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Welcome to CUSD #4 Eagleview Elementary Preschool program! We are delighted you have chosen us as your child’s first formal instruction to school. Our program follows both the district and schools’ philosophy and goals. The Preschool Handbook is supplemental to the district calendar. The purpose of this handbook is to acquaint you with the preschool program and to make the transition to school easier for you and your child.

REGISTRATION

Your child must be registered with our office before he/she can attend preschool. Please contact the office or Mrs. Reddick with any questions or concerns. Also, your child’s first month’s tuition must be paid before they can attend school.

TUITION

Tuition payments are due on the 1st of every month. If the 1st happens to fall on a weekend or holiday, please send the check on the Friday before. Checks should be made payable to Eagleview Elementary.

HALF DAY TUITION: $195/monthFULL DAY TUITION: $585/month

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

Half Day Preschool meets Monday through Friday, from 8:15-11:00am. Pick up is between 10:55-11:00am each day.

Full Day Preschool meets Monday through Friday, from 7:15am-5pm. Your child’s “school day” will end at 2:45pm, and then the after school hours are until 5pm.

You must be on time! It is very upsetting for a young child to enter the room late or be picked up late. If you are late, whether dropping off or picking up your child, you will need to go through the front office doors.

Half DayPreschoolers will enter and exit at the same doors (at the back of the building by the Preschool classroom) each day. Preschoolers should not arrive before 8:10 a.m. Before school, parents and children are to line up outside in the designated area.When dropping off, parents must stand with their child in line and children must be supervised at all times.The children will be dismissed in the same area to a parent/guardian.

Full Day Preschoolerswill enter through the Teacher entrance (by the teacher parking lot) and exit the doors right outside of our classroom (the half day pick up/dismissal doors). There is a doorbell to ring and Mrs. Urke will come open the door for you. If nobody is in the room, the kids are probably on the playground and you can access that through the gate. A note will be on the door to let you know where the kids are.**Please note: You can not pick your child up at those doors before 3:15pm, due to the buses.**

**If someone other than yourself is picking up your child you must send a note/email, speak to Mrs. Reddick, or call the office. Children will not be released to other adults without permission from a parent/guardian and the adult MUST HAVE A PHOTO ID. It is for the best interest and safety of your child!

EMERGENCY INFORMATION

Please make sure that all of the emergency contact information that we have on file is correct and up to date.If any number should change during the school year, please let Mrs. Reddick or the office know.

ABSENTEES

Regular attendance is very important. The more they are here, the more they will gain! If your child is sick or there is a serious family problemand your child does need to be absent, please call the school office at 618-281-4995. If your child is absent frequently for reasons other than an illness, you will be contacted by Mrs. Reddick or Mr. Landgraf.

ILLNESS/INJURY/MEDICATION/ACCIDENTS

Please do NOT send your child to school if he or she is not feeling well. This is a school policy. Preschool children have busy and active days. Sick children become grouchy, tired, and unhappy with all the noise and activity of a classroom. They want their parents. Sick children also spread their illness to others in the class. If your child has any of the following signs of illness, please keep him or her at home:

  1. Has had a fever in the last 24 hours.
  2. Has vomited within the last 24 hours.
  3. Has had diarrhea within the last 24 hours.
  4. Has infected (yellow or green) discharge from their nose or eyes.
  5. Has a rash of a suspicious nature.

If your child becomes sick at school, we will call you immediately. Please come as quickly as you can. If your child is sick or injured, we need to be able to reach you right away. BE SURE THE EMERGENCY NUMBER WE HAVE IS CORRECT AND UP TO DATE!

Any child requiring medication at school or any child with allergies must consult with the school nurse, Jan Turley, for the school procedure regarding prescription or non-prescription medication.

If your child has a toileting accident, he/she will be changed and helped by either the classroom teacher or assistant.

SUPPLIES

See the back of this handbook for the supply list. Remember to put your child’s name on all his/her belongings, especially change of clothes, coats, bags, boots, etc.

CLOTHING

Preschoolers are very active learners; therefore, they should be dressed in comfortable, washable, and easy to manage PLAY clothes. Shoes with rubber soles and closed toes should be worn. Please no sandals or flip flops. All children must have one extra set of clothes (appropriate for current weather). Please place the extra clothes in a Ziploc bag with your child’s name on it and label each article of clothing.

Outdoor play is a part of the daily schedule except when it is very cold or rainy/snowy weather. Your child should be dressed appropriately for outdoor condition.

If your child has a hard time fastening/unfastening buttons or zippers, then please dress them in appropriate pants, such as those with an elastic waist. Snaps, buttons, and zippers can be tricky so please practice these skills at home.

CURRICULUM

The preschool curriculum centers on building the child’s self confidence and social interaction skills. We useCreative Curriculum. This curriculum emphasizes the use of learning centers, individual and small group instruction, and play-based learning. The areas emphasized are:

  • Social/Emotional Development(sharing, listening, following directions, taking turns, trusting, responsibility, etc.)
  • Self-Awareness(all about me, appropriate display of feelings, etc.)
  • Social Studies(seasons, weather, community, helping others, etc.)
  • Language Arts/Communication Development(building vocabulary, pre-reading skills, discussions of stories, journaling, and using words to communicate, etc.)
  • Gross Motor (moving large muscles, running, jumping, balance, etc.)
  • Fine Motor(finger plays, painting, tearing, coloring, working with clay, using scissors, holding writing utensils, etc.)
  • Math/Science Development (one to one correspondence, patterning, counting with meaning, magnets, sink/float, etc.)
  • Academic development(colors, shapes, name recognition, introduction to letters and numbers, etc.)

DAILY SCHEDULE

Arrival: Children are welcomed to school, come in, hang up coats, etc.

Journaling/Morning Work: Each child will work on his/her journal or morning. This will include coloring,drawing, and practice writing their nameon one page, 2-3 times a week. The type of drawing completed by the child is based on the child’s ability level, interest, and choice. The child will then dictate his/her words to a teacher who will write them down on the paper. Once we get into more academics, morning work could include tracing letters, numbers, practicing colors, etc.

Circle Time: Everyone comes together to hear a story, sing songs, discuss/participate in activities, have show and tell, determine weather, etc.

Centers/Free play: Children choose center(s) and activities in each center. Centers include reading area, dramatic play, block area, art area, sensory table, tabletop activities, etc. Learning is child centered through play facilitated by the teacher and classroom environment.

Clean-up: Children learn to stop an activity, and put away toys and materials.

Snack: Snack time encourages communication between children, self-help skills, and manners. Parents will provide a snack for the class at the beginning of each month. Please see the list of suggestions included at the back of this packet.

Gross Motor/Movement: Large motor skills are enhanced through physical activities enjoyed both in the classroom and outdoors.

Organized Centers: The full day students will have more organized centers in the afternoon to reinforce academics and really get them ready for what to expect in Kindergarten. Centers could include a literacy center, a math center, listening center, science activity, craft, etc.

Rest Time: The full day studentswill have a short rest time after lunch each day. The Preschool Program will provide the rest mats, but please provide a small blanket and pillow for your child. They will be kept in their locker/cubby so that they can be used each day. We encourage you to take blankets and pillows home on Friday to be washed over the weekend.

Dismissal: Children are encouraged to collect their own belongings independently.

SNACK TIME

We have snack time everyday.Each child will donate a snack for the class once a month. All snacks must be store bought and milk will be provided. Snacks should be sent with tuition payments at the first of each month.Please see the attached snack list for ideas. Please be aware that this list may change if we have any students with allergies. If that happens, I will send an updated list to ensure the safety of all of our friends!If there is something that is not on the list, please check with Mrs. Reddick before bringing it to school.

LUNCH TIME

The full day students will eat lunch at school. You have the option to purchase a lunch through the school for $2.00/meal; milk will be provided. You need to pre-pay for the school lunches. Once your child’s lunch balance falls below $5.00, you will be notified so that you may add more money to your child’s account. You also have the option to send your child with a lunch from home (“cold lunch”). If you send your child with a lunch, you have the choice to send a drink with them or purchase a milk for $0.30, which will also have to be prepaid.

BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays may be celebrated as close to the real date as possible (summer birthdays can schedule a date with teacher). For your child’s birthday, you may bring in a goody bag with pre-packaged, healthy snacks or a small, non-food gift for each student in your child’s class. Another idea is to purchase a favorite children’s book, puzzle, or game to donate to our classroom.

Birthday party invitations cannot be distributed in the classroom unless every child in the classroom is invited to the party, or if ONLY boys or ONLY girls are invited. Invitations may be passed out before or after school, outside the school building.

DISCIPLINE/CHILD MANAGEMENT

The preschool classroom provides an environment where children can feel safe and protected. Enforcing fair and consistent behavior allows the children to feel comfortable in the classroom, while learning to respect themselves and others. Children are encouraged in the development of self-discipline and positive ways of interacting with others by 1) the teacher reflecting on the children’s feelings, 2) being given choices, 3) setting up logical consequences, 4) encouraging the child to develop solutions to problems, and 5) through redirection.

We will follow the district wide Character Counts program. Our four

“buzz words” for Character Counts are Responsibility, Respect, Honesty and Cooperation. We will discuss these and talk about ways to display these characteristics both inside and outside of school.

NEWSLETTERS/CALENDARS

It is very important to read all notes that come home. They will keep you well informed on the classroom activities and the activities taking place in the school. In addition, please pay close attention to the classroom calendar and newsletters for class information, days off, time changes, etc.

PARENT TEACHER COMMUNICATION/CONFERENCES

We believe communication between parents and teachers is very important and vital to your child’s success. Therefore, please not do hesitate to talk to the teacher or call and leave a message in the office if you have any questions or concerns. If you call during school hours, you will be directed to my voicemail. I will get back to you as soon as I can. Please feel free to email me, as well, at .

Conferences will be scheduled at certain times during the school year.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

An important part of your child’s academic development is your involvement in his or her education. After all, you are your child’s first teacher! Because of this, I believe in parent participation and welcome you to be involved in our classroom community. This can range from coming in to volunteer in our classroom, reading a story to the children, helping with class parties, etc. Please arrange any type of visit with me so that I can plan accordingly. If you are unable to join us in our classroom and are still interested in helping (cutting, tracing, coloring, etc.), let me know and I will be sure to contact you if I need any help with anything!

I also invite any suggestions you may have for various projects or programs. Parents and teachers working together equal the best possible education your child can receive.

BOOK ORDERS

I will send home a Scholastic book order form approximately once a month. If you wish to order books for your child, then please fill out the order form and return it to school, along with a CHECK made to Scholastic Book Clubs. There is also an online ordering optionwhere you can look me up on the Scholastic website ( and order books for your child. You will be able to search by state, city, school zip code, and then my name, M. Reddick, will appear in a drop down menu. Choose my name and begin your order! You may also use our class activation code, HXVVZ. If you order online, our class earns free books!! The books arrive in approximately 2 weeks.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

If school should be cancelled due to bad weather, you can watch any of the local television stations for a list of school closings.

THINGS TO DO BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS

This is a very exciting time for all of us. It can also be a very stressful and emotional time as well. Preparing your child for the first day of school can help relieve some of the anxieties you and your child may be feeling. Talk with your child about what he or she may be doing during the school day. Make sure your child knows where he or she is going after school. This will help your child know what to expect when he or she is picked up from school. Make sure your child knows he or she is coming right home after school or going to a babysitter/daycare facility and you will pick them up after work. These things that seem so menial to you mean a lot to your child.

Thank you for attending our Preschool Orientation. It is my pleasure to be teaching your child this year. I look forward to working with you in order to provide a happy, successful, and rewarding Preschool experience. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns.

To reach me: Please call the school at 618-281-4995, or you may email me at .

Please do not leave a voicemail regarding a change in pick up for that day! Please call the office or send me an email. Thank you!

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