Welcome to BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

1. Welcome to BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT Presented by the PEP Staff

2. A little bit about PEP at Stone Mill • We have 8 PEP classes here at Stone Mill! We have 2 AM PEP Classic classes, 2 PM PEP Classic classes, 1 AM INC class, 1 PM INC class, a Beginnings class, and a PEP-C (comprehensive) class. • We have 2 speech pathologists, 2 occupational therapists, and 2 physical therapists! • The bell times and days of the week differ for each PEP program.

3. Stone Mill PEP staff • Parent educator: Meredith Milk • PEP Classic teachers: Val Ackley and Melissa Digenova • PEP INC teachers: Susan Carmi and Liz Thompson • PEP Beginnings teacher: Alicia Thompson • PEP Comprehensive teacher: Sevilay Chabuk

4. More PEP Stone Mill staff! • Speech Pathologists: Stacey Simon (DiGenova, A. Thompson, Carmi, Chabuk) and Emily Thomas (Ackley and L. Thompson) • Occupational therapists: Ursula Stello (Ackley, L.Thompson, Chabuk) and Julie Underwood (DiGenova, Carmi, A.Thompson) • Physical therapists: Jen Carter and MaryBeth Etherton (share all classes)

5. Even More PEP staff! • We have vision teachers, teachers that work with children who are deaf/hard of hearing, and InterACT teachers who work with children requiring specialized assitive technology. • We also have a PEP school psychologist who helps with assessments • We even have members of the PEP administration assigned to Stone Mill (but they are based at the PEP office)

6. OUR WEBSITEThis year as in years past, you can find Stone Mill’s website at:http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/stonemilles/By clicking on “classrooms” and then “PEP,” you can find information about your child’s program, what a typical day may look like, and other useful information.The PEP newsletters will also be posted each month.

7. OTHER USEFUL INFO ON THE WEBSITEStone Mill is paperless. Updates and newsletters will more than likely be sent via email. Any important information from the principal can be accessed by clicking on “Tiger Tails Newsletters” on the Stone Mill’s website. (If for some reason you do not want the information electronically, please contact the main office.)Emergency Alerts can also be accessed from Stone Mill’s main page.

8. EMERGENCY FORMSIt is imperative that families fill out and return completed emergency form to the school as soon as possible! Any other important contacts are also greatly appreciated (child care, home numbers, cell numbers, work numbers, and email addresses). Also, please list at least 2 emergency contacts (neighbors, relatives, other trusted adults).

9. KEEPING EVERYONE SAFEPlease remember to always come to the main office any time that you come into school. If you need to meet with a teacher, you’ll need to make an appointment ahead of time.

10. MEDICATIONSAll medications require a physician’s written authorization (form #525-13).Prescriptions must be provided in a container with the pharmacist's and child’s name printed on the label.All medications must be delivered to school by the parent.

11. WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL • If your child has any of these symptoms: • A temperature of more than 100 degrees the night before • Nausea or vomiting • Stomachache or diarrhea • Pale or flushed face • Headache • Cough or sore throat • Earache • Thick discharge from nose, particularly if green • Rash or infection of the skin • Red or pink eyes • Loss of appetite • Loss of energy or decrease in activity • it is best that he/she stays home. Children are required by MCPS to be symptom-free for 24 hours. • Please contact your child’s bus lot and PEP site directly to let them know your child will not be attending school.

12. ABSENCE POLICYPlease send a note regarding the reason for your child’s absence within 2 days following the absence. You may also call the main office and speak to the secretary or email the teacher to let us know of the absence.

13. TRANSPORTATIONThings to remember: • Be patient. Buses may be a little early or a little late, depending on factors including traffic and the children who are picked up before your child. Please start looking for the bus at least five (5) minutes prior to your child’s scheduled pick-up and drop-off times. • Bus service is curb-to-curb. The driver will make every effort to come as close as possible to your address. • Please have your child ready for the bus. Drivers are not able to honk or knock on the door. • To inquire about a late bus, please call the bus lot directly—301-670-2283. If you cannot reach someone at your child’s bus lot, please contact the school. • Remember—substitute drivers, bad weather, or traffic may make the bus run late. It is essential that PEP staff has updated contact and emergency information to alert you and/or your child care provider about any bus problems of which they are aware. • If you have any questions or concerns about transportation, talk to your parent educator or your child’s teacher.

14. CHANGE IN PICK-UPPlease send a note regarding any changes in pick-up. Children can only be released to people listed on the emergency form. Email is not recommended, but you may call the main office to let the secretary know of your child’s change in pick-up. Also, please make sure the person picking up your child is ready to provide a photo ID.

15. OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATIONInformation on the PEP calendar, school delays, closings, and early dismissals is available on MCPS Cable Channel 34 & 36 and on the MCPS Web Home Page. You can also sign up to receive Twitter alerts. Classic, Beginnings, INC, and PEP-C may not follow the regular school calendar, so please be sure to ask if you are unsure.

16. SCHEDULING CLASSROOM VISITSPlease contact your child’s classroom teacheror parent educator to set up a visit.Visits are usually limited to 30-45 minutes and all parents must be accompanied by a PEP staff member.

17. QUARTERLY PROGRESSYour child’s IEP is considered his or her report card. Your child’s teacher will mark progress at the end of each quarter and you will receive a copy of your child’s progress to keep for your records.

18. BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONSIf you would like to send in a birthday treat with your child (food only please), please let your child’s teacher know. All treats for all parties (Halloween, Valentine’s Day, PEP celebrations) must be store-bought items from an approved list.

19. THEMESSeptember School and All About MeOctober* Farm and FallNovember Food and RestaurantsDecember Families, Store, Holidays January Winter and ClothesFebruary* Community HelpersMarch Nursery Rhymes and Stories of 3April Bears and SpringMay Summer and AquariumJune Home and All About Me  In October and February, children will participate in Halloween and Valentine’s Day, respectively. If you prefer your child not participate in these activities, let your child’s teacher know and other plans will be made to accommodate your child.

20. CURRICULUM PEP uses curriculum guidelines from the following sites: MCPSCurriculum 2.0 http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/2.0/#calendar, click on “read about new curriculum framework” (PDF file) Maryland State Curriculum http://mdk12.org/, click on “instruction,” click on “early ed” or “special ed” Maryland Model for School Readiness http://mdk12.org/instruction/ensure/MMSR/MMSR_FP.html, click on “prekindergarten” or “preschool 3” Maryland Healthy Beginnings http://www.marylandhealthybeginnings.org/, click on “developmental domain charts” Maryland Learning Links http://www.marylandlearninglinks.org/, click on “development and learning,” click on topic of interest

21. PEP’s integrated therapy model • PEP utilizes an integrated therapy model. That means that the therapists come into the classrooms and work with the children throughout their school day. Therapy in MCPS is individualized but not necessarily individual.

22. Parent Conferences • After the first quarter, you will be offered a parent teacher conference. This is a chance to meet one on one with your child’s teacher to hear about their progress. This can be done in person here at school or on the phone if it’s more convenient. Teachers will contact you about scheduling these conferences for early November. If you would like to schedule a conference after this time, please do not hesitate to ask!