KECEC's Mini Firebird Messenger

We are off to a fabulous start here at KECEC and the students and staff are energized for a fantastic year. Our hope is that your child brings back stories of all the fun and exciting activities that their teachers have planned. We know that children who love school find a love for learning and therefore this year we are committed to developing a school culture in which students want to come to school each day.

We hope that you will take advantage of the many opportunities to engage in your child's learning by attending the family engagement nights we will be hosting throughout the year! Our goal is to develop a great school community in early childhood education that will only grow as your child continues in the K-12 programs in Kettering City School District.

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September 2nd- Labor Day: No School! Childcare closed.

September 5th- KECEC Game Night

September 10th- Childcare and Preschool Monthly Tuition Due

September 10th- Hat Day! $2 Donation to FHS Spirit Chain

September 12th- Early Dismissal for KCSD (No Pathfinders Preschool, No PM Integrated Classes)

September 12th- Celebrate International Dot Day at KECEC

September 16th-20th- COLOR WEEK!

September 16th- Red Day: Wear Red

September 16th- The Book Mobile Visits KECEC

September 17th- Orange Day: Wear Orange

September 18th- Yellow Day: Wear Yellow

September 19th- Green Day: Wear Green

September 20th- Blue Day: Wear Blue

September 25th- Fire Drill

September 27th- Integrated and Pathfinder Preschool Field Trip to Learning Tree Farm

October 4th- No School

Each Month we will be acknowledging our staff members who exemplify their commitment and dedication to their students through perfect attendance for the month. This month, David Hughes, General Manager of one of Kettering's favorite restaurant First Watch, has helped acknowledge Elizabeth Strauss as August's KECEC Employee of the Month. There is no better way to win a teacher's heart than coffee is great food!

Thank you First Watch!

September is National Attendance Awareness Month. Every child that has perfect attendance in the month of September will receive a Free Kid's Meal at First Watch!

If you would like to help support efforts to acknowledge our student's or teacher's attendance one month through your business or organization, please contact mark.weese@ketteringschools.org.

Engaging in play with your kids is important and we would like to host a night just for this! We will be serving hotdogs and chips as well as providing a variety of games for our families to enjoy in our gym. Enjoy a read aloud with Mr. Weese and other staff member as he shares a few of their favorite children's books throughout the event. We would love for you to prioritize this date on your calendar as your next family Night!

Check out the Game Night flyer and let us know if you are attending!

International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration, began when teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot on September 15, 2009.

The Dot is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark”. What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe.

Each year on International Dot Day – with the help of people just like you – the inspiration continues. What started as a story in the pages of a book is transforming teaching and learning around the world as people of all ages re-discover the power and potential of creativity in all they do.

To celebrate, we are asking all children and staff to wear dots! A self-made shirt only adds to the creativity. Have a poke a dot dress? Perfect! Use your imagination and go with it. That is what this day is about!

This year you will notice that once a month our Pathfinders and Integrated classrooms will be offering learning experiences on at least one Friday each month. This is an opportunity for our students to participate in learning opportunities that extend outside the classroom walls. Kettering City Schools' Preschool Programs are each recipients of Ohio's Early Childhood Education Grant. The purpose of this grant is to provide high quality learning services to our earliest learners that better prepares them for kindergarten. We know that much of learning at this age centers around exposure to different experiences, social interactions, and opportunities to learn about the different environments around them. This is why we have planned for additional opportunities to do just that!

On Friday, September 27th, we would love for our Pathfinders and Integrated Preschool students to join us at Learning Tree Farm from 9:00- 12:00. Students will be led through various educational activities that are aligned to the Ohio Department of Education Pre-School Standards. Students will rotate through activities that revolve around gardening, farm animals, hiking, vegetables, and the changing of the seasons on the farm. The educators at Learning Tree Farm have planned an engaging "hands-on" experience for our students on this day.

You must complete and turn in your field trip form by September 12th to attend.

Parents and students will meet their teachers at the farm: 3376 South Union Road, Dayton OH 45417. This event is free for our students enrolled in Pathfinders and Integrated at KECEC. Parents must pay $6 admission to accompany their child on this trip and will pay at the farm.

I’m so excited about doing the library again this year! We started having library time at KECEC 5 years ago. I want to strengthen and encourage your child’s love for reading and learning. I enjoy dressing up as something from one of our stories once a month and during our special dress up days I have lots of fun! I need to start getting my outfits ready for color week! (Sept 16-20).

Almost every week your child’s class will come down to visit the library. We will sing a few songs and read a couple of stories as a group then they will have the opportunity to explore and look at some books on their own. During quiet reading time I will be encouraging children to “read” books on their own by first encouraging them to go through the book and look at the pictures and tell themselves what they think is happening on each page then I will encourage them to go through the book and look for letters or words they may know. After quiet reading time some teachers are allowing them to check out books to bring home for the week.

We use the Preschool Promise book of the month. I try to do this the first week of the month, but it isn't always the case. Here is a link listing the books for the year.

Septembers B.O.M.: If you Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff

Upcoming B.O.M.s!

This is usually the last week of the month. We read a story that either has something to do with music or the story is a song. We learn about various music topics throughout the year.

Each month plans are posted right outside the library door, so if your child is talking about a story or trying to remember words to a song you can come by and look at what they’re talking about. This month lessons will be directly related to colors! 24-25 September- Check out my Lessons

The Dayton Public Library will bring their bookmobile to KECEC once a month on a Monday. The first visit will be Sept. 16. The children get to walk out to it with their class and enjoy a story and some songs with a Dayton Public Librarian. Some of the classrooms will be participating in this others will not be, feel free to check with your child’s teacher to see if this is one of their activities.

If your child would like to donate a new book to our library, they can bring it in with a note attached that says for library donation. We will put a sticker in the book saying that it was donated by them and the year. Some of the books we'd like to have for our library on an Amazon wish list or you may choose to give at our library's Donors Choose link . Thank you for supporting our early childhood literacy efforts and promoting a love for reading early!

For parents of Babies -

Snuggle up with a book. When you hold your baby close and look at a book together, your baby will enjoy the snuggling and hearing your voice as well as the story. Feeling safe and secure with you while looking at a book builds your baby’s confidence and love of reading.

For parents of Toddlers-

Don’t expect your toddler to sit still for a book Toddlers need to move, so don’t worry if they act out stories or just skip, romp, or tumble as you read to them. They may be moving, but they are listening.

For parents of Preschoolers-

Read together every day Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close.

Childcare

7:00am Drop off Begins- Don't forget to sign in at our front table when you arrive.

11:00-11:45- Toddler, Infant, and PreK Childcare Lunch

4:30 pm Pick up for Employee Childcare

5:00 pm Before and After Care PreK program

Please note that our childcare staff does not stay after the pickup times listed above. Please contact our front office if you know that you will be late. Your child will be picked up in the office. Late fees will be administered after the third late pick-up. Thank you for your understanding.

Integrated Pre-School Program

7:55 am - Staff meets families at building entrance for drop-off

8:00 am- Morning Integrated Preschool begins; Tardy students must be checked in through the front office by guardian.

10:30 am- Morning Integrated Preschool Dismissal at building entrance

11:40 am- Staff meets families at building entrance for drop-off

11:45 am- Afternoon Integrated Preschool begins; Tardy students must be checked in through the front office by guardian.

2:15 pm - Afternoon Integrated Preschool Dismissal at building entrance.

Pathfinders Preschool

8:30 am- Staff meets families at building entrance for drop-off

8:40 am- Pathfinders Preschool begins; Tardy students must be checked in through the front office by guardian.

12:00-12:30 pm- Lunch

1:30 pm- Preschool Dismissal at designated area

We encourage all of our parents to go ahead and complete the district's volunteer form. For the safety of our children and staff, any person that accompanies or participates in a school sponsored instructional event including field trips should complete the volunteer paperwork and online application to receive volunteer approval. Your Volunteer approval expires every 2 years at which time you would need to re-apply. Getting this done at the beginning of the year would ensure that you can partake in all the fun activities and events we have planned for the year.

Kathy Gaiser is in her 6th year working at KECEC in the Employee Child Care program . She lives in Miamisburg with her husband (Tim) of 39 years. They have 2 adult children - daughter (Shelby, 34 who lives in Germantown) and son (Clay, 24 who bought his first house a couple of years ago in Miamisburg). Kathy earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education at Miami University. She taught business classes at Talawanda High School before she & Tim started their family. When their children were younger, Kathy provided childcare in their home. She directed an after school program at church (called NASA - Neighborhood After School Activities) for 3 years just prior to having Clay. In the most recent years (before KECEC), Kathy was a substitute teacher, aide, assistant, etc. (wherever she was needed) in her local school system. Kathy and her family love camping and being outdoors. She loves riding her recumbent tryke whenever they are traveling near a bikeway and when she and Tim ride around town or the nearby cemetery. She enjoys crafting, reading, & cooking. In early March, Kathy attends a yearly scrapbooking event with friends. It is one of her favorite times of the year. Kathy loves leading the Infant 2 room. She & Jay find that they work well to form a team and are fortunate to be Room 109 partners.

My name is Sonia Griswold and this is my 9th year here at KECEC in the Infant Room. I love babies!! I have 3 children, Sarah Grace who is married to Curtis, 2 adult sons - Sam and Seth. My husband Scott and I have lived in Springboro over 20 years and been involved in basketball, football and baseball all through my boys' lives. My son just graduated from playing football at Taylor University. We attend Southbrook Christian Church where my husband was a Children's Pastor for years . I majored in theater in a school in North Carolina and performed and taught acting classes in Dayton, Cincinnati and Mason. In my free time I love to sing, walk with my friends, play family games and I am looking forward to playing with my new granddaughter - Elysia ( Ellie) due in Sept!! I can't wait to be a Gi-Gi!!

My name is Felicia Miller and I am 72 years old. I have a 52 year old son and a 47 year old daughter. I taught Headstart for 11 years and was a para at Dayton Public schools for 10 years. This is my 2nd year in the Infant Room. In my spare time, I like to read and cook for my family.

My name is Olivia (Liv) Pietras. This is my second year in the infant room. When I’m not at KECEC, I am studying English as a senior at the University of Dayton. I am also a medic in the reserves at Wright-Patterson.

After 28 years as Guidance Secretary I retired from West Carrollton Senior High. I wanted to find a part time job. I was visiting with my neighbor Elizabeth Strauss. She told me about a position at KECEC Infant Room I. I’m so glad she did. I enjoy taking care of little ones.

Everyday is different!

Hello! I am Sara Hughey and I am the toddler class lead teacher. This will be my sixth year at KECEC! My first three years at KECEC, I was an assistant teacher in the infant room.

I am originally from Port Clinton, OH. It’s right on Lake Erie! I went to OSU and lived in Columbus for 15 years before my family and I eventually made our way to Kettering 7 years ago.

My husband and I have 3 pretty cool children, Isaac, 16, Liam, 13, and Divya, 10. I two have brothers, 2 nieces and 2 nephews and lots of aunts, uncles and cousins. Family is very important to me.

I love the lake, sports, music, crafts, and my KECEC family!

I’m looking forward to another great year with your children!

Hello, My name is Courtney Booher! I work with the 2-3 year olds with Ms. Sara and this is my 3rd year here at KECEC. I began here as a junior in high school with the Early Childhood Education Career Tech Program at Fairmont, and as a senior, I became an employee! I just graduated from Fairmont in May, I plan to attend Sinclair in the winter and then transfer to the University of Michigan in a year or two! I love almost all sports but football and ice hockey are my top two! If you ever need to find me just look out for the girl wearing Maize and Blue or sometimes a hockey jersey!

Hi, I am Mrs. Strauss and have been teaching for 22 years. I received my Bachelors of Education from Wright State University. This is my eleventh year at KECEC. Prior to teaching PreK I was a Kindergarten teacher for over a decade. I am the lucky mom to two amazing children. I am married to a die-hard Notre Dame fan. We have one fur baby, our cat Rockne. I love music, sports, and the beach. We are a sports family and spend our evenings and weekends at the baseball field and volleyball court. I am so excited for a fabulous school year! I believe working as a team is the best way to make a child’s learning experience the most successful.

Hi, my name is Grace Rademacher, known as Miss.Grace to the students. I am the Pre-K teacher assistant with Mrs.Strauss. This is my 4th year teaching at KECEC and 8th year teaching. I am currently attending the University of Cincinnati online and plan to graduate in the Spring of 2026. I am looking forward to getting my own classroom after graduation. I have an older brother Brian who is married to Amy and they have a dog. I also have an older sister Megan who is married to Gabe and they have a dog. I have a boyfriend named Jared and we have a cat named Augustus. In my free time I like to play disc golf with my boyfriend and participate in the Community Theatre. I am so excited to teach your children and get to know them. I hope to have a great year!