Welcome!

Lead Teacher: Ms. Chelsea

Teacher Assistants: Ms. Rosie and Ms. Shelly

We would like to extend our happiest and warmest welcome to our classroom!

I have known that I wanted to be a teacher since I could remember! I started pursuing this dream in high school where I was able to become a preschool teacher for Children’s Corner Preschool for both my Junior and Senior years. Every since then I knew preschool was the age for me! I studied Early Childhood Education at Westfield State University and graduated in May. I also have been a substitute teacher in the Westfield school system and have been a dance teacher at a local dance studio for four years. I have lived and still currently live in Westfield with my mother. We have recently added two sister kittens, Hazel and Charli into our home!

I believe that it not only takes someone to enjoy being around children to teach but someone that wants to make a difference in a child’s life. I am so excited to provide a hands-on, creative, diverse and engaging experience! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me!

Beginning school
Beginning school is a very exciting and emotional experience for both you and your child. Because children need to get used to the school environment and bond with their teachers and classmates, Ms. Rosie, Ms. Shelly and I will be there welcoming them and helping them to get involved with our morning activities. Although your child may get upset the first few days, we will be here to comfort them and they usually calm within a few minutes. And remember, your child will mirror your behavior, so try your best to smile and show them how excited and confident you are that they are going to love coming to school!! It’s going to be a great year!

Morning Sign In

School begins at 9:00. 

Every morning when you arrive at school, please do the following:

Take backpacks, jackets, etc. and hang them on your child’s hook. Take lunches and folders out of backpacks.

Sign your child in.

Parent Pick Up

At the end of each day, my number one priority is the safety of your children, and pick up time tends to be very busy. If for some reason, someone other than yourself is picking up your child.  Please notify the teacher.  If it is somebody that is not on your release form, please write a note giving us permission to release your child to that person.

Outside Pick Up

On Monday, Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays, weather permitting; your child will be outside at the playground. Please DO NOT enter the fenced in playground area.  Your child will remain inside the fenced area until you have signed them out. Once signed out, your child will be released to you. 

Classroom Pick Up

On Fridays, the children will be released from our classroom.  If the classroom door is locked, please wait outside until we have opened the door. Once again pick up time tends to be very busy the children will remain in the classroom while you sign them out and will then be called up individually to leave.

Daily Schedule

Our schedule each day will vary slightly due to our specials.  I will post the schedule for you to see outside of our classroom.  Each day will consist of morning meetings, physical activity, snack, circle time, small group activities, math and or science, letter of the week, number of the week, reading, writing, free choice play centers and end of day routines.

Specials

We will be attending specials this year as part of our regular program.  On Tuesday’s at 10:15 we will have Gym class. On Thursdays we will have Music at 10:30 and, on Friday’s, we will have Swimming from 1:00 to 2:00. During swim time only 2 parents are allowed in the pool area at a time.  I will have sign up sheets available on our classroom.

Letter Bag

Once we have settled into our new routine, we will give special attention to a letter of the week.  Each child can bring in something from home that begins with the letter of the week.  This is an opportunity for your child to share with the rest of the group. We know it may be awhile before each child has a turn as it will take time to go through the 26 letters in each class but every child will have at least 2 turns before the year is over.

Number Bag

Inside a folder will be a card with a number written on it, or several numbers from which to choose. Look at the numbers and talk about their names and count the dots on the card(s). Choose the number they want to share. You can bring anything you want in that quantity. (For example, for the number 3 you may want to bring three toy cars or three favorite rocks.) The next day you will show and tell what you brought. We will as a class count the items together and match them to the correct number card!

Birthday Bag

A birthday bag is where your child can tell how they celebrate their birthday, and other important facts about the day they were born. They can include a baby photo or any special item that will help them explain there important day. The children love to look at one another’s pictures!

Birthdays

Our school has adopted a new policy that we may not give the children sugary snacks (each of our school-provided snacks will contain at least one fruit or vegetable as well as whole grains and water to drink).  This means no cakes, cookies or other sugary, Trans fat foods or fruit juices, even as “treats”.  If you would like to provide a special snack to celebrate your child’s birthday, please keep these policies in mind, as we will have to send home any foods that do not follow those guidelines.  Think of bringing in your child’s favorite fruit or vegetable or whole-grain snack instead! 

Please let me know in advance if you plan to bring a snack so that we can plan accordingly.

Student Assessments

In addition to daily observations, I will be conducting formal student assessments three times this year.  During that time, I will gather information in academic, physical, social and emotional development.  These assessments will be shared with you during conferences. These assessments are done on what we see at school and does not necessarily show the child’s true potential.

Health

It is our goal to keep everyone in our class (and our school) as healthy as possible.  Please do not bring your child into school if they are not feeling well.  It is also school policy that you keep your child home until they have been fever free with no medications for 24 hours.  We will also be doing our part cleaning the classroom and toys to limit any spreading of germs.

Shoes

We will have at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.  Every day we try and get the children out to the playground (weather permitting) or do gross motor activities indoors. For this reason, have your child wear appropriate foot wear, please NO open toed or unsafe shoes!

Clothes

We WILL get messy!!  There will be messy art projects, outdoor play and the occasional “accident”.  Please send your child into school in clothes that they can get dirty as well as a second set of clothes in a labeled Ziploc baggie to be kept in their backpacks. We will also be walking to the main building for specials. Please provide boots and or umbrellas so your child does not get wet.

I look forward to getting to know you and your child this school year.