Kyrene Preschool Program at Cerritos

1. Kyrene Preschool Programat Cerritos Kyrene School District 2015-2016

2. Meet Our Staff • Special Education Preschool Teacher Jennifer Bell • Bachelors Special Education & Elementary Education • Early Childhood Endorsement • M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction • Speech/Language Pathologist Cheryl Davis • Bachelors Elementary Education • Masters Clinical Speech Pathology • Instructional Assistants Tricia Mante Jackie Oza Cerritos Preschool Staff

3. District Specialists • Director of Special Education • Shari Dukes • Lead Preschool Teacher • Lori Conroy • Administrative Assistant • Becky Lugo • Occupational Therapist • Dawn Bjornson • Assistive Technology Specialist • Hannah Jones- AT Teacher

4. Staff Ratio and Hours • Each day there are three adults for approximately 16 students • 1 Highly Qualified Teacher in Special Education and Early Childhood • 2 instructional assistants that have extensive training • Speech Language Pathologist/Therapist • 1 day a week (Friday)

5. Speech/Language Services • Leads large group lessons in phonological awareness, speech sound production, and language skills • Leads small group lessons working on various language skills • Works with individual students or small groups on specific goals during center time • Consults with preschool staff on ways to support speech and language skills throughout the day.

6. About the Program

7. Program Philosophy • Play Based • Developmentally Appropriate • Child Directed Play • Integration-children learn from each other • Clear Routines and Expectations • Based on Whole Child Social/Emotional Language Skills Cognitive Fine and Gross Motor Self-Help Skills

8. Role of Typical Peer • Provide appropriate models for speech and language, behavior, etc. • Develop friendships and love of learning • Support Peers in learning activities • Typical peers learn respect and appreciation for diversity.

9. Daily Schedule • Circle Time • Small Group Instruction • Child Directed Play (1 hour) • Snack Time • Story Time/Music Time • Gross Motor Play (30 minutes) • Closing Circle Time Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood. -Fred Rogers

10. Classroom Centers • Art Center • Sensory Table • Library Area • Listening Center • Puzzles and Manipulative • Math Center • Science Center • Language Center • Dramatic Play Center • Music Center • Writing Center • Blocks and Building Center

11. Arizona State Standards for Early Childhood(Standards guide our instruction) Social/Emotional Approaches to Learning Language and Literacy Mathematics Science Social Studies Physical Development Health and Safety Fine Arts

12. Preschool Curriculum • The curriculum is divided into 8 major themes for the year. (Each theme lasts for 1 month) • 1. Ready for School • 2. My Family • 3. Our Community • 4. Awesome Animals! • 5. Imagine It, Make It • 6. Growing UP Healthy • 7. Nature All Around Us • 8. Moving On

13. Founding Principles of BIG DAY(correlate with the AZ State Standards for Early Childhood) • Integrated Learning- learning experiences that integrate all domains social-emotional, language and literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, arts, and physical development. • Language Development-language development provided through modeling and reinforcing conversation, vocabulary, and sentence structures across social and academic settings. • Social-Emotional Development-focuses on developing behaviors and traits that will enable them to function productively and collaboratively in school and society. • Responsive Instruction-focus on preparing children for success in school by monitoring progress and providing responsive instruction based on need for individuals and small groups. • Partner with Families-promotes partnership and communication with families and extends children’s learning at home.

14. Preschool Curriculum • The Big Day program has a parent portal. Please take the information on the table home with you. http://auth.grolier.com/login/bdport/login.php?bffs=N

15. Parent/Teacher Communication

16. Progress Reports • Conferences will be held in October for all students. • Parents will receive a written report of progress in January and May. • Parents will either be receiving a Teaching Strategies Gold Report and/or a Progress Report similar to the Kindergarten Report Card.

17. What Parents Can do at Home to Support Learning • Read to your child daily. Reading is the single most important activity leading to literacy. • Talk to your child, use big vocabulary words, ask lots of questions, and describe things in detail. • Encourage independence (even though it might be easier to do things for them, children really want to be self sufficient) • Sing songs and play games with your child. • Dialogic Reading-the adult helps the child become the teller of the story. The adult becomes the listener, the questioner, the audience for the child.

18. Cerritos Mission Statement Leaders of Today, Inspiring Leaders of Tomorrow

19. 7 Habits • Habit 1-Be Proactive (you’re in charge) • Habit 2-Begin with the End in Mind (have a plan) • Habit 3-Put First Things First (work first then play) • Habit 4-Think Win-Win (everyone wins) • Habit 5-Seek First to Understand then to be understood (listen before you speak) • Habit 6- Synergize (together is better) • Habit 7-Sharpen the Saw (have a balance) We believe that every child possesses leadership skills. We believe that every child possesses leadership skills.

20. Class Mission Statement Hand in Hand We Fill Buckets

21. Ways to Support Preschool Program • Open lines of communication between parents and teacher • Tax Credit Donation • See link on district web page www.kyrene.org • Volunteer • Party Coordinator • Donation of requested items • Wish List • Newsletter

22. “Be a Beacon” Donation Drive http://safeshare.tv/w/ftFkNvZUkH

23. Closing • End of the Day Song • Before you Leave… Please find your child’s photo on the back cabinet to take home. • Check to be sure that you have signed the Class Directory