Early Learning Center News

The days are warming up quickly and it's beginning to feel like spring! With the warmer weather, please remember to make sure your child has a set of weather appropriate clothing to keep at school in case of an accident or spill.

Enjoy spring break and don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour on March 10th! We look forward to seeing everyone again on Monday March 18th.

As always, thank you for sharing your children with us.

- Catherine

Catherine Bailey

Director of Early Learning

baileyc1@fsdbk12.org

Phone: (904)827-2835

3/20: Montessori Night

3/22: Report cards/Progress Monitor will be sent home with your child

*5/10: Muffins with Mom

*5/17: ELC Graduation

*5/30: Splash Park Field Trip

*5/31: Last Day of School

6/10-6/21: ELC Summer Camp (Registration will be sent out sometime in April)

**Flyers and more information will be shared once the dates gets closer

The students will be learning about space and all of the different planets and their traits. We will also discuss weather and types of clothing that best fit for each season. We are also discussing days of the week and ordering the months with each holiday that occurs in each month.

The students learned about recycling and the importance of keeping our planet clean. Students were taught to explain the difference between plastic, glass, and paper and to be able to sort them in specific bins with visual support. The class also went outside to pick up trash that we found all over campus and came back to the classroom to see if there was anything that we could recycle and throw the rest in the trash. This is a good hands-on learning experience for the students to be taught and to do the task themselves.

Students also learn about day and night and Venn diagrams at the same time! The class went into deep discussion about what can you do during the day and what can you do during the night and also some activities you can do during both! This is a good concept to expand abstract thinking skills and explain personal experiences related to day and night and be able to do the Venn diagram based on their background knowledge and new information they obtain during the lesson.

Since the days are now starting to become warmer, please pack sunglasses, hat, and/or sunscreen if your child is sensitive to the sun to take precautionary measures. Thank you for all you do!

We have been working on learning all about farms; what kind of farm animals there are, how to plant seeds, and what kind of jobs a farmer does. For the month of March, we are also learning about International Women's History Month! We are exploring different textures by scooping sand and digging in the dirt to plant our seeds, as well as making a splash with water fun! We have added some new playground equipment for our students, and we are spending a lot more time outside! Please make sure that your child has an extra pair of clothes in the classroom! As the weather continues to get warmer, we will have more time for outdoor water activities! Around the world, we are focusing on the United Kingdon and Ireland. In preparation for St Patrick's Day, we are making our own special crafts for the students to give to their families.

On March 4th, we had Green Eggs & Ham to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday. The children had a lot of fun learning about mixing the colors together to get green dye. During this activity, the students also got to explore different textures. We also talked about the difference between the weight of the egg versus the weight of the ham, which one was heavier than the other. Afterwards, the children got to eat their green eggs & ham and listen to the story "Green Eggs & Ham"!

"The Cow That Went Oink"

"How to Catch a Leprechaun"

"The Luckiest Leprechaun"

"Women Who Changed the World"

"Green Eggs & Ham"

"Coming to England"

"The Giants Causeway"

Our class was invited to participate in the Pre-Braille Braille Challenge, hosted by Katrina Ressa, District Support Coordinator for the Blind/Visually Impaired Parent Infant Program. This was an excellent learning opportunity for our children. We have been working on using the Braille writer and practicing our braille alphabet. The theme of the Braille Challenge this year was Pizza, so we had our own Pizza Themed Vocabulary to work with, including words like "Cheese", "Pepperoni", "Popcorn", and "Pretzels". The children got to read "Pete the Cat" stories with their parents, had some tasty snacks, and got to do a fun craft! It was truly a blast, and thank you to all of the parents who came!

It is time for our Spring FSDB Parent/Family Climate Survey! Please take time to fill out the survey before Friday, April 5th. We want to know how we can do things better and what we should celebrate. The educational experience we provide to our students will continue to grow and thrive with your help and partnership. We are excited to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Tracie C. Snow

FSDB President

¡Es hora de nuestra Encuesta de clima familiar/padres de FSDB de primavera! Tómese el tiempo para completar la encuesta antes del viernes 5 de abril. Queremos saber cómo podemos hacer mejor las cosas y qué debemos celebrar. La experiencia educativa que brindamos a nuestros estudiantes continuará creciendo y prosperando con su ayuda y colaboración. Estamos emocionados de saber de!

Atentamente,

Tracie C. Snow

Presidenta de la FSDB

Survey Links

Parent Climate Survey in English

Encuesta de clima para padres en español

View School Climate Survey for Parents in ASL

These events are the perfect opportunity to meet other FSDB families. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Don't forget to check out the Parent Services page to see all upcoming events. We hope you are able to join in on the fun!

Parent Services | Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (fsdbk12.org)

It is the responsibility of our entire community to protect the health and safety of our students, staff and families. ELC families must support the following guidelines in order to promote the health and well-being of our entire community. Please contact Catherine with any questions.

All children and staff who meet any of the criteria below should stay home or will be sent home. We understand this may be inconvenient, but it is necessary to minimize exposure to the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses. Staying home when sick or keeping your child home is a responsibility we take very seriously. Please DO NOT send your children to school if they are showing any signs of illness. This is more important now than ever before.

● Fever or chills

● Cough

● Sore throat

● Congestion or runny nose

● Nausea or vomiting

● Diarrhea

● Red or inflamed eyes or discharge from eyes or ears

● Any contagious disease, such as chicken pox

● Any contagious bacterial infections such as strep throat

Parent Responsibilities and when your child can return to school:

All parents are encouraged to be on the alert for signs of illness in their children and are required to keep them at home when they are sick.

Any child with a temperature of 100.4 or above will not be permitted to attend school and will be sent home. Your child can return to school once he/she has been fever-free without the use of any fever reducing medication for 24 hours.

Any child who has been vomiting or had diarrhea should stay home for 24 hours after the stomach distress has stopped.

Early Learning Center

PH or Text: 904-827-2835

Gore Hall Office (if you cannot reach anyone in the ELC)

904-827-2520

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Health Care Center

PH: 904-827-2410

VP: 904-201-3910

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Transportation

PH: 800-992-8747

Parent Services

PH: 904-827-2212

VP: 904-201-4540

Campus Police

PH: 904-827-2315

207 San Marco Avenue,

St. Augustine, FL, USA

ELC Webpage

ELC Facebook Group

The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, political opinion, affiliation, marital status, genetic information, disability, veteran status or any other basis as mandated by federal and state law in its educational programs, services or activities, or in its hiring or employment practices. FSDB also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups as required by law.

Contacts for questions, complaints, or requests for additional information are as follows:

Student Discrimination/Harassment

FSDB Boarding Program Administrator

PH: 904-827-2603

Requests in writing can be sent to:

Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind

207 San Marco Avenue

St. Augustine, FL 32084