that you will want to make note of. Also, this is where we keep track of and reward your child’s good daily behavior and cooperation at school with a sticker, or make a note of an area in need of improvement (In this case, your child‘s teacher or aide will briefly explain the situation and ask for your support at home). This calendar remains in your child’s folder until the end of the month.

 

“Wednesday NewsNotes“:

Other important information from the main office will be sent home every Wednesday in a packet.  “Wednesday NewsNotes” are sent home with the oldest/only student in each family. Be sure to go through the information and mark calendars as needed. The most recent SME NewsNotes are on the school’s website and on our school’s Facebook page, which is posted each Wednesday.

  

Program/Schedule:

During our full days at SME Pre-K, we work hard to accomplish a lot! Time flies when you’re having fun, and we do have a lot of fun! Children learn best through play and hands-on activities, and there is so much to learn during these very important preschool years. While being as flexible as we need to be, because our children are so young, we follow more of a routine as opposed to a “schedule”. Each day there will be time for listening to stories, sharing/listening during group discussion, learning to be a good listener and move within a group, free-play, structured play, socialize and learn to be kind friends, small motor development, music and movement, teacher-led arts projects, free art, reading and math readiness activities, and of course, lunch time, rest time, and snack time.  

Weekly Specials:

Each Pre-K class is scheduled to have Art, Music, Gym, Spanish, and Library throughout the week. Each Pre-K teacher will have their weekly specials schedule listed on their classroom website.


Physical Education:

Each Pre-K class will be able to participate in gym class once a week (Monday through Friday).  Children will be going outside for class as weather allows. **Sneakers are MANDATORY for participation in gym activities**


Weekly Mass:

All Pre-K 4 & Pre-K 3 students will attend Mass with the rest of the school each Friday, and on Holy Days.  


Lunch:

Pre-K students will either bring or buy lunch each school day. Lunches brought from home should be healthy foods the child likes and will eat. Dessert is fine, but we encourage children to eat their healthy items first. Please note, Pre-K children eat lunch in the classrooms so all lunches from home must include all needed items such as spoons, forks, napkins, etc, as we do not have them in the classroom. You may access the monthly lunch menu on the school’s website under the calendar tab at the top of the home page. We will also provide you with a lunch schedule once a month. To buy lunch, parents are responsible to select the child’s lunch from the monthly lunch calendar in advance. Lunch and snacks  must be prepaid ahead of time. After looking over the schedule for the month, parents can send a check and note to school in an envelope labeled with the child’s name, lunch choices for the week/month, and milk/water choice, via your child‘s daily folder. Teachers will collect and submit lunch orders to the cafeteria staff. Lunches will be ordered based only on labeled envelopes taken from your child’s daily folder. (The teacher will not ask each student every day which lunch he/she would like.). Please be sure to let the teachers know what lunch choice your child will be ordering when prepaid orders are sent in, as there are 5 daily choices, along with 2 daily drink choices. Lunch menu calendars are available on the SME school website.

 After School Care:

Child care is available for Pre-K students whose parents cannot pick them up at our 1:50 dismissal time. After School Care is available until 6:00 every school day, except for our preschool 10:15 dismissal days. Pre-K After School Care will be held in the school gym, and more detailed information is available on SME’s website under the “After School '' tab on the homepage. A written note is required in advance to inform your child’s teacher that your child will be staying at After School Care that day. Please pack a snack for your child to eat during his/her After School Care time. Please let your child’s teacher know of your need for after school care on a daily basis by sending a quick email or sending  a message via Remind/Class Dojo.   

**A “forever note” can be submitted for the year if there will be a regularly scheduled After School Attendance for your child. For further information, please call the main office.**

 

Skills Assessments:

Will be conducted in September, January, and May. Pre-K report cards will be sent home in February and June. You will be provided with a skills checklist in mid-fall, so you can reinforce and further develop skills at home. Spending time reinforcing skills at home strengthens those skills, as well as gives your child the message that school is important, and you are proud of how much he/she is learning!

 

Book/Software Orders:

Order forms will be sent home via daily folders about once a month. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of Scholastic’s low prices. If you would like to order books as holiday or birthday gifts, just note that on your order and we will call you upon their arrival. Browse Scholastic.com and choose books and software for siblings, cousins, and friends of all ages, as all catalogs are available online. Ordering online and paying by credit card is an option, and is rewarded with free book coupons, too! By placing orders online, you also can help our class earn points to put towards new books for our classroom library and gifts for the children. Simply enter the code (can be found on the cover letter when you receive your scholastic packets), and it will automatically be added to our account.

 

Classroom Website:

Check out Pre-K webpages on the SME website for information such as upcoming events, fun song links with movement and lyrics, prayers we practice, as well as slideshows of our Preschoolers hard at work and play. Each Pre-K teacher has their own webpage found under the “Faculty & Staff” tab on smeschool.com.

 Picture Release:

If you prefer your child’s picture not be used on our website or for media purposes, (ex. local newspaper and school/teacher webpages) please fill out the appropriate form provided by the main office (A Picture Release Form was in with registration paperwork).

 

Holidays:

We celebrate and mark many holidays, and have simple parties for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter. These holidays are typically spent in our class doing fun crafts and games.


Birthdays:

Birthdays are acknowledged and worked into our snack rotation, so your child will be our special helper on his/her birthday.  You are welcome to send in treats for their birthdays, but please be sure they are store-bought, simple to serve, and follow the school’s nut-free policy, (a list is provided at the end of good ideas for snacks). Children who have summer birthdays can celebrate half birthdays.


Fundraising:

Fundraising is very important for the success of our school. It helps keep tuition rates down, as well as supports and enriches programs we offer. Pre-K families are not required to do any fundraising, but we STRONGLY encourage and appreciate your participation, as it benefits the entire school, including Pre-K.  More information on fundraising opportunities is provided in greater detail in your child’s Wednesday News Notes, and in weekly News Notes found at smeschool.com.


Events/Walking Field Trips:

Throughout the school year, there are several events that preschool does not attend as a class.  We require that a family member comes to the school to bring the student to the event during their assigned time. Such events are: Book Fair, Merry Moose, Penny Fair & School Picnic.  Preschool will occasionally do field trips.  They can only go on walking field trips due to the school bus regulations.  While doing a walking field trip, we encourage a family member to sign up as a chaperone for the safety and transport of the children traveling on the field trip.

 

Attendance:

We follow the same policy as stated in the SME Handbook, which can be viewed on the school’s website   (http://www.smeschool.com/sme-handbook). If your child has a fever, they have to be “fever free” for 48 hours and/or return with a doctor’s note. If your child is vomiting, they can not return until they are a full 24 hours free of sickness. 

Other notes:

-Please label everything sent in, including lunch boxes, sweaters, jackets, hats, gloves, boots, and snack items. 

-Our Pre-K rooms are filled with exciting and age-appropriate, educational toys and activities.  Toys from home may not be brought into school. This prevents personal treasures from being accidentally broken, lost, or sent home with the wrong child.

-School uniforms are not required for Pre-K, but you may dress your child in them if you choose. Please  consider safety when dressing your child for school. Sneakers or shoes with rubber soles should be worn to school each day (Buckles may become caught on furniture, creating a tripping hazard for the children.  Likewise, flip-flops and sandals with “open toes” create a safety issue for the child, especially going up and down stairs for specials, and during activities such as dancing, playing sports, and running).

-Please note, detailed information on upcoming school events can always be found on teacher webpages, the SME Facebook page, and in the SME NewsNotes at smeschool.com. Your participation in SME family events makes school life more fun for you and your child, and creates the close-knit community that makes St. Mary’s the wonderful school it is. We encourage you to get to know your child’s classmates and their families, and become a special part of SME’s family!

If you need to call to speak to us, please leave a message on our school voicemail, 683-2112 and we will get back to you when we are not with children.  For urgent matters, please call the main office and the school secretary will get needed information to us immediately. Remind/ClassDojo are other ways and the best way to contact teachers.



Mrs. Tegan Guenther:

guenther@smeschool.com

Ms. Christine Swierczynski: swierczynski@smeschool.com

Ms. Alexis Bartkowiak:

bartkowiak@smeschool.com



Mrs. Jayne O’Grady:

ogradyj@smeschool.com

Miss Valerie Iannuccci:

iannucci@smeschool.com

Miss. Megan Kusowski:

kusowski@smeschool.com

Once again, Welcome to St. Mary’s! Teaching at St. Mary’s is a wonderful, unique, and rewarding experience. We look forward to the challenges of another year and getting to know you and your child. Being surrounded by a terrific staff and caring families makes it a pleasure to come to work each day.

Let the fun begin!!

St. Mary’s Pre-K Teachers and Staff


Daily Snack Time:

Pre-K children will enjoy a snack at school. It will provide time for relaxed conversation and practice using polite table manners. Snack days are scheduled in a predictable, repeated order that, on occasion, is tweaked slightly to work on a child’s birthday snack day. You will find our snack schedule on the calendar in your child’s daily folder, as well as the exact number of snacks, drinks, and anything else needed for the children in his/her homeroom. 

Please read food labels carefully due to food allergies. Do not send a snack that contains nuts or peanut butter or is made in a facility that processes nuts of any kind. Organic food isn't necessary and may still contain peanut/ tree nuts in the item.

 

Snack Suggestions



- pretzels

- crackers

- yogurt cups or gogurt

- cookies

- raisins

- Cheez-its

- cereal bars

- goldfish crackers

- applesauce cups or fruit cups

- cheese sticks

- mini muffins

- bananas/apples (in bag)

-Capri Sun 100% juice pouches

-100% juice boxes 

-small water bottles


Please note: 

-Please send in a roll of paper towels or two napkins per child as we use one as a clean placemat to set food on, and the other to wipe hands and faces, or clean up spills that are likely to happen.

-Please have snacks in individually wrapped store bought snack packs.  Please be sure to send in enough for each student to have some!  One option is to purchase snacks from our cafeteria.

-Your child’s snack day items may be sent a few days prior to, or on the morning of his/her scheduled snack day. Thank you for your support in keeping tummies full so children can concentrate on learning.



St. Mary’s Elementary School                                   2023-2024 School Supply List

Pre-K Supply List

** Please label each item with your child’s first and last name. ** 


1 full-size backpack (NOT a sports bag or toddler-sized backpack because projects and folders will not fit inside without bending)


1-child-sized blanket to be used as a rest mat (no bigger than a beach towel)


6 most recent, wallet size, close-up face pictures of your Pre-K child


Extra set of clothes, in case of spills or accidents, in a gallon size Ziploc bag, labeled with your child’s first and last name.  (Please include: shirt, pants, underpants, socks and an extra pair of shoes.)  Please label each article of clothing.


1-old loose/oversized short sleeve T-shirt that will be used for Art class (no ties, no snaps, no buttons, etc.).



** Everything else that is needed, such as: crayons, markers, scissors, are provided by the school.


Important Dates to Remember for Preschool:


June 7th - Preschool Moving -up Day and Graduation