Hello Families, The weather has changed just in time for our 2 week unit on autumn. In the classroom we will talk about how the weather changes, the differences we see in the outside world, and how animals behave in fall. Then we will be going outside to see these changes in person. Please be sure to send in your child dressed for the outdoor weather. We will be going out even when the temperatures are in the low 20’s. It is always to be better to have your child dressed for outdoor conditions.
I also wanted to let you know about all of the fun events that we have happening during school this week. On Tuesday, the firefighters will be coming to talk with our students about fire safety. It should be very exciting! We will be going to meet with them instead of visiting the library tomorrow. Wednesday, we will be having Hearing and Vision Screenings. We also will be getting to visit with a school bus. (They were supposed to come today but rescheduled due to snow.) Thursday is superhero day!!! Your child can come dressed as a superhero as long as they do not have a mask or any weapons. Superhero pajamas work well too! Please be sure that your child can still dress themselves in the costume so they can use the bathroom at school without difficulty. We had some great creative thinking last week when we built a way for McToad to get home from Tiny Island. Students first envisioned their own personal creations and drew them. They then worked with friends who had similar ideas to create the vehicles from recycled materials in our room. These creations will be on display in the STEM display outside the front office beginning next week. 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. Be sure to have your child’s name on their homework when it gets turned in. Tuition payments need to be turned into the office, not left in your child’s folder. Dates to know: Tuesday, October 10: Fire Safety presentation by the fire department. (no library)Wednesday, October 11: Hearing and Vision Screening Visit with a school bus Thursday, October 12: Superhero Day! For a $1 donation to PTO, your child may come dressed in a superhero costume without masks or weapons. Please be sure they can use the bathroom independently in their costume. Friday, October 13: No school Monday, October 16: No school Tuesday, October 17: book orders due. Please let me know if you have questions. Friday, October 27: Trick or Treat Street at Spark! Tuesday, October 31: Halloween – no costumes or parties at Spark 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:
● 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 focusing on the letters Gg and Ss as well as the number 5, rectangles, and the color purple. Explore your home with your child looking for all the different types of rectangles you see. Doors, windows, books and more are all great rectangles. The curves in this week’s letters can be tricky for some so extra practice making curvy lines is very helpful. Children can do this by practicing their letters or when drawing pictures of round things such as faces or balloons. Thank you again for sharing your children with us! Sincerely, Ms. Kiersten