Bulldog Buddies Bulletin

Hello Bulldog Buddies Families,

Bulldog Buddies believes that play is the heart of early learning! By incorporating the Indiana Early Learning Standards into our play-based environment, we ensure that your child is developing key skills in a way that is engaging, meaningful, and fun.

These standards cover key areas of development, including:

1. English/Language Arts – Early literacy skills such as listening, speaking, vocabulary, and emergent reading and writing.
2. Mathematics – Foundational concepts like number sense, patterns, measurement, and spatial awareness.
3. Social-Emotional Skills – Building relationships, self-regulation, and emotional awareness.
4. Approaches to Play & Learning – Encouraging curiosity, problem-solving, creativity, and persistence.
5. Science – Exploring the natural world through observation, questioning, and hands-on discovery.
6. Social Studies – Understanding community, family roles, geography, and basic history concepts.
7. Creative Arts – Expressing ideas and emotions through music, movement, drama, and visual arts.
8. Physical Health & Growth – Developing fine and gross motor skills, self-care, and healthy habits.

These standards help guide our play-based curriculum, ensuring that every child is actively learning through meaningful, developmentally appropriate experiences. We use these standards to develop activities in the classroom, for eLearning day activities and for our family activities that are sent home monthly. Play isn’t just fun; it’s how young children explore, problem-solve, and build the foundation for lifelong learning. Thank you for partnering with us in supporting your child’s growth!

Sincerely,

Kristy Elsey

We are starting to plan for the 2025-2026 school year. Please complete the interest form below if you are interested in your child attending the Bulldog Buddies preschool program next year (2025-2026). Completing this form does not guarantee your child a spot within the program; however, it is the first step in that process. You will receive additional information from my office as the year progresses regarding registration.

Bulldog Buddies Preschool Interest Form 2025-2026

Check out some highlights from the Clothes Study!

We had fun learning all about clothes in January. We learned about many types of clothes and features of clothing, why we wear them, and how to take care of them. We also learned about different places to get clothes and a little bit about how clothes are made. Our fashion shows, demonstrations, and family learning activities were a blast!

Our Exercise Study will take place during the month of February. This study explores children’s natural desire to move. Many young children are in constant motion when they are awake. They wiggle, stretch, run, jump, hop, bounce, and climb. Moving makes children feel capable and confident, releases tension, and builds strong bodies and minds. We will also focus on other ways that we can take care of our bodies. We will be investigating together:

• What do we know about exercise? What are the different types of exercise?
• Where do people exercise? What types of exercise do they do there?
• What types of equipment do people use to exercise?
• How do we keep our bodies healthy and strong?

As we study exercise and learn more about our bodies, we will learn concepts and skills in physical development, language and literacy, math, science, social studies, and the arts. We will also develop thinking skills as we observe, investigate, ask questions, solve problems, make predictions, and test our ideas.

We can use donations of things like exercise mats, resistance bands, 1-2 lb hand weights, jump ropes, or protective equipment (helmets, knee pads, elbow pads). Donations can be made to your child's teacher.

Our Clothing Study wrapped up with an unforgettable Celebration of Learning! The children had a blast designing their own outfits, strutting down the red carpet, and proudly sharing their creativity and learning. Thank you to all that shared in our celebration of learning!

Our preschool staff is spending some time focusing on the math early learning standards this year. Topics include numeracy, computation, geometry, and measurement. Preschoolers learn a lot of foundational math skills that will help them in kindergarten and throughout their schooling.

Some of the important concepts include:

• Counting
• Recognizing numerals (number symbols)
• Comparing two sets and understanding more, less, and equal (same amount)
• Learning the meaning of first, second, third
• Extending and creating simple patterns
• Sorting and classifying objects based on attributes like size, color, or shape
• Naming shapes
• Understanding concepts of time like morning, afternoon, earlier, later
• Understanding measurement and comparing length and volume

Math is part of children’s everyday lives. Take advantage of “math moments”. Count out crackers for a snack, look for numbers on houses or signs, use words like “before” and “after” and “morning” and “evening” when talking about the day. Encourage thinking and problem solving: “If you have two cars and I give you one more (or take one away), how many will you have?” Demonstrate counting by touching each item as you count it. Learning that the last number you say is how many items you have is a skill preschoolers learn too! “One, two, three. You have three cars.”

Parents’ mindsets about math influence children. Children notice when parents are anxious about math or say things like, “I’m not good at math”. Focus on having fun and figuring things out together. Remind children that mistakes help us learn and we can always try again.

Tuition Payment Schedule:

• Fees are loaded on the 15th of the previous month and due by the 1st of each month.
• Payments can be made online via PowerSchool or at the school office.
• If payment isn’t received by the 10th of the month, the child will not be allowed to attend preschool until the balance is cleared.

$65 per year for all preschool students, payable in August.

Monthly Tuition Rates:

3 days/week: $180

5 days/week: $300

Free & Reduced Program:
The application for free/reduced tuition is available on the Food Services page.

The Birth to School Program at Crown Point Community School Corporation (CPCSC) provides free classes and events for children aged 0-5 who live within the district boundaries. Here’s a breakdown of the program offerings:

Little Learners Series:

• Baby Class: Ages 0-12 months
• Toddler Class: Ages 13-24 months
• Little Learners Class: Ages 25-36 months

Imaginarium Classes: For all children ages 0-5

Children already attending Bulldog Buddies can also participate in the Birth to School Program. For more details, visit the Birth to School Program page, or reach out to Jamie Kalk, the Birth to School Coordinator, at jkalk@cps.k12.in.us.

February 17th - Presidents Day, no preschool classes

March 11th - eLearning Day, no preschool classes

March 24-28th - Spring Break, no preschool classes

April 18th - Good Friday, no preschool classes

May 22nd - Last day of preschool for AM classes

May 23rd - Last day of preschool for PM classes

Kristy Elsey, Assistant Director of Elementary Education

Email: kelsey01@cps.k12.in.us

Charissa Leestma, Preschool Specialist

Email: cleestma@cps.k12.in.us

Christine Johnsen, Preschool Treasurer

Email: cjohnsen@cps.k12.in.us

Website: https://preschool.cps.k12.in.us/

Location: 720 Summit Street, Crown Point, IN, USA

Phone: 219-663-4330