Pearson Early Childhood

Dear Pearson Parents,

We wanted to take the time to personally welcome you and your child to Pearson! We are excited to have your child begin their PreK year with us.

We are eager to get to know your child and look forward to partnering with you to help all students at Pearson reach their fullest potential! We know this will be a year of adventure and growth. We are here to assist and support you in every way possible. Please don't hesitate to contact either of us and/or your child's teacher with any questions or concerns you have. We look forward to our first day of school on Tuesday, August 13th!

We understand there is a lot of information coming your way. Please read through this Back 2 School Newsletter carefully and save a copy of it! This information will help prepare you and your child for a successful start to your PreK year.

Please mark your calendar for beginning of the year events for both parents and students!

See you soon,

Mrs. Haugh & Mrs. Ried

Pearson's school hours are:

3 y/o AM session: 7:55AM-10:45AM (arrival from 7:40am-7:54am)

3 y/o PM session: 12:25PM-3:15PM (arrival from 12:15pm-12:24pm)

4 y/o session: 7:55AM-3:15PM (arrival from 7:40am-7:54am)

Morning arrival begins at 7:40AM and afternoon arrival begins at 12:15PM. Please build healthy habits now and make a plan that will allow your child to be on time to school each day.

State of Texas laws require all students to be in attendance every day school is in session and present on time each day once they begin public school.

The name of your child's teacher was released to you through Skyward on Monday, August 5th at 8 AM, if you have set up your Skyward account and completed all of the necessary annual enrollment paperwork for each child. Please log back into Skyward to ensure you know the name of your child's teacher.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure you know name of your child's teacher when you come to Meet the Teacher to expedite making your way to the classroom. If you are having technology issues with Skyward and have not been able to receive the name of your child's teacher there will be paper copies of student schedules in the office, however we are expecting many parents to need the support of front office staff. There may be a wait in the office for support and assistance. We appreciate your patience as we try to also navigate the problems with the new district registration process.

If you have not yet completed your annual emergency forms and registration, please do so now following the below directions. For new PK families, this is a different process than the PK application.

School supplies are needed for all three and four year old students. The list is the same for each classroom and child. While our online school supply sale has ended, you can still purchase a School Supply Pack in one of two ways. The school supplies sold at Pearson are bundled and contain EVERYTHING your child needs for their classroom.

Options:

1. We've got you! We have a LIMITED number of supply packs for sale during Meet the Teacher on Wednesday, August 7 from 8:00-9:00 AM. These supply packs are a deal at $60 and are first come, first serve until we are sold out! Purchase can be made by Cash (exact change only) or Check from the Pearson Parent Liaison. We cannot accept credit card payments.
2. You can always purchase your own supplies at a local supply store. CLICK HERE for a copy of our Pearson 2024-2025 School Supply List.

Meet the Teacher is on Wednesday, August 7th from 8-9AM. This is a time for your child to meet and greet the classroom staff.

Please pardon our dust during this time! Meet the Teacher falls on the second day of staff returning. The classrooms WILL NOT be set up. The focus of this event is not to see a fully designed classroom or have a individual conference with your child's teacher, but rather meet the staff your child will spend their year with. All parent-related questions and specifics will be answered at the Parent Information Night.

Please remember, to have the name of your child's teacher with you when you come to Meet the Teacher. Your child's schedule and teacher name can now be viewed in Skyward. Schedules will be available in the office for parents who are having technology issues with Skyward, however we do anticipate a very busy office. You will want to ensure you are here early if you need to pick-up a schedule to ensure you are able to get your schedule and visit the classroom during this event.

Parents are highly encouraged to join us on Thursday, August 8th from 6-7PM. At this evening event, classroom teachers will share important campus and classroom information. Please plan on attending so that you and your child are prepared for the first day of PK.

At this event, you will receive student name tags, carpool tags and other information to ensure you and your child are ready for the first day of school.

This is an adult only event and alternative arrangements should be made for any children so that all parents in attendance can focus on the information being shared. This particular event is not appropriate for children. Our Meet the Teacher event on August 7 is being offered for our incoming students to meet their teacher.

If you cannot attend this event, please reach out to your child's teacher to plan for picking up your child's name and carpool tags prior to the first day of school.

We are excited to welcome students to school on August 13, 2024. Only on the first day of school parents may walk their child to the classroom from 7:40 - 7:55AM. Parents will be promptly asked to exit the building by 7:55AM so our students can start their day. 3 y/o PM parents may walk their child to the classroom from 12:10 - 12:25PM. Parents will be asked to exit the building by 12:25PM so students can start their day.

Students arriving at 7:55AM (for full day and AM session) and at 12:20PM (for PM session) will be escorted to their classroom by campus staff. Parents will not be permitted to visit classrooms after 7:55AM and/or 12:20PM.

We thank you for your support in following and ensuring adherence to safety measures for our building and our students.

Arrival and dismissal always take more time the first few weeks of school. Please prepare and allow for this additional time. As students and parents learn the school routine, we become more efficient! We will continue to refine procedures to reduce wait time for parents. As students grow more independent, these times will also improve. Thank you for your continued patience with us during this "learning" process.

Please remember that for student safety around moving vehicles, at Pearson we do not have student/parent walk-ups during arrival and dismissal. Students may arrive and dismiss from school via one of two methods: carpool and/or bus. Parents are unable to "walk up" or get out of their car to come into the building during arrival/dismissal to pick-up their child.

If you have a need to talk to the office staff and/or a classroom teacher please call or email the appropriate school staff member and set-up a time to do so. Staff cannot be called from their arrival/dismissal duties to communicate with parents. Similarly, staff at arrival are unable to communicate messages back to your child's teacher for you. If it is not an urgent matter, you may email the teacher. If it is an urgent or time sensitive matter, please contact the front office via phone.

Please read all details of the attached "Arrival and Dismissal Map and Information" (above) carefully. We suggest you study this, print it off, and know all carpool procedures to ensure a positive experience with these procedures.

If Your Child is Reluctant to Exit Your Vehicle

If your child is hesitant and unwilling to exit your car, you will be asked to park in one of the available parking spaces and help soothe and talk to your child. Once carpool has completed, and additional staff become available we will work with you to transition your child into the entrance of the school.

If Your Child is Late to Arrive

If you arrive to Pearson after the 7:54AM or 12:24PM, your child will be considered tardy. This is documented on their attendance record. You will need to drive to the front of the building and park in one of the available parking spaces. You must walk with your child to the entrance of the school and push the buzzer to alert the front office staff you are here. You will be asked to come into the office to sign your child in.

Dismissal via Bus

Bus students will be walked to the bus dismissal area beginning at 10:40AM (for AM classes) and 3:10PM (for PM and full day classes) and staged in the hallway for loading onto the bus. Please note the times you have for bus drop-off are approximate and may vary, especially at the beginning of the year. Transportation will become more efficient with routes, routines and procedures. We work diligently to adhere to bus times and communicate changes to you as quickly as possible. Parents MUST be at the bus stop to receive their child from the bus driver. A child will not be left at a bus stop without a guardian present. Older siblings are not allowed to retrieve PreK students from their bus. An adult MUST be physically present AND present your student's RED bus placard/pick-up tag to the driver at the bus drop location in order for the driver to let your child off the bus. Please understand these protocols are in place for your child's safety.

Dismissal via Carpool

Please make sure you are in the appropriate dismissal carpool line to receive your child. We will not have staff available to escort students to other doors should you be in the wrong location. If this happens, you will be asked to follow the flow of traffic and join the correct carpool line. You must have your carpool tag visible to staff in order to receive your child.

The only exception to carpool procedures will be for parents who live in the immediate surrounding neighborhood who can physically walk to the school to pick-up/drop-off their child.

Parents who are requesting this exception should see Mara Gurnea or Lexie Delgado, Pearson Secretaries, who will verify your address to ensure the family home is located within .5 mile of the campus. If approved, your car tag will be marked to allow walk-up pick-up and drop-off of your child.

Please note this is the ONLY exception to carpool pick-up and drop-off for families.

We ask that all parents follow all state safety laws while on Plano ISD property and interact with staff and other families in ways that display safety and respect. We know that you want others to support a warm atmosphere for your child and we ask that you do the same for others.

1) Please do not video or take pictures while in the carpool line.

• This is a violation of cell phone law as well as a safety and privacy issue.
• You could be exposing our safety processes when these videos are shared or posted which cause risk to the safety of our entire community.
• Your photos will contain images of other children and staff that have not given their consent to be photographed.

2) We ask that you model safe behavior at all times for students.

• Please use the crosswalk to cross the carpool lane.
• Please adhere to verbal directions from staff including looking both ways before crossing a lane of traffic and waiting for the okay to cross from any staff crossing guard.

3) Please communicate respectfully in any interactions with staff.

• We know there can be frustration in not understanding processes or events that may be occuring. We will work to minimize these and provide you with all the necessary information to ensure a smooth year. Please help us by following the routines and procedures each day. We promise all of our process are in place to ensure safety for all and an environment that supports learning and engagement for each child.

Please study the carpool arrival and pick-up lanes to know where to drop off and pick up your child: Carpool Maps

PK busing is not available to and from all campuses in Plano ISD. We do have limited bus transportation to/from select elementary campuses.

Bus routes and times will be shared with families once they are available from the Plano ISD Transportation Department.

If you have questions, concerns, or need information about anything related to busing throughout the year, this is handled by Plano ISD Transportation Department. Please call them at: 469-752-0792. You may want to store this number in your phone contacts for quick access.

Transportation has created a link to help communicate late bus information to families. This link will be updated on an as-needed basis to notify parents and school personnel of bus delays of more than 30 minutes. NOTE: Buses will still go by the bus stops. Please check back often in the morning and the afternoon for the most up-to-date information.

Breakfast and lunch options are available at a nominal charge for all 4 year old full day students attending Pearson. Fees for meals do apply and will be charged to your child's nutrition meal account unless you apply and your child qualifies for the Free/Reduced-Lunch Program.

Menus

Menus can be found on the Food and Nutritional Services website.

Breakfast

Breakfast is an optional meal and will be served to students where parents have indicated they want their child to have a school breakfast on the given day. Please complete the Student Meals & Dismissal Form (linked below) to indicate if your child will eat breakfast.

Breakfast will:

• Be eaten in the classroom
• Be some combination of cereal, milk, juice, fruit cup, piece of fruit
• Only hot item on one day of the week
• All items will be packaged in a bag and there will not be a choice of items

Students will be assigned a location to eat their breakfast in the classroom.

Lunch

Each child has the option to bring a lunch from home or purchase a cafeteria meal daily.

Lunch will:

• Be consumed in the cafeteria
• Include an entree, veggie, fruit, and choice of milk. Students will receive all items.
• Be served on a disposable tray.
• There will not be choice of food items on Monday-Friday. Friday is a meatless day.

Cafeteria Protocols for Lunch

• Students will be assigned a seat at 60" round tables. Students will sit in the same location each day they visit the cafeteria.
  
• Tables will be disinfected between each student seating by the custodial staff.
• When sending a lunch to school, please send only packaged items in containers students can open independently.

If you have not already done so, please complete this FORM to help us prepare for meals as well as arrival and dismissal.

Plano ISD will charge for school-purchased meals during the 2024-2025 school year based on student eligibility for meal benefits.

Families who may qualify for free or reduced lunch benefits should complete a federal meal application, available via the website at www.pisd.edu/mealprogram. Click the green SchoolCafé button to begin.

This application has to be renewed annually. Students returning to Plano ISD will start the year off based on their 2023-2024 eligibility, however this grace period ends on September 24. Unless families have reapplied and been approved, students will be moved to paid lunches. Applications will be processed within 10 business days. Eligibility notification letters will be sent via email. If you have not received a letter to the email address you used to apply, please check your junk and spam folders.

View this SchoolCafe information video for instruction on how to complete the meal application.

We have many students with severe peanut allergies. Due to this, peanut butter and/or nut products are NOT allowed due to the number of food allergies among students on campus.

Please do not pack any snacks or lunch items that contain nut products. This is critical to protect the health and safety of all students.

For safety reasons, each student must wear his/her name badge every day.

Your child will also not be allowed to ride the bus without a name badge.

If your child arrives at carpool drop off without a name badge, they will be given a temporary tag for that day only. Lost name badges will be replaced at a cost of $5.00.

We ask students and families to not attach stickers or other items to the child's name badge. The purpose of these badges is for the safety & security of your child. It's critical that adults can see all of the information listed on the tag. If stickers are added by anyone other than the classroom teacher, we will ask that you pay a replacement fee for another tag at the cost of $5.00.

Students participate in a daily snack time in the classroom. This time varies for each classroom depending on when the classroom is scheduled for breakfast and lunch. We encourage healthy snacks each day. Students should bring an individual, sealed snack item each day for their own consumption. Snack items could include individually packaged gold fish, crackers, celery or carrot sticks, apple slices, banana, pretzels, etc.

Communal snacks are not allowed at this time and we are unable to accept snack items in bulk for a child due to storage limitations. Students really enjoy this time with their peers. Please remember to pack an item for your child daily, as the staff will be unable to provide a snack item to students if you forget to send one in with them.

Peanut butter and/or nut products are not allowed due to the number of food allergies. Please do not pack any snacks or lunch items containing nut products.

There is a nap time/rest time each day for full day students. Students will need to supply their own nap mat as part of required school supplies.

There are a variety of nap mats available for purchase online and in stores. Please ensure you choose a nap mat that is small enough for your child to carry independently to school along with their backpack/lunch box. Full size sleeping bags and full size bed pillows would not be appropriate. Items that could fit within the backpack and/or that a child can hold independently are ideal.

Your child will be expected to quietly remain on his/her mat during rest time. In our experience, most children fall asleep during this time. Please start preparing your child for this now. Help them pick out a small blanket and small pillow to use at school.

Fabric/cloth nap mats will be sent home each Friday (or sooner if an accident happens) to be washed and should be returned to school each Monday. If a plastic nap mat is purchased, those will remain at school as they can be disinfected weekly by classroom staff.

Please send a water bottle filled with water each day. An 8-12 oz bottle is the perfect size; we can refill it as needed. Please ensure the water bottle is labeled with your child's name.

Water bottles will be sent home each afternoon for you to clean and refill the next day. A no-spill, closable bottle with a straw/spout is recommended. Please make sure your child can open and close it independently.

Juice, milk and other non-water liquids are not consumed in the classroom for a variety of reasons. If these liquids are sent, they will be served to the child during their lunch time.

Please place a full set of extra clothes in a zip lock bag labeled with your child's name to be left at school. A full set of clothes includes: shirt, pants AND shorts, underwear, and socks. A pair of flip flops or extra shoes would be helpful as well. Accidents happen even to the best of us and we want to be prepared to help your child. Please label your child's bag of clothes with their name.

Students will participate in outdoor learning/gross motor activities daily for half day students and twice a day for full day students, weather permitting.

• Students will be able to use the outdoor learning equipment.
• Teachers will monitor student interactions and outdoor learning play.
• Classroom groups have been assigned an outdoor time to limit the number of students on the playground at any given time.
• Outdoor learning/gross motor time is a state-required component of PK and a child may not be exempt from routine outdoor play as it is considered instructional time.

Pearson Early Childhood students occasionally walk or ride tricycles to Clearview Park, which adjoins the school grounds. Students walk to the park under supervision of teachers and teaching assistants.

Teachers will be sending home a paper permission form for your child in order for them to join their class in excursions to the park. If you have questions regarding park visits, please contact your child's teacher.

We have a unique way of celebrating birthdays at Pearson that aligns with our instructional program! Due to the many food allergies of students, we do not consume food products to celebrate student birthdays. We instead allow students to bring their favorite book from home for the teacher to read and share with the class. Students also have the ability to select a book from the Pearson library if you do not have a favorite book at home. In addition to sharing his/her favorite book, the birthday child will

have the opportunity to create something special to wear at school. And, of course, the class will sing “Happy Birthday”!

Please note, teachers are unable to distribute private party invitations in the classroom or via email to other students within the classroom, per district policy. In addition, students are not allowed to bring in party treats, party favors, or goodies to hand out to classmates in celebration of their birthday during the school day. We understand this is a special day for your child and ask that you reserve these celebratory treats for any private party you may have at home.

All medications that need to be taken at school must be brought to the clinic by the parent. Students are not allowed to transfer or possess any medications, vitamins, or herbal substances.

If you need to drop off a medication, please contact Nurse Vettor directly to schedule a time to meet with her. You can contact Nurse Vettor at Laura.Vettor@pisd.edu or at 469-752-4309.

The Health Services team supports a safe and healthy school environment. Please review the below critical information regarding student health & safety.

Any child who has an allergy, must have on file with the school a Dietary Restriction Form signed by a doctor. The form needed is attached below. If your child has medical dietary restrictions we will need this form in order to substitute or limit foods served during the school day to your child.

If you child tests positive for COVID, it is important that you notify Nurse Vettor immediately at Laura.Vettor@pisd.edu or 469-752-4309.

Pearson ECS and Plano ISD have adopted use of the "I Love U Guys" Foundation's Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Student and staff will be training, practicing, and drilling the SRP protocols.

Curious what we work on with our students in the classroom? Find out this and more in our NEW PreK and ECSE Parent Handbooks.

We love our volunteers and appreciate all the hours and service you provide to make Pearson such a great place to be! The district's new volunteer management system, VOLY, is now open.

You are encouraged to go ahead and complete your volunteer application now so that you are ready to begin volunteering as soon as we open our volunteer programs! We have new and exciting opportunities for parents to be involved on campus this year.

Please remember that Volunteer Application, online orientation and criminal history check must be renewed at the beginning of each school year. Please be sure to complete your application early to beat the rush. This application must be approved before you can volunteer in any capacity on the campus. A link to submit your application is below.

It is our hope that you will find an opportunity to get involved at Pearson. While there are a variety of ways to volunteer throughout the year, we would like to highlight an opportunity to serve on our SBIC (Site Based Improvement Committee).

The SBIC is a great way to become involved in school improvement plans for the campus. This is an advisory council composed of parents, staff, business and community members focused on improving student achievement. We will meet virtually in an online platform on three occasions throughout the year to discuss campus goals and progress toward goals.

If you are interested in serving on this committee or know a community or business member who would be interested, please complete the information below. In the event that interest generates more names than committee positions, a random drawing will be held to select membership for this committee. We will notify those who are selected to serve. Thank you for your consideration.

Parents and campus visitors will not be allowed past the front office unless a Volunteer Application and background check verification is on file with the district. You are asked to communicate as much as possible through phone or email with the office staff and through phone, email or SeeSaw with your child's teacher. Our staff will do everything possible to make ourselves available to you through these channels.

Please consider completing your Volunteer Application and background check forms early so that you are able to join us for events that occur on campus.

Here is a link to our Plano ISD Volunteer Application: https://www.pisd.edu/volunteer

Please ensure you select Pearson Early Childhood as your volunteer campus. Background checks can take up to 14 days to process. Please don't wait until the last minute and miss a special event due to not being cleared.

Links to additional back to school information including safety & security, district calendars, bus route information, student health forms, student & parent policy guides, food services, technology applications for the district and more can be found at www.pisd.edu/backtoschool

Plano ISD Board of Trustees and School Board approved the 2023-2024 academic calendar. You can access it here: 2024-2025 Plano ISD Academic Calendar

The 2024-25 Voluntary Student Accident Insurance coverage is available for PISD parents to purchase through AXIS Insurance Company using the Enrollment Form available on the Student Insurance webpage at www.pisd.edu/studentinsurance.

Parents can access the following on the above webpage:

• Coverage and premium options (premiums stated are a one-time annual payment)
• Enrollment Form
• Claim Form and instructions for filing a claim

For additional information, parents may contact Combined Benefits Group at 800-749-6458.

For a one-stop shop of back-to-school resources and information, visit www.pisd.edu/backtoschool.

Find the following information (and more):

• Annual registration for existing and newly enrolled students
• Sales Tax Holiday (Tax Free Weekend) August 9-11
• Student technology equipment checkout guidelines

As part of an Integrated Pest Management program, Plano ISD has a policy that requires the use of non‐chemical pest control tactics whenever practical. However, pesticides may periodically be applied. The district applies only pest control products that comply with State and Federal guidelines. All persons performing Pest Management at this district are required to receive special training in current pest management practices and pesticide application. Except in an emergency, signs will be posted 48 hours before application.

Parents who want to be notified prior to pesticide application inside their child's school assignment area or who have further questions about pesticide use, including the types and timing of treatments, may

contact:

Manuel Rodriguez at

Facilities Services

(469)752-0180 or

FAX (469)752‐0181.

Website: https://www.pisd.edu/pearson
Location: 4000 Eagle Pass, Plano, TX, USA
Phone: 469-752-4310
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pearsonecs/
Twitter: @Pearson_ECS