Kindergarten In the T/E School District

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1 Kindergarten In the T/E School District Welcome! WELCOME to the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District. As the big step of entering kindergarten approaches, we want to extend a warm welcome to you and your child. The first year of your child's new experience in school lays the groundwork for a positive attitude toward learning in an educational setting. Our schools' staff provides an environment which nurtures each child's capacity to learn. We offer a kindergarten program rich in integrated academic and social experiences. When your child enters school, we hope you will enter too! We believe the best education for our students occurs through the cooperative efforts of the teacher, principal, and parents. The interaction and involvement of the parent in the educational process is vital to your child's success. You are always welcome to visit your child's classroom to become acquainted with his/her teacher and the staff. Whenever you have questions or concerns, please contact us. Open communication allows us to work as a team in providing the best educational program for your child. This brochure attempts to explain our kindergarten program and to suggest some ways we can begin to work together. Welcome to a new beginning the kindergarten experience! Entrance Age Registration To enter kindergarten in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District, a child must be five years old on or before September 1. Registration Formal registration for kindergarten will be announced in local newspapers/newsletters. When registering your child for school, you must bring: verification of birth date (original documentation). proof of residency: lease, deed, agreement of sale or recent utility bill records regarding dates that vaccines were administered.

2 Before entering school in September, your child must have a physical and dental examination. Forms to be completed by your personal physician are provided at registration. School Health Program Your child's health and safety are of utmost importance to everyone. The goal of the school health service program is to assist in maintaining and improving the health of our students. Parents must complete an Emergency Information Card each year. These cards include a request for telephone numbers of persons who may be contacted as alternatives when needed. Please notify the school of any changes immediately. Regular school attendance is expected unless your child is ill. Medical Information Please notify the school if your child has a contagious disease. If medication is required, or if you have additional questions, please contact the school nurse. The School Day Schedule: Morning Session 8:45-11:40 A.M. Afternoon Session 12:25-3:20 P.M. Nuts & Bolts The District provides bus transportation to school for the morning kindergartners and from school for the afternoon kindergartners. Parents are responsible for picking children up from the morning session at 11:40 A.M. and dropping children off for the afternoon session by 12:25 P.M. Children may arrive at school 10 minutes before their session begins so that they may prepare for the day. Attendance Regular attendance and being punctual are important in kindergarten. However, if a child is ill, he/ she should be kept home until fully recovered. A written excuse must be presented for each absence. All absences are called in to the school. A note to the teacher is required for the following reasons: Early dismissal Change in destination from school Any school official may refuse to release a child from school if proper arrangements have not been made, or if the adult calling for the child is not known by the staff.

3 School Delays and Cancellations Weather conditions occasionally delay the opening of school. Please see the modified kindergarten schedule during a 2-hour delay below. The T/E Information Hotline, (610) will have the latest school closing information. In addition, parents will be notified of emergency closings, including weather related closings, through TE All-Call, the District s phone notification system. Modified Kindergarten Schedule During 2-Hour Delay AM and PM kindergarten sessions will follow a modified schedule on days when inclement weather results in a 2-hour delayed opening. Each kindergarten session will be reduced by 1 hour when there is a delayed opening to provide equal instructional time for both sessions. AM kindergarten classes will begin at 10:45 am and will conclude at the modified pick-up time of 12:40 pm. Parents of PM kindergarten students should drop their children off at the modified start time of 1:25 pm. School dismissal time for PM kindergarten students remains at 3:20 pm. As a result, AM kindergarten students who use bus transportation to school will be picked up at their bus stops 2 hours later than usual and PM kindergarten students will ride the bus home at their regularly scheduled time. Modified Kindergarten Schedule: AM Kindergarten: 10:45 am 12:40 pm PM Kindergarten: 1:25 pm 3:20 pm TE All-Call The T/E School District has implemented TE All-Call, an automated phone notification system. TE All-Call allows the School District to send important messages quickly via phone to parents and guardians. This calling system will be used in the event of weather-related closings, late openings, early dismissals and any other unscheduled closings, cancellations, emergency situations or special announcements. A delay or cancellation of school will also be announced by the following TV and radio stations: WCAU (NBC 10) WKYW (CBS) WPVI (ABC 6) WTXF (Fox 29) KYW School code number 854 We request that working parents make arrangement for their children in the event of an emergency school closing. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT CHILDREN KNOW WHERE TO GO WHEN PARENTS ARE NOT AT HOME.

4 Kindergarten Program Curriculum Kindergarten takes advantage of a child's natural growth patterns, interests, curiosity, and enthusiasm for learning. The curriculum is designed to stimulate the child to think, analyze, predict, and draw conclusions. The kindergarten program strives to have each child learn to live, work, and play with others, and is organized to allow children to explore, select, and plan activities. Skills and learning tasks are introduced at the appropriate level for each child. The completion of these activities builds each child's confidence. Learning Styles Through a holistic balanced approach, the Kindergarten Literacy Program supports the child as he/she develops the ability to speak, listen, read, write, view, and think. In a learner-centered environment, the child takes part in authentic literacy activities and direct skill instruction to help develop a strong foundation for reading. By using hands-on manipulatives, each child learns about patterning, sorting, comparing, counting, predicting, problem solving, estimating, measuring, number sense, graphing, and geometry. By taking part in activities which focus on child-centered themes, the children learn about themselves and the world around them. By engaging in physical education and recess, the young child gains confidence by developing improved motor skills. By painting, coloring, cutting, and pasting, children create and learn about sizes, shapes, colors, and textures. By singing and listening to music, the child gains a sense of rhythm and an appreciation of music. Literature, mathematics and social sciences are integrated in a curricular theme so that children develop an understanding of basic concepts through meaningful experiences. Children learn in different ways through their senses. Some children are strong visual learners. They are able to extract meaning from what is seen. Others learn more effectively through the sense of hearing. Still others, the tactile learners, need the sense of touch. Every child has a personal learning style. By understanding it, parents can help their child develop natural strengths.

5 Special Services Guidance Services A counselor is assigned to each school and works closely with classroom teachers and other staff members to serve the needs of students. English as a Second Language (ESL) Students whose first language is not English and require support receive special instruction from the ESL teacher to help them develop skills in English proficiency. The goal of the ESL program, mandated by federal and state regulations, is to provide students with the capacity to succeed in school, both academically and socially. Recognizing the diversity of T/E students, ESL teachers believe it is important to foster their students participation in American society, while preserving the individual s language and culture. For English Language Learners, the ESL teacher is the language arts teacher and provides several blocks of instruction according to the student s proficiency level. As the student s skills in English increase, the child gradually receives more instruction from the Core teachers. English Language Learners are referred for ESL testing through the Home Language Survey completed at registration. Teachers, counselors, administrators and the child s parent or guardian can also refer the student for testing. English Language Learners exit the program by meeting the state exit criteria. Special Education Supports and Services The District provides a range of special education supports and services for eligible students. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed to specify the type of support, and instruction that enables the student to participate in regular education to the fullest extent possible. This may include direct instruction by the special education teacher, curriculum adaptations, or other accommodations in the regular classroom. Placement in the program is a team decision involving staff, parents, the school psychologist, and the student when appropriate. At the elementary level, the District operates programs of learning support, emotional support, autistic support and speech and language support. In addition, related services such as occupational, physical, vision or hearing therapies are provided by qualified personnel when the student requires these services. The IEP is reviewed at least annually. Any team member may request a meeting at any time during the school year to review the program. Students identified by staff as exceptional are considered for assignment to an educational program especially designed for their needs. Before placing a student in a program of special education, every attempt is made to provide for his/her learning needs in the regular education program. BRIDGE Program The main goal of the BRIDGE Program is to provide early reading intervention to kindergarten students who require it. The primary goal is to have these children become independent readers. The program accomplishes this by (1) improving children's literacy skills through accelerated progress so that they can profit from ongoing classroom instruction, and (2) helping these children develop a self-improvement system for continued growth in reading so that additional help is not necessary.

6 Breakfast Program The Food Services Department provides eligible students with a free, nutritious breakfast daily. Diagnostic Tools Assessment Children enter kindergarten with a wide variety of experiences, different rates of developmental growth and distinct levels of academic achievement. Because of Tredyffrin/Easttown's commitment to meeting the needs of all children, we have developed assessment tools to identify each child's basic skills. The tools developed for this purpose are the Kindergarten Screening Assessment and the Kindergarten Inventory of Developmental Skills. The Kindergarten Screening Assessment is given in September to identify students' basic skills. The Kindergarten Inventory of Developmental Skills is usually administered in the spring. This inventory reflects each child's progress in acquiring the skills necessary for success in first grade. Parent conferences are held in the fall and spring. Report cards are issued three times a year -- in November, February, and June. Be Involved... Make a Difference How Parents Can Help An Invitation to Become Involved Read with your child. Discuss the story and pictures. This is one of the most important things you can do. When you read with children, they learn that books are fun, and they soon want to be readers. Be aware of daily opportunities to teach your child numbers. For example: count trucks as you drive; ask your child to bring a number of something to you (spoons, forks, books); point out numbers you see in signs. Plan activities with your child. Many varied experiences are good for five-year-olds. Give your child simple home responsibilities to carry out on a consistent basis. These tasks will provide a feeling of importance and develop security. Take your child on trips such as to the zoo, museums, supermarkets, the library, malls, and parks. Talk about the experiences with your child. Help your child in selecting television programs. Monitor the programs your child watches and limit the amount of television viewing. Encourage your child to play outdoors often. This is important for a healthy child.

7 Building Directory Beaumont Elementary School 575 Beaumont Road Devon, PA Dr. Stephanie Demming, Principal (610) Devon Elementary School 400 S. Fairfield Road Devon, PA Dr. Todd Parker, Principal (610) Hillside Elementary School 507 Howellville Road Berwyn, PA Mrs. Diane Cohle, Principal (610) New Eagle Elementary School 507 Pugh Rd. Wayne, PA Ms. Karen Whyte, Principal (610) Valley Forge Elementary School 99 Walker Road Wayne, PA Mrs. Rebecca Wills, Principal (610)