Dear Sheldon Families,

There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, October 10th and Tuesday, October 11th. We will welcome back our Sharks on Wednesday, October 12th to begin the 2nd quarter of school!

Families of OT students, the car line is a RIGHT TURN ONLY out of our parking lot. DO NOT BLOCK intersections or driveways!

Click the link to access the 2022-2023 Family Handbook.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me!

Thank you for the privilege of serving you ~

Mrs. Gabrielle Tanner, Principal

We will practice a Fire Drill during the month of October.

You can find all school events listed on our school calendar which you can access on our webpage.

October is Head Start Awareness Month! As part of our celebration, please have students wear RED on Wednesday, WHITE on Thursday, and BLUE on Friday!

Will you please "Like" our TPS en español Facebook page? We would greatly appreciate it!

We are excited to be heading to the Pumpkin Patch for our first field trip of the school year! Upstairs classrooms will be going on October 18 and downstairs classrooms on October 20. Permission slips for this trip will be sent home. These must be returned by the day before your child is scheduled to go. Those students without signed forms the day of the trip will not be allowed to attend.

Sheldon's Picture RETAKE Day is coming up on October 19! If your child was absent on picture day OR you are dissatisfied with your child's portraits, you are welcome to have them retake their picture. If your child did have their picture taken in September and you are wanting retakes, you must return the original pictures you received.

The flyer below provides details on the different packages that are available for order. You may order online, or pay by cash or check. If paying by cash, you must provide the EXACT amount. We will not be able to make change. If paying by check, please make the check out to Strawbridge Studios. Paying online is the easiest! We will collect orders and payments at the school beginning October 10 and ending on picture day, October 19.

Each week the Sheldon staff reviews one of our Head Start Policies & Procedures and felt it was important that families stay up to date on these as well. This quarter our focus is on Mental Health, Disability, and Child Development and Education. If you ever have any questions regarding our policies and procedures, please reach out!

Behavior Management

POLICY:

Sheldon is committed to using positive behavioral strategies when teaching children how to manage their own behavior. Child guidance and classroom management decisions will promote positive social skills, foster mutual respect, strengthen self-esteem, and support a safe environment. This policy relates to Head Start Performance Standards 1302.45 Child mental health and social and emotional well-being.

PROCEDURE:

1. The use of corporal punishment is strictly forbidden. It is grounds for immediate termination. Withholding of outdoor play, food or access to bathroom, name calling, video and/or picture taking with regards to child behaviors or any other form of demeaning treatment is strictly forbidden. Use of such methods will result in disciplinary action.

2. The classroom will be designed to assist children in developing social emotional skills by providing:

• a daily schedule engaging children mentally and physically;
• a variety of materials and planned activities designed to encourage individual and group play; books, stories, puppets, and other experiences to reinforce positive social behavior; continuous opportunities to experience success;
• an area for children exhibiting inappropriate, non-aggressive behavior (this does not mean children who are fidgety during circle time activities, but children who cannot attend to certain task)

Examples of an area are:

• calming/relaxing station;
• book area
• ready spot

3. Classroom staff will:

• provide an environment of acceptance for each child, providing positive labeled praise and encouragement for positive social behavior;
• show respect for children’s feelings and ideas;
• implement opportunities for children to develop social skills;
• recognize and nurture children’s friendships with peers;
• plan activities that support children’s interactions
• encourage children to resolve their own conflicts while respecting the rights of others;
• help individual children manage stressful situation and events;
• provide challenging activities, according to children’s developing skill level;
• involve children in the development of classroom, playground and transportation rules;
• rules must be posted in the classroom in appropriate areas;
• rules should be stated positively and specifically (avoid “no”, and “don’t” as much as possible);
• four to five rules are recommended;
• rules should include pictures as much as possible, (photos, clip art, etc. of children are appropriate)
• identify consequences for following and not following the rules (review Time-away Procedure and use of timer;
• review daily at the beginning of the school year and as often as needed
• recognize that children have individual rates of development as well as individual interest, temperaments, languages, cultural backgrounds, and learning styles;
• plan for routines and transitions so that they occur in a timely, predictable and unrushed manner according to each child’s needs;
• Use time-away only if child is hurting themselves, others, or willfully destroying property (see Time-away procedure)

4. For some children additional accommodations will be necessary.

5. If a child continues to display concerning behavior, make sure to document through Concern Sheets.

Check out the October Health Tip.

For the convenience of students and staff, the district will begin offering two (2) over-the-counter COVID-19 tests to each student and staff member, upon request. Please contact Nurse Andrea Ferrell to make a request. You can reach her by email at aferrell@tps501.org or by calling the school office.

Each month, Home Depot offers a fun workshop for kids! Show up toward the beginning of the session to ensure there are enough materials for your child. Children must be present to receive a kit. They get to keep their project, receive a free certificate of achievement, a workshop apron, and a commemorative pin (while supplies last). Can't make it to Home Depot for the kids' workshop? Why not bring the party home! Here are just a few of the ready to assemble kits you can buy and build at home. Homedepot.com also offers great kids' activities, videos, and how-to's!

Workshops take place the first Saturday of each month from 9:00-12:00.

November 5: Scarecrow Napkin Holder

November 26: Train Ornament

December 3: Santa Letters Mailbox

Please be sure to review both the COVID Update and the information on the Parent Resources page for the latest information from the CDC. Masks are encouraged, but not required. We will maintain strict sanitation protocols.

Late Start is on FRIDAYS for this school year and the arival time will be at 10:15.

You can find the 2022-2023 Academic Calendar HERE.

The Sheldon Food & Clothing Bank is up and running! If your family has any needs, reach out to your Family Advocate or call 785-438-4530.

You can find the link to the 2021 Community Resources Council Resource Directory here. This directory provides contact information for a variety of community resources.

If in need of resources, you can also contact the United Way by dialing 211.

See the following links for Food Pantry resources available to families.

English and Spanish

Website: https://sheldon.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 1155 SW Seabrook Ave.
Phone: 785-438-4530
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheldonChildDevelopmentCenterHeadStart