St. Mary of the Assumption Preschool Program
St. Mary’s Elementary School
2 St. Mary’s Hill
Lancaster, New York 14086
(716) 683-8783

For 2008-2009 Registration Information call 683-8783

Dear Parents:

It is my pleasure to welcome you and your child to St. Mary’s Pre-K Program. This is surely an important milestone for both you and your child, as he or she becomes part of our family at St. Mary’s and begins the educational, social and spiritual journey outside the home. Our program is child-centered. Each child is considered an individual. Our daily goal is for the children to feel good about themselves and their accomplishments, to gain self-confidence and to love learning.

It is natural for you to feel some anxiety during these first days, but we want you to know that your child is pre­cious to us and we will care for all children as children of God, with love, kindness, and a watchful eye. We want our environment to reflect our philosophy, that childhood be a time of fun, warmth, security, exploration and dis­covery. Children are free to choose how they spend their time and how they use classroom materials and toys. It is through play that children grow and learn.

We hope that this guide will provide you with some basic information and hints about making this a smooth transi­tion. Please feel free to call us at 683-8783 should you need additional information or wish to discuss your child’s status. We also welcome you to write notes and include them in the child’s daily folder if there is information you feel we should know.

Class Times

Pre-K 4 meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday                       Pre-K 3 meets Tuesday and Thursday

Morning Session 8:15 AM - 10:45 AM                                     Morning Session 8:15 AM - 10:45 AM

Afternoon Session 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM                                   Afternoon Session 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM

Drop-Off & Pick-up

Parents or responsible parties are asked to pull up on the building side of St. Joseph’s St. facing Aurora St. (not the cemetery side). Cars should be only on the side of the street closest to the building so that school buses may enter and exit without difficulty. Children in the first 3 cars should be brought to the door when Sr. Barbara or a Pre-K assistant is at the door. As those cars pull away the next cars pull forward and drop off your child.

At dismissal, parents or responsible parties are again asked to use the same procedure as the drop off. Sister Barbara will only release a child when she is sure that the designated parent or responsible party is present. Please do not send someone else to pick up your child from Pre-K. A child will not be released to anyone without prior autho­rization by the responsible parent/guardian. Any changes in the normal pick-up routine must be made in writing. If an emergency occurs during class time and the usual driver is unable to come, please call us at 683-8783.

The drop-off time is 8:15 and 11:30. If you come after 8:25 or 11:40 you will need to come in the main entrance and go to the office. They will call the Pre-K room and someone will come down to get your child. If you need to pickup your child early or are late picking up your child (after 10:50 or 2:05), you need to come in the main entrance and go to the office. They will call the Pre-K room and someone will bring your child to the office.

The Daily Folder

Each child is asked to bring a standard size backpack the first day of preschool. The folder that you receive at orientation should be in his or her backpack. This folder will hold any correspondence from school to home and from home to school. It should accompany the child each day to school.

Please check the folder when you return home with your child for any newsletters, memos or other information. Please place in it notes or other things which you want us to receive, such as tuition payments or Scholastic book

orders (due on specified dates by cash or check made payable to Scholastic). The first thing the child does upon entering the room each preschool day will be to give the teacher his or her folder.

Tuition Payments for the 2008-2009 school year:

Tuition Payments are due the first of each month starting September 1st.

Pre-K 4 - Parishioner $900/yr - $100/month for 9 months, Non-Parishioner $1080/yr - $120/month for 9 months. Pre-K 3 - Parishioner $720/yr - $90/month for 8 months, Non-Parishioner $880/yr - $110/month for 8 months. These payments may be made by cash or check made payable to St. Mary’s. There will be a $5.00 Late Fee as­sessed for payments made after the 5th of the month if there has been no notification of a problem or concern. Registration fee is $75.00.

Monthly Calendar

A calendar will be placed in each child’s folder each month. On it are important dates and information. Please read it carefully and place it in a visible place in your home. Please note where your child’s name appears, indicating his or her day to provide the snack for the class. We encourage nutritional snacks whenever possible. We do not encourage cake, frosting or cupcakes, as they can make our children, as well as our work and play areas, difficult to keep clean.

Other Notes

Our Preschool room is filled with exciting and educational toys for the children, as well as scheduled activities which occupy the children and teach them a variety of skills. We do not encourage that toys from home be brought into the classroom. Not only can they be lost or accidentally broken, but it can be difficult for teachers to keep track to whom which toy belongs.

Please consider dressing your child in shoes with rubber soles and no buckles while attending preschool class. Buckles have a tendency to become caught on the carpet and furniture, creating a hazard for the children. Likewise, a slippery shoe and backless shoes may create a safety issue for the child, as some of our activities include mild dancing, walking or moving about.

Children attending St. Mary’s preschool program MUST be potty trained. Pull-ups may be allowed in certain cir­cumstances, but not as an alternative to diapers.

While your child may insist he or she simply “plays” at preschool, there is much work accomplished. We encour­age the work be reviewed at home as well as in school.

Please feel free to call the Pre-k room (683-8783) at any time with any concerns rather than the main office. If we do not answer the phone, it may be because we are busy with the children or at lunch (10:45-11:30 a.m.). We have both morning and afternoon preschool classes as well as an afterschool program, so lunch is our only break. Please leave a message and we will return your call just as soon as we can.

Once again, welcome! Teaching at St. Mary’s has been a wonderful, unique, and rewarding experience. I look forward to the challenges of another year and in getting to know you and your child. To be surrounded by a terrific staff and caring families makes it a pleasure to come to work each day.

Yours in Christ,

Sister Barbara Whelan, OSF                                                               Mrs. Emily Mekelburg

Director, Preschool Program                                                             Mrs. Marianne Scime

Pre-K Class Assistants