The children are learning about all things related to spring - life cycles, seeds and plants, caterpillars and butterflies, etc. It's such a fun time of year. The children are growing more confident by the day and truthfully transforming into their own beautiful butterfly. They are working together, learning new skills and building their classroom communities. Thank you ALL for continuing to send your children to school ready to learn and keeping them home when they are not feeling well sets them up for success and we appreciate it.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call or email with questions! As always, thank you for sharing your delightful children with us!

- Catherine

Catherine Bailey

Director of Early Learning

baileyc1@fsdbk12.org

Phone: (904)827-2835
VP: (904)201-4529

SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION

More information will be announced after registration is complete. Please fill out the form before April 15th.

If you have any questions or issues filling out the form, please contact Brooke Stimpfle (stimpfleb@fsdbk12.org) or Catherine Bailey (baileyc1@fsdbk12.org)

It is so hard to believe it is already April and there are only two months of school left. This month students are learning about the life cycle of a butterfly, ladybug, and sunflower. During discussions about life cycles, students are exposed to sequencing and ordinal numbers. Students are able to form real-world connections as they see these insects and plants in their daily lives. The ELC class will also be going to the FSDB gardening center to plant seeds and develop a deeper understanding of plant life cycles.

Thank you to all who have already registered for ELC Summer Camp. If you have not signed up yet, please do so by April 15th.

During this activity, students are learning how to sequence events in a book, days of the week, and numbers 1-5. Throughout the story, children are exposed to food vocabulary and then taught how to categorize the food. This story allows students to discuss the difference between what is real and fake, such as what a caterpillar truly eats rather than what is presented in the book as caterpillar food.

After learning about the life cycle of a butterfly throughout the week, students can apply their knowledge in a more creative way. Students used various types of pasta to represent the eggs, caterpillar, cocoon, and butterfly. The children had to remember the correct sequence of the life cycle of a butterfly to complete this work correctly. This activity helps build focus and fine motor skills as children color inside the lines and glue small pieces of pasta.

The ELC enjoyed participating in an Easter egg hunt with 5th grade students. The 5th graders hid all the eggs and then partnered with an ELC student and helped them search for the eggs. After the search, they count how many eggs they had found and explored the candy and prizes they got. It was a great opportunity for our students to have fun and interact with older students here at FSDB.

Students had the amazing opportunity to see the Solar Eclipse! All of them were amazed, some just constantly repeating “wow” as the appeared almost speechless.

• Thank you for those that sent in some clothing for our photoshoot. If you have not sent clothing in, please do so by Friday April 12th so that we can hopefully do our photoshoot next week for the video for the ceremony. Make sure you write your child's name on the inside of them because we might need to share some items to ensure everyone has an outfit.

• Please send in sunblock and extra clothing for your kids as the temperatures are rising. With the warmer temperatures, we will start Water Play soon!

• Please be sure to check your child's backpack daily for important information! We have some big events coming up, and it's important that we be prepared and you know what is going on.

We can't believe it is April already! This year is just flying by! Our class has been busy bees and have been focusing on farming, learning about plants, farming, and Asian culture! The students have been planting seeds, learning how to properly water them, and how to take care of the Earth. We have also been discussing the different parts of a flower and other plants. Here are some of the books we have been reading:

• "The Tiny Seed"
• "Why do Flowers Grow?"
• "Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring"
• "China Pandas"
• "Ame Goes to Japan"
• "The Choices I Make"
• "Kami Koala Makes a Decision"

Please welcome our newest face to the ELC, Rachna Rao! She is our newest Instructional Assistant in our class. We are extremely happy to have her here!

Our students have been working really hard on their counting skills! They have also been practicing making patterns and making sets with numbers.

Liam is demonstrating his skills by building a very large tower! The students are continuing to discuss the different weights and sizes of objects, and Liam understands that the biggest block needs to go on the bottom to make a tower.

It is time for our Spring FSDB Parent/Family Climate Survey! Please take time to fill out the survey before Friday, April 12th (deadline extended). 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

Survey Links

Parent Climate Survey in English

Encuesta de clima para padres en español

View School Climate Survey for Parents in ASL

¡Es hora de nuestra Encuesta de clima familiar/padres de FSDB de primavera! Tómese el tiempo para completar la encuesta antes del viernes 12 de abril (plazo extendido). 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

Cake, cookies & beverages will be provided for the student-athletes after the awards in the Dragons Lair. Please come dressed in Smart Casual Wear. Visit the link below or scan the QR Code for more information!

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

​

Health Care Center

PH: 904-827-2410

VP: 904-201-3910

​

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