Welcome to the Chaplin Elementary School Pre-Kindergarten Handbook 2009- 2010 Return to Pre-K Home Page

---

240 Palmer Road    Chaplin, CT 06235    Phone: (860) 455-9593     Fax:  (860) 455-0742

Superintendent:         (860)  455-9306
Principal:  Daniel White                            (860)  455-9593
Nurse:  Charlene Petrone                          (860) 455-9593, ext.14
Principal’s Secretary:  Ceci Hanyckyj
Pre-Kindergarten Secretary:  Cathy Wilson
Pre-Kindergarten Teachers:  Lena Rossi, Kaitlin Beavan
Instructional Assistants:  Carolyn Fox, Karie Johns

Physical Education:  Linda Caron
Art Education:  Karen Avis

Music: Lark Peck

Special Education Teacher:  Deirdre Cilley
Speech & Language Pathologist:  Stacey Poole
Occupational Therapist:  June Porter
Physical Therapist:  Edie Jones

When phoning classroom teachers, please limit your phone calls to lunchtime 12:00-1:00, before 8:30am or after class hours 3:15 – 4:00pm. This procedure will enable us to focus our attention on the children when they are here. Pre-Kindergarten teachers can also be reached by e-mail at lrossi@chaplinschool.org and kbeavan@chaplinschool.org.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Chaplin Pre-Kindergarten serves children from 3 to 5 years old.  Children should be 3 years old by December 31st. Children need to be toilet trained, although accidents are understandable (see preschool policies and procedures).  Children can be enrolled in the morning session or a full day session for five days.  If a Planning and Placement Team (PPT) identifies your child as having special needs and determines that the preschool is the appropriate program, placement is decided at a PPT meeting.  The decision is based upon your child's special needs.
    Applications for enrollment in the Pre-Kindergarten component of Chaplin Elementary School are available by contacting the program at 240 Palmer Road, Chaplin, CT 06235.  Priority will be given to currently enrolled students who have submitted the application by April 1st.  Additional placements will be filled on a first-come basis.

Below are the Pre-Kindergarten Sign-up Procedures & Dates:

           April 1                                      Notices sent out to current students in program

           April 1                                      Advertise screening in local paper

           Last Saturday in April              Preschool Screening

           May 1                                       Advertise Pre-Kindergarten program in paper

           May 1                                       Application packets available from school

           May 8                                       Applications accepted for program

           May 28                                      Staff applications accepted for program

           June 18                                      Notify staff of placement in program

    Selection for the program will occur in April for the subsequent school year.  Recognizing that there may be more applications than placements available, a waiting list will be utilized.
    During the school year you may be requested to withdraw your child fromPre-Kindergarten due to lack of payment or non-mastery of toilet training.

• The Health Assessment Record must be completed by you and your physician.  
• The school nurse must review this form prior to attendance.
• Copy of Birth Certificate
• An Emergency Card must be filled out and updated each September.
• A Chaplin Elementary School Registration Form.
• A Pre-Kindergarten Authorization to Release Form
• A Pre-Kindergarten permission form as needed for photographing, etc.
• Income verification for sliding scale
• Proof of Residency (electric bill, mortgage or rent statement)

Arrival:  Arrival time for both the morning and full day sessions is 8:30 A.M. each child must be accompanied into the building by a parent/guardian or authorized adult.  Unless they are on C.E.S. buses, please sign in at the school's office and wait for an adult from the Pre-Kindergarten to meet you there.  Signing in and out is important for the purposes of attendance, safety, and communication.  To ensure that your child's belongings stay together, be sure to label all clothing, backpacks, etc.

Departure:  Each child must be accompanied out of the Pre-Kindergarten classroom by a parent/guardian or authorized adult and signed out on a daily attendance log in the office.  Alert staff of your child's departure.  The morning Pre-Kindergarten session ends promptly at 12:00 P.M. while the full day session concludes at 3:15 P.M.  Parents are expected to pick up their children on time. After signing in at the office adults picking up children may then proceed to the Pre-Kindergarten classroom to pick up children.

Transportation:  Bus transportation may be provided on a space available basis for preschoolers.  Bus routes will conform to C.E.S. K-6 enrollments and will not be modified from the regular bus route.  Parents/guardians must accompany the preschooler to the nearest regular bus stop until pickup/drop off. A 12 noon bus is provided for preschool students.

When riding the bus:

1. Sit in designated seats towards the front of the bus;
2. Listen to the driver;
3. Stay in your seat;
4. Talk quietly and politely.

The Chaplin Pre-Kindergarten will:

• utilize play activity for it's value as an appropriate means of learning
• reinforce and utilize the child's prior knowledge to learn new skills and concepts
• provide a setting characterized by warmth, personal respect, positive support, responsiveness, and cooperation
• develop language and communication skills through experimental activities
• assess children's strengths, needs and progress continuously through observation and data collection based on the CT Preschool Standards
• report to parents on children’s progress through twice yearly parent-teacher conferences and formal report cards in June
• create an environment where teachers work collaboratively with each other to meet the individual needs of children

top

• Curriculum content is designed to achieve long-range goals for children in all areas - social, emotional, cognitive, self-help, and fine and gross motor - and to prepare children to function as cooperative members of the school community.
• Curriculum addresses a broad range of content that is relevant, engaging, and meaningful to children.
• Curriculum content reflects and is generated by the needs and interests of the individual children within the group and developed according to CT Preschool Standards.  Curriculum incorporates a wide variety of learning experiences, materials, equipment, and instructional strategies to accommodate the broad range of children's individual differences.
• Curriculum builds upon children's unique experiences, learning styles and strengths to foster the acquisition of new skills and concepts.
• Curriculum allows for focus on a particular topic or theme while integrating across traditional subject matter.
• Curriculum engages children actively in the learning process.  Children have opportunities to make meaningful choices.
• Curriculum emphasizes the value of social interaction to learning in all areas and provides opportunities to learn from peers.
• Curriculum is supportive of children's physiological needs for activity, sensory stimulation, fresh air, rest, hygiene and nourishment.
• Curriculum is flexible so that teachers can adapt to individual children or groups.

Writing Center:  A writing center allows preschool aged children to investigate early forms or writing - experience stories through pictures, retelling of stories, scribble writing, and book making.  Materials include a wide variety of paper, pre-made blank books, crayons, markers, scissors, tracers, magazines to cut and glue. Also included arre materials to enhance fine motor development such as beads, stamps. lace-ups, and hole punchers.

Computer Center:  The computer is a popular activity and provides some one to one time for children and staff.

Dramatic Play:  The house corner provides opportunities for make-believe and role-play.  Pretending to be people in situations they've experienced helps give children a sense of the adult world.  It gives them opportunities to work together, express their feelings and ideas and use language to communicate their role and respond to others' needs and requests.  Dress up clothes, dolls, stuffed animals, hats, masks, props, and puppets are things that are included here.

Construction Center:  Preschool children use blocks to build structures that go up, out or around and in the process deal with the spatial and structural problems of balance and enclosure.  They also deal with similarities and differences and create patterns in their structures.  The Construction Center provides adults with the opportunity to observe children exploring, building cooperatively, sorting, grouping, comparing and arranging objects and role-playing.  A wide variety of materials are included in this area.

Woodworking:  Woodworking offers children experiences that promote self-esteem and confidence because it allows them to take part in what in normally perceived as an adult experience. They want to feel big and important.  Children love working with wood because it is so different from any other activity in the classroom. It allows them to use their senses—they smell and feel the wood, hear the clacking and hammering, see the colors and grain of the wood, see and touch the wood shapes. Unlike paint-and-paper activities, woodworking allows them to explore in three dimensions.

Music and Movement Center:  In this corner, equipment such as balance beams, tunnels, and musical instruments are provided to encourage exploration and development of large muscle coordination and rhythm.  This is a favorite corner as it allows for physically active involvement and a release of energy.

Art Center:  Exploring and using art materials allow preschool children to express original ideas, improve their coordination, develop small muscle skills, and learn to recognize colors, shape design and textures.  Materials should include a wide variety of paint, collage materials, fabrics, clay cornstarch, chalk and markers.

Math Center:  Exploring activities through manipulatives lay the groundwork for abstract concepts such as comparing, classifying, ordering, pattern blocks, sequence blocks, measuring cups, toy clocks and a wide variety of sorting materials.

Magnets: Magnets afford children the opportunity to explore the properties of polarization in a developmentally appropriate, fun, manipulative center.  Center materials include magnetic marbles, pattern blocks, letters, numbers, and shapes.

Cooking Center:  Cooking offers a special treat for pre-kindergarten children, allowing them to do things adults do.  As they measure ingredients, children learn about measurement and volume.  While kneading dough, peeling carrots, or stirring pudding, children develop their physical skills and increase their vocabulary.  In addition to the excitement of creating nutritional snacks with teacher guidance, the children learn to appreciate other people and cultures by making foods from various cultures.

Sand and Water Center:  This center provides opportunities for children to explore the principles of math and science firsthand.  By sifting sand and scooping water they improve their physical dexterity.  They develop social skills by joining others in making a sand castle.  As they test various items in a tub of water they learn scientifically which objects float or sink.  A wide variety of materials are included in this center.

**In addition to the classroom curriculum, all children will receive some form of specialized instruction in physical education, library, art, or movement.

Toilet Training:   All children are required to be toilet trained to attend the Chaplin Pre-Kindergarten Program.  Non-toilet trained children will be asked to withdraw from the program.

In order to be considered toilet trained a child must be able to:

• recognize when he/she needs to use the bathroom,
• must be able to independently pull pants up and down,
• independently clean themselves

Transitioning Your Child to and From our Program: The staff is committed to having each child experience a positive transition into and out of the program.  If this is your child's first formal Pre-Kindergarten experience, the staff will communicate with your regularly to ensure a successful beginning.  If your child has been enrolled in another preschool, the staff is willing to work cooperatively with previous teachers to make the transition a smooth one.  When your child is exiting, the staff with assist you in preparing your child to attend kindergarten or another program.

Meals: A snack is provided each morning. The snack menu for the upcoming week will be listed on the Friday newsletter. Lunch will be offered to those children who attend the full day sessions.  Children can choose to bring a lunch from home or purchase from the school lunch program. A lunch menu will be sent home monthly.  Meals may be purchased daily, weekly, or monthly.  Milk is also available for purchase at Lunch if your child brings a meal from home.  Please send your child’s milk or lunch money in a labeled plastic baggie or envelope indicating child’s name, what is to be purchased, and for what date.  All Lunch payments should be put sent to school in your child’s home-school folder.

Health Status:  The school nurse and staff must be alerted about any child who has a medical condition which may require immediate attention or the administration of emergency medication.  Conditions would include food or insect sting allergies.

Health Services:  A school nurse is available to provide services to children enrolled in the Pre-Kindergarten.  He/She is responsible for completing annual hearing and vision screenings and contacting parents if a child becomes ill at school.  The school nurse serves a s a consultant to the staff regarding medical concerns.

Illness:  If your child has any communicable illnesses (e.g., virus, cold with fever or excessive coughing, strep throat, chicken pox) she/he must remain home until she/he is not longer contagious.  Please notify us if any childhood diseases (e.g., chicken pox) are going through your household so that we and other parents can watch for symptoms in others.  Equally important, many of these common diseases are potentially dangerous to pregnant women (e.g., measles, fifth disease).  Kindly make us aware so that we can take the necessary precautions to protect our staff and volunteers.
Any child with a suspected contagious illness will requires early dismissal.  Suspected illnesses include a fever or 100 degrees or greater, more than one episode of diarrhea or loose stool, reddened tonsils, runny nose with greenish/yellowish mucus, congestion with barking cough, nausea/vomiting, unknown rash, and reddened eyes.
A health assessment form will be filled out by the school nurse stating signs and symptoms observed in school with notification of whether or not your child is able to return to school the following day.  Generally a child with a fever of 100 or greater, diarrhea, and/or vomiting will not be allowed to attend preschool for 24 hours unless a physician note permits attendance.  Upon returning to the program your child needs to be free of signs and symptoms of contagious illness and will be assessed by he school nurse.
If your child will not be attending the preschool on a given day due to illness or any other reason. please call the preschool at 455-9593 to notify the staff.
If your child becomes ill at school, the school nurse will notify you at home or work.  If she/he cannot reach you, she will contact the individual listed on the emergency card.

Rest time: Children will be encouraged to participate in either a rest time or quiet activities in the afternoons. Rest mats are provided however your child might also wish to bring a small pillow or favorite stuffed toy.  Children will not be left to sleep beyond a 45 minute period.  If your child requires a longer sleep time you may wish to enroll him/her in the morning session only.

Dress:  Your child will be involved in many hands-on activities.  Messy projects sometimes require a change of clothing.  An extra set of labeled clothing should be left at the preschool.  Please dress your child in comfortable play clothes and rubber soled shoes or sneakers.  Children wearing sandals or heals will not be allowed on playground equipment.  Proper attire will help ensure the safety and comfort of your child.  Outdoor play is very important to children.  Please be sure to dress you child properly for the weather/season (e.g. boots, mittens, hats, etc.). Finally, be sure to label all outerwear such as sweaters, coats, and boots.  Lost & Found is located in the school nurses office.

Confidentiality: As public school employees and volunteers, everyone at our school is held up to certain levels of confidentiality.  Employees and volunteers are required to refrain from discussing individual children with parents in hallways, at ballparks, in the grocery store, etc.  Also, if you are a parent seeking information about your child, we suggest that you seek out his/her teachers.  Our non-certified staff employees have been cautioned against providing information directly to parents because this should come directly from the certified staff member.  These employees provide a great service to our school and your children, so please do not ask them to put their job at risk.

Behavior Philosophy:  The entire Pre-Kindergarten staff uses positive methods of discipline, which encourage self-control, decision-making, cooperation and positive self-esteem.  A child will never under any circumstances be physically punished, humiliated, or threatened.
If a child misbehaves, a staff member will always take the child aside to speak to him/her about the incident.  A child may be asked to choose a different activity or a staff member may redirect him/her to another area.
Time-out is used as a last resort when all other strategies have been exhausted.  Time-out involves having a child sit briefly away form the group to regain self-control.  A staff member will then talk to the child about the incident and offer a positive alternative behavior.

    The primary goal of the Chaplin Pre-Kindergarten is to maintain close communication between home and school.  An Open House is scheduled in the fall to introduce parents/guardians to the program and facility.  The classroom teacher maintains contact with parents through notes, phone conversations, weekly newsletter, classroom activities bulletin board, parent/teacher conferences, and reportcards. A link to the Pre-Kindergarten classroom can be found at http://www.chaplinschool.org
    Individual conferences are scheduled twice annually for students.  Parents may request a conference at any time.  Should the classroom teacher have a concern or question about your child, he/she will request a meeting with you.
    The Chaplin Pre-Kindergarten has an open door policy.  Please feel free to visit the program by simply calling the classroom teachers or main office in advance to let us know you'll be visiting.  Although we actively seek parent participation, we ask you to keep in mind that one of the primary purposes of any preschool program is to ease the child's transition from home to school.  If your child would be upset by your presence in the classroom we will happily work with you to find alternative ways to volunteer.
    Other involvement options might include Board of Education Meetings, PTO, School Readiness Council, class field trips, volunteering in other areas of the school, and Family/School Events.