Larson Elementary 2722 E. Seldon Rd. Wasilla, AK 99654
Preschool Handbook
2013-2014
Mrs. Kimberly Thompson
“Miss Kim”
Room 111
Larson Elementary 2722 E. Seldon Rd. Wasilla, AK 99654
Phone: 352-2300 FAX: 352-2345
Enclosed are some helpful guidelines to help us start the school year. (This is a work in progress and some information may change as the school year progresses.)
Back to School 2013-2014
Dear Families,
Welcome to Preschool! I am excited to be starting a brand new school year and hope that you and your child are just as eager to get back to school. Let me take this opportunity to introduce myself.My name is Kimberly Thompson. I have enjoyed working with children, both in private and public school settings for many years, including a variety of teaching opportunities. My teaching career began in Idaho, as a preschool teacher for five years, then continued after graduation from Boise State University (yes, I am a die-hard Bronco fan!) with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in special education. As a special educator, it has been my privilege to work with students who have a very wide range of abilities and needs, first as a K-5 Intensive Resource teacher, then an Intermediate ABA teacher, and finally a special education Preschool teacher.
In the summer of 2010, my family and I had the exciting opportunity to once again return to Alaska, where I began working at Larson Elementary. This is my third year in the Preschool program here at Larson, and I absolutely enjoy working with the rest of our preschool staff, Rise’ Smith and Christie Belanger.
This was actually my third (and hopefully final) move back to Alaska. I was born in Anchorage, and then lived in several bush communities as a youth, including Aniak, McGrath, King Salmon, and Cordova, before moving to the lower 48. As a young college student, I moved back up to Valdez (where I met my husband), and lived there for three years before relocating to Washington, and then Idaho for school and work. When the opportunity came to move back to Alaska in 2010, we were delighted!
Recently, our family has had a few additions. Our family includes our daughter, Heather, son-in-law Aaron, grandson, Tyson, and two sons, (Michael and Brian). While our family is a bit spread out at the moment with our daughter and her family in Utah, we are very thankful for technology that helps keep us connected!
This fall, you may see my husband and I enthusiastically rooting for our youngest son as he plays football and wrestles for Palmer High! In my spare time, I also love reading, hiking, cooking, gardening, crafting, and spending time with my family, which includes three little Cairn terriers (Toto dogs), named Trouble, Bruiser, and Daisy.
I am happy to be a Larson Eagle and am thrilled to be in preschool and working with your child this year!
Sincerely,
Kimberly Thompson
Overall Preschool Goals
o Develop learning-how-to-learn skills. This includes sitting/waiting, participation in individual and group activities, communication in a variety of settings with both peers and adults, attending to requests/directions, gathering materials, and much more.
o Develop self-care and self-maintenance skills. These include (where needed) eating, drinking, toileting, tying shoes, as well as cleaning up after self, and self-advocating for needs.
o Develop speech and language skills for better communication.
o Develop social interaction and emotional skills through a variety of individual and group activities. Play is also a very important component in early childhood, as it is a major form of exploration and discovery. It is essential for intellectual, cognitive, as well as social and emotional growth.
o Develop small and large muscles through a variety of fine and gross motor activities.
o Develop basic literacy skills, including basic concepts of print. (i.e. print goes from left-to-right, front-to-back, title, author, connection between words and pictures, concept of a story telling, etc.)
o Develop other pre-academic skills, including math, writing, and science.
School Staff and Important Phone Numbers
Larson Elementary School (main office) 352-2300
Larson Elementary Preschool room 352-2325
Bus – Transportation 357-6327
Sheela Hull Principal
Marge Johnson Administrative Secretary
Tami Galvin Office Secretary
Rebecca Ramilo School Nurse
Donna VanHyning Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)
Andi Swanson SLP Assistant
Ron Miller Occupational Therapist
Parent Communication/Teacher Contact Information
Communication between home and school is very important! This year, I will be communicating class themes and activities via email and through my teacher webpage (accessed under Staff links through the District Website or through the Larson Elementary page). I also greatly appreciate any notes or communication you would send via backpacks! Please DO feel free to write comments to us about home activities, information, or concerns. These are also great conversation-starters for helping develop language skills!
I am at Larson from 8:30-4:30 on most school days. You are welcome to reach me before or after school, or between classes from 11:45-1:05. The school phone number is 352-2300. If you need to call during preschool sessions, please leave a voice mail message and I will return your call at a free moment or at the end of the day. If the matter is urgent, please let the office know and they will either page the classroom or get a message to us as soon as possible.
Teaching your child is very important to us. When the children are at school, we do our utmost to give them our full attention. Please feel free to contact me at any time regarding your child with any comments, questions, or concerns you may have. I can always be reached via e-mail, which is and I will respond within 24 hours.J
Visiting the Classroom
We welcome parents and visitors in our classroom. Since our classroom serves children with a variety of needs and abilities, it is helpful to give your child, as well as the other students advance notice of visitors to help prepare them for unexpected changes in their environment or schedule. Also, any visitors or helpers in our classroom will need to sign a Confidentiality Statement per District policy.
Please remember to sign in at the office every time you come to our classroom. This includes times when you are just walking your child to the classroom or bringing in a backpack. Signing in helps us keep the school a safe place for all of the students and allow us to know who is in the building in case of a fire or earthquake. Also, remember to sign out before you leave the school. J
Preschool Staff
In addition to our teacher, Kimberly Thompson, Larson’s Preschool staff also includes Rise` Smith and Christie Belanger, full time paraprofessionals who will also be working with your child. These ladies have worked with Larson’s preschool students for several years. They are phenomenal and we are very fortunate to have them in our preschool program!
Pick Up and Drop Off Procedures
Morning class
The morning class begins at 9:15 a.m. Upon arrival, parents should sign in at the office no earlier than 9:05 and walk their child to the classroom. When preschool is over, our class will meet parents and the bus at 11:45. Parents are asked to arrive at 11:40 and meet us in the foyer or on the side walk.
Afternoon class
The afternoon class begins at 1:15. Staff walks out to meet the bus at 1:05. Parents, please meet the preschool staff in the foyer or on the side walk at 1:05 for arrival and 3:45 for departure.
BUS
If you plan to pick up your child, you must contact the school (352-2300) and let us know of any busing changes. It is a courtesy to the bus barn to give them a call when bus service is not necessary. This includes when your child is ill or has a doctor’s appointment. Bus service policy states: …if there are 3 no shows at an address, service is dropped and can take up to a week to reinstate. Also, in the event that a bus breaks down or is significantly delayed, you would want your child to be warm and comfortable. On cold weather days, each child should have hat, gloves, boots, and coat. The phone number for Transportation is 357-6327.
THINGS YOUR CHILD WILL NEED FOR SCHOOL
Each child needs a BACKPACK to bring daily. Please put your child’s name in a clearly visible place on it as well as any items sent to school. The back pack needs to be LARGE enough to hold 8 ½ x 11 papers, shoes, art projects, etc. Please see the Preschool Supply List for additional items needed.
CHANGE OF CLOTHES
ALL STUDENTS need to bring a change of clothes. Please include underwear and socks. Please label these clothes in some manner so we know which clothes belong to whom. This change is for various accidents that may happen. If we send home wet or dirty clothes one day, please return a change of clothes the next day. These clothes should not be favorites. We MAY not use them all year.
DIAPERS OR PULL-UPS
If your child wears diapers or pull-ups, please send an adequate supply, as well as wet wipes. Pull-ups with Velcro side closures are preferred for efficiency and to maximize instructional time.
SHOES
Slip-on or Velcro shoes work best for our short preschool days. During the boot season, please send a set of shoes to stay in the classroom. This will lighten the load in your child’s backpack.
BOOK ORDERS
Scholastic is a great book company. Reading aloud to your child is one of the most important things you can do with them. If interested, please order from our monthly/bimonthly book orders when you can. On each order form, there will be a due date for sending in orders. Please make payments with a check made out to the book club, or order online with classroom access code printed on the order form.
SNACKS
On a day-to-day basis, we have snack time, which consists of items parents have provided. This year, we do not have access to breakfast items from the kitchen, so any help you can give us in providing daily snack is much appreciated! Also, at any time, you may send a “fresh snack” for a change of pace. Fresh snacks include: muffins, fruit, cheese, veggies and dip, etc. If you elect to send a “fresh snack”, plan to serve 10 children. Any help you can give us during the year with restocking our snack supply is greatly appreciated. Snack time is also an essential language and social skills activity.
Show and Share
“Show and Share” will be each Wednesday. Suggested items may include favorite toys, pictures, games, or other items from home. For safety reasons, please refrain from sending, or carefully wrap and mark, any breakable items. This activity promotes language skills and helps children learn more about each other. Although children are encouraged to allow others to touch or hold items they bring to share, it is not a requirement. Items will be returned to backpacks after they have been shared. With prior notice, special guests are also welcome to be “shared”. Because of the nature of our special needs classroom, all visitors will be required to sign a confidentiality statement. Also, please remember that toy weapons are NOT allowed on school grounds.
Cooking/Birthdays
Periodically throughout the year, we will be doing “cooking” activities in class. We will work cooperatively in small groups to make a group serving of a particular food. Cooking is a wonderful activity which incorporates important skills such as listening, following directions, working with others, patience, math (fractions and measuring), and science. Please let me know ASAP if your child is allergic to anything.
Birthdays are a special time for most students. We welcome treats on your child’s birthday. Please let me know ahead of time if you wish to send something in, so I can prepare for students with allergies. We will celebrate all summer birthdays during the last week of school.
Celebrations
There will be several celebrations in our classroom this year: “Harvest Time” in October, Thanksgiving Feast in November, Holidays around the World in December, Valentine’s Day in February, and possibly theme related celebrations. If your family does not celebrate a holiday, please let me know. The children may be assigned to bring something to one of the celebrations. If you would like help with a certain celebration, please indicate that on the volunteer sheet.
Online Resources
You can go to main district link, www.matsuk12.us and click on the Parent tab to see what resources are available to you. If you go to the School drop down box, select Larson Elementary, click on the Staff tab and then my name (Kimberly Thompson), you will see our classroom website where you can find classroom information, pictures, community resources and much more!
To register to receive updates and school information, go to www.matsuk12.us and then in the upper right hand corner click on Register – then follow the directions. On Thursdays the school newsletter, PTA information, and various flyers/information will be going home ELECTRONICALLY-we’re going green this year so you will be emailed a newsletter every week. Please let us know if we need to update your email address.