Welcome to Parent Orientation SCPS VPK Program 2017-2018
VPK Parent Orientation July, 2017 Welcome Special Guests: Dr. Walt Griffin Introductions …Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow
Welcome to SCPS Your child is about to begin an exciting time of learning in the Seminole County Public Schools. School starts August 10 th . SEMINOLE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Our SCPS VPK Program Our VPK Program is designed to prepare children for success in Kindergarten.
VPK Age Eligibility Changes As of July, 2016, a change has been made that states that families of young children (born February 1 – August 31) may choose to enroll their VPK child either this year or next year – postponing VPK and Kindergarten entry. The child can only attend VPK once.
Our Full Day Program Our Full Day VPK Program is designed for parents who need child care for the whole school day. Once the free 3 hour VPK block is over, $310 per month tuition is charged for the remainder of the school day. Students in a full day site may not drop down to half day. Parents will have to transfer their child to a location that offers half day. (We often have wait lists for full-day programs.) 6
Payment Reminder Please remember that tuition for August is due by July 30 in the Pre- K Office in order to hold your child’s spot. August’s payment of $310 must be in the form of Visa, Mastercard, or a money order. Payment is calculated on 180 school days divided by 10 months, so each payment is the same regardless of how many days in the month. 7
Using PaySchools After the first month’s payment, you can pay online. Visit the district’s website at www.scps.k12.fl.us. Click on “District” at the top and scroll down to the bottom of the page. U nder “Departments” you will find Voluntary Pre-K. Clicking that link will take you to our home page. S croll down to “ PaySchools .” There are links on how to use the PaySchools System, a Tuition Payment Schedule, and to pay your child’s Pre -K Fees. 8
Class Statistics and Support Class Size State requirement of 11 students to one teacher or 20 students with 2 adults. Resource Teachers Each classroom is supported by a certified, early childhood resource teacher . 9 9
Staff Credentials All lead teachers must have CDA credentials (Child Development Associate) or higher. All assistants must have a high school diploma or higher. All employees meet VPK state requirements and have background clearances.
Areas of Focus Our program focuses on early literacy, which includes beginning reading & writing skills, and also math and social-emotional development.
What do our classrooms look like ?
Activities are age-appropriate and hands-on.
Routines are consistent.
Lessons are organized by ‘theme.’ For example: “Community Helpers”
There are daily opportunities for building oral language. Children are busy and involved with rich conversation that occurs throughout the day.
Indoor and outdoor activities occur daily.
There are open areas for large group activities like ‘circle time.’
Materials are easily accessible for children in work areas.
Children plan their own activities during Center Time.
Small group instruction is a result of assessments.
STEM Our students are given daily experiences in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Technology Students in each classroom are given the opportunity to work on a computer daily. Many classrooms are equipped with interactive white board technology.
Curriculum Guidelines VPK uses a framework that emphasizes active learning. Teachers facilitate children’s learning. Our curriculum goals include building independence, curiosity, decision-making, creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking and cooperation. 24
Curriculum Our VPK classes use the Frog Street Press Pre-K Curriculum. It is approved by the state for VPK. Lesson plans are written by one of our Resource Teachers, Dr. Carol Crownover, who incorporates the FL. Early Learning and Developmental Standards for 4 Year Olds.
FL Early Learning and Developmental Standards for 4-Year-Olds Adopted by the State Board of Education in 2011 & cover the following domains of learning: Physical Health Approaches to Learning Social and Emotional Development Language, Communication, and Emergent Literacy Cognitive Development and General Knowledge 26
Meeting the Standards These Standards are reflected in every lesson, in every activity , every day! You can find these Standards at: http://www.fldoe.org/ earlylearning/pdf/ListofStandardsandBenchmarks.pdf
Discipline Philosophy It is our goal for children to meet with success each day. Behavior is managed through positive reinforcement, redirection, conflict resolution, and modeling. These are used to help students make appropriate decisions and choices. 28
Assessment Report cards and grades are not used in VPK. The VPK Assessment is given 3 times a year. Student growth is monitored which helps to inform instruction. After each assessment, a parent letter will be sent home with student scores. 29
The Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener State law requires screening for all public school kindergarteners within the first 30 days of school. This screener assesses how prepared each student is for kindergarten based on the Standards for Four-Year Olds. A new instrument called Star Early Literacy will now be used. It is online and assesses early language and number skills. 30
Readiness Rates Scores from the assessment are used to calculate the VPK Readiness Rates for providers. This measures how well a provider prepares a child for readiness for kindergarten. The score has not yet been determined. 31
Parent Handbook More details about the VPK Program can be found in the Parent Handbook which you should have received when you registered your child at the Pre-K office. The handbook can be found on our website. This powerpoint and other resources can be found there as well. 32 32
Parent Participation Parent involvement is strongly encouraged since you are your child’s first teacher. The best way to contact your child’s teacher is through a note in daily folder, an email, or a voicemail message on classroom phone. You must be a “Dividend” in order to visit the classroom except for “Bring Your Parent Day.” 33 33
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s Can VPK students ride the bus ? No, parents must provide transportation for their child. Who can pick my child up from school ? Children must be picked up by an adult 18 years or older. Can a VPK student attend KidZone & Beyond (formerly Extended day)? Yes, it is available at several sites at an additional cost. You can apply on the SCPS website.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s Once school starts, can I switch my child to another school? Only one transfer is allowed. A form from the coalition is needed. Is there financial assistance available for the tuition? No. SCPS no longer participates in the School Readiness Program.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s Do we have to send in supplies? You do not need to send in any supplies. Please just send in a backpack, a folder, and a change of clothing. Do the children have a snack? Yes. Some teachers ask parents to send in a healthy snack for their child and other teachers ask parents to donate snacks for the classroom. Check with your child’s teacher at “Meet the Teacher”.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s Do the children take a nap in the afternoon? The students rest for an hour in the afternoon. They aren’t required to sleep. They can do something quietly such as read or listen to a story on tape. Do the children have to wear a uniform? No. Children in VPK are not required to wear a uniform. However, if the school uses them, you may purchase one if you would like.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s What about lunch? Students may purchase lunch or bring lunch from home. Parents may apply for free/reduced lunch online. From the SCPS home page, click on District at the top and scroll to Dining Services under Departments. Can I bring in homemade cookies, etc. for the class? All food must be store-bought.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s Who do I tell about my child’s allergies? Tell the teacher and write it down on the Student Information Card. Can my child attend any school for kindergarten? No, once a child goes to kindergarten, he/she must attend the home zone school or the assigned region school.
Attendance Please make sure your child is in school every day and on time so they don’t miss instructional time. Students that have more than 4 unexcused absences per month may be replaced with another student. Please make sure your child is picked up on time to avoid a late fee or dismissal from the program. 40 40
KidZone & Beyond You can enroll your child in KidZone & Beyond, formerly known as Extended Day, if you need childcare after the school day is over. Please visit their website to enroll or for additional information. From the SCPS home page, click on District. Then scroll to departments and click on Extended Day. 41
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