Education Is Not the Filling of a Pail

Educational Beliefs

Education is not the filling of a pail…

…it is the lighting of a fire

The philosophy behind our curriculum is that young children learn best by doing. Learning isn't just repeating what someone else says; it requires active thinking (play) and experimenting to find out how things work and to learn firsthand about the world we live in.

In their early years, children explore the world around them by using all their senses (touching, tasting, listening, smelling, and looking). In using real materials such as blocks and trying out their ideas, children learn about sizes, shapes, and

colors and they notice relationships between things.

The most important goal of our early childhood curriculum is to help children become enthusiastic learners. This means encouraging children to be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts.

Our goal is to help children become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners. We're allowing them to learn at their own pace and in the ways that are best for them. We're giving them good habits and attitudes, particularly a positive sense of themselves, which will make a difference throughout their lives. The activities we plan for children, the way we organize the environment, select toys and materials, plan the daily schedule, and talk with children, are all designed to accomplish the goals of our curriculum and give your child a successful start in school.

Parents Families as Partners

P.A.L.S. and the AugustaSchool District believe parents should play an active role in the education of their child. We recognize the importance of parents’ knowledge of their child and involvement in providing a lifetime of learning experiences. Participation is as individual and unique as each family.

Parents are encouraged and welcome to visit and volunteer in our preschool classroom anytime! We are happy to have you share your time and talents by participating at school or helping with projects at home. Your involvement can be anything from reading a story to cutting out shapes. We appreciate having you as part of our team. A partnership between parents, teachers, and students is an important way of letting children see that education is a team effort.

Additional family resource materials and information for families are available from Jen Willms, our Family Focus Coordinator. You can reach Jen at 715-286-3396. Jenstrives to help every family receive the resources they need to help make your family’s school involvement a success!

Communication

Connecting school to home and home to school!

To be effective partners in each child’s education, families and staff need to communicate together in an open honest straightforward manner. Communication and interpretation of issues need to be clearly shared.

In addition to scheduled conferences, there are several ways we encourage communication between home and school. The weekly newsletter communicates important information and includes a daily notes section for parents and teachers. This should be signed daily. Personal notes, parent meetings, family nights, emails and phone calls to and from our classroom complete our communication strategies.

Classroom Management

The P.A.L.S. staff is attuned to various developmental stages of children. Behavior isappropriately managed individually with each child as we encourage them to follow the school wide PBIS rules (refer to purple matrix in your child’s folder). When assisting children in learning to manage and control their own behavior the following strategies are used:

- Modeling appropriate behaviors

- Re-teaching appropriate behaviors

- Redirection of child to another activity

- Regrouping of children

- Choices and consequences

- Rest

- Separation from others or activity

Our goal is to help children learn to manage their own behavior and protect their self-esteem by successfully having choices in their interactions.

Preschool Classroom Rules:

- Be Safe

- Be Kind

- Do Your Best

Daily Schedule

Preschool runs Monday through Thursday

(Times are approximate)

Each preschooler needs a backpack and extra clothes.

Two pairs of socks Two pair of underwear T-Shirt & ShortsSweatshirt & Pants

Augusta Elementary School P.A.L.S.

(Preschoolers Actively Learning at School)

AugustaSchool District

EC:SE – 4K

E19320 Bartig Road Augusta, WI 54722

Augusta P.A.L.S. Preschool Staff

Mrs. Courtney Sebesta:PALS EC:SE–4K Teacher

Mrs. Mary Raether: Paraprofessional

715-286-3349 or

Mrs. Jamie Gerike: PALS-4K Teacher

Mrs. Cindy Stensen: Paraprofessional

715-286-3371 or

Mrs. Jen Willms: Elementary Family Focus Coordinator

715-286-3396 or

Augusta Elementary School Office

715-286-3303 or 715-286-3308