Welcome to the four-year-old classroom at the Cobleskill site.  I am very excited to welcome back the familiar faces and welcome, for the first time, some new faces.  This should be a very exciting and fun-filled school year and I look forward to working with you and your children.  The following are the names of the staff working in your child’s classroom:

·         Kara Yorks, Special Education Teacher

·         Sue Czechowshi, ELP Teacher

·         Toni Iveson, Teacher Assistant

·         Bonnie McKelvy, Teacher Assistant

·         Julie Palmatier, Teacher Assistant

·         Danielle Williams, Teacher Assistant

As the year starts off, I wanted to familiarize you with some of our routines.  Attached you will find a classroom schedule.  We have weekly themes on which we base our small group activities.  For example, the theme this week is “Welcome Back”.  Each week the theme changes, and we will send home a letter letting you know about the upcoming week’s activities.  We will also be learning a new letter each week and will have activities focused around the letter of the week.  A note will follow discussing how your child can participate in a weekly show and tell activity centered around each letter. 

We are working on reinforcing positive behaviors in the classroom.  We have a stoplight hanging in the classroom where every child starts with their car on green at the beginning of the day.  They will remain on green all day unless an unacceptable behavior is observed, where they will be asked to move their car to yellow and so on.  At the end of each day, every child who remained on green will earn a sticker.  At the end of each week if they have stayed on green all week long they will be able to choose a treasure to bring home.  You may find your child coming home with little trinkets or stickers that he/she has earned for making good choices throughout the day/week in the classroom. 

Please send in an extra set of clothes (labeled) for your child to keep at school for times when their clothes become wet or soiled.  Also, please be sure that your child is wearing safe and secure footwear, as we do participate in a lot of motor activities where sandals can be unsafe.  If your child stays for the whole day, please remember to send in a lunch.  We do have microwaves available for heating food if you so desire.

            Finally, please check out our school website at www.wppkids.com to keep up to date on all of our activities.  We are planning some great home-school activities as well as some exciting field trips, and we look forward to as much parental involvement as possible.  If throughout the year you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school (234-8864) or through email (kyorks@wppkids.com).  I look forward to another great year at Whispering Pines with you and your children!