Weekly from 5 - 7 PM at the Haines Center

Families may join at any point in the program and are encouraged to attend as many sessions as possible. Sign Up Here

See below for more information

AM classes DISMISS EARLY at 10:25 AM

If your child rides the bus home from our morning session, drop off at your home or child care will be 25 minutes early.

PM classes START EARLY at 11:25 AM and DISMISS EARLY at 1:30 PM

If your child rides the bus to school for our afternoon session, pick up will be 25 minutes early from your home or child care and the bus at the end of the day from Haines Center will drop off 50 minutes earlier.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

If your child started school after September or if the teacher thinks it's helpful, you will be offered a conference. You can also request a meeting with your child's teacher once the schedule is available, even if the teacher doesn't reach out to you first.

Institute Day

See schedule above from Feb 26.

Spring Break

School resumes April 7

Please note your child has school Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week (Feb 24 - 26).

Wednesday is an early release day (see above for the schedule).

There is NO SCHOOL on Thursday and Friday (Feb 27 & 28).

That means your child will have a 4 day weekend starting after school on Wednesday, Feb 26, with school will resume on March 3.

In March, our program will have a visit as part of the Preschool For All grant. A state monitor will observe 13 of our 28 classroom sessions from start to finish. If you have any questions about these visits, please contact jennifer.mursu@d303.org.

February 25, 2025 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Online/VIrtual

In this one-hour training, you will be introduced to some ideas and strategies that will assist all children. Resources will also be shared. We welcome you to join us on "Our Trip to Successful Toilet Training.

Presenter: Sheri Kraus

Spanish Translation Available

Registration Deadline February 24, 2025 7:29 PM

March 19, 2025 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Online / Virtual

We’ll discuss many ways families can weave language and literacy into their daily activities to extend their children’s learning at school. Families of children with disabilities will learn strategies and adaptations for encouraging and supporting their children’s literacy development at home. Participants will receive useful tip sheets and resources for easy activities.

Presenter: Gina Musielski

Registration Deadline March 18, 2025 7:29 PM

Recognize any of these items? They are currently in our Lost and Found by the front office. Let your child's teacher know if we should send any home with your child or stop by to have a closer look.

Would you like to assist our Early Childhood staff? Have some time to volunteer during the day? The Teacher Appreciation Committee (TAC) set up a system for you to come in and help with various tasks like copying, labeling and laminating. Call the office at 331-228-3400 (press 1 for early childhood) or email grace.patel@d303.org to see if there are jobs waiting to be completed. Thank you for considering!

Reminder: If someone other than the usual pickup person is picking up your child after school or early due to an illnes or emergency they need to have an ID with them. Thank you for helping us with our safety precautions. See below for updating your child's emergency contact information as well.

Please make sure your child has at least one emergency contact listed in case we can't reach you during an emergency. If you don’t have someone other than the parent/guardian to list, contact Tricia Sabathne, the Child and Family Educator, to discuss options. You can reach her at tricia.sabathne@d303.org or 331-228-5727.

If you have access to the Home Access Center (HAC), you can view this information there. Please check that the details are correct.

If you've never used the Home Access Center, please call our main office at 331-228-3400 (press 1) to get your username and password and to verify your emergency contact information. For Early Childhood families, these accounts have already been set up for you.

If you have a child between the ages of birth and five and live in Southern Kane County you can enroll them in the Imagination Library. Your child will receive books mailed to them monthly until their 5th birthday as long as they live in the covered geographic area. The covered area is the Fox Valley United Way service area and includes Campton Hills (60174), Elburn (60119), St. Charles (60174 & 60175), South Elgin (60177), and Valley View (60174).

Click the link below to get a digital copy of the Family Engagement Activity Guide that was sent home recently. The calendar has extra ideas for you and your child to use on E-Learning days and our monthly Early Release days.

Kindergarten enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year starts on January 27th at the elementary schools. If your child is currently in D303 Early Childhood at Haines will turn 5 by September 1, 2025, your registration will be easier and start before January 27th. You will get an intake form in your student's backpack by January 13th. Please return your completed form to Haines Center by January 24th. Then, our child's future elementary school will send you an email with a Docusign link to complete registration.

Our Early Childhood Program is for children under 5. If your child will be 5 by September 1, they are eligible for kindergarten and will need to go to a different school next year.

If you want your child to be considered for our Preschool For All program, please contact the Early Childhood Office at 331-228-4824. We have openings available now, as well as for the 2025-2026 school year.

We are working on family engagement and education options for the rest of the school year. Click the link below to share your input about your interests and availability.

CHANGE: The temperature guideline for our program to go outside is now as long as conditions are safe to do so and the temperature, including wind-chill, is above 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

Outdoor play continues throughout all the seasons at D303 Early Childhood at Haines Center weather permitting, and is an important part of our curriculum. Please be sure your preschooler has clothes appropriate for outdoor play daily. If weather prohibits outdoor play (e.g., raining, too cold, or hazardous conditions like ice present) classrooms use one of our indoor motor areas. If you are in need of a warmer coat or snowpants for your child please contact Tricia Sabathne, Child and Family Educator, at tricia.sabathne@d303.org

NO Playgroups when students are not in session (March 31)

Playgroups at our Haines Family Resource Center offer children, ages 0-5, and a caregiver a safe, quality, and educational play opportunity. Connect with other caregivers (parents, grandparents, babysitters, etc.) to share experiences, learn from each other, and build social networks.

Times:

• 9:35 - 10:35 am
• 12:05 - 1:05 pm Spanish
• 1:05 - 2:05 pm

**There is no fee for this program. Playgroups meet every Monday school is in session. Once you are registered you can attend whenever it works for you.

Your influence on how your child grows and develops is immense. We are proud to partner with you in your child's early learning journey. Making sure your child attends school for the full 2 1/2 hours when they are healthy helps us play our part.

Please contact your child's teacher or Tricia Sabathne, Child and Family Educator (CAFE), if you are experiencing barriers to arriving on time (car riders and walkers) or catching the bus (bus riders) so we can partner regarding possible solutions.

tricia.sabathne@d303.org

331-228-5727

To report a student absence:

• Main Haines building number- 331-228-3400
• Press 1 for the Early Childhood Center
• Press 1 for the Attendance line
• Clearly state your child's name and the reason for their absence.
• If you do not provide a reason for their absence OR do not call the absence will be unexcused.

Bus riders: There is no need to call transportation to report an absence. Drivers stop at each designated stop even when children are absent to stay on schedule for the rest of the route.

Website: https://ec.d303.org/
Location: 305 S 9th St, St Charles, IL 60174
Phone: 331-228-3400, Press 1 for Early Childhood