ECDC Newsletter
December 2021
A Message from the Principal, "Miss Kelty"
Hello ECDC Families!
Although the many different members of our school community certainly celebrate this time of year differently, I do think we all can recognize this as "the season of giving." We are always looking for ways to help our students learn the value of helping others, being kind, and giving of themselves.
Placemats for Meals on Wheels:
This fall we made awesome placemats, as we have for over a decade, that were distributed
through Meals on Wheels for their Thanksgiving deliveries. We are grateful to actually have some pictures we can share with our little ones to help them understand where their kindness landed.
Giving Clothesline:
Several years ago, our PCC began the tradition of collecting warm winter hats and mittens, maybe even some scarves and socks for other young children. Students bring in NEW child-size items and get to clip them in the close line. You can learn more by reading the PCC section above.
Planning for the Fall of 2022
I know that 2021 has not even wrapped yet, but we are eagerly planning for the 2022 transitions for our students, whether they are coming back to ECDC for another year or moving on to kindergarten.
Please rest assured that your child's teaching team, and our office team, are already looking ahead to see how we can support you and your little ones as you make the next leap!
Here are some highlights of our efforts to facilitate the transition:
Kindergarten in 2022
- All students who will be 5 by August 31st are eligible to enroll in kindergarten. Students who are kindergarten eligible are NOT able to enroll again at ECDC.
- ECDC families will be provided registration kindergarten packets after the new year (no need to attend any Kindergarten Registration events).
- All health records will be gathered here at ECDC by Nurse Suzanne and shared with the school where your child will be attending.
- Kindergarten teams will have the opportunity to observe ECDC students as well as meet with ECDC team members to learn about each of their incoming students.
- Families of students with IEPs will have an opportunity to discuss and being to plan for your child's transition at the next annual IEP meeting.
- All families should plan on attending the LEAPING INTO KINDERGARTEN program put on by the district (which is usually held in late February or March.
Returning to ECDC in the Fall of 2022
- Students who are 3 by August 31st and not yet 5 by the same date are eligible to re-enroll at ECDC
- Returning Student Applications are now available
- ECDC teaching teams will share information with each other to support and transition students to a new teacher, if necessary
- Students on IEPs may not have to register, please check with your child's teacher regarding the transition process
Please feel free to reach out to me at Kelleyk@franklinps.net, our school nurse, Suzanne Roma (romas@franklinps.net ), our School Psychologist, Jennifer Curry (curryj@franklinps.net) and/or our team chair, Jillian Swanson swansonj@franklinps.net, as well your child's classroom teaching teams for support.
Gift Giving at ECDC
If gift-giving is something that you love (which I do) and you still would like to give something, please note that teachers cannot accept personal gifts worth more than $49.99. Gifts for the classroom or the school do not have that same limit.
The teachers ask that you consider making a donation to the ECDC PCC to help support enrichment programming here, or to the Santa Foundation, a charitable program helping families in Franklin and the surrounding communities for over 30 years!
ECDC Cookbook Project 2021-22
We are looking to come together and celebrate our ECDC community's culture and diversity with a cookbook collaboration! A place for staff and families to share special family recipes, kid-friendly snack ideas, and weeknight meals. Please contribute as many recipes as you would like to share. If you would like to add a note or share a picture of you and your family preparing the recipe, that would be fun to see. The recipes will be compiled and sent to all families to enjoy.
Coffee and Conversation with Miss Kelty
Please join Principal Kelty Kelley for a conversation about all things ECDC.
You can connect with other families,
as well as share your thoughts, joys, and concerns.
Wednesday, January 26 @ 10
Thursday March 31 @ 10
Wednesday, May 4@10
All meetings will be offered in-person and virtually.
Do you have a topic you wish to discuss such as transitions, curriculum, kindergarten, anxiety, etc.?
Please email your ideas to kelleyk@franklinps.net.
Google Meet Link:
Please RSVP to Laura in the main office by calling
508-541-8166
or by emailing flanaganla@franklinps.net
Now Enrolling for 2022-23
It's time to get registered for NEXT year here at ECDC!
If your child is currently enrolled and will be returning, use this RETURNING STUDENT APPLICATION.
If you have a sibling or a friend who is interested, please share this NEW STUDENT APPLICATION
Kindergarten Transition Information!
Children who will be 5 by August 31st will be transitioning to kindergarten.
The town will be holding a Kindergarten Registration but ECDC DO NOT ATTEND!
We will be registering your students through ECDC!
Watch your child's backpack for the registration packet sometime after the new year!
Watch Miss Kelty's updates for important dates!
A Message from Miss Marsha
Hello ECDC Families! Welcome to November!
Thank you to all who attended the Fall Pajama Story Time in Zoom. It was so much fun to share those songs and stories with you all! I hope the next Pajama Story Time can be in person!
I hope you also had a chance to see our every changing upcoming activities calendar at www.selfhelpcpc.org/upcoming We have a variety of in-person, zoom, and online activities for all ages.
Virtual Storytime/Realouds
I have a special storytime on the calendar that honors indigenous families, FryBread by Kevin Noble Maillard. November is the month set aside to honor Native American Families and this special storytime is scheduled for November 12th. It is a wonderful story about the history of frybread, a favorite of many Native American Families. This is only one of the many read alouds available on our calendar.
Parent Leadership Team looking for volunteers!
We are excited to introduce our new Parent Leadership team members, who will help us with a very special project, Ashley Hinds, Dulce Orozco, and Yessica Arias. We are looking to our Parent Leadership Team to help guide and shape our programs moving forward.
We will be looking for volunteers in the new year to join this team, maybe one of you will volunteer! Our first project will be around the topic of mental health. We will be asking you to fill out a survey to help guide our project. Look for the survey in the next couple of weeks. We already appreciate your input.
Supporting young children through "turning the clocks back one hour" this weekend.
This weekend we will be turning the clocks back one hour. This does not translate into an extra hour of sleep for most of us, especially if you have young children. Here is an article that explains how to support your family during this transition https://www.nytimes.com/article/daylight-saving-time.html
Support Local Families in Need through Self Help Gift Card Collection
Looking for a charity project for the holidays? We are collecting gift cards to Target, Walmart, and Grocery stores to give to families in need. We help families from our 23 towns, which includes Franklin, through the winter holidays. If you would like to help contact Gina McGarrigle via email gmcgarrigle@selfhelpinc.org
Here to Help You, no Matter the Need!
At Self Help, Inc, we pride ourselves in knowing our communities so that we can direct our families to the support they need. Whatever you may need you can reach out and we will connect you to the services you need. My email is mwright@selfhelpinc.org.
Notes from Nurse Suzanne
Happy Winter!
Winter Clothing:
The official start of winter will soon be upon us! Your children are enjoying their outdoor playtime in colder and often snowier conditions. Just a reminder to send in winter play clothes with your child- a jacket, snow pants, boots, mittens, and hats. It is fine to send them in a separate bag as they often don't fit in backpacks. While I do have a small supply of items on hand for borrowing, some things (especially boots!) don't always fit well. If your child is in need of winter clothing, please contact me.
Vision Screenings:
Vision screenings are continuing this month! These are important screenings because they can help detect possible abnormalities with vision early on in a child's development. Early detection of a problem can lead to a better outcome for a child because an intervention can be implemented early. Correction of an existing vision issue will drastically improve a child’s ability to interact with all environments, including school. It is important to remember that a screening is not diagnostic but it can help identify risk factors or abnormalities. If your child receives a “Referral” after a screening, it does not necessarily indicate there is a real problem with your child’s vision. A referral means that the child needs a more complete examination by a healthcare provider. If your child is entering Kindergarten in the fall, this screening will count toward their entry requirements.
Weekend Backpack Program:
ECDC continues to partner with the Franklin Food Pantry to provide a weekend take-home bag of food for students, during the school year.
The bag contains a variety of child-friendly food items. Some examples include granola bars, oatmeal, cereals, rice, pasta, shelf-stable milk, crackers, fruit, and snacks. There is enough food for two breakfasts, two lunches, and two snacks.
The backpacks are distributed weekly by the nurse and the names of the students participating are kept confidential.
If you would like your child to receive a weekly food backpack or if you have any questions about this program or are in need of other resources, please contact me.
Updated Physicals:
If your child has had a recent physical, please forward a copy of it to me. The complete physical exam report will include any screenings that have been completed such as vision, hearing, scoliosis, and lead. Note that the “After Visit Summary” is not sufficient for the school health file. This is especially important for children who will be heading off to Kindergarten next year as a current physical and screenings are required. If you have any questions, please reach out.
Is your child sick?
Please help our ECDC children and staff stay healthy. If your child is sick, they should stay home. If you are not sure whether your child should come to school, please review the guidelines below or call me to discuss your child’s particular circumstance.
If your child has been cleared with a negative PCR test to come back to school after an illness, please review the guidelines below before sending them in. There are many typical winter illnesses being spread that are not covid related.
Your child should stay home if your child:
has congestion and nasal drainage that is not clear (yellow/green etc)
has a cold and cough
has had a poor night's sleep due to illness, cough, etc.
has a fever of 100 degrees or higher (without medication).
is vomiting and/or has diarrhea
has a contagious illness such as flu, strep throat, chickenpox, etc.
has an eye that is pink, red, or itchy, and/or crusty drainage from the eye is present
has moderate to severe pain
has an unusual rash
Your child can come back to school:
when your child is fever free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medicines
after 24 hours without vomiting or diarrhea
24 hours after the start of antibiotic therapy for a bacterial infection
In accordance with school policy, students who have head lice may return to school after treatment has been completed
ECDC Spirit Wear Available
The ECDC PCC has gone fully digital with our Spirit Wear this year. Looking to sport some ECDC Spirit Wear?!? You can now purchase shirts, sweatshirt, blankets, and even masks with the ECDC Logo here! Items ship directly to you. The store is always open!
ECDC Parent Communication Council (PCC)
PCC UPDATE!
ECDC Parent Communication Council (PCC)
Play Dates
Our second out-of-school play date is tomorrow at Altitude Trampoline Park from 10-11:30. (Feel free to stay longer. Toddler time doesn’t end until 2pm. Some of us have to pick up our elementary children at 11:45 as it’s an early dismissal day for them.) This is a great opportunity to meet other parents from ECDC and for the kids to blow off some energy on this day off from school! Look for the star balloon so we can connect!! This is a fundraiser for us as well! Make sure to mention ECDC when you are paying. See the attached flier. We raised $158 from our last Altitude fundraiser! We are still in need of a volunteer or two to chair our social committee. Please let us know if you are interested in planning events like these in the future.
Holiday Pie Sales
Our annual holiday pie sale was a huge success. We sold 107 pies and made $856. Pies will be available for pick up on Monday, 12/20 at ECDC. More information regarding times will be provided soon.
Help Us Fill Our Giving Clothesline!
This coming week, we will begin collecting new children's hats, gloves, and mittens that we will be donating to the Santa Foundation, an organization in Franklin that provides gifts to families in need. To learn more about the Santa Foundation, click here. If you are interested in participating in this drive, please put donated winter items in a separate labeled bag and give them to your child’s classroom teacher by January 14th. A special thanks to Adrianna Gonzalez-Shreeve for designing the flier!
Restaurant Fundraisers
We raised $150 from our recent restaurant fundraiser at Piezoni’s. Thank you to those who ordered out to support our school. Our next restaurant fundraiser will be next month at either Curry House or Chipotle. We will keep you posted with more info!
Teacher Prep Volunteering
Volunteering opportunities to help teachers with photocopying, laminating, cutting, binding/stapling booklets, etc. will resume after the winter break. The Signupgenius has been updated so make sure to check it out and sign up if you are available!
PCC Meeting
Join us on Tuesday, January 4th at 7PM for our next meeting. Look for the Google Link and Agenda attached to a future Sunday PCC newsletter and on our PCC FB page.
Stay Connected!
If you haven't joined our mailing list yet, be sure to do so here. An email comes out (usually) each Sunday evening with any fundraiser updates, important upcoming events, etc. This is sent out by the PCC Board, and is separate from Miss Kelty's newsletter. We also have an online community on Facebook. Be sure to join us here too to chat with other ECDC families and stay in the know!
Stay well,
Heather, Lindsay, & Amanda
Heather Edouard, PCC Chair
Lindsay Bisson, PCC Secretary
Amanda Kucinski, PCC Treasurer
1000 Books Before Kindergarten Project
A small committee of ECDC professional staff is spearheading the development of our own 1000 Books Before Kindergarten project. Over the next 3-4 months, we will collect children’s books to create 125-150 unique bags of 10 books. Books will be sorted by genre and scanned to eliminate titles that reflect one of the 7 forms of instructional bias. These book bags will be available to ECDC families before the end of the school year. This project expands our work in the area of early literacy.
To learn more, you can visit the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten site.
To DONATE NEW OR GENTLY USED BOOKS FOR THE 1000 BOOKS Project---JUST LEAVE THEM IN THE FRONT LOBBY WITH MISS LAURA!
TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP WITH THE SORTING, JUST REACH OUT TO MISS KELTY!
ECDC School Council -- 1 Parent Position Still Open!
On November 29th the ECDC School Council met here at ECDC, with two members attending remotely. PARENT VOLUNTEER IS STILL NEEDED!
New members were able to hear the history of the committee, some of our accomplishments and to help determine the next steps. Our
School Council Meeting Schedule
All meetings will be held virtually or in-person from 1:45-3:00
January 24th
March 21st
May 16th
School Council Members for 21-22 School Year
Elizabeth Reynard (Classroom Teacher) reynarde@franklinps.net
Linda Cournoyer (Speech/Language Pathologist) cournoyerl@franklinps.net
Suzanne Roma (School Nurse) romas@franklinps.net
Kelty Kelley (Principal) kelleyk@franklinps.net
Melissa Hennemuth (Parent)
Megan Langevin (Parent)
Click here to view the upcoming agenda!
Vacant PARENT positions at this point will be filled on a first come-first served basis. Reach out to Miss Kelty, or any of the members, if you want more information or to join our team.
Supporting the Social-Emotional and Behavioral Needs of our Students
Last year ECDC adopted the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) Preschool Program. The DECA Preschool Program aligns with our ECDC program goals and core values, promoting resilience, the ability to bounce back from difficulty, in children ages 3–5. This assessment will help us learn about the way each child gets along with others, shares how they feel, explore, and learn. The DECA assessment will be conducted during each trimester, and the results will be shared with families at parent-teacher conferences in December, and March.
Our ECDC teaching teams will use the DECA Preschool Program to help children be more successful in school. In addition, teachers will share information with families about activities that you can do at home to foster resilience in your child. Teachers will complete an assessment of all children in the classroom 3 times a year.
ECDC parents/guardians will also be asked to complete this one-page questionnaire on their child 3 times during the school year (November, February, and May). Having both the parent/guardian and teacher complete the assessment will provide valuable information about how your child behaves both at home and in the classroom.
We will use this information to better plan for all our ECDC students, allowing us to build on individual children’s strengths and providing targeted interventions to address lagging skills. The DECA also helps teachers identify specific ideas on how to support your child in their home environment.
If you have any questions regarding this program, please feel free to contact your child's classroom teacher.
Volunteering at ECDC
Here at ECDC we have traditionally offered LOTS of ways to have parents and guardians involved our school and in your student's learning. Although we are more open than we were last year, there still may be, at times, Covid restrictions limiting visitors to our building. As always, our school team will find creative ways to maintain opportunities for families to volunteer and be a part of you student's pre-kindergarten experience. Here are some ideas for getting involved!
- Talk to your teacher about volunteering in the classroom; she will find the "just right" way for you to volunteer that works for her classroom and your child (give us some time this year to figure out just what this can look like).
- Share a passion, a talent or a tradition with the students at ECDC (this could be done virtually or in person)
- Consider joining our PCC (Parent Communication Council), our School Council, or attending our Connections for Parents of Children with Special Needs. Even if you are working, we can get creative and find a way for you to be involved!
- Help with our ECDC Community Garden...We always need help with garden clean up in both the fall and spring and help with the planting as well!
F.X. O'Regan Early Childhood Development Center
Kelty Kelley, Principal, M.Ed.
"There is no hand so small that it cannot leave an imprint on the world!" Klub Kidz
Visit our YouTube Channel @FranklinECDC
Email: kelleyk@franklinps.net
Website: https://www.franklinps.net/ecdc
Location: 224 Oak Street, Franklin, MA, USA
Phone: 508-541-8166
Twitter: @FranklinECDC