Golden Nuggets

We would like to invite you to a Valentine's Day Tea Party at the ETE Preschool!

We have a Healthy Celebrations School Policy. We welcome any healthy snacks you would like to bring such as healthy muffins, fresh fruits and veggies, cheese, hummus, or a meat tray.

Please find your child's class session and join us at the following times:

Spruce Room, Mrs. Yami's Class: 10 Students

2/13/25 at 3:30pm-4:00pm.

Willow Room, Ms. Honorae's Class: 10 Students

2/13/25 at 3:30pm-4:00pm.

Aspen Room AM, Mrs. Keely's Class: 8 Students

2/13/25 at 10:50am-11:20am.

Aspen Room PM, Mrs. Keely's Class: 8 Students

2/12/25 at 3:40pm

Ponderosa Room, Mrs. Sarah's Class: 5 Students

2/12/25 at 10:00am-10:30am

Ponderosa Room, Mrs. Robin's Class: 8 Students

2/13/25 at 10:00am-10:30am

Valentines Cards:

Please bring enough valentine cards for each child in class, including your own. Children love keeping one of their own valentines. Please do not send candy, stickers and small trinkets are okay.

Homemade valentines are a great fine motor activity to do with your child at home! Help your child write their first letter or their name on the Valentine "From:" field. They do not need to write a name in the "To:" field which will help make it easier for them to pass out Valentines to their friends. Some children may be ready to try to write their friend's names or first letters. If this is the case for your child, go ahead, but it is not necessary. It's most important to make this a fun writing experience, not a difficult one.

For more information on Emergent Writing check out this resource: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2017/emergent-writing#:~:text=Model%20writing%20stories%2C%20making%20lists,their%20generative%20knowledge%20of%20writing.

Thank you to all of the families who took the time to fill out a Family Feedback Survey. I love to hear your thoughts and want to invite you to share them with me in person as well. Feel free to send me an email or catch me in person to set up a one-on-one chat at any time. We can't do better to meet your personal family needs unless we know your needs. If you haven't been able to complete and turn in a Family Feedback Survey, there is still time! There are extra copies on top of the cubbies in the Preschool hallway. Fill one out and pop it into the envelope on the wall.

Full Day Classes: 8:00am-4:00pm

Classroom doors open at 8am for you to drop your child off with their teacher.

Classroom doors will open at 4pm for you to pick your child up.

If you need to pick your child up earlier than 4 pm, let us know and we can let your child's teacher know you are picking up early.

If you will be later than 4:00pm, call and let us know: 719-836-4434

Barely 3's: 8:00am-10:30am

Classroom doors open at 8am for you to drop your child off with their teacher.

Classroom doors will open at 10:30am for you to pick your child up.

If you need to pick your child up earlier, let us know and we can let your child's teacher know you are picking up early.

If you will be later than 10:30am, call and let us know: 719-836-4434

1/2 Day AM Aspen Room: 8:00am-11:20am

Classroom doors open at 8am for you to drop your child off with their teacher.

Classroom doors will open at 11:20am for you to pick your child up.

If you need to pick your child up earlier than 11:20am, let us know and we can let your child's teacher know you are picking up early.

If you will be later than 11:20am, call and let us know: 719-836-4434

1/2 Day PM Aspen Room: 12:40pm-4:00pm

Classroom doors open at 12:40pm for you to drop your child off with their teacher.

Classroom doors will open at 4pm for you to pick your child up.

If you need to pick your child up earlier than 4 pm, let us know and we can let your child's teacher know you are picking up early.

If you will be later than 4:00pm, call and let us know: 719-836-4434

ETE GYMBOREE

February 7th

9:30-11:00am

Enter through the ETE Preschool Doors

Bring your water bottle and gym shoes and come and play at our GYMBOREE! Learn about what motor skills your child is developing and how you can support them through play.

Free for families with children Birth-5 years old.

A caregiver must stay and play!

Prospective & New Family Information Nights

Park County School District is excited to announce a series of Prospective Family Meetings this spring! We know families have options for their children's public schooling, and we want to provide the families of our county an opportunity to come and hear firsthand what our district is all about and why we want you to be a part of PCSD Re-2. These events are designed to provide an opportunity for prospective families to learn more about our district, meet staff and students, tour our facilities, and ask any questions you may have.

Each event will begin with a presentation from district administrators highlighting our goals, areas of focus, and the many opportunities available to students. Attendees will also hear about unique school-level programs, including curriculum, character education, career and technical education, and our partnerships with the community. Following the presentation, families will enjoy guided tours led by teachers and student ambassadors. The event will conclude with a casual open Q&A session with the Superintendent, Principals, and teachers. If interested, please sign up for a date and time that works best for you. More dates may become available as we progress through the Spring.

Mark Your Calendar:

• February 19, 6–7:30 PM
• March 21, 8:30–10 AM
• April 11, 8:30–10 AM
• May 5 6-7:30pm

Current families and staff, please help us spread the word! Interested families can RSVP HERE for any of the currently scheduled dates. We can’t wait to meet everyone, share our story, and help families make the best decision for their child’s education. Come see why PCSD is a place where students achieve excellence!

Dr. Jistine Harrison

Superintendent

Park County School District Re-2

(719) 836-4401

What will skills will your child be strengthening at their Valentines Day Tea Party?

Social Emotional/Friendship Skills

• Use of manners like “Please pass the fruit.” and “Thank you for passing.”

• Practicing social norms like sitting while eating and using utensils at the table

• Follows limits and expectations

• Patience as they waited for a turn to serve themselves

• Cooperation as they set the table

• Impulse/self control as they blow on the tea to be sure it isn't too hot, and as they wait until everyone is served before eating

• Using tongs to serve themselves food

• Pouring from a teapot into a teacup

• Using pincer grasp to stir and add milk

• Hand eye coordination as they pass plates, pour, and serve

Math

• Simple math as they served themselves “How many can you serve yourself?”

• One to one correspondence as they set out one napkin, one cup, and one saucer per seat.

Language

• Practiced asking for an item to be passed

• Used new words and phrases like “Please Pass?”, ”Pardon me.”, "Por favor?"

And so much more!

If you are able to bring healthy snacks, we would appreciate a variety of fresh items!

Some ideas on what we like to serve: cheese, carrots, grapes, cherry tomatoes, apples, oranges, bananas, yogurt/Go-gurts, hummus, berries, and more.

Early Release is February 17th:

-No afternoon classes.

-Full Day parents, please pick-up your child at noon. We will eat lunch early that day at 11:30.

Presidents Day February 19, 2025

-No Preschool Classes

We go outside almost every day. Please Make sure to:

1. Bring your child's snow gear each day, or leave their snow gear at the preschool.
2. Label all of your child's belongings with their name.
3. We change clothes often in the winter because children sometimes get wet when outside. If you see a note come home asking for a change of clothes, please bring them the next day.

If we have a 2 Hour Delay:

-Full Day classes will start at 10:00am

-Morning 1/2 day Preschool classes are cancelled

-Afternoon classes start on time

Colorado Preschool Program Overview

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) is charged with operating the program to enable families to choose from a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool settings, including licensed community-based programs, school-based programs, and licensed home providers. High-quality preschool has demonstrated positive outcomes for children and families in the short and long-term.

How Does it Work?

All preschool children in Colorado can register for up to 15 hours of free, high-quality preschool in their year before kindergarten through Colorado’s Universal Pre-K (UPK) Program.

***If your child will be 4 years old on or before 10/1/2025, enroll now for 15 hours of FREE Universal Preschool.***

• Families may qualify for more hours based on a number of qualifying factors.
• Children who will be 3 years old on or before 10/1/2025 can register for our ETE Preschool services in April.
• Preschool aged children with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) can enroll in UPK and select that they have an IEP on the enrollment form. From there, they will work with their Special Education Administrative Unit (AU) to enroll.

Need Colorado Universal Preschool Information? https://cdec.colorado.gov/universal-preschool-family-information

Contact Ashlyn Sims at: tpecc.familyresource@gmail.com for help filling out UPK registration for the 25/26 school year.

NAEYC

Cognitive skills

Play helps children develop cognitive skills—thought processes of learning. These include remembering, problem solving, making decisions, processing information, and learning language. During play, children develop foundational understanding in math, science, and social studies. Here are some examples.

Math

When children are shoppers or cashiers in a pretend grocery store, or when they build in the block area, they use numbers (“It costs three cents”), explore measurement (“My tower is taller than yours”), and develop problem-solving abilities (“Put the big blocks on the bottom so your wall won’t fall down”).

Science

Children use science concepts like prediction when they experiment at the sand and water table. (“I think two scoops of sand will fill the bucket.”)

Social studies

As children take on different roles in the dramatic play area, they practice being parents (“It’s bedtime. Let’s put on your pajamas and we’ll read a book.”) and learn about community helpers, like health care professionals (“Put your arm here so I can take an X-ray”) and postal workers (“I have a package for you in my truck”).

Language and literacy

Children develop early reading, vocabulary, and writing skills by telling familiar stories to stuffed animals (“Once upon a time, there were three bears”), using the names of different dinosaurs as they play with figures (“The brontosaurus ate all the leaves on that tree!”), and creating a menu for an imaginary restaurant (“Write pizza first—it starts with P”).

Social skills

During play, children learn to interact with others. They talk, collaborate, and pretend together. They might be workers in a veterinarian’s office (“Let’s put the dog on the scale.”), shoppers at a farmers’ market (“Can you help me? I need to buy an apple.”), or workers on a street repair crew (“Can I hold the stop sign while you and Denise fix the potholes?”).

Emotional skills

Children are beginning to recognize and talk about emotions. As they play in different scenarios—a birthday party (“I’m really excited about blowing out the candles.”) or a doctor visit (“Will I get a shot? I feel scared.”)—they are able to relax, focus, feel successful, and express their feelings of happiness, frustration, surprise, anger, or delight.

Physical abilities

Children develop their small and large motor skills during play. They stack blocks, complete puzzles, and paint pictures (small motor). They run on the playground, dance to music, and learn to hop (large motor).

Check out the "Local Events" tab on the Park County School District website. It is next to "Announcements" and will house all of our community events.

Here is the link: https://www.parkcountyre2.org/en-US/local-events-517eaa78