Troy 30-C Preschool Program Handbook

Preschool Office: Troy Cronin Elementary School
210 East Black Road
Shorewood, IL  60404

Preschool Phone: 815-577-7315
Fax: 815-729-7441

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Student Hours: 8:35 a.m. - 11:05 a.m. (AM classes)
12:35 p.m. - 3:05 p.m. (PM classes)
8:35 a.m. - 3:05 p.m. (Full-day classes)

Absences:                                    
Troy Cronin: 815-577-7314
Troy Hofer: 815-577-6758

Bus Transportation: 815-577-6290

Early Childhood Director: Jessica McCaslin jmccaslin@troy30c.org

Preschool Specialist: Michelle Cisneros mcisneros@troy30c.org

Preschool Screening Specialist: Yuri Mercado ymercado@troy30c.org

Full Day Teachers (Hofer): Jill Bishop, Sherry Cristofori, Katie Burzawa

Half Day Teachers (Cronin): Sarah Sontag, Laura Flynn, Cori Seguin, Kelly Jager,Destiny Moore, Tona Jones, Caylee Villegas, Vicky Green, and Alba Tobias

Teaching Assistants: Kelly Hott, Joy Lukancic, Christine Johnston, Carrie Miller, Jennifer Segredo, Ana Rios, Sonia Villagomez, Audrey Demitralis, Sharon Welch, Terry Sayles, Tammy Johnson, Sarah Eggleston,Lauren Castellanos, Michelle Jadron,, Katie Filips, Cathy McManus-Sands, Ann Hill, Penny Kapogiannis, Kelsey Estabrook, Kathy Combs, TBD

Troy Mission Statement

The Troy CCSD 30C learning community will achieve excellence and will conquer the challenges of the future.

Our Philosophy

The Troy Early Childhood Team believes:

• Children should experience a safe, comfortable learning environment where they are free to explore their surroundings.
• Children learn best through active interaction with others and through a variety of natural and developmentally appropriate learning experiences.
• Children will be provided with daily opportunities to become responsible and resourceful learners through a balance of child and teacher initiated learning activities.
• Programming will foster creativity, independence, social responsibility, and problem solving abilities for each student as an individual. The team’s role is to assist children with integrating these qualities to become happy and self-assured learners.
• Collaborative partnerships among home, school and the community to promote student learning and program success.
• Implementing research‐based and developmentally appropriate curriculum will allow each child to grow and learn to their potential.

Troy 30-C offers half-day, full-day, and specialized programs to meet a preschool child's needs. There are three different ways to be a part of the preschool program:

1. Community students pay tuition and can attend either 3 or 5 days per week.
2. Preschool for All students are those who qualify through our screening process to attend the free preschool program that is funded by an Illinois state grant.
3. Early Childhood students are those eligible with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for more than speech-only services.

The Preschool Program offers both half-day and full-day programming. Five-days per week, full-day preschool programs are at Troy Hofer for qualifying four-year-old students. The half-day program offers two sessions each day, meeting either three or five days per week for three to five year old students. Classrooms have a maximum of 20 children. Our highly qualified teachers meet the needs of ALL children, including children who are English learners and those who need special education support and services.

Hours for the half-day program:

AM session - 8:35 a.m. - 11:05 a.m.
PM session - 12:35 p.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Hours for the full-day program: 8:35 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.

The Preschool Program utilizes the Creative Curriculum to guide class work on the developmental skills of young children in the areas of language, motor, self-help, social interaction and school readiness. In addition, for the child with special needs, the child’s Individualized Education Program is addressed by the Preschool team through a variety of classroom activities and teaching methods to assure appropriate growth and skill attainment. Communication between home and school is a priority of this educational program. Parent contact by school personnel, parent training, conferences and other parent/teacher meetings are planned throughout the year. We can achieve so much by working together!

The Troy Preschool Team welcomes you and looks forward to an exciting and successful school year working with your child and you!

Attendance and Absences 

The Troy Preschool Program has high expectations for student performance and consistent attendance is vital. We will expect your child to arrive at school on time and to have excellent attendance. We encourage you to send your child to school every day unless he/she is ill. The parent or guardian of a student with 10 unexcused absences will be required to meet with the Director to address the needs of the child and improve attendance. Students in the grant-funded programs must maintain excellent attendance or they may be removed from the class and placed back on the waiting list as a priority re-enrollment.

To report absences at Troy Cronin, please call the main office at 815-577-7314.

To report absences at Troy Hofer, please call the main office at 815-577-6758.

When reporting an absence, please leave your child’s name, spell the last name, time of day he/she attends (a.m., p.m. or full-day), teacher’s name and the reason for the absence. Please provide specific details (ex. skin rash, vomiting, fever, congestion, etc.) as the nurses have to keep track of health concerns.

If your child rides the bus, please also contact the Transportation Department, 815-577-6290.

Inclement Weather

When school is canceled or delayed due to inclement weather, it will be sent via ParentSquare and on the school website at www.troy30c.org.

Illness 

The Troy School District has secured registered nurses or licensed practical nurses to care for school children. In order to provide the healthiest environment for your child and the other students, the nurse may need to send a child home from school or determine when a sick child may return to school with a note from a physician.

Please do not send your child to school within 24 hours if any of the following symptoms occur:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Temperature over 100.4°F
• Excessive cough
• Runny nose with yellow or green discharge
• Eyes that are draining, itching, appears pink or swollen
• An undiagnosed skin rash or condition
• Head lice or eggs - Please notify the school. The child will be examined by the nurse before being allowed to return to class.

If any of the above listed illnesses or symptoms occur at home, please do not send the student to school until the student is symptom free, without medication, for 24 hours. If any of the above listed illnesses occur during the school day, parent(s)/guardian(s) will be contacted to pick up the student. All students not picked up within 60 minutes of parent contact are assessed a fee, beginning with the second occurrence. Please see Late Student Pick-Up Policy mentioned below.

A prolonged illness may require a Physician’s Statement for re-admittance into the program. If you expect a long illness, hospitalization, and/or surgery please alert the school. (3 or more days)

*Please refer to Illnesses in the Student/Parent Handbook for more detailed information.*

Medication

Children who take any scheduled and/or emergency medications at school must have a signed statement from a parent and the physician on file. Forms can be obtained at the office. Please do not send medication to school with your child. The parent should bring the medication to school. All medications must be in the original labeled bottle from the pharmacy. For more specific information, please refer to the district’s medication policy.

Allergy Plan

All children with an allergy that results in a reaction that is potentially life threatening must have an established Allergy Action Plan signed by their doctor on file in the school nurse’s office.

Asthma Plan

All children with asthma must have an established Asthma Action Plan signed by their doctor on file in the school nurse’s office.

Vision and Hearing Screening

Vision and hearing screening is conducted annually in the Troy Preschool Program. The school nurses are trained and certified by the Illinois Department of Public Health in vision and hearing screening. The frequency of vision and hearing screening is addressed in the rules and regulations of the Illinois Child Vision and Hearing Test Act (410 ILCS 205).

Safety

The most important job we have as educators is maintaining a safe and secure environment. Students and staff practice evacuating the building multiple times per year; engage in a shelter in place (Tornado Drill), a law enforcement drill and a bus evacuation. In addition to these drills that involve the entire building, teachers practice the same drills frequently to ensure that students are familiar with the process.

Security

In order to ensure that our buildings are secure, all doors are maintained in a locked position throughout the day. Please support the security of the entire building by only entering and exiting through the main office (Door 1). Security cameras are at doors and around the building and record activity. All adults entering the building will be asked to provide picture identification and scan into our Hall Pass system.

We feel that teacher/staff/parent communication is very important. We ask that you check your child’s backpack on a daily basis for any communication from the teacher, school and/or district. It is our desire as a team to be accessible to our families. We value parents/guardians as partners and ask that any questions and concerns are addressed first with your child’s teacher. Each student will be given a yellow take-home folder to facilitate communication between home and school.

Classroom teachers send home a weekly newsletter, post on their blog or include information on their classroom app or webpage.

ParentSquare is a mass communication system used to remind families of upcoming events or in the event of an emergency. All messages received are via telephone or email. Please ensure that your information in Skyward and the school office is current so that you may receive these important messages.

Meeting with Teachers and Staff 

Parent/Guardians and teachers are encouraged to meet in order to share information and make decisions together. Formal meetings occur throughout the year, including Curriculum (Back-to-School) Night, Parent/Teacher Conferences and Parent/Child Learning Together Days. Parents/Guardians with a child receiving special education services and having an Individual Education Program (IEP) will also meet annually to establish new goals for their child.

Each staff member has an email address and can be reached by phone or email. Staff will be able to contact you during scheduled times when they are not with students. Please feel free to contact any of the Preschool Team members:

Mrs. Jessica McCaslin, Director of Early Childhood Education, jmccaslin@troy30c.org, 815-577-7315

Mrs. Michelle Cisneros, Preschool Secretary, mcisneros@troy30c.org, 815-577-7315

Mrs. Yuri Mercado, Preschool Secretary, ymercado@troy30c.org, 815-577-7315

The preschool years are an exciting time in your child’s life with many firsts and new things. Each day will be a new adventure with learning experiences and opportunities to grow. We believe the single most important determinant of a child’s success in school is parent and family involvement. We recognize that you are your child’s first and best teacher. We encourage you to be involved in your child’s early childhood education. Teachers and families work together as partners in education. Children will realize how important they are when they see their teacher and family working together for them.

Parents/Guardians are encouraged to visit the classroom on scheduled days and to volunteer. We ask that you arrange your visit through your child’s teacher. Parents without scheduled appointments with a classroom teacher will not be allowed to enter a classroom. This is to not disrupt learning, to ensure the safety of our children, and to maintain the building as a secure place.

Family Engagement Days 

Parents/Child activity days will be announced in advance. In the Partners in Learning Agreement parents agree to attend at least two parent/child “Family Engagement” days. The classroom teacher will facilitate many activities for adults to do with the child. If a parent/guardian is unable to attend, a beloved adult may attend in their absence. Some families have grandma, grandpa, aunt or uncle attend, when they can’t. We need every child to have an adult with them on these special days and hope you will plan in advance to be a part of Family Engagement  days with your child. All of these dates will be approximately once a month on Friday’s.

Volunteers 

Volunteers are vital to the continued success of our program. Volunteers that come on a frequent basis must be fingerprinted and agree to a background check. When volunteering during the school day, please note you will need to provide your driver’s license so that we can print a visitor badge using our Hall Pass system. You will then sign-in when you arrive in the classroom.

Suggestions for Being Involved

• Volunteering in your child’s classroom or school-wide functions at your child’s school (assisting with classroom projects, reading a favorite story, helping with celebrations).
• Making/Donating items for your classroom (i.e. make games, bulletin boards). Each teacher will have a wishlist of items wanted in the classroom. You may choose to make materials for the classroom or donate items to the classroom.
• Attend Parent/Child activity events, which we call “Learning Together” events. These events will be held at each preschool building or off-site in the community.
• Attend Parent/Teacher Conferences scheduled in November and throughout the year to gather and share information regarding your child’s overall growth and development.
• Participating in all school functions and activities at your child’s school.

All parents will sign a Partners in Learning Agreement to participate in the preschool program. Participation is a wonderful opportunity that comes with partnership responsibilities. This pledge outlines the partnership between our dedicated staff and involved families in order to support your child during these critical years of growth and development. Research continues to show that good teaching and parent involvement during the early years has a tremendous impact on future learning and development.

Things to Remember When You Are in the Classroom

1. Actively participate in the daily activities per the classroom teacher/staff.
2. Volunteer time is not conference time. We will be happy to talk about your child’s progress at a scheduled time when students are not present.
3. When your volunteer time is over, keep goodbyes to a minimum; prolonged goodbyes can be emotionally upsetting for you, your child or the classroom environment.
4. Each child in our program is an individual and information regarding each child should be kept confidential.
5. Please remember that when you volunteer, you are here to help the teacher. We respectfully ask that you make other arrangements for siblings or other children.
6. Please refrain from using your cell phone while volunteering in the classroom. This is a dedicated time to interact with your child and assist the teacher.
7. Any pictures taken in the classroom should not include other students.

The core curriculum used in the Troy Preschool Program is The Creative Curriculum with the Teaching Strategies Gold assessment tool. This is a scientifically research based and developmentally appropriate curriculum and assessment tool that allows for student choices to guide topics of study with play-based assessment. This curriculum is widely used across the nation and closely aligns with Illinois’ Early Learning and Development Standards and the Common Core. Parents/Guardians can access additional information about the curriculum by exploring the following website: The Creative Curriculum.

Eleven Interest Areas or centers provide the framework for The Creative Curriculum. The content that children experience is embedded within these Interest Areas. The skills children learn are integrated throughout the day.

Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards

The Creative Curriculum is aligned to the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. It is available on the Illinois State Board of Education website at: Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards

Daily Schedule 

A daily schedule provides a consistent routine to meet a child’s individual needs. A good schedule offers a balance between active and quiet time; large group, small group and individual activities; indoor and outdoor play and time for children to choose their own activities, as well as a time for teacher-directed activities.

The daily schedule is flexible, and at times, spontaneous, to meet individual and group interests. The Troy Preschool Program schedules include:

• Arrival/Locker or cubby routines
• Large group instruction
• Centers of learning (student choice) and Snack
• Small group instruction
• Music/Movement - indoors or outdoors
• Literacy/Language
• Dismissal/Locker or cubby routines

English Language Learner (EL) Supports 

Troy Preschool Program values the linguistic and cultural diversity that families bring to our schools. English learners bring diverse cultural knowledge and experiences that contribute positively to the classroom and school environment. In keeping with our mission, Preschool staff partner with families to support a rich language foundation in each child’s home language.

Federal law and the Illinois School Code requires that each school district administer a Home Language Survey to every student entering school for the first time. Based upon the Home Language Survey and an assessment of the child’s skills in English, English learner supports are determined and made available for children. All Troy preschool teachers are endorsed to teach English learners. There are several bilingual teaching assistants in the program to additionally support students and families from Spanish-speaking homes.

Progress Reports

Parents/Guardians will receive information about their child’s progress throughout the year. Our program uses a narrative report and portfolios to explain student abilities and suggest activities for progress. During this time, parents and teachers will also get together to discuss every child’s progress at Parent/Teacher Conferences. Progress reports are also sent home in February and May. Parents/Guardians can learn more about their student’s development at any time by contacting their child’s classroom teacher via phone or email.

 

Busing 

Early Childhood and Preschool for All students will be transported to and from school by the school district. Community students may choose busing to and from school for an annual fee of $450. You will be notified by the transportation department as to when to expect the bus to arrive at your home or designated pick-up point. Drivers will not beep to announce their arrival at your home, so please be ready at your designated pick-up time. The bus driver has a busy schedule and small delays at each stop can result in the children missing learning time. Your promptness results in your child (and other children) arriving at school on time and participating fully in all the activities planned for the day.

Parents are responsible for putting their child on the bus and buckling him or her into the seat. Parents are also responsible for unbuckling and escorting their child off the bus when he or she is brought home. For the safety of our young students, it is our policy that the bus driver will only drop a child off at a home at which an adult is present.

If there will be a change in transportation on a particular day resulting in the student not needing bus transportation, e.g., student absence from school, please promptly notify both the bus company (815-577-6290) and school office (Cronin - 815-577-7315; Hofer- 815-577-6758)

Car Line

Each Troy elementary building will send home specific car drop-off/pick-up procedures. Safety is our utmost concern. Please help us keep all students safe by following the directions of the staff, driving SLOWLY and being mindful of adults and students walking to and from the school entrance.

Please be prepared to show a driver’s license at any time in the car line. The adult staff rotates this duty and if the staff member does not recognize the adult, he or she will ask to see photo identification.

Cars who are picking up students in a car line at the school will be required to have the school-issued car line tag secured in the front window. You must scan the QR Code AND have the school-issued car line tag in the window. Any car without the tag will be asked to park and the adult asked to go into the school office to show photo identification. This adult needs to be listed in the emergency contacts within the Skyward system in order for the child to be released to them. Additional car line tags can be requested in the school office.

An adult will greet you at drop off and escort your child to the classroom. Always wait in your car for the next available staff member to get your child at dismissal. Please remember to put your car in park. The parent or designated adult driver must buckle their child.

Children attending the morning session are to arrive at school no earlier than 8:25 a.m. Half-day dismissal will begin at 11:05 a.m.  All children should be picked up no later than 11:10 a.m.

Children attending the afternoon session are to arrive no earlier than 12:25 p.m. Dismissal will begin at 3:05 p.m. All children should be picked up no later than 3:10 p.m.

Children attending the full-day classes are to arrive no earlier than 8:25 a.m. Dismissal will begin at 3:05 p.m. All children should be picked up no later than 3:10 p.m.

Please do not arrive in the carline more than 20 minutes before arrival or dismissal. The line impedes the parking or leaving of staff.

We rely on your promptness, however in the unlikely event that your child will be picked up late, the adult will need to come to the main office and provide identification to sign the child out. Troy School District has implemented a late student pick-up policy and fee. This information can be found on the district website. Please note that adhering to arrival and departure routines allows our staff to maximize teaching and planning time. 

• Cell phone use is not permitted in school zones. Please refrain from using your cell phone while you are dropping off and picking up your child.
• Please do not leave other children unattended in your vehicle during drop off and pick up times.
• Please park only in the designated areas. Handicapped spots are reserved for those vehicles that have the appropriate license plate or tag displayed.
• The driveway in front of the building is for school buses and commercial vehicles ONLY between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Breakfast and Lunch for Full-Day Preschool Students (only)

Students attending the full-day program can eat a breakfast and a hot lunch. These meals will be at no cost to students. Students will eat in their classroom and will have one option for breakfast and lunch. Meals are served family-style in the classroom. Mealtimes are learning opportunities for students to develop self-help skills, to learn nutritious and healthful eating practices, to promote social interaction between teacher and peers, and to develop communication skills. More information about breakfast and lunch can be found on the district website.  

A monthly calendar will be available with the meals listed for each day. Students may also bring a nutritious cold lunch from home. There is no way to heat up lunches brought from home or keep them refrigerated.

Snacks

Since young children need to eat frequently, snack time is included in our schedule. It is also used as a learning time to reinforce counting and comparing skills, communicate requests and needs, teach nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, and promote social skills and interactions with teachers and peers. A nutritious snack and drink is provided for all children in the Preschool Program.

For more information- please follow the wellness policy.

Clothing

Clothing for your child should be easy to put on and remove independently. No belts, suspenders or overalls should be worn as they are difficult for preschool children to manipulate independently. Being able to dress independently helps establish and promote self-help skills, confidence and positive self-esteem for children.

Here are some ideas for clothing that will encourage independence and freedom of movement while at school:

1. Closed shoes with non-slip soles. Flip-flops are not safe on our playground or gym equipment.
2. Large, sturdy zippers and large buttons or snaps.
3. Clothing that is appropriate for your child’s dressing abilities (i.e. pull-up pants for children who can’t snap or zipper yet).
4. Play clothes that may get dirty during play.
5. Being prepared daily for weather conditions or changing seasons: hat, gloves, scarves and boots in the winter and hat, lighter jacket in the spring.

Students do go outside to play on the playground in good weather if the “feels like” temperature is between 25°F and 90°F, so please be sure to dress your child appropriately. Outdoor play is for 30 minutes.

Supplies

All students will need a regular-sized, zippered backpack, without wheels. Backpacks must be large enough to hold your student’s take-home folder and winter coat. Please let your child’s teacher know if you need a backpack. An optional donation list can be found here. 

Parent Resource Library

As part of our ongoing effort to create a partnership with parents and families, while providing helpful tools for your child, we are pleased to inform you that we have an established parent resource lending library.

Requests for resources will be filled on a first come, first served basis. If an item you want has been requested by another family, we will put your name on a wait list.

For those students who are considered community students, a monthly tuition payment is assessed. The tuition fee is set by the Troy School Board each year. Tuition payments are due by the first school day of the month, starting in September. You will be given a 5-school-day grace period for the first late tuition payment, with no consequence. Failure to pay within the five day grace period will result in automatic removal of your student from the program for the rest of the school year. Any second late payment throughout the remainder of the school year will result in the immediate removal of your student from the program. No grace period is offered for a second late payment.

Community 3-Day: $175 per month
Community 5-Day: $275 per month

There is no reduction in tuition due to illnesses, days missed, family vacations or school closings.

Bus Service

Bus service for Community students is a paid privilege. The service is $450 for the year or $50 a month. This fee is the same regardless of 3 Day or 5 Day status.

If an installment is not paid by the first school day of the month, the child will no longer be allowed to ride the bus. You will be given a 5-school-day grace period for the first late bus service payment, with no consequence. Failure to pay within the five day grace period for the first payment will result in immediate cancellation of bus services. Any second late payment will result in the immediate cancellation of bus services without a grace period. 

The preferred method of payment of tuition and fees is by debit/credit card payment through the Skyward student portal. Checks can be dropped off at the Preschool Office. Please do not send payments with your child to school.