SM Early Childhood Education Center

Carla Heintz, Principal, Early Childhood Education Center

Tracy Smarr-Dolezal, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator

Thank you so much to all of you who came out in person or attended conferences via WebEx. We always enjoy the opportunity to work with you and partner with you to support your children and your families the best we can!! I hope those of you that were able to attend our Fall parties yesterday, had a great time connecting with your child, other parents in their classroom and the classroom staff! We love having you join us and see what we do! November is another busy month with lots going on! Please check out the opportunities for you to be involved below!

Oct 14-Nov 8- We Care; We Can Food Drive

November 7- Smart Connections Parent Meeting 6-7, child care provided

November 14- AAC Parent Meeting 5:30-6:30

November 25-29- No School, Fall Break

With the exception of Fridays, our school follows the district calendar. You can access it here for additional information.

This year we are participating along with other SMSD schools in the Johnson County We Care I Can food drive to help families in need. Please send items on the flyer below to school with your child or drop them off at the office, prior to November 8th. Thank you for supporting others in our community in this way!

We are gearing up for our second parent smart connections meeting on Thursday, November 7th. This month's topic will be "Blowing Your Worries Away". We will learn how to come along side your child when then they are having big emotions and the things we as parents can do to support them and help them to calm down as we teach them to "blow their worries away". We had a great group of parents at our last event in September, I hope to see you all back again this month, along with others!. Please be sure to sign up in advance, and let us know how many children you will be brining so that we have enough staff present for child care that night.

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Training Night at SMECEC! This event will be held on November 14, 5:30 - 6:30 at the Early Childhood Center.

AAC is an important tool that can support our children’s communication skills, and we want to provide you with valuable resources and strategies to enhance their learning and interaction.

During the evening, you will:

• Learn about different AAC systems and how to support your child

• Participate in hands-on activities

• Connect with other parents and families

Whether you’re new to AAC or looking to deepen your understanding, this training is designed for everyone.

Please RSVP to help us prepare. You can respond to emilypatrick@smsd.org

We have a new Facebook page for our school. Please use the QR code to like and follow us.

You can also follow us on X- Shawnee Mission Early Childhood Education Center @theSMECEC

Parents know they should read with their child every day. But reading together requires that your child will actually sit still long enough for a book! If you’ve got a squiggler in your house, see if these tips help your reading time go a little more smoothly.

1. Read Before Bed, but don't wait too long

• Really tired little ones have a harder time focusing their attention. It may help to pull out your books before the bath, or right after dinnertime. If your child is too tired to read, don’t force it. Keep book times happy times.

2. Choose fun, brightly colored books about things your child is interested in.

• The most engaging books for little ones have lots of bright, big pictures. Board books, the ones with stiff cardboard pages are great for little hands to hold. Have a car, or dinosaur or princess lover at your house? Choosing books that have your child's favorites also helps to gain their interest.

3. Sing along or find books with rhymes.

• Books meant to be sung, or books written in rhyme, mean that you and your child get to clap along, sing along, and bounce up and down to the rhythm of the language. The fun physical involvement will keep your child interested in reading.

3. Be Expressive

• Don’t worry, no one is listening! As you read the book, change your voice for each character. Say loud words LOUDLY and soft words softly. Add hand gestures and foot stomping to go along with the story.

4. Keep their favorites close by and ready to read

• Your child will begin to develop favorite storytime books. Plan to read those books until the pages fall out! The repeated, enjoyable experience of reading favorite books goes a long way toward developing good reading habits.
  

Adapted from Reading Rockets (www.readingrockets.org)

Every Tuesday I like to treat the staff to a special snack between sessions. This is a much anticipated activity, and much appreciated event! I would love your help to keep it stocked throughout the year. If you would like to help in this way, please drop your donations off in the office or hand them to me at car line!

We are looking for items such as:

• Full Size Candy Bars
• Individual Snack Bags of Chips- Baked and Regular
• Individual Snack Bags of Popcorn
• Single servings or individual bags of Cookies- Kirkland Chocolate Chip is a favorite!
• Granola Bars
• Individual bags of snack crackers (pretzels, ritz bitz with cheese, etc)
• Any other kind of individually wrapped snack you think staff might like!

Want to know if your child's bus is running on time?? 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

Our school along with the district are working to improve attendance for all students. I encourage you all to do all you can to get your child to school on time (and we will continue to work with the buses for the same) and to have them here each day we are in session. As a reminder our school times are 8:10-10:55 and 12:25-3:10. We do open the doors 5 minutes before school starts to get students in their classrooms before the official start of the day. Tardies do add up to absences, 10 tardies equals a full day absence. If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home and if they are going to be absent due to illness or other reasons, please call our attendance line 913-993-2688. If your child is a bus rider, please call D.S. as well at 913-384-1190 to let them know your child will not be riding.

Time flew by so quickly! I have been having so much fun with the littles. As always, please don’t hesitate to call, email, or visit 913-993-2627 michellevandoren@smsd.org.

Helpful Links

Play in early childhood is an effective way of supporting responsive relationships, strengthening core life skills and reducing sources of stress. This quick video explores The Role of Play in Any Setting, how play can foster children’s resilience to hardship and the complex interactions involved when children play. Here is a list of Inclusive Playgrounds in our area.

A Guide to Sensory Friendly, Inclusive Fall Activities in Kansas City Sensory friendly, inclusive fall activities in Kansas City that are specifically tailored to neurodiverse and disabled children that provide important accommodations as well as community. Ideal for kids who are sensitive to sounds, lights, large crowds, or have mobility issues.

As the colder climates approaches, please keep the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) in mind. This is a program in which individuals may get assistance with paying heating bills. Applications are accepted beginning November 18th.

Annually, Johnson County Christmas Bureau hosts a Holiday Shop (Spanish) to help families with groceries, personal care items, gifts and toys. Sign up to Appointments fill quickly; sign up to shop.

August - December (Agosto - Diciembre) Free gently used clothing and shoes for those within the Shawnee Mission School District boundaries.

Social Emotional Tips for Families of Toddlers 5 one-page posters with strategies to use during daily routines

Center on the and Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Is a great family resource that provides parent manuals supporting social emotional learning.

A Parent’s Guide to Evidence-Based Practice And Autism This manual discusses the complexity of diagnostic evaluations for children on the autism spectrum, identifies and describes effective treatments, and outlines the importance of professional judgment and using data to guide treatment decisions

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, 2024. 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 2024-25 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/SHAWNEEMISSION

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.

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 2024-2025 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.

We have new social media sites this year! Please feel free to follow us and like us!!

X: @theSMECEC

Facebook: Shawnee Mission Early Childhood Education Center

Or search for #EarlyEDSMSD to see what's happening district wide in PreK!

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