Welcome to Tot Spot! Our staff is excited about the upcoming school year and looking forward to getting to know each child and their family. We have many fun and interesting activities planned for this year!
“I Am Special” will be our first theme of the year. We will then move into a “Fall” theme where we will discover some of the unique things that happen at this time of year. Each theme is explored through a variety of stories, crafts, gym activities, songs and finger plays. Our special day this month will be Orange Shirt Day on September 26th/27th leading up to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30th). Wear an orange shirt to school that day! We will make an indigenous craft, celebrate the uniqueness of all children and focus on kindness.
Please make a special note of the following items to help our program run smoothly:
- The main doors will be unlocked 5 minutes before school begins and relocked at 9:15 and 1:15. If you arrive late, please knock on the craft room window to have someone let you in.
- Please make sure you have taken your child to the bathroom before bringing them into the classroom.
- As we spend time in the gym each day, please make sure your child is wearing appropriate footwear (running shoes are best). When the weather is wet, children will need to change into dry footwear for school. There are mats in the foyer for wet boots. Please label outerwear (boots/coats) with your child’s name.
- Please put your child’s snack and water bottle in a lunch bag with their name on the OUTSIDE of the bag. Please place ONLY your child’s snack in the snack bins. If you need to leave a backpack at school, please put it in the coat room. We encourage nutritious snacks and two items are usually plenty. Tot Spot is NUT FREE and grapes and grape tomatoes MUST be cut in half lengthwise. No juice boxes please.
- If your child is not feeling well, please keep them at home and inform us of symptoms. We need to track and report ill children (see Communicable Disease Policy in the information package emailed in August). Refer to this document for information as to when your child can return to school.
- Please ensure you fill out all the Tot Spot forms COMPLETELY and give them to your child’s teacher (4 pages).
- Volunteer signup sheets for the month of September will be available at school on the first day of school. We need one volunteer per day, per class. If you aren’t able to sign up in person, please email your child’s teacher to arrange volunteer dates.
- All hot beverages must be in spill proof containers when volunteering. Take out cups (e.g. Starbucks or Tim Horton’s) are not classified as spill proof, so hot beverages need to be put in a travel mug if they are brought into the classrooms. We have travel mugs you are welcome to use at Tot Spot.
We partner with I’m For Kids Team (IFKT), an organization that provides community-based early intervention support to preschoolers who meet funding requirements set out by Alberta Education. If your child has an identified delay that has a functional impact in the education setting, your child may be eligible for support. This may include: a medical diagnosis, a delay in expressive (use) or receptive (understanding) language skills, delay in speech sound production skills, significant behaviour concerns, delays in fine motor skills, and social communication concerns. If you have concerns, IFKT provides free screening services. The screening will take place at Tot Spot on September16th and 17th. If you would like your child screened, please complete the attached forms (along with a copy of your child’s birth certificate or passport) and either email them to lorrie.crowe@shaw.ca or return them to the school. There are paper copies available at the school if you prefer. You may book an appointment for the screening when you return the forms. The deadline to return forms is Thursday, September 12th. Your child DOES NOT need to be screened if he/she was screened at Tot Spot in May, has been screened elsewhere in the last six months or has already qualified for PUF funding. If you have any questions, please contact Lorrie Crowe at lorrie.crowe@shaw.ca.
We would like you to be aware that there is an income based child care subsidy available for those that qualify. This is separate from the Affordability Grant that is already included in your reduced monthly fees. For more information, please check out the website at https://www.alberta.ca/child-care-subsidy.aspx.
The Tot Spot newsletters will be sent to you via e-mail and posted on the website around the beginning of every month. Please watch for them and make a note of the important dates. If you do not receive the newsletter, please let your child’s teacher know. We will have a few paper copies of the newsletter available at school if you need one.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
September 16th/17th – I’m For Kids Team Screening Days
September 26th/27th– Orange Shirt Days
September 30th – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Tot Spot will be closed)
October 2nd/3rd – Photograph Days (individual and class photos will be taken)
October 14th– Thanksgiving Day (Tot Spot will be closed)
October 30th/31st – Halloween Celebrations
