Dear Parent(s) and Guardian(s),

Welcome to North Park Community School #50! You are now entering panther country, and are officially becoming a member of our school community and family!

My name is Mrs. Bennett and I have had the honor of spending the past 20 years (my entire teaching career) at North Park. I am excited about taking this educational journey with you and your child. I can relate to the many questions, tears, and fears you may have leaving your little one at school. I also have a 3 children. Grayson is 10 and entering 5th grade, Dalton is 8 and entering 3rd grade, and Sutton is 3. I am also blessed to have a wonderfully supportive and loving husband along with our dog Ike. Our classroom is also so very lucky to have a wonderful group of class aides and assistants. They are loving, kind, and patient. I couldn’t ask for better people to share our classroom with!

The curriculum I use is designed to instruct your child at their readiness level, regardless of what grade level they are in. It includes many opportunities for tactile and sensory learning, as well as time for problem solving and exploration. You may find that your child is frustrated and overwhelmed, but that is part of the learning process. It is natural for a parent to want to step in and help or finish an assignment for their child. It is important that as a parent you guide your child, not do your child’s assignments for them. If you ever find that your child simply can’t finish an at home learning opportunity, please stop, and simply put the unfinished work in their backpack. I never want your child to become so frustrated that they start to not enjoy learning or school.

ELA:

During our ELA block, we focus on uppercase and lowercase letter identification, letter sounds, sight word recognition, vocabulary, as well as reading books with repetition and picture cues.

Math:

During our math block, we focus on number recognition, 1-1 correspondence, sorting items, shapes, colors, money, as well as basic addition and subtraction.

Science and Social Studies:

Our science curriculum focuses on plant and animal life. We will enjoy performing experiments on these topics. In social studies we learn about community helpers and things in an around our community.

Toileting/Hygiene:

If your child is in the potty training stage, this will be a skill we will begin intensely working on the first full week of school. A potty schedule and tracking sheet will go back and forth daily with your child in their take home folder. It is imperative that the schedule we use at school is carried over at home. This is the best scenario for your child to be successful. Believe me, through many years of experience in this area, it is far more stressful and grueling on the adults than on the child. Consistency is the key! With the pandemic still in full gear, cleanliness and hygiene are of the utmost priority. We will work on handwashing multiple times a day including when the children get off the bus, before meals, after using the potty, and when coming in from outside. Along with our wonderful custodian staff, I also disinfect the classroom every morning before the students arrive. Mask will also be required for all students and staff during the school day while indoors. Outdoors we can take masks off, unless you prefer your child to wear one outside as well.

Communication:

Dojo will be our main form of communication throughout the year. We can use this system to message back and forth between the hours of 8:30am-4:00pm. Also, I will post reminders and important information to the board for your reference. Please never hesitate to contact me. You can also call the school at 816-3440 during the school day if an emergency arises. In addition, you can always send notes in the take home folder. A monthly newsletter will also come home at the start of each month.

Exercise and Play:

Our playground is currently under construction with a slated finish date of May 2022. I am a big proponent of fresh air, exercise, and play. Until our playground is completed, we will be taking two 30 minute outdoor walks a day. If the temperature is below 30 degrees or its thundering and lightening, we will walk indoors. Please dress your child accordingly each day to go outside.

Meals:

Your child will eat breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack while at school. Due to the pandemic, federal law has continued to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students. You may also choose to pack a lunch for your child. We focus a lot on trying new foods in conjunction with the Occupational Therapist.

As always, I am here for you and your family. I will be your child’s teacher for the next couple of school years, so this is just another chapter of our journey together. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

PS 050 North Park Community School

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