WELCOME TO PRESCHOOL!
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My name is Miss Casey Blake and I am the lead teacher in the Preschool program. I have been a teacher in the Preschool program at St. Lawrence for 3 years. Prior to teaching at St. Lawrence, I served as a substitute teacher for the Milford and Trumbull Public School systems. I hold a Connecticut Teacher Certification for grades K-6. I am currently going for my Masters in Special Education. Mrs. Toni Finch is my aid. Mrs. Finch has a long history of working with children, at the West Haven Nursery Home on the Green for five years in their Pre-K program, and here at Saint Lawrence School as Art Director in our After School program for three years and also as an Art Teacher in the upper grades for 7 years. We have also been fortunate to add Mrs. Sandella as a part-time aid to our classroom. Mrs. Sandella is in our classroom Monday through Friday from 8-11. She is a wonderful addition to our program.
Our goal in the Preschool program is to prepare our 4 year old children for Kindergarten, and to help our 3 year old children get acclimated to a school setting. We offer a full day and half day program. Our full day program begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 2:10 p.m. We have a morning session, 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. and an afternoon session 11 a.m. - 2:10 p.m. Our program is not just play and art. At St. Lawrence, our children have a reading readiness program called Happily Ever After. It is a wonderful, age appropriate program that is geared to help children learn about books, the parts of a book, looking at pages from left to right, as well as teaching the children all sorts of great new vocabulary. The reading program also teaches the children skills such as reading comprehension, on a basic level of course. Along with our reading program, all the children do writing. Our 4 year old group will learn how to write their first and last names, while our 3 year old group will learn how to write their first names. Both groups will learn how to write all the letters in the alphabet, as well as numbers 1-20. Along with writing, the children will learn their colors, shapes, and letter recognition.
We have a great school here at Saint Lawrence. Come take a tour with me:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
1) How early can my child be dropped off in the morning?
Your child can be dropped off as early as 7:45 a.m.
2) Where do I drop off my child in the morning/afternoon?
Your child can be dropped off right at the Pre-k building no earlier than 7:45 a.m. or 11 a.m. if your child comes in the afternoon. You may park your car on the side street or just before the gate on the side of our building. For the safety of the children, you are NOT allowed to drive your car through our school parking lot.
3) What does my child need to bring to school?
If your child is full day, he/she needs the following: healthy snack, healthy lunch, and rest stuff (a small pillow and small blanket.) AM children should bring a healthy snack and PM children should bring a healthy lunch and rest stuff. All children need to bring a complete change of clothes (socks, underwear, pants/shorts, shirt, and sneakers) in case of an accident and a pencil box with children-sized crayons, 2 thick pencils, and 2 glue sticks.
4) When does the Pre-K program end?
All children must be picked up by 2:15 p.m at the latest. We end our program about 5 minutes earlier than the main school so that we can get our children safely on the bus.
5) What is considered a "healthy snack/lunch"?
A healthy snack or lunch consists of items that contain but are not limited to: fruit, veggie sticks, yogurt, cheese, granola bars, yogurt bars, raisins, etc. We do not allow any chips, cookies or other desserts during snack time.
6) Is there any kind of homework given?
I give the children "practice work" on a weekly basis. Every Friday, the children receive a practice page for the letter that we have been working on for the week. The practice work serves as reinforcement for the children. The practice work requires the children to color a specific picture, and then write the specific letter multiple times.
7) How does the school lunch program work?
You can either send your child in with money or pay online. You can pay weekly or only buy lunch when there is something your child really wants. If you are sending in money, I ask that it be in a sealed envelope with your child's name clearly written on it.
SCHOOL CALENDAR
MAY
Friday, May 4- 12:00 Dismissal
Friday, May 18- No School (Faculty Retreat)
Monday, April 28- No School (Memorial Day)
"LOOK WHAT I DID!"  |
Each day we showcase the work that our students in the 4 year old group complete. The work consists of writing numbers or writing letters. The children that take their time and follow the directions get their work posted on the board.
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Here are some examples of the work found on this particular board:
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WHAT ARE WE DOING IN PRE-K
Greetings everyone! It is hard to believe that we have about one month left of the school year. We are still continuing to strive to reach our goals in the PreK. One of our goals is for the children to learn their colors, recognize their numbers, and learn how to color in the lines. Another big goal for the children is for them to learn to be more independent. By going over the directions and showing them step-by-step what to do, we are hoping they will begin to complete their work more independently.
We are in beginning our 6th unit in our reading program,
Happily Ever After. The story we are beginning is entitled
The Nightengale. In this particular story, the children will learn concepts such as: first, next and last. Each story also focuses on a color. The color black will be the focus of this story.
I wanted to remind everyone the importance of practice work. The practice work is important because it serves as reinforcement for what we are doing in the classroom. Not to mention, it gives your children extra practice at home. Lastly, it gives you a better idea of what we are doing in the classroom. It is important that the practice work be handed in on time.
Parents, please work with your child at home. I have mentioned before that we are all a team. In order for your child to be successful and prepared for Kindergarten, it is paramount that you reiterate the things they are learning in school. Some things you can be practicing at home with your child: colors, numbers 1-5, calendar (days of the week, month, date, year), seasons, weather. For my 4 year old group, I have begun sending home sight word books. You should be taking 15 minutes each night to let your child read to you from these books. It allows them to practice the sight words they are learning, and it also gives them a great sense of accomplishment. This feeling will translate into getting excited about reading.
Lastly, I am still working on assessments. The assessments will give me a better understanding of the level that the children are and what needs to be done so that there can be improvement. You will all receive a copy of your child's assessment to keep. If there are children who I feel are not making adequate progress, then I will notify you.