Bulldog Buddies Bulletin

Hello Bulldog Buddies Families,

Happy New Year! I hope your holiday season was filled with joy, relaxation, and cherished moments with your loved ones. As we step into 2025, I am thrilled about all the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for our preschoolers. This year, we’ll embark on new studies, continue learning through play, and share countless moments of discovery and fun together. Our journey promises to be filled with creativity, curiosity, friendship and growth.

As we begin planning for the 2025-2026 school year, we want to ensure you have all the information needed to continue your child’s journey with our Bulldog Buddies preschool program. If you are interested in enrolling your child for the upcoming school year, please take a moment to complete the Interest Form linked below. Completing this form is the first step in the enrollment process but does not guarantee a spot in the program. Priority enrollment is given to current Bulldog Buddies families, and additional registration details will be shared as the year progresses.

📅 Deadline: Please submit the form by January 17, 2025 to ensure priority consideration.

Bulldog Buddies Preschool Interest Form 2025-2026

Check out some highlights from the Wheels Study!

We wrapped up our Wheels Study before break. Preschoolers had fun learning about different types of wheels, figuring out how they move, experimenting with wheels, and creating their own wheels and wheeled vehicles.

Our next topic of study is clothing. During the Clothing Study, children will participate in hands on exploration and investigation to answer the following questions:

• What different types of clothes are there?
• Why do we wear them?
• How do we take care of clothes?
• Where do we get our clothes?
• How are clothes made?

Children will have opportunities to examine a variety of clothes and to think about why clothes are made of different fabrics and have different shapes, patterns, and fasteners. We will learn about how some clothing items have special features and purposes. Preschoolers will also have a chance to pretend to wash, dry, sort, iron and hang clothes.

We will learn about some of the different places we get our clothes and about what we can do with clothes when we outgrow them. Children will learn about ways that clothing can be made and they'll have a chance to come up with their own clothing designs!

You can help us by sending in any of the following items for our investigations: different types of clean clothes (dress up, uniforms, mittens, scarves, socks, etc.), yarn, fabric scraps, buttons, plastic hangers, clean empty detergent bottles, and laundry baskets.

Show your Bulldog Buddies pride with our adorable preschool spirit wear! T-shirts, hoodies, and more are available in sizes perfect for our littler learners and their families. Check out our spirit wear shop for fun and stylish apparel! The store is currently open and will remain so until 01/20/25.

Don't miss out — grab your Bulldog Buddies gear today!

One of the early learning standards for physical health and growth is the development of oral motor skills. This development includes progression of oral muscles, strength, and range of motion, leading to more complex movement and control. In order to support the development of these skills, older toddlers and preschoolers should be provided with simple and safe utensils as well as open cups for drinking during meal times.

Babies and toddlers can begin to use a spoon and fork to eat and (dull) knives can be introduced for cutting and spreading as soon as children are interested. Using a fork and knife together is a more advanced skill, and children often master this skill around 7 or 8 years old. Using utensils is important for developing fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, and independence. Providing opportunities to use utensils and modeling how to hold them will help your child develop these skills. Children might need hand over hand assistance if they have limited experience with utensils.

Transitioning from bottles and sippy cups to open cups is not only an important step in fostering self-sufficiency, but it also helps children to coordinate their lips and tongue to drink, which can help with speech development and swallowing. Overusing sippy cups can potentially impact teeth and speech. If your child is not using open cups, try to incorporate them at mealtimes and snack times. Begin with small amounts of water (for easy clean up) before other liquids. Drinking out of a cup in the bathtub is another way to practice if your child is spilling a lot!

Bright By Text is a national nonprofit committed to early childhood development resources for parents. It shares free parenting tips, based on your child's exact age and where you live. Text messages include information about developmental milestones, conversation starters, social-emotional development tips, games to boost brain development and challenging topics like sleep, picky eating and much more!

If you are interested in signing up or learning more, please check out the Bright By Text website.

It's that time of year! In the event of inclement weather, please follow the preschool schedule below.

2-Hour Delay:

• AM Preschool: No class.
• PM Preschool: Starts at normal time.
  
  

School Cancellation:

• No preschool classes at all.

For updates, parents and staff should check district website. This should help keep everyone informed!

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.

Supply Fee:

$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.

For questions, contact the preschool office at (219) 663-4330.

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.

January 20th - Martin Luther King JR. Day, no preschool classes

January 29th - eLearning Day, no preschool classes

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