Classroom Notes:While last week was a short one, it was definitely a fun one. We explored the many great learning activities in the Makerspace, including creating ramps and seeing how balls roll on the magnet wall. We also celebrated our STARpower at the parachute party. In the midst of all the fun we learned about sharing and began discussing how we get from one place to another. Students were quick to explain that they couldn’t sail a boat to Spark! because we don’t have enough water here. Instead, we learned that most of our friends get here via car, walking, or bus. One student suggested we needed a train track to come to the school so he could ride the train! This week will be fun as well as we make our first visit to the library and enjoy PJ day on Wednesday and Thursday. (Your child can choose to do one PJ day, both PJ days, or none.) We will be exploring how people fly this week and even have our own airplane area complete with small seats, in-flight magazines, and a pilot costume. Our literacy focus this week is on the letters E e and H h. In other areas, we will be learning about circles, the color blue, and the number 1. We will also be reading a favorite preschool story – Pete the Cat’s I Love My White Shoes. As Pete travels, his shoes are constantly changing color as he steps in various things like strawberries or mud. But does Pete get upset? Goodness no! Whatever Pete steps in, he just keeps walking and singing his song. We will be talking about how we can be like Pete the Cat and not let small things bother us. Please check out the many great events going on this week with PTO. We have a fundraiser Wednesday night from 4-8 pm at the Firestone McDonald’s at Colorado and 119 where I hope I can see some friendly faces. Also, this Saturday Spark will have a float in the Miner’s Day parade. If you’d like to help decorate the float please join us at Tipple Parkway near Aspen Drive in Frederick at 8:30. If you would just like to walk with our school in the parade, please meet at the same location at 9:30. Those joining in the parade will need to have filled out the waiver sent home last week. If you need a new waiver, please let me know or get one from the office. While I have a family commitment and can’t attend the parade, I’m hoping to see pictures of my students celebrating Spark! and our wonderful community. Nuts & Bolts:Remember to say goodbye to your child before they come into the cubby. For safety reasons, we cannot allow them to run out to you after they’ve been checked in. Library books check out for 2 weeks. Please be sure to return your child’s library book before our next library visit on Tuesday, Sept 26. Children cannot check out a new book until the old one is returned. Tuition payments need to be turned into the office, not left in your child’s folder.
Dates to know:
Tuesday, Sept 12: 1st trip to the library!Wednesday, Sept 13: PJ Day – $1 donation supports PTO PTO Fundraiser at McDonald’s at Colorado & 119 from 4-8 pm.Thursday, Sept 14: PJ Day – $1 donation supports PTO From the Office:
Community Resources: We have information to connect families with local agencies regarding mental health, child nutrition, physical fitness, food bank, child find, medical and dental resources, in several locations:
1) In a notebook in the front office,
2) In our parent flyer stand at the front entrance
3) On our school website at http://sdpk.svvsd.org/commu
4) The black table at the front of the school also has activity packets for parents to take in English and Spanish (when possible)
Use of Interpreters for Families Speaking a language other than English
Spark! Discovery Preschool takes reasonable steps to ensure families with limited English proficiency have meaningful access and an equal opportunity to participate in their child’s education, activities, and programs. Our district uses district-approved language translation services for translation of written communications, such as newsletters, Individual Education Plans, and so on.
Interpreters at Spark! Discovery Preschool will provide support for parents who may need this. An interpreter is available daily in our school’s front office. Additional interpreters are available for:
● Ice Cream Social
● Child Development parent classes (when requested)
● Parenting classes (when requested)
● Special Education meetings
● Child-Find Meetings
● Parent-Teacher Conferences
Referral Processes: If families would like to make a referral to a specialist, please discuss this with the School Special Education Facilitator. We host a Child Find satellite office at Spark! Discovery Preschool, to handle questions or concerns about child development, behavior, or mental health. If you have questions about your child’s health, you should call our health clerk. She will answer your questions or forward you to a SVVSD nurse.
Child Find at Spark! Discovery Preschool: For children ages birth to five (who are not attending a district preschool already), developmental screenings and evaluations are provided by a District Child Find Assessment Team at Spark! Discovery Preschool (555 8th St., Frederick). This Child Find Assessment Team may be comprised of School Psychologists, Speech and Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, a School Nurse, and Early Childhood Special Education Teachers. Autism and Culturally/Linguistically Diverse Specialists consult as needed.
Other Plans for Academic or Behavioral Assistance: A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a systemic, continuous improvement framework in which data-based problem-solving and decision making is practiced across all levels of the educational system for supporting students. A Multi-Tiered System of Supports helps our school to organize resources through alignment of academic standards and behavioral expectations, implemented with fidelity and sustained over time, in order to accelerate the performance of every student to achieve.
Learning ExtensionsThis week we are learning about the letters Ee and H h. Encourage your child to look for these letters on signs or build them with toys, pencils, etc. You can also practice finding things that are blue, looking for circles, and counting to 1. It may sound strange but counting to 1 can be difficult. Children want to keep counting even though there is only one object to count. Help your child master this by finding 1 of an object and asking them to count how many of them you have. Talk about how you and your child get around town or trips you have taken. Go outside and see what you can find flying in the sky. Thank you again for sharing your child with me. I hope your family had a great long weekend! Sincerely, Ms. Kiersten