Welcome Letter

Whether you're joining our preschool for the first time or returning for another wonderful year, welcome! We are so excited to begin a new school year together and are grateful to have your family as part of our Project Support community.

As I begin my fourth year as Director, I continue to feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside such an amazing team of educators. Their dedication, compassion, and enthusiasm for early childhood education make our preschool a place where children can learn, grow, explore, and thrive every day.

Thank you for entrusting us with your children. It is a privilege to be part of these important early years, and we are committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment where every child feels valued and supported.

With the start of school just around the corner and we can't wait to welcome familiar faces back and get to know the newest members of our preschool community!

Here's to a year filled with curiosity, laughter, friendships, and growth. We look forward to partnering with you to make this a memorable and successful school year!

Warmly,

Katie Castriano
Project Support Preschool Director

Preschool Orientation
We’re excited to welcome you and your child to our Orientation Day on Wednesday, September 9th! Each class will have a scheduled 45-minute time slot to visit the classroom, meet the teachers, and get to know new classmates.

Parents and guardians will also have a chance to connect with staff, ask questions, and make sure any remaining registration paperwork is all set before the first day.

To help with parking, we kindly ask that only one vehicle per family attend orientation.

Click the link below to view the orientation schedule.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BXLh2xpTcqx_x2BOnqWFHCzasARzwLVVPfzvo98ib0g/edit?usp=sharing

Teachers: Hannah Donavan and Kristyn May

Paraprofessionals: Kristen Grasso, Rupwatee Khemraj and Alisa Pianpiano

Project Support Preschool @ Billerica Memorial High School

Teachers: Jocelyn Dionne, Stephanie Ebert, Tricia Enos, Sarah Fairweather, Melissa Jones, Julie Harrington, Kelly Lachance, Sherry Livsey, Nancy Sands and Rachel Venuti

Paraprofessionals: Emma Bongiovanni, Olivia Carrasquillo, Amarilis Concepcion, Erica Cruz, Theresa Ferri, Sheena Donhoffner, Deirdre Hardy, Riley Hillis, Monique Horsman, Tricia Lane, Mariah Ortega, Elizabeth Norman, Deanna McGinness, Laura Mehigan, Valerie Meek, Leanne Mathews, Janet Martini, Mary Nickerson, Tania Pedro, Susan Pelletier, Cynthia Rich, Shelby Roode, Richelle Tiberi, Christina Wright

Special Education Coordinator: Brianna Donahoe- (978) 528- 7936

Program Secretary: Ann Dorfner (978) 528- 8597

School Nurse: Kathleen Perry- (978) 528- 8595

School Nurse @ Parker School: Erin Burcham (978) 528-8620

Speech Therapists: Jaclene Forlano, Jennifer McCaffrey, Sophie Carbone, Caroline Murphy

Occupational Therapist: Kerri Joseph

Physical Therapist: Kimberly Joseph

BCBA: Jessica Marino

RBTs: Jordyn Knox and Brenda Zullo

❑ A backpack labeled with your child’s name

❑ A healthy snack, including a drink

❑ A change of clothes to be left at school, including socks, underwear, shirt, and

pants. Clothes should be in a resealable bag labeled with your child’s name.

Children should dress suitable for the weather and activities. You can expect

your child to engage in “messy” activities that, despite smocks, can get clothes

dirty. We do not want to inhibit any child unnecessarily, so we ask that you send

your child in comfortable clothes that he/she can play in without concern.

❑ Diapers, wet wipes, and plastic bags.

Please provide the following for your child:

❑ A backpack labeled with your child’s name.

❑ A healthy snack, including a drink and napkin in a bag labeled with your child’s name.

❑ A lunch including a drink, napkin, and utensils in a separate bag labeled with your child’s

name.

❑ A change of clothes to be left at school, including socks, underwear, shirt, and pants. Clothes

should be in a resealable bag labeled with your child’s name. Children should dress suitable

for the weather and activities. You can expect your child to engage in “messy” activities that,

despite smocks, can get clothes dirty. We do not want to inhibit any child unnecessarily, so we

ask that you send your child in comfortable clothes that he/she can play in without concern.

❑ Diapers, wet wipes, and plastic bags, if needed.

*All belongings should be labeled with your child’s name. This is important in determining

ownership of these items. It is also important in helping your child to take care of his/her

belongings, an essential preschool skill!

*Toys and personal belongings should not be brought to school unless the teacher has

requested certain items.

Thursday, September 10th- First Day of School for Preschool Students

Wednesday September 30th- Early Release Day: 11:00 Dismissal

Integrated Half-Day Program:

Morning Session 9:00-11:30

Afternoon Session 12:30-3:00

Full-Day Programs: 9:00-2:00- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays

*Student's receiving IEP services in a full day program attend 9:00-12:00 on Wednesdays. Full day tuition based community students attend 4 days a week (Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri).

Early Release Days: 11:00 dismissal

I want to take a moment to highlight how important our everyday safety procedures are—especially during dismissal. One key protocol is the use of your child’s name sign when picking up at the end of the day.

We understand that many families rely on the familiarity our staff has with parents and caregivers and may not always bring the name sign. However, unexpected changes or disruptions with school dismissal can happen at any time, and having the name sign ensures that we can safely and efficiently dismiss every child to their approved pick-up person.

To help us keep all children safe, we kindly ask that you always bring your child’s name sign to dismissal, regardless of how well we may know you.

This small but essential step helps ensure a smooth and secure process every day. Thank you for your continued partnership and support!

We know that bringing your child’s dismissal sign every day may feel unnecessary—especially when our staff recognizes you and knows who you are. Many of you have built strong relationships with our team, and we value that familiarity deeply.

But here’s the important truth:
In the event of an unexpected change—whether due to staffing, weather, or emergency procedures—the staff handling dismissal may not be the ones who know you. In those moments, the dismissal sign becomes a critical safety tool that helps us quickly and securely match each child with the correct adult.

Even when things seem routine, this small step:

• Protects your child

• Prevents confusion or delays

• Keeps dismissal running safely and smoothly for everyone

So while it may feel like just a formality, we kindly ask that you bring the sign every day, no exceptions.

Arrival & Dismissal

Parents and guardians, please park in the designated Project Support numbered spaces 213–251 and spaces labeled PK (facing the ice rink) during drop-off and pick-up times.

Children will enter and exit the building through the preschool door under the overhang.

Arrival begins 10 minutes before each session: at 8:50 AM for the morning session and 12:20 PM for the afternoon session.

Dismissal times are as follows:

• 11:20 AM (morning session)

• 11:50 AM (Wednesdays only)

• 1:50 PM (full day session)

• 2:50 PM (afternoon session)

Thank you for helping us keep arrival and dismissal smooth and safe!

Parking:

To help reduce congestion and confusion during arrival and dismissal, we ask all parents and guardians to use the drop-off loop off Parker Street. For everyone’s safety, please refer to the BPS Policy on vehicle idling on page 12. Safety is our highest priority!

Arrival:

• Morning session parents/guardians should arrive at 8:50 a.m., and afternoon session families at 12:20 p.m.

• Please enter via Parker Street and follow the road with the field on your right (see map below in green)

• Please park single file along the field side of the parking lot (colored in green on the map below), then walk your child to Door 11 near the gymnasium side of the building.

• Please do not enter the traffic circle in front of the building, this area is reserved for buses and vans only.

• Staff will greet children at Door 11.

Dismissal:

• Please enter via Parker Street and park single file along the field side of the parking lot (colored in green on the map below).

• Morning session dismissal is at 11:20 a.m., and afternoon session dismissal begins at 3:00 p.m. (please note, elementary dismissal is at 2:45, so preschool dismissal starts shortly after).

• Parents/guardians should park and walk to Door 11, waiting along the exterior brick wall.

• Teachers will bring students outside and release them only once they see the designated adult.

• Please be prompt—your child will be looking for you!

Important Reminder:
Do not enter or park in the traffic circle in front of the building at any time.This space is exclusively for buses and vans, and passing through or parking there is not permitted.

For students coming to Project Support for related services only, please ensure your child arrives on time for their scheduled weekly appointment.

When you arrive, please check in at the main office. Parents and guardians are welcome to wait in the main office until the session is finished.

Thank you for helping us keep appointments running smoothly!

To help reduce our environmental impact, we encourage electronic communication whenever possible.

Monthly Newsletter: You'll receive a monthly electronic newsletter containing school events and curriculum updates. Please read this newsletter to stay informed.

Class Dojo: All our classrooms will use Class Dojo as a communication platform. Teachers will provide more details at orientation. I'll also use Dojo for reminders, announcements, and whole-school activities. Please join your child's classroom page using the access code provided by your teacher.

Hard Copies: If you don't have access to a computer, please inform the office, and we'll send a hard copy of the newsletter home with your child.

Important Messages: In case of emergencies or last-minute messages regarding changes in dismissal, please contact the main office. Teachers may not always check Class Dojo or email during school hours.

We look forward to a happy healthy year with your preschoolers. As a reminder, students entering Pre-K must have a physical (school health form) and immunizations within 13 months of the start of school. Please email this to your school nurse or send it via your student's backpack in an envelope addressed "To Nurse". Please refer to the Project Support Handbook, which can be found on our website, https://www.billericak12.com/schools/project-support-preschool for important information regarding keeping your child home due to illness, dismissal for illness, medication administration, and food allergies in school. Please call your school nurse for any questions or concerns Kathleen Perry, RN 978-528-8595 (HS location) and Erin Burcham, RN 978-528-8620 (Parker location).

We know this welcome letter contains a lot of information, and we hope it has answered some of your questions and eased any concerns. Our teachers are wonderful communicators and will keep in touch with you throughout the year to support your child’s learning and growth.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me anytime at kcastriano@billericak12.com or by calling the main office at (978) 528-8597 with any questions or concerns.

We’re excited to partner with you for a fantastic school year!