Footsteps Newsletter

Footsteps Newsletter

vol 4 Issue 13

Report Cards

Each child will be receiving a report card in the yellow folder today. These p rogress reports will be sent home twice a year for each student. All students are assessed on the same areas despite age. Since this is a Kindergarten Readiness program, we are teaching and assessing on areas, skills and development that is necessary for Kindergarten. Please look over the information sheet in the yellow folder to better understand our report cards.

Report Cards and The Early Learning Assessment

Our entire full time faculty has attended a minimum of 12.5 hours of professional development for administering the Early Learning Assessment (ELA). The ELA has multiple purposes, including: - Monitoring the growth and development of preschool-age children

-Providing teachers with the information to individualize learning

-Reporting data for the Federal Requirements, including IDEA required Early Childhood Outcomes
The assessment measures a child's skills, knowledge and behaviors in seven domains of school readiness: Social Foundations, Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Physical Well-Being and Motor Development and Fine Arts. It is directly aligned with Ohio's Early Learning Standards which lead into the Standards set up for K-12. Our report cards are based off of these standards and also the ELA. It is important to note that the ELA looks at development from birth through the end of Kindergarten. Through observations, teachers are able to determine where each child falls on this developmental continuum.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?
Assessments and report cards are not a way of ranking children in the class. They are simply a way of determining where each child is at in developing necessary skills for kindergarten. Once a child's developmental level is determined, goals are set and teachers are able to assist your child in developing needed skills. During conferences, with your help, individual goals will be determined for your child. These goals will be part of what is developed through the winter.

More information on ELA

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Conferences will be here before you know it! Conferences will be held on November 19th & 20th. Sign up sheets will be outside of each classroom door. Conferences are typically 15 minutes long but can be extended if you have concerns which will take longer than the allotted time.

One of the biggest indicators of student success is parent/guardian involvement! Please plan on attending a conference. If you can't make any of the times listed, contact your child's teacher to set up a different time to meet!

Please welcome Ms. Caitlyn Amborski to Ms. Lexie's room. Ms. Caitlyn will be the assistant teacher in this room for the rest of the year. Caitlyn is a graduate of St. John the Baptist School and also a graduate of Cardinal Stritch High School. During her senior year, Caitlyn was with us in one of our PK rooms completing a senior project on Early Childhood Careers. Welcome Caitlyn! We are happy to have you here!

Please welcome Guinevere and Brooklyn to Ms. Amy and Ms. Mary's Class

Fall Break- NO SCHOOL

Our Fall Break/Conferences & Thanksgiving is coming up. There will be no school during the week of November 19th. Care will be offered on November 20th & 21st. Only 12 students may enroll so please send in your forms to enroll. Forms are found outside of the classroom doors and also in the Ext day room. If there is an overwhelming response, we will open additional spots.

School Cancellations and Delays

1. Look for "Washington Local" delays or closings on the news or via news station alerts.

2. Sign up for Remind to have alerts sent to you via text or email about delays/closings, event reminders like picture day, field trips, special activities etc.

3.. Check FB for updates

Remind

* Remind will also be used to notify you if there is an emergency or concern that you need to be made aware of immediately.

You can find us on facebook, through our website, and on

Like us on Facebook or leave a review!

Black Friday!

If you are out shopping and would like to donate to our collection of games, here is our wish list! We appreciate any donations as games become worn out quickly. Blokus, Candyland, Hi-ho Cheerios, Perfection, Operation, Dominoes, Guess Who, Matching games, Connect 4, decks of cards, Let's go Fishing, Tic-Tac-Toe, Pancake Pile Up, Jenga, Pick up sticks, Baby Dolls, coloring books, little people figures. Thank you!