PIRT News

Whether it's hanging out with a therapy dog, checking out a fire truck, celebrating a WOW! moment, or having some holiday fun, we sure have been busy this year in preschool.

February was filled with celebrations! Our preschoolers learned about ways to spread kindness, honored the heroes of Black History Month, and recognized the 100th and 101st days of school.

The ETSD Preschool Lottery is open for the 26-27 school year. Be sure to sign up by February 27th!

ETSD preschoolers and their families are encouraged to participate in the attached reading challenge to promote Read Across America. Additionally, all school locations will host reading-themed activities and spirit days the week of March 2nd. Be on the lookout for more information about events at your child's specific school!

There may be snow on the ground, but warmer days are right around the corner, and with the sunshine comes end of year celebrations! Three year old end of year parties and 4 year old graduation ceremonies will be held in June. Keep an eye out for specific details from your school's administration.

PIRT stands for "Preschool Intervention and Referral Team," which is a multidisciplinary group of specialists within a school district that provides support and suggests interventions to preschool teachers to help children experiencing academic, social, or behavioral challenges succeed in the general education classroom; essentially, they work to address issues before a child might need a formal special education evaluation.

Key points about our PIRT team:

Focus on early intervention:

• The PIRT team aims to identify potential challenges early and provide support to teachers to address these challenges within the classroom setting.

Collaborative approach:

• Our PIRT team includes various professionals like classroom teachers, instructional coaches, a social worker, special education specialists, behaviorists, administrators, and sometimes parents, working together to develop individualized support plans.

Intervention strategies:

• The PIRT team might provide strategies for classroom management, social-emotional learning, communication skills development, and academic interventions based on a child's specific needs.

Consultation and support:

• Our PIRT team offers consultation to teachers, parents, and other staff members, providing guidance on implementing interventions and monitoring progress.

Meet your PIRT team!

Allison Weintraub, M. ED, BCBA

• With over 15 years of experience in special education ranging from Preschool to 6th grade, Allison is thrilled to join the ETSD PIRT team! She is eager to share her expertise in behavioral interventions and support systems within the ETSD preschool community. Allison's passion lies in fostering early connections with our youngest learners, and she looks forward to collaborating with the preschool staff and families. Allison can be reached via email at weintrauba@evesham.k12.nj.us or by phone at 856-983-1800, ext. 8163.

Jenell DeCotiis, M.A. Ed.

• This begins Jenell’s 25th year in education, 21 of those years specifically in early childhood education. Jenell has a background in both Early Childhood Education and Special Education, a Masters in Education and a certificate in Education Supervision. Jenell has been teaching Early Childhood Special Education for the past 23 years, the majority of the time spent in the Multiple Disabled Kindergarten classroom at Jaggard school, as well as many summers in the preschool setting at Rice Elementary. Jenell’s love, passion, and experience of working with young children with special needs has driven her knowledge of best practice within the classroom, while focusing on specific, individual student needs. Jenell is excited to work together. Jenell can be reached via email at decotiisj@evesham.k12.nj.us or by phone at 856-983-1800, ext. 8161.

Kristin O’Lexy, MSW, LCSW (VAWC-CP)

• Kristin has a Master's Degree in Social Work with a certification in School Social Work and Violence Against Women and Children. Kristin has been working in the school setting for the past 21 years, with a focus on mental health and trauma-informed support in schools. She has worked on the Child Study Team and has been a member of her schools' Intervention Team for the last 10 years. Kristin also holds a Clinical Social Work License and Clinical Supervisor Certification, and works with children and families in private practice. Kristin is dedicated to fostering strong connections between the preschool program and the families of the children enrolled, by providing high-quality SEL and mental health support for our classrooms, organizing parent workshops, and creating community activities/resources to enhance family involvement in the learning process. Kristin can be reached via email at olexyk@evesham.k12.nj.us or by phone at 856-983-1800, ext. 8162.

Lori Chimento, BA Early Childhood Education

• Lori has been in the field of early childhood education for 17 years. She taught preschool inclusion at Rice with certifications in P-3 and Teacher of Students with Disabilities, and later taught in a PEA-funded district where she was coached, an experience that sparked her passion for supporting other educators. Lori worked as the PIC/PIRS in a local district, helping to establish its preschool program. She also works part-time with Grow NJ Kids Training Services, where she helps develop early childhood content for the workforce and coaches trainers. Lori supports staff by visiting classrooms and engaging in the reflective coaching cycle. Her goal is to help teachers strengthen their practice through collaboration, ongoing feedback, and the sharing of strategies aligned with current best practice using The Creative Curriculum, The Preschool Classroom Teaching Guidelines, ECERS-3, and The Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, and NAEYC. Lori works alongside staff to implement The Pyramid Model through universal and targeted supports that benefit all children. Her approach centers on collaboration, understanding, and ensuring that all receive the support and care they need to thrive. You can contact Lori at chimentol@evesham.k12.nj.us or 856-983-1800, ext. 8164.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) in preschool helps children identify emotions, manage feelings, build empathy, and establish positive relationships. By incorporating play, structured activities, and consistent routines, we can foster self-awareness, self-control, and responsible decision-making to boost school readiness and effectively teach prosocial skills.

Children need to be taught every day skills that we, as adults, often do intrinsically. The attached behavior tip is just one way to help your child learn how to interact with others. For a deeper dive, check out the Preschool Families Google Classroom.

Children in our preschool program will explore the attached Objectives for Development and Learning, every day, multiple times a day. These look familiar because they are also the literacy items reported on during family conferences and in report cards. Visit the Google Classroom for a deeper dive of the literacy objectives plus related family activities for home.

Don't forget to join the Preschool Families Google Classroom to get helpful tips, connect with community resources, and learn all about what to expect as an ETSD Preschool family. Please use the link below to join.

Class code: qlqcml4c

https://classroom.google.com/c/Nzc1MzcwMjY3ODMy?cjc=qlqcml4c

Additionally, in an effort to better understand the needs of our preschool community, we are asking all preschool families to complete the attached Google Form. Please take a minute to give us feedback on how our team can best support you and your student(s).