Welcome to Mrs. Rafter s Early Childhood Classroom 2016-2017
Meet Our Team Jill Rafter Classroom Teacher jrafter@palos118.org Roseann Misheck Occupational Therapist rmisheck@palos118.org Jenny Burnham Classroom Paraprofessional Laura Rich Classroom Paraprofessional Joy Adams Speech Therapis jadams@palos118.org Diane Perini Physical Therapist dperini@swcccase.org Holly Nigohosian Social Worker hnigohosian@palos118.org Debbie Pryzwara School Psychologist dpryzwara@palos118.org
Your Child Needs: a backpack that they will bring to school everyday Please use a regular size backpack large enough to fit library books, projects, a large folder and snack. A small/mini backpack won t be big enough for all of the fun coming home from E.c.! A folder with pockets to be used for communication This folder should be checked and emptied every night. You may send notes to school in this folder as well. An extra change of clothes this is for messy projects or accidents. If your child comes home in their extra clothes, please send a replacement set the following school day. Diapers, pull-ups, and wipes if needed No other supplies are needed, but a list of donation items will be sent home throughout the school year if you are interested in supporting our classroom. Snack: Please send a healthy snack to school with your child each day. We are a peanut free environment. Please read the labels on the snacks that you send to school to help us provide the safest environment for all children. Thank you for working with us to promote healthy choices! Some snack ideas include fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, yogurt, and crackers. *Please write your child s name on their snack bag.
Ordering Milk If you would like to order milk for your child to have during snack time, you may order it through the district website. 1.) go to www.palos118.org 2.) Click Web Store 3.) Click All Products 4.) Click on the link for 2016-2017 West Elementary Registration Fees 5.) Click on West Elementary Milk (Early Childhood): Pay Here! (the cost is $70.00 for the school year. 6.) Follow the directions to complete your purchase. Birthday Treats Due to school district policy, edible birthday treats will NOT be permitted at school. Non-edible treats are also prohibited. We will make sure to recognize and celebrate your child s birthday at school! Pictures We take a lot of pictures in Early Childhood! This year, I will be using Google Photos to Organize our classroom pictures and to share them with our Early childhood families. Please make sure to provide an email address on the Student Information packet so that you can enjoy the pictures!
Missing School Regular attendance is very important in Early Childhood. It helps children get used to a routine and understand their daily schedule. However, if your child is sick, please keep them home to prevent the spread of illness. Please report your child s absence to the school office AND transportation. You can leave a message 24 hours a day at: School Office: (708)923-7052 Transportation: (708)448-4405 Progress Reports Early Childhood progress reports and updated I.E.P. goals are sent home three times during the school year. The first set of reports will be shared in early November at Parent/Teacher conferences. The second set will be sent home in mid-february, and the final reports will be sent home on the last day of school. Progress will also be discussed during your child s Annual Review / I.E.P. meeting.
Our Daily Activities Circle Time Circle Time will consist of whole group activities to develop language, listening, and pre-academic skills. Students will listen to stories and participate in songs, rhymes, and group activities. Early Literacy and Numeracy skills will be introduced during this time and reinforced during Learning Stations. Stories and skills from the Read It Once Again curriculum will be taught during this time. Centers During center time, the students will learn through play Centers which include: blocks, dramatic play, art, puzzles, games, and a sensory table. Students will be encouraged to role-play, problem-solve, and socialize while having fun with their peers. More centers will be added throughout the school year. Structured Teaching A structured teaching system will be used to provide an opportunity for your child to receive individualized instruction based on their unique learning goals.
Our Daily Activities Motor Our class will participate in gross motor skills each day. Motor activities can take place during Circle Time, Learning Stations, time on the playground, or Motor Time with Pre-K. Mrs. Misheck and our P.T. will help develop activities to develop gross motor skills and meet individual needs. Library / Computer Our class will go to library with the Pre-K class. Your child will bring the book that they picked out home in their backpacks. Please return the book the following week so that they can check out a new book. Library days will be listed on our monthly calendar. Music Our class will go to Music with the Pre-K class. The students will sing and dance while practicing listening skills, following directions and having fun with their friends. Every effort will be made to strengthen our classroom learning goals through movement, music, and song.
Our Daily Activities Table Toys While playing with manipulatives or Table Toys, students will work on the following goals: Small motor development and control Concentration and completion of a task enhanced self-esteem and feeling of control and mastery Concepts such as patterning, sequencing, matching, order Mrs. Misheck, our Occupational Therapist, will help plan specific activities during this time to help students develop their fine motor skills and work on individual goals. Table Toys may include legos, puzzles, lacing, cutting & gluing, coloring, play-doh, connecting toys, etc. Technology We are so fortunate to have access to a great variety of technology that we will use daily to enrich our curriculum!!! Our classroom has several ipads with a multitude of apps chosen to meet individual needs. We will use our classroom SMART Board daily to provide your child with interactive learning opportunities. We also have a variety of other educational materials and online subscriptions to help keep students engaged and motivated to learn! Read It Once Again Curriculum Read It Once Again is a Preschool Literacy Program that promotes and establishes Early Literacy and Numeracy skills. The program uses familiar children s literature to build a foundation for the development of cognitive, fine motor, gross motor, speech/language, daily living, and social skills. More information about this program will be sent home when we begin our first story at the end of September.
Classroom Behavior Visual supports will be used throughout the day so students always know where they should be and what they should be doing. These visual supports will include picture schedules, visual timers, pictures of ready behaviors, visual task cards, seat cushions, and ready spots on the floor. Ready to Learn behaviors will be taught and reinforced throughout the day. If a student demonstrates any behaviors that hinder their learning or the learning of others, they are not ready to learn and they will be redirected. At times, your child may be directed to the Take a Break area of our classroom. This is a place where students can take a break, calm down, and think about making a different choice. The area will have visual supports to help students identify how they are feeling, strategies to help them calm down, and encouragement to get their bodies Ready to Learn.
Parent / Teacher Collaboration I am so excited to have your child in my class this year! I hope that we can all work together to make this year a success! I will send home monthly newsletters outlining upcoming curriculum and events. These newsletters will also be available on my website. A daily report will be sent home each night to let you know what your child did in school that day. Please use this report as a tool to help your child communicate their experiences. Other important notes from our classroom and school will be in your child s home folder. Please check the folder every night and make sure to return it to school the following day. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or information that you would like to share. Thank You for Your Support and Partnership, Mrs. Jill Rafter Email: jrafter@palos118.org Voicemail: 708-761-3843. Classroom Website: http://www.palos118.org/index.aspx?nid=1515