Creekwood ECC Chat

We are thrilled that your child and family are a part of CWECC! This is going to be a great year and we are excited to watch your children learn and grow during their first school experience. Our school-wide theme this year is "Wild About Pre-K". Beginning school is quite a wild adventure for children and we are thrilled that your child is beginning their school adventure here with us!

Welcome to CWECC! I am Mrs. Mears and I am the CWECC principal! I look forward to spending this year with you and your children. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need anything!

Mrs. Snow is our Child and Family Resource Specialist. Mrs. Snow works closely with teachers and students to ensure that everyone has great days at school. Feel free to reach out to Mrs. Snow if you have any concerns or questions about your child's development or learning.

Ms. Miller is our school behavior coach. She works with students to help them learn personal management skills. We can find Ms. Miller in all classrooms and areas of the school with fun materials and activities!

Make plans to attend our informative Back-To-School/Parent Orientation event on August 28 at 6pm. You will learn lots of information about the school and your child's class that you will need to know this year! The evening will begin with all parents in the Multi-Purpose Room and then you will move to individual classroom sessions with your child's teacher. Because this is a dedicated time for all parents to gain important information, we ask that you do not bring your child.

You will notice that the curb in our front loop is painted red, indicating the area as a fire lane. It is against the law to have a car parked or standing in a fire lane. Please utilize one of the spaces in the parking lot anytime you need to come into the school. This includes drop-off and pick-up for B&A (Before and After Care), if you are bringing something in to the office, and dropping off or picking up a student.

• The arrival window each day is 8:00-8:25.
• Students arriving after 8:25 must be walked in to the office and signed in. A staff member will walk the student to class.
• There is only one lane in the loop. Please remain in the line, even if you have already dropped off your child.
• Pull car as far forward as possible before unloading student.
• Children should be unbuckled and ready to exit the car on the curb side.
• Adults must remain in the car. Teachers are present and ready to help students exit the car and get into the building.
• One inside, there are teachers stationed around the building to assist students in finding their classrooms.
• If your child is struggling to exit the car in a timely manner, you may pull around, park, and walk your child to the front door.
• We must keep our car line moving, so we ask that you do not roll the window down to say another goodbye or take pictures of your child once they have exited the car.
• For the safety of everyone, our car line and parking lots are no phone zones. Please be fully present and aware of small children while in the car loop and/or parking lot.

Anyone coming into the building at any time other than the pick-up window of 2:10-2:37 must have BOTH the Family ID badge AND a state-issued ID (driver's license, etc.). This includes parents picking up late (after 2:37). Please utilize the parking lot and do not park or leave your car along the loop curb. This is a fire lane and we cannot have cars parked or standing in a fire lane.

Every adult entering the building must have a Family ID badge. If someone without a badge is picking up, they will need to stop in the office to scan their driver's license. Family ID badges are only to be used by the person pictured and named on the badge. Family ID badges are not to be shared.

Dismissal concludes at 2:37 and all students should be picked up by that time. If you are running a little late, please contact the office to let us know.

In order to best help your child have success in all areas of school, please practice the following things at home:

Toileting - children should be toileting with minimal assistance. They should be able to: identify when they need to use the toilet, enter the restroom, use the toilet, clean themselves, change their own clothes if they have an accident, and wash their hands independently. Our school staff will assist as much as possible, guiding the child through the steps of toileting, however we are not allowed to wipe children, change their clothes for them, or apply pull-ups or diapers. If a child cannot attend to their toileting needs, a parent will likely be called to assist.

Lunches - practice opening baggies, including commercially prepared snack bags, juice box straws and inserting the straw in the box, cookies, or anything else your child might have to eat during the day.

Attention - plan purposeful times for your child to complete a task that does not involve technology. Working puzzles, looking at books, lacing cards, and other similar tasks help build your child's attention stamina.

Following Directions - many young children struggle with following directions and sometimes it is easier to just "do it" for the child, or allow them to have their way (we get it). However, children need to learn that they can do hard things and also that things may not always go their way. Practice at home with giving your child an instruction such as "clean up toys" (often a warning or countdown helps the child prepare), and ensure that they complete the task before moving on to something else. This will help your child adjust to a classroom environment where they are being asked to listen and follow instructions multiple times throughout the day.

Taking Turns - often we see young children struggle to share. We will often use the term "take turns" rather than "share" as it is more concrete and easy for a young child to understand. We teach children who want a toy to ask someone who is playing with it if they can have a turn when s/he is finished with it. This is a skill that teaches social skills, patience, and sharing. Practice at home by role playing. If your child wants something you are playing with, instruct them to ask if they can have a turn once you are finished. Reverse the roles where the parent asks the child for a turn. You will be surprised how quickly your child will catch on and carry this skill to school with them!

Reading to your child - Believe it or not, one of the most important things you can do with your child is read a book to them. So many pre-reading skills are woven in when your child climbs in your lap and you read a book to them. This simple but valuable task can set your child up for later school success, so be sure to build in some reading time with your child every day!

Daily outdoor play is part of our Early Childhood curriculum and is an important part of our school day. We will go outside every day, weather permitting. Please be sure your child is dressed for the temperatures each day. Before the cold temps arrive, it is a good idea to practice putting on and taking off a jacket with your child so s/he is ready.