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John F. Kennedy
Catholic School
Preschool Program
Parent’s Guide
2
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 ...............................................................................................................
2
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: [email protected]
Miss Anita DiPaolo: [email protected]
Mrs. Kimberly Stevenson: [email protected]
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.
2
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
2
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
2
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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