2019!

Happy New Year! We are looking forward to great 2019!

Upcoming News:

• Enrollment for new students for the 2019-2020 school year is taking place now through January 31, 2019. Please visit our website for an online application.
• All programs will be closed on Monday January 21st in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Representatives from our program will be at the Preschool Fair on Wednesday February 6, from 6:00pm-8:00pm at the GP Library. 
• Mid Winter Break Camp for Pre-K students is February 19-22 at Trombly Elementary School. 

Back to School

We are just one month away from back to school! We are enjoying the last few weeks of our summer program while simultaneously getting ready for the new school year. Welcome Emails from your child's teacher will be out in a few weeks, filled with important information about the daily routine and what to bring to school.

If this school year will be your child's first experience at school, we have a few tips to help with the transition.  

• Start talking with your child about the first day of school. If you are excited, your child is likely to be excited as well.

• Practice your morning routine before the first day. If your child has had a different schedule during the summer, you may want to practice going to bed early or waking up early. 

• Create a consistent drop off routine. Maybe you'll give two hugs and one kiss before you say goodbye. Maybe you will help your child sign in, and give a high five. Whatever you decide, we recommend saying goodbye and letting your child know you will be back after school instead of slipping away or using distraction. Drop off will get easier every day.

• Double check your supplies. Label everything with your child's name or initials. This will help ensure that your child will have the items intended for your child. It will also help prevent items from getting lost or going home with the wrong family. Bottles for the infant room should be labeled with your child's name, date and contents. A supply list is posted on our website.

• Send in a lovie. If your child has a special blanket, or stuffed animal that helps them feel safe, you can send it in. You can also send in a family photo so your child can see you all day long. 

• Check in on your child. If you are feeling nervous about the first day, feel free to call your child's teacher or send an email to see how they are doing. Your child's teacher will also send an update to all parents through our Homeroom app.

Please call the Preschool Office if you have any questions! We will be seeing you soon!

Professional Development

Our teachers are required to attend 16 hours of professional development each calendar year. This includes a variety of safety trainings (CPR, First Aid) and early childhood trainings (workshops, and conferences). Before the first day of school, our teachers participated in a few team building activities, shared music and movement activities and learned policy updates. These opportunities are so important! Our next professional development day is Tuesday November 7, 2017. All programs will be closed for students with staff still reporting. We look forward to learning new ideas and enhancing our skills.

First Week

We had a wonderful first week at Barnes, Ferry, Maire, Monteith, Richard and Trombly! It was great getting to meet new students and their families. We also have many new staff members who have joined our programs across the district. Head Teacher biographies are posted on our website. We truly feel all of our head teachers, lead teachers and caregivers are an exceptional group of early childhood educators.

First Day of School

The first day of school will be Tuesday September 6, 2016. Full Day programs will open at 7:15am, and Half Day programs will begin at 8:30am.

If you have not received a welcome email from your child's teacher, please call the preschool office. 

As a reminder, updated enrollment forms are due by the first day of attendance. Forms can be found online, under First Day. 

The Preschool Office will be closed Monday August 29- Monday Sept 5. 

Back to School Preparations

Back to school preparations are beginning for the GPPSS Child Development and Preschool Program! We will be sad to see the summer go, but we are looking forward to all of our new programs that will begin with the 2016-2017 school year!

New early childhood classrooms at Ferry, Maire, Monteith and Richard are in the process of transforming in to beautiful and safe spaces for our young learners. These new classrooms will be a wonderful additional to our programs at Barnes and Trombly. 

Your child will need updated enrollment forms prior to the new school year. These forms can be found on our website. If your child attends a program at one of our Elementary sites, forms may be turned in at the Open House. If your child attends Barnes, forms may be dropped to the Preschool Office any time. 

As a reminder, Child Development and Preschool summer programs will end on Thursday, August 25th. The first day of school is Tuesday, September 6th. 

We hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. 

Welcome Back!

Our hallways are filled with a sense of wonder and excitement as children are arriving for the first day of school! It is so fun to see familiar faces returning from the summer, as well as new faces joining our school family. We are looking forward to another great year of playing, learning, dreaming, and creating together!

If you have any questions, feel free to speak with your child's teacher or stop by the Preschool Office located upstairs in room 209. We are invested in the success, safety, and happiness of each child and believe that by working together as a team we can create a positive environment for those ideals to flourish.

Welcome Back! We're so glad you are here!