John F. Kennedy

Catholic School

Preschool Program

Parent’s Guide

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Table of Contents Welcome ................................................................................................. 3

Preschool Supply List .................................................................................. 4

Dress Code ..................................................................................................... 4

Personal Items .............................................................................................. 4

Snacks ............................................................................................................. 4

Birthdays ........................................................................................................ 5

Cafeteria/Lunch ........................................................................................... 5

Cafeteria Rules ...................................................................................... 5

Recess ............................................................................................................. 5

Communication .............................................................................................. 5

Communication Folder ........................................................................... 6

Parent Teacher Conferences .................................................................... 6

Illness ............................................................................................................. 6

Closings and Delays ...................................................................................... 6

Clearances ...................................................................................................... 7

Fundraisers .................................................................................................... 7

Safety ............................................................................................................. 7

Tuition ............................................................................................................. 7

Late Arrivals ................................................................................................. 8

Early Dismissals ............................................................................................ 8

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What We Do In Preschool ......................................................................... 8

Religion ................................................................................................. 8

The Letter People .................................................................................. 8

Circle Time ............................................................................................. 9

The Write Place ..................................................................................... 9

Dramatic Play ........................................................................................ 9

Books .................................................................................................... 9

Blocks .................................................................................................. 10

Table Toys ........................................................................................... 10

Art ....................................................................................................... 10

Music .................................................................................................. 10

Science ................................................................................................ 10

Math ................................................................................................... 11

Extras ...............................................................................................................

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Welcome John F. Kennedy Catholic School

111 West Spruce Street

Washington, PA 15301

724-225-1680

Dear Parents,

Thank you for choosing JFK Preschool as your child’s first school experience. We are proud of our program

which is religious based education for early learners. We have been serving the Washington County area

for over fifty years. As part of the Immaculate Conception Parish community, JFK preschool is dedicated to

guiding your child through the most important years of learning. The emotional, social, and physical

development of young children has a direct effect on their overall development and on the adult they will

become.

At JFK Catholic Preschool we believe that the health and safety of our students, families, and staff during

this global pandemic is the utmost importance. The leadership team at JFK is dedicated to staying up to

date with the changing guidelines and policies set forth by the CDC to keep and those who attend safe and

healthy. Please refer to our John F. Kennedy Catholic Phased School Reopening Health and Safety Plan for

all the pertinent return to school information. If you have questions concerning the reopening plan, please

contact the school office at 724-225-1680.

We are so excited to start school. Preschool is a big year! We’ve designed our program to help your child

thrive. Our main goal is to ease your child’s transition from their home environment to a more challenging

and structural school environment. Our preschool program includes:

Independent, teacher-directed, and small-group activities that encourage investigation,

exploration, and discovery

Building a strong foundation for your child’s physical, mental, emotional, and social development

Learning approaches that adapt to each child and incorporate their strengths and interests

Curriculum-building opportunities to solve problems and make decisions

Safety, security, and cleanliness practices that meet or exceed all state, local, and national

guidelines

We have prepared this Parent Guide to help answer some of the questions you may have about our

preschool program. If you need additional information, please know you can always contact the school or

email the teachers.

Blessings,

JFK Preschool Teachers and Staff

“The education of a child involves three major components: teacher, student, parents.”

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Preschool Supply List

3 boxes of Crayola 8-count Large Crayons (not jumbo)

Five-inch Blunt Tip Fiskar Scissors *left-handed scissors available

Four large Elmer’s Glue Sticks

Two rolls paper towels

One box of Kleenex

Backpack (large enough for a folder)

One seasonal change of clothes in gallon Ziploc bag labeled with child’s name

Cleaning supplies (baby wipes, disinfectant wipes)

One watercolor paint set

Two reams copy paper

$5.00 cash donations for special art materials

Vinyl rest mat

Dress Code

There is no dress code for the Preschool Program, but parents are encouraged to dress their child in

comfortable clothing with elastic waist bands for selfcare. If your child is wearing tights please make

sure they are able to pull them up on their own.

Tennis shoes or rubber-soled shoes should be worn and shoe laces should be double knotted. Girls

should not wear flip flops or dress shoes that are slippery and may cause accidents.

Personal Items

Please be sure to label all items brought to school with your child’s first and last name.

Backpack

Lunch Box

Water Bottle easily opened by children. If your child is staying full-day they may need two

cold water bottles.

Clothing (coats, sweaters, jackets)

Toys: Due to COVID regulations no toys from home are permitted to be brought into the

classroom.

Snacks

Each child must provide their own hand held snack (individual bags, bars, pretzels, gold fish, etc.)

These items must be non-perishable and non- refrigerated. We encourage healthy snacks (No

candy) that can be easily opened. We suggest zip lock bags for snacks and no pouches or juice boxes.

Water bottles are the best option.

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Birthdays

Due to the COVID 19 regulations we will no longer be permitted to have birthday snacks or treat bags

brought into the classroom. Your child’s teacher will make sure your child has a special day with a

crown, balloon, certificate, and goodie bag.

Lunch

At this time the students will be eating lunch in their classrooms. Remember to pack items that your

child can independently open. Children will spend 20 minutes eating lunch so please pack only what

your child can eat in the time given.

When the COVID19 guidelines are lifted we will continue to follow these rules in the cafeteria.

Cafeteria Rules

Always walk in the cafeteria

Remain seated unless disposing of trash

Please do not share food

Recess

We believe that playing is essential to learning and children need time to be physically active. We will

go outside for recess if the temperature is 32 degrees or above and dry. Please dress for the

weather.

Communication

Throughout the year, we will communicate through notes, email, telephone calls, newsletters, and

Parent-Teacher conferences. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions, or concerns

at any time.

Mrs. Janice Woods: jwoods@jfkcatholic.com

Miss Anita DiPaolo: adipaolo@jfkcatholic.com

Mrs. Kimberly Stevenson: kstevenson@jfkcatholic.com

For more urgent matters you may call the school at

(724-225-1680). We will get back to you promptly.

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Communication Folder

A folder will be supplied for your child. This folder we be used to update families on school activities,

inform and remind families of important dates and polices, and to send home your child’s completed

schoolwork.

Please review the contents of the folder daily, remove all papers, and return it to school each day

with your child.

Any note, envelope, form, fundraising information, etc. should be sent back to school in your child’s

folder. This folder provides a daily communication between the families and the teachers. This is a

valuable tool used in the JFK Preschool to communicate and teach responsibility to our children.

When submitting money or returning forms for classroom purposes please ensure to include this

information on the envelope:

Your child’s first and last name

Purpose and amount of money

Teacher’s Name

Parent Teacher Conferences

There will be two formal Parent-Teacher conferences. These will be scheduled at a later date. Report

cards will be given at conferences. Please know that anytime you have a concern you do not have to

wait for a conference. We are always willing to meet with you to discuss any issues your child may be

experiencing.

Illness

To safeguard the health of our classroom, your child should NOT come to school when they are ill.

Please refer to our John F. Kennedy Catholic Phased School Reopening Health and Safety Plan for

guidance.

Closings and Delays

JFK Catholic School uses the Option C Alert phone system to notify parents of any school delays,

cancelations, or early dismissals. You may also listen to local news weather forecast to get updated

information on school closings.

In an event of a two-hour delay Preschool students will report to school at 9:55am.

Full-day students will be dismissed at regular time (2:15pm).

Half-Day students will be dismissed at 12:00pm.

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Clearances

Due to COVID 19 guidelines, volunteering at school will be limited until further notice.

All school volunteers, who are over the age of 18, must be cleared by the Diocese of Pittsburgh prior to any involvement in school activities. All school volunteers must complete the following steps:

Safe Environment Database/PA State Police Clearance/Code of Pastoral Conduct/Child Protective Services Law (password: PROTECT)

Child Abuse History Clearance

FBI Clearance or Waiver

Protecting God's Children Training

Mandated Reporter Training

Information regarding clearances, the Safe Environment Database, and helpful links may be found at diopitt.org/school-volunteers

Fundraising is essential to the success of JFK. Preschool families are encouraged to participate in fundraising. Various fundraising opportunities are offered and include the Fall Gala, Football Pools, Night at the Races, Sarris Candy Holiday Sales, and many more! Information about individual fundraisers will be sent home with your child throughout the school year.

Safety

Due to COVID 19 guidelines, no parents or visitors are permitted in the school building until further

notice.

The safety of the students and staff of John F. Kennedy Catholic is paramount. All preschool students and preschool parents may enter/leave the Elementary Building thru the glass door by the playground for arrival/dismissal. All visitors must enter the Elementary Building (red brick) through the main entrance, located near the flag pool. Once entering the building, visitors are directed to the school office to register. All visitors are required to wear a visitor badge, which will be provided by the school office. Visitors must return to the office upon leaving to notify the office staff. All visitors are asked to leave through the main entrance.

Tuition

JFK utilizes the FACTs tuition system to manage and collect tuition. Parents are required to enroll in FACTs and choose a tuition plan. Tuition must be paid and kept current. Parents are responsible for tuition and any fees associated with the plan selected (e.g., plan fee, credit card processing fee, late fee, etc.).

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Late Arrivals

It is extremely important to be here at 8am.

Any student arriving after the late bell at 8:05 am is required to stop in the office upon arrival. At this point, this student is considered tardy and will be escorted to the classroom by a JFK Staff Member.

Early Dismissals

If a student needs to leave school outside of normal dismissal times, please notify the student's teacher via email or a written note submitted in the student's folder with the time of the dismissal and the person to whom the student is being dismissed. If the dismissal is not known before the start of the school day, please call the office to notify the school of the change in schedule. Students will be called for the dismissal once the person, who is responsible, arrives.

What We Do In Preschool

Due to COVID 19 there will be no common areas or sharing of toys and other educational items. Your

child will have a personal container for their hands-on items.

Religion

Time to talk about God

Bible based stories retold for age appropriate comprehension

Prayers, songs, and art activities

Reinforce kindness, caring, sharing, and treating others fairly

All good things come from God

The Letter People

Literacy based program based on 26-character puppets

Each puppet represents a letter of the alphabet

Teaches beginning readers how to “decode” or “sound out” the consonants and vowels

that form words

Each letter puppet has a distinct characteristic to help children learn not only the letter

but the sound the letter represents in the written word

Circle Time

A time when our students come together as a community of learners

Sharing of thoughts

Listening to one another

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Introducing new concepts and ideas

Reading and singing together

Building a sense of respect and support for one another

Activities: Prayer, pledge, movement, calendar/day/month/year, counting,

weather/seasons, Letter People/introduction of this week’s letter, and introduction of this

week’s theme

The Write Place

Recognize the letter of the alphabet

Learn to write letters

Match upper and lower case

Put words into sentences

Understand uses for print

Realize words read from left to right

Dictate my own story and see it in print

Dramatic Play

Enhance my creativity

Improve social skills

Expand my vocabulary and language skills

Develop a greater understanding of myself and my world

Develop problem solving skills

Cooperate with peers

Develop classification skills

Improve hand-eye coordination

Improve my fine motor skills

Books

Develop a love for books

Develop a love for the spoken language

Expand my imagination and creativity

Put stories in sequential order

Expand my world

Build my vocabulary

Provide a foundation for reading and writing

Learn to deal with life experiences

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Blocks

Explore balance

Experiments with weights and size relations

Sort by size and shape

Plan, organize, and carry out a task

Explore cause and effect

take turns and share

Table Toys

cooperate with others to complete a task

improve my fine motor skills

practice number concepts

develop pairing and matching skills

sort according to size, color, and shape

classify and sequence in logical ways

Art

enhance my creativity

express my individuality

strengthen my fine motor skills

refine my eye-hand coordination

recognize colors and shapes

explore differences in texture

Music

explore differences in sound

make sound with different instrument types

experience rhythm, tone, and pitch

improve my fine and gross motor coordination

Science

expand my knowledge base

notice changes in my environment

predict and reason

explore my world

use problem solving skills

experiment

explore different properties of matter

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Math

count, classify and sort objects

recognize my numbers

explore patterns

explore big and small, tall and short

identify shapes

measure my world

graphing and matching

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