Early Steps Updates ~ Summer 2024

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Dear Early Steps Families:

We are so very excited to welcome your children, our students, to Early Steps classrooms next Tuesday, September 3rd. Here is a glimpse of our staff enjoying their first day back at Early Steps yesterday, posted on the WPS Facebook Page.

• On August 9th, you should have received an email with information on your child's teacher, class assignment, and basic information about Early Steps. If you did not, and believe that you should have, please notify Admin Assistant, Tricia D'Amelio @ tricia.damelio@watertown.k12.ma.us. This email included an invitation for parents/caregivers to visit your child’s classroom on our truncated 'Visiting Day' on Tuesday, September, 3rd alongside your child.
• Your child's teacher will be sending a welcome letter with more information before Sept. 3rd.
• I've included detailed information on arrival and dismissal procedures. Tuesday will be smooth as students are arriving in small groups throughout the day for 30-minute visits. But as history teaches us, we'll all need to exercise patience as we anticipate a learning curve in the first couple of days of school. However, by the second week, drop off and pick up will flow smoothly.
• The 'Early Steps Early Childhood Center' includes the two satellite PreK classrooms at Cunniff School and Lowell School. Those PreK students/families will receive newsletters from both the Cunniff Principal, Julia MacEwan or the Lowell Principal, Stacy Phelan, and me. Please be sure to review them as some will be important building-based information and some will be Early Steps curriculum, instruction, research, photos, etc. You can expect a cadence of bi-weekly newsletters from me with highlights and school happenings to keep you informed.

Keep each other (and yourselves) well,

Dr. Theresa McGuinness

Principal

theresa.mcguinness@watertown.k12.ma.us

Every Child...Every Classroom...Every Day

Quick Resources: Early Steps Website (Under Construction)

WPS 2024 - 2025 School Year Calendar

(Our Cunniff School & Lowell School PreK students/families will follow the directions provided by their school's principals. The information provided below is for those students attending at the Early Steps location.)

1. DROP OFF/Arrival

Drop off starts at either 7:50 a.m. or 9:00 a.m., depending on the start time of your child’s day,

and the locations are different. The following procedures are created to maintain an orderly and safe environment during arrival and dismissal. Please carefully read the details below.

For students in our programs that start at 8:00 a.m.:

• Our Drop & Go begins at 7:50 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. and can be accessed from Winthrop St. off of Mt. Auburn St.
• The drop off cue is from the stop sign at the corner of Hancock St. and Chauncey St. and along the right hand side of Hancock Street.
• We ask families to please pull up to the next available spot in the drop off cue. This drop off area is for PRESCHOOL/PREK students ONLY. Students/siblings attending the Hosmer are to be dropped off according to the Hosmer drop off plans.
• Cars are to have their hazard lights on to let us know that your car needs assistance.
• Procedure: At drop off, a staff member will help your child out of the car and bring them into their classroom. PLEASE REMAIN IN THE CAR. This helps to move the drop off line along. Drop & Go ends at 8:00 a.m.
• In summary, kindly remain in your car. Please tie shoes, zip zippers, pack the backpacks and kiss goodbye before you arrive at the drop-off point.
  

***If you anticipate that your child may have a difficult time transitioning from the car, we respectfully ask that you park on Mt. Auburn Street and walk your child down to a staff member in front of the school.***

For students in our programs that start at 9:00 a.m.(a small number of students):

• The drop off time for the 9:00 - 12:00 session is at 9:00 a.m.
• Procedure: Families are to legally park on Concord St. or Mt. Auburn St. and walk their child to the front door of the school at 9:00. Staff will meet you there to escort your child to their class.
• There is NO ACCESS to the Preschool from Winthrop St. during the school day other than the early Drop & Go @7:50 or for buses, as the sign reads "while school is in session between 7:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m." Hancock St. is one way "while school is in session" as well.
  

It is very important that children arrive at school on time. When children arrive late it disrupts their morning school routine. We understand that this may happen occasionally however we ask that this is not a regular occurrence. Late is considered arriving after 9:05 a.m..

______________________

2. DISMISSAL

Dismissal starts at the end time of your child’s scheduled day (either 12:00, 1:00, or 2:00),

and on Early Release days it is at 11:45 a.m. for all students.

For students in our programs that end at 2:00 p.m.:

• Your child’s teacher will inform you of the meeting location for dismissal. It is either the playground area or the front door of the preschool.
• Procedure: Families are asked to legally park along Hancock and Winthrop Streets and walk to gather your child. PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK DRIVEWAYS or DOUBLE PARK on Winthrop Street.
• Please note that parking on the right side of Hancock Street is 'live parking' just for picking up children. There is no extended parking in that area. This space is reserved for the buses at the Hosmer dismissal. Please do not park in this area for longer than 10 minutes.

For students in our programs that end at 12:00 or 1:00 p.m. (a smaller number of students):

• Procedure: Families are asked to legally park along either Concord St. or Mt. Auburn St. and walk to gather your child at the front door of the Preschool.

________________________

3. LATE DROP OFF or EARLY DISMISSAL

• Procedure: If your child will be late for school, or being dismissed early, park on either Concord St. or Mt. Auburn St. and walk your child to the main entrance of the preschool. Ring the doorbell to be let into the building and enter the main office to sign your child in or out, and your child will be escorted to their classroom or to you.
• If you know that your child is going to be late or dismissed early, please inform your child’s teacher. You may also call the main office (617-926-7765 ) and a message can be relayed to your child’s teacher.
• There is NO ACCESS to the Preschool from Winthrop St. during the school day other than the early Drop & Go @7:50 or for buses, as the sign reads "while school is in session between 7:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m." Hancock St. is one way "while school is in session" as well.

Thank you in advance for abiding by these procedures.

Dear Caregivers

Medication Updates: As we begin our school year, we are asking parents of students who have a medical diagnosis and need medication to be given during school hours to please drop off medication at the nurses office. This might include: Epi-Pens, inhalers, insulin, and/or other scheduled or as needed medications.

Medication must have a current doctor’s medication order that is dated after June 2024. I will go over the orders with parents when they drop them off. Please DO NOT just send in medications with your child. I will plan to retrieve all medications on the first day/week of school.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this request.

Kaitlyn Reynolds, RN, BSN

kaitlyn.reynolds@watertown.k12.ma.us

617-926-7765

• Day 2- (Early Release at 12:00) Wednesday, September 4th - arrival begins at 7:50 AM. After 8:00 AM, caretakers must park on Mt. Auburn St. or Concord St. and walk your child to the main entrance to sign them in at the main office. Pick-up time is 12:00 PM (no lunch service and no Extended Day).

• Day 3- (First Full Day - Except for students who are M,WF only) Thursday, September 5th - (lunch is served, Extended Day is open for those students signed up).

Dear 2024-2025 PreK Extended Day Program Families:

• The PreK Extended Day Program begins on the first full day of school for PreK students, Thursday, September 5, 2024. The 2024-2025 PreK Extended Day Program Calendar includes a list of dates the program is open and closed for the school year. Please note that the first day of the program was recently updated to align with the first full day of PreK on 9/5.
• A link to the PreK Extended Day Program Calendar can also be found within the 2024-2025 PreKindergarten Extended Day Program - Full Program Details. The full program details include helpful information such as what to pack for your student, the location and procedures for student pick-up, tuition and payment information, important program contact information, and more.
• ***Extended Day for PreK students is at capacity for the fall.

The Hosmer Extended Day Site Coordinator, Tommy Brennan, will be emailing families the week of August 26th to introduce himself and welcome you all to the program. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the program or you have specific questions regarding your student, please feel free to reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Debi Cornelius

Director of Community Education

debora.cornelius@watertown.k12.ma.us.

1. 5 day/5 hour = $860/month

2. M-F 9A-12P & MWF 8A-1P = $516/month

3. T/TH 8A-1P = $344/month

• Tuition payments are due the first of each month. Caregivers have these options for making a payment: (1) online through City Hall Systems, (2) use the drop off box at the Phillips building, (3) mail, or (4) bring in a check made payable to "Town of Watertown" to Tricia D'Amelio in the Early Steps main office. The tuition is due on or before the first of every month September through June. The online system will be set up once the school year starts.

• ***Parents/Caregivers will receive an email with an invoice attached from City Hall Systems prior to the start of school.

• For more information, contact: Administrative Assistant, Tricia D’Amelio @ Tricia.DAmelio@watertown.k12.ma.us

• ***Tuesday, September 3rd - First Day of School with Early Steps Student Visits for 30-min appointments, by groups (Time was included in placement emails to parents/caregivers)
• Wednesday, September 4th - Early Steps Early Dismissal at 12:00 p.m.
• Thursday, September 5th - Early Steps Preschool/PreK FIRST FULL DAY (based on their program)
• Wednesday, September 25th - EARLY DISMISSAL, 11:45 am (Staff Professional Development)
• Tuesday, October 1st - Back to School Night 5:30-7:00 pm
• Monday, October 14th - NO SCHOOL - Indigenous Peoples Day Observed
• Tuesday, October 22nd (Day) Adult & Teacher Conferences 1:00-2:30 pm
• Thursday, October 24th - (Night) Adult & Teacher Conferences 5:00-7:00 pm
• Tuesday, October 29th - (Night) Adult & Teacher Conferences 4:30-6:30 pm
• Friday, November 1st - (Day) Adult & Teacher Conferences 1:00-2:30 pm
• Tuesday, November 5th - No School (Election Day & Teacher's Professional Development)