Rolling Hills Preschool

Staff
Rebecca Mingus, Teacher,  Early Education Intervention Specialist
Elaine McDonald - Teachers' Aide
Therapists
Gay Harris, Speech Therapist
Sarah Brown, Occupational Therapist
Lori Phillips, Physical Therapist

  Would you like to know more about our preschool program, try the links below.

Philosophy

General Information

Preschool Handbook (selected items)

Themes for the 2009-2010 school year

Websites for Preschoolers and their parents

Early Childhood Standards - what preschoolers should know before going to
Kindergarten according to the State of Ohio

The 100 Plus Books Every Child Should Know

Preschool Philosophy: (or why we do what we do)
We believe that all children can learn and that children learn best through play, structured activities, and strong peer and adult interactions. We base our activities on the Early Childhood Standards as developed by the State of Ohio. We incorporate these indicators into weekly units appropriate for and important to preschoolers, such as farms, zoo animals, magnets, and Spring. We focus on helping each child develop in the following areas: motor skills, emotional and social skills, life skills, pre-academic skills, and language skills.



General Information:
Who comes to preschool at Rolling Hills?
There are two categories of children who attend our preschool:

Special needs children - children (3-5 years of age) are identified with delays in one or more area of development. Screenings and testing are done throughout the school year. Call Mrs. Mingus (399-2250) for information on screenings.

Typically developing children - children 4-5 years old in their year before kindergarten are accepted into our class. There is a waiting list for these children. Presently only 4 children per session are taken from our waiting lists.

Sessions:
Our preschool is a Monday through Thursday, 4 day a week program, with 12
children enrolled in each session.
AM session: 7:45 to 10:40
PM session: 11:25 to 2:10

Contact information:
Rolling Hills phone number: 937-399-2250
email: beckymingus@nelsd.org

Preschool Handbook:
Attendance
Preschool meets Monday through Thursday, with no classes held on Fridays.
Parents must notify the school of an absence by calling the school office between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. for morning students or between 7:00 A.M. and 10:30 A.M. for afternoon students. Upon returning to school, a written explanation of the absence must be submitted, including the date and the parent's signature.

Bad Weather:
In case of bad weather and possible school closing or delay, listen to the radio for announcements. In the case of delay, the following time schedule will be in effect:
AM 9:50 to 11:45
PM 12:15 to 2:15

Stations WBLY (1600), WIZE (1340), WAZU (93 FM), WEEC (100.7FM), and WKSW
(101.7FM) are among those which carry the information. Listen to the radio.
Do not call the school since phone lines need to be kept open for emergencies. If
preschool is not mentioned specifically on the announcement, follow whatever is being announced for Kindergarten.

Medication Policy:
Legislation enacted in 1984 (Senate Bill 262) requires that a form be on file at the school in order for school personnel to dispense any prescription or non-prescription medication. This includes such things as sun screen and cough drops. No medications of any type can be given unless the appropriate form is on file in the Principal's office. A form can be picked up at the office or from the teacher.

Parent Volunteers:
We encourage parents/grandparents to volunteer with parties or in the classroom as their schedules allow and as they desire. However we limit the number of adults in the classroom at one time, except on party days. Too many adults tends to discourage peer/peer interaction. We also do not use parent volunteers in the classroom until after November 1 in order to give the children time to adjust to being at school and separating from parents. At the Halloween party we will have sign-up sheets for times to volunteer. Please be assured that at any time you may feel free to stop in and see what we are doing and observe your child. Parents/Grandparents are always welcome here. Our observation booth is for your use. The key is available at all times.

Student Pick-up:
If your child normally rides a bus and you or another adult will be picking the child up, please send a note explaining who will be picking up the child. We cannot take a child's word for whether or not he/she is to get on the bus. If we do not have a note, we will put your child on the bus. All adults picking up children must enter the preschool room and sign out the child on the posted clipboard.

Fees:
There are two categories of children serviced by our preschool at Rolling Hills. Different fees are applied to the children in each of these categories. If you are unsure which applies to your child, please ask one of the teachers. 

Fees for Children taken through the waiting list process:

For children placed in Special Education:

Special Needs children: The children falling into this category are any children that have an IEP (individual educational plan) which has been signed by the parent(s)/guardian, teacher, and therapists specifying goals that will be targeted during the school year. Children placed on special needs are charged a one-time materials fee of $45.00 (due by October 1) and a snack fee of $1.40 per week ($.35 per day). The snack fee must be paid for each day class is in session, even if your child is absent.

Typical Peers: These are children who are accepted into the program through a waiting list system. They have no documented areas of delay. The fee for these children is $5.00 per day. This is payable for every day class is in session, even if the child is absent. In addition, a one-time fee of $45.00 must be paid by October 1st. This is the district-wide fee for all preschool through 2nd grade children to cover the costs of consumable supplies.

Fees are not charged for inservice or calamity days.

School Supplies:
1 large box of tissues to be shared by the class
1 folder with pockets
1 book bag large enough to hold your child's folder
1 small plastic drinking cup - 6 oz. is fine. No lids or straws.
1 bottle of white Elmer's glue (6 oz.) No “No Run” glue.

Scissors, pencils, crayons and paint shirts will be provided. Please put your child's name on everything.

Please also send in a spare set of clothes to be kept here at school in case of toileting accidents or spills. Please include underwear and socks. Mark each item of clothing with your child's name.


Preschool Discipline Plan:

These are the rules we expect our preschoolers to live by while at school:

Hands (and other body parts, such as feet) are for helping and not for
hurting.

We use words that help others and make others feel good.

We ask for things that we need or want in nice ways (using appropriate and
polite words) from both teachers and other students.

Our feet walk when they are in our classroom and in the building.

We clean up our toys and other materials when it is time.

Toys and materials must be used in appropriate ways. This includes not
putting toys or materials in the mouth.

These rules are modeled by our teaching staff and students are consistently and frequently reinforced for following these rules.

If these rules are not followed, the preschool teachers will take the following steps as needed to help your child remember the rules as listed above. Each of these steps is used only when the preceding steps have not been effective.

1. The child will be asked to stop their inappropriate behavior and will be reminded of the classroom rules. Also, when possible, the child will be given some suggestions of other ways the situation might be dealt with, such as waiting for his/her turn or asking to use a toy instead of grabbing it away.

2. The child will be removed from the area he/she is playing in and redirected to another
activity (if possible).

3. The child will be separated from the group in a time out chair for no more than 4 minutes. During this time he will again be reminded of our rules and encouraged to use better behavior.

4. A note or phone call to the parents will be made if the above procedures are not being effective in order to inform the parents and enlist their assistance in helping the child to understand what behavior is expected at school.

For most of our children, the use of steps 1 and 2 are sufficient and time out is rarely needed.

In some cases, if an ongoing problem develops, a more specific discipline plan may need to be developed. This will be done only after a contact is made with the parent so that the parent is clear on exactly what is happening in the classroom.

Web Sites for Preschoolers and Their Parents:

Online Community for Moms  
Moms can share ideas about activities, events, and things that really matter to them with people who really understand - other moms. Includes recipes, family events, activity calendars, coupons, photo galleries and much more!

www.columbusmomslikeme.com

Kid's Health           
 http://kidshealth.org

Health and Safety information for families             
 http://Medlineplus.gov

The Parent Report
www.theparentreport.com

Scholastic for Parents
www.scholastic.com

Early Childhood Education Home Page
www.ode.state.oh.us/ece

A to Z Kids Stuff
www.atozkidsstuff.com/presch.html

Starfall
www.starfall.com

Kidsource Online
www.kidsource.com/kidsource/pages/preschoolers.education.html

Fisher Price Online Games for Preschoolers
www.fisher-price.com/us/ms2/preschool-games.asp

Teachers and Families Working Together
www.teachersandfamilies.com

Thomas the Tank Engine
www.hitentertainment.com/thomasandfriends

Nick Jr. Playtime
www.nickjr.com

Parenting Ideas at Kaboose
www.kaboose.com

Little Einsteins
http://disney.go.com/littleeinsteins

Springfield Area Moms
www.937moms.com


Early Childhood Standards from the State of Ohio

What should your child know when he / she has completed Kindergarten?

In Writing:

  Students performing at the On Track level generally write from left to right and top to bottom.

They usually print most upper- and lower-case letters correctly with

appropriate spacing, and display early letter-sound spelling to convey

meaning.

In Reading:

Students performing at the On Track level can name the letters of the alphabet, can provide most of the common sounds of letters and can write some of the consonant letters. 

These students usually can provide rhyming words; can indicate the number of syllables in words and can blend sounds into words. 

They have a firm knowledge of the concepts of print and typically can answer most literal questions about a story or retell most of the events in a story that is read to them. 

In Math:

  Students performing at the On Track level count to 10, order one-digit numbers and recognize and use numbers to describe and compare

sets of fewer than 10 objects.  They can usually model simple computations by joining and separating sets of objects and can identify some coins and their values.

They typically use non-standard units to measure length, identify some

two-dimensional shapes, extend a simple pattern and identify the most and least of the data presented graphically.

The 100 Plus Books Every Child Should Know

      Compiled by the New York Public Library with additions from the Connecticut State Library.)

Abuela by Arthur Dorros.  Illustrated by Elisa Kleven.

 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.  Illustrated by Ray Cruz.

 Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett.  Illustrated by Ron Barrett.

 Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel.  Illustrated by Janet Stevens.

 Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty.

 Benny Bakes a Cake by Eve Rice.

 Ben's Trumpet by Rachel Isodora.

 Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.

 The Bossy Gallito: A Traditional Cuban Folk Tale Retold by Ludia M. Gonzalez.  Illustrated by Lulu Delcre.

 Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban.  Illustrated by Lillian Hoban.

 Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.  Illustrated by Eric Carle.

 Caps for Sale; A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina.

 The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss.  Illustrated by Crockett Johnson.

 A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams.

 The Chick and the Duckling translated from the Russian of V. Suteyev by Mirra Ginsburg.  Illustrated by Jose and Ariane Aruego.

 Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Marint Jr. and John Archambault.  Illustrated by Lois Ehlert.

 Corduray by Don Freeman.

 Curious George by H. A. Rey.

 The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinkia H. Noble.  Illustrated by Steven Kellogg.

 Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.

 Doctor De Soto by WilliamSteig.

 Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell.  Illustrated by Helen Oxenbery.

 The Fortune-Tellers by Lloyd Alexander.  Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. 

Freight Train by Donald Crews.

 George and Martha by James Marshall.

 Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley.

 Goodnight Moon by Margaret W. Brown.  Illustrated by Clement Hurd.

 Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say.

 Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch.

 Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson.

 Harry and the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion.  Illustrated by Margaret Graham. 

Henny Penny illustrated by Paul Galdone.

 Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss.

 I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly illustrated by Glen Rounds.

 I Went Walking by Sue Williams.  Illustrated by Julie Vivas.

 If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura J. Numeroff.  Illustrated by Felicia Bond.

 Is it Red? Is it Yellow? Is it Blue? An Adventure in Color by Tana Hoban.

 It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folktale retold and illustrated by Margot Zemach.

 John Henry by Julius Lester.  Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.

 The Judge: An Untrue Tale by Harve Zemach.  Illustrated by Margot Zemach.

 Julius by Angela Johnson.  Illustrated by Dav Pilkey.

 Komodo! by Peter Sis.

 Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus.  Illustrated by Jose Aruego.

 Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni.

 The Little Dog Laughed and other Nursery Rhymes by Lucy Cousins.

 The Little Old Lady Who was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams.  Illustrated by Megon Lloyd.

 Little Red Riding Hood retold and illustrated by Paul Galdone.

 Lunch by Denise Fleming.

 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber.

 Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. 

Maisie Goes Swimming by Lucy Cousins.

 Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey.

 Martha Calling by Susan Meddaugh.

 Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia L. Burton.

 Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag.

 Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard and James Marshall.  Illustrated by James Marshall.

 Mr. Grumpy's Outing by John Burningham.

 The Monkey and the Crocodile retold and illustrated by Paul Galdone. 

Monkey Face by Frank Asch.

 Morris' Disappearing Bag by Rosemary Wells.

 Mouse Paint by Ellen S. Walsh.

 Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters:  An African Tale retold and illustrated by John Steptoe.

 Mushroom in the Rain Adapted from the Russian of V. Suteyev by Mirra Ginsburg.  Illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey.

 The Napping House by Audrey Wood.  Illustrated by Don Wood.

 Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann.

 Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth.  Illustrated by Stephen Gammell.

 Over in the Meadow by John Langstaff.  Illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky.

 Owen by Kevin Henkes.

 Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle.

 Perez and Martina by Pura Belpre.

 Pierre: A Cautionary Tale by Maurice Sendak.

 The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.

 The Random House book of Mother Goose: A Treasury of 386 Timeless Nursery Rhymes selected and illustrated by Arnold Lobel.

 Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins.

 Round Trip by Ann Jonas.

 Rumpelstiltskin retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

 Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young.

 The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

 Stone Soup retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown.

 The Story of Babar, The Little Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff.

 The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf.

 Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola.

 Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs.  Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

 Swimmy by Leo Lionni.

 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig.

 The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.

 Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang.

 There's a Nightmare in my Closet by Mercer Mayer.

 The Three Billy Goats Gruff by P.C. Asbjfrnsen and J.E. Moe.  Illustrated by Marcia Brown.

The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer.

 Tikki Tikki Tembo retold by Arlene Mosel.  Illustrated by Blair Lent.

 The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf as told to John Scieszka.  Illustrated by Lane Smith.

 Tuesday by David Wiesner. 

Two of Everything:  A Chinese Folktale retold and illustrated by Lily Toy Hong.

 The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

 We're Going on a Bear Hunt retold by Michael Rosen.  Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.

 The Wheels on the Bus adapted and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

 When I was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant.  Illustrated by Diana Goode.

 Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

 Where's Spot? by Eric Hill.

 Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats.

 Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale retold by Verna Aardema.  Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon.

 Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott.