SM Early Childhood Education Center
April 2024
Administrative Team
Tracy Smarr-Dolezal, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator
From the Principal's Desk
Important Calendar Reminders
April 1-5- Para Appreciation Week
April 3- Chick-Fil-A Fundraiser
April 15- No School
April 19- Early Childhood Screening
Our building follows the district calendar and PreK schedule, with the exception of no school on Fridays. You can access the district calendar here. District Calendar 23-24
Para Appreciation Week
The first week of April is set aside to let our para-professionals know how much we appreciate them. Please take some time to write a note, send a picture your child colored or some other small way to let them know they are appreciated!
Solar Eclipse
On April 8, 2024, a solar eclipse will be visible on a path across the United States. As always, student safety is our top concern. Looking directly at the sun without proper eyewear
is unsafe. The only safe way to look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through
special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses”. Per NASA, homemade filters or ordinary
sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. The eclipse will be in view in our area from 11:10-2:30. This will impact our afternoon drop off and classes. There will be no outdoor recess while the Eclipse is in view, and please reinforce with your child the importance of not looking at the sun during this time when dropping them off.
THANK YOU!!
A special thank you to Becky Schieber, AKA "Ben's Mom" for making and keeping our flower beds and pots beautiful!! It is so appreciated!!
Kindergarten Kickoff
All SMECEC students heading to their neighborhood school next year for Kindergarten are encouraged to attend Kindergarten Kick-Off at your home school. All kick-offs will be in April from 6:00-7:30. You can find the date for your particular school on the district website here
SMECEC/PAT PTA potential
I have been meeting with the Parents as Teacher's (PAT) Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to further explore the opportunity for SMECEC to join forces with PAT for a PTA to serve both our school and PAT families and staff. We have not had a PTA to help us in the past. A school PTA will typically support the school in a variety of way with things such as events for students, classroom materials, fundraisers, meals for conferences, and other staff recognition events. We have been adopted by some of the other PTA s in the district for some of these things, but we would love to have a group of our parents to work alongside us for the good of the school and students here. If you might be interested in being on the board of a PTA for SMECEC/PAT please email me, carlaheintz@smsd.org. An email expressing interest, does not mean you will be on the board, at this time I am working to gather what level of interest our parents/families have for having a PTA for our school.
DS Bus TextCaster
I know with the weather and illness, many of our buses have been running late or inconsistent. In order to keep on top of what is happening with your child's bus, I would highly recommend you sign up for TextCaster. Once signed up, you will receive text messages regarding the buses if they are running late or have another problem arise. Click the box by the bus number(s) your child rides under early childhood to be sure you have all of the most up to the minute information. You can sign up here
Enrollment for 24/25 School Year
If, your child is attending here they are already enrolled in SMSD for the 24/25 school year. You do not need to do anything until August, when you will be asked to complete online verification in Skyward to update their records. The only exception is for those peer families who would like their child to attend PreK at an elementary site. You will need to enroll for PreK on the district website.
If your child is moving to Kindergarten our staff will assign them in Skyward to the appropriate school in May.
For those children on an IEP who are moving to a different building to receive their special education services for PreK, we will also transfer their enrollment to the appropriate school as necessary.
Resources from the Social Worker
Resources:
SMECEC Family Resources: Don’t forget to check out the Family Resources Google folder with weekly updates and resources for you to access anytime! Visit the site HERE.
SMAC Clothing Exchange Calendars for January-May
SMECEC April Fundraiser:
Mark your calendars and spread the word! We will be hosting a fundraiser at Chick-Fil-A in Overland Park (9591 Metcalf Avenue) on Wednesday, April 3rd. Funds raised will go to family engagement (e.g., education nights) activities and staff support (e.g., equipment, materials, teacher appreciation activities)! More information coming soon!
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
This April, we unite to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness and empowering families. Throughout the month, we are committed to equipping our families with the tools to recognize and prevent abuse. By educating ourselves, fostering open communication with our children, supporting relevant initiatives, and reporting suspicions of abuse, we can collectively create a safer environment for all children to thrive. Follow us on our Facebook page, and stay tuned for a pinwheel coloring sheet to come home!
DEIB:
Arab American Heritage Month
Autism Acceptance Month
Month of the Military Child
National Volunteer Month
April 9-10: Eid al Fitr (Muslim)
April 13: Vaisakhi (Sikh)
April 22: Earth Day
April 22-30: Pesach/Passover (Jewish)
April Fun Reads for Preschoolers
Continued Donations for the Teacher Treat Cart Needed!!
Thank you to all of the parents that made our Tuesday Teacher Treat Cart a reality!!! Please keep the items coming!! The staff here truly enjoy this simple act and look forward to Tuesday when the treat cart comes around . Without a PTA we rely on parents to send in items for that treat cart to make it a possibility. We are needing individual packages of chips and salty snacks at this time! Thank you again for making our treat cart happen!
Attendance
SMSD Mic'D Up
Click the photo to listen in as Dr. Hubbard speaks with an expert on the importance of student attendance.
2023-24 School Meals
Food service offers breakfast and lunch for our students
Prices will be as follows:
Elementary Breakfast: $1.55
Reduced $0.30
Elementary Lunch: $2.85
Reduced: $0.40
Families can complete a child nutrition meal benefit application to see if they qualify for free for reduced meal prices after July 1, 2023. The information and link will be on the Food Service web page after July 1 and families are encouraged to apply as soon as it is available so that any benefits the family may receive are processed prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year.
Breakfast
Breakfast is available each school day. The breakfast menu includes an entrée, grain, fruit and milk. Students are served all items to receive a full breakfast; including the required ½ cup of fruit.
Lunch
Lunch includes an entrée, grain, fruit, vegetable and milk. Students are served all of these five components on their lunch tray, including the required ½ cup fruit and/or vegetable.
Food Services has updated the School Meal Information flyer for parents. It is available on the main page of the Food Service web page and linked here for you convenience.
The “pig” symbol on the menu means that the item contains pork.
Menus, nutritional and allergy information are available online at https://www.schoolcafe.com.
Special Diet
If you have an allergy or specific dietary concerns, contact your school nurse for a medical form to be filled out by your doctor.
Food service information is available on the district’s web site at www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service or you can call the Food Service office at 913-993-9710.
School Meal Accounts
Early Childhood Screening
SMSD offers an early childhood developmental screening which includes the areas of vision, hearing, problem-solving, personal-social development, gross/fine motor skills, and speech/language skills. The purpose of the screening is to identify children who may have substantial developmental delays and who may be eligible for special education services. SMSD’s Early Childhood Screening (ECS) is appropriate for children ages 2 years 9 months to 5 years old who reside within the Shawnee Mission School District boundaries.
How often are screenings offered?
Screenings for 2023-2024 occur monthly on a Friday morning and are by appointment only. Parent or other legal guardian must complete a request for screening and submit the required documents before an appointment is offered.
How do I request a screening for my child?
More information about the ECS program can be found on the district’s Early Childhood Special Education home page under Early Childhood Screening.
Connect with us via Social Media
We have new social media sites this year! Please feel free to follow us and like us!!
Twitter: @theSMECEC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THESMECEC/
Or search for #EarlyEDSMSD to see what's happening district wide in PreK!
Shawnee Mission Early Childhood Education Center
Email: carlaheintz@smsd.org
Website: earlychildcenter.smsd.org
Location: 6701 West 83 Street, Overland Park, KS, 6USA
Phone: (913)993-2600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shawnee-Mission-Early-Childhood-Education-Center-101802735143826
Twitter: @theSMECEC