SM Early Childhood Education Center
December 2023
Administrative Team
Tracy Smarr-Dolezal, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator
From the Principal's Desk
Important Calendar Reminders
December 6- Chipotle Fundraiser 5-9- 12150 W. 95th St.
December 20-January 5- No School- Winter Break
Our building follows the district calendar and PreK schedule, with the exception of no school on Fridays. You can access the district calendar here. District Calendar 23-24
Chipotle Fundraiser
Mark your calendars and spread the word! We will be hosting a fundraiser at Chipotle in Lenexa (95th & Quivira) on Wednesday, December 6th from 5-9pm. Funds raised will go to family engagement (e.g., education nights) activities and staff support (e.g., equipment, materials, teacher appreciation activities)! For more information and the fliers, click HERE. Thank you for your support!
Bus Notices
If your child rides a bus to school, please make sure you are signed up for TextCaster. Once signed up, you will receive text messages regarding the buses if they are running late or have another problem arise. Click the box by the bus number(s) your child rides under early childhood to be sure you have all of the most up to the minute information. You can sign up here
Online Absence Reporting
Starting January 8th, 2024, you will be able to report your child absence in Skyward online. You can find the directions for how to do this here when on a computer, or for the mobil app. here. As always you can also call them in using our attendance line at 913-993-2602. Please continue to let us know if your child will be absent for any reason.
You Are Invited!!
Parents if you can join us at drop off on January 9th for a chat and chew with other families we would love to see you!
January Smart Start Parent Night
January 25th- building routines for your child
March 7th- blowing your worries away, setting up a calm spot for your child and strategies for calming.
Outdoor Recess
As the temperatures begin to drop, please make sure you are dressing your child warmly for outdoor recess. We follow the district guidelines for playing outside. We will go out as long as the temperature is above 15 and the wind chill is above 0 and there is no snow. If you could also put your child's name on the inside of their jackets, hats and mittens it will help us keep them out of the lost and found and make sure they get home to you.
Thank you for your Generosity!!
Thank you all for supporting the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. We as a school donated 159 cans for the food drive. In addition we were able to raise $50 during our Andy's give back night, the weather was awful but you all still came out to support us!! We have our Chipotle fundraiser coming up on the 6th. You can order online, pick up, or eat in the store. I hope you will consider participating!
SMSDE All Star District Recognition
Is there a SMECEC staff member that you see shine in your child's life on a regular basis? SMSD is seeking nominations for the district's All Star recognition. Nominations may be submitted using this link.
Resources from the Social Worker
SMECEC Family Resources: Don’t forget to check out the Family Resources Google folder with weekly updates and resources for you to access anytime! Visit the site HERE.
December Celebrations & Recognitions:
December 2nd: National Special Education Day
December 7th – 15th: Hanukkah
December 18th: World Arabic Language Day
December 24th: Christmas Eve
December 25th: Christmas Day
December 31st: New Year’s Eve
December Fun Reads for Preschoolers
More Donations for the Teacher Treat Cart Needed!!
Thank you to all of the parents that made our Tuesday Teacher Treat Cart a reality!!! Please keep the items coming!! The staff here truly enjoy this simple act and look forward to Tuesday when the treat cart comes around . Without a PTA we rely on parents to send in items for that treat cart to make it a possibility. Please consider continuing to donate pre-packaged snacks to include on our cart. Some past favorites have been: individual bags of chips both regular and baked, individual bags of pop corn, such as smart pop, full size candy bars, and individual bags of cookies. ! But we encourage your creativity as you donate as well. Thank you again for making our treat cart happen!
Attendance
2023-24 School Meals
Food service offers breakfast and lunch for our students
Prices will be as follows:
Elementary Breakfast: $1.55
Reduced $0.30
Elementary Lunch: $2.85
Reduced: $0.40
Families can complete a child nutrition meal benefit application to see if they qualify for free for reduced meal prices after July 1, 2023. The information and link will be on the Food Service web page after July 1 and families are encouraged to apply as soon as it is available so that any benefits the family may receive are processed prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year.
Breakfast
Breakfast is available each school day. The breakfast menu includes an entrée, grain, fruit and milk. Students are served all items to receive a full breakfast; including the required ½ cup of fruit.
Lunch
Lunch includes an entrée, grain, fruit, vegetable and milk. Students are served all of these five components on their lunch tray, including the required ½ cup fruit and/or vegetable.
Food Services has updated the School Meal Information flyer for parents. It is available on the main page of the Food Service web page and linked here for you convenience.
The “pig” symbol on the menu means that the item contains pork.
Menus, nutritional and allergy information are available online at https://www.schoolcafe.com.
Special Diet
If you have an allergy or specific dietary concerns, contact your school nurse for a medical form to be filled out by your doctor.
Food service information is available on the district’s web site at www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service or you can call the Food Service office at 913-993-9710.
School Meal Accounts
Early Childhood Screening
SMSD offers an early childhood developmental screening which includes the areas of vision, hearing, problem-solving, personal-social development, gross/fine motor skills, and speech/language skills. The purpose of the screening is to identify children who may have substantial developmental delays and who may be eligible for special education services. SMSD’s Early Childhood Screening (ECS) is appropriate for children ages 2 years 9 months to 5 years old who reside within the Shawnee Mission School District boundaries.
How often are screenings offered?
Screenings for 2023-2024 occur monthly on a Friday morning and are by appointment only. Parent or other legal guardian must complete a request for screening and submit the required documents before an appointment is offered.
How do I request a screening for my child?
More information about the ECS program can be found on the district’s Early Childhood Special Education home page under Early Childhood Screening.
Connect with us via Social Media
We have new social media sites this year! Please feel free to follow us and like us!!
Twitter: @theSMECEC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THESMECEC/
Or search for #EarlyEDSMSD to see what's happening district wide in PreK!
Shawnee Mission Early Childhood Education Center
Email: carlaheintz@smsd.org
Website: earlychildcenter.smsd.org
Location: 6701 West 83 Street, Overland Park, KS, 6USA
Phone: (913)993-2600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shawnee-Mission-Early-Childhood-Education-Center-101802735143826
Twitter: @theSMECEC