SM Early Childhood Education Center
August, 2021
Administrative Team
Tracy Smarr-Dolezal, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator
In the News
From the Principal's Desk
Hello!
I hope you all had a wonderful summer and enjoyed some new adventures with your children, whether it be discoveries in your own backyard or visits to new places! We are gearing up for a great year with your child!! I am so excited to see all of their faces soon!
Staff will all be back soon and will be reaching out to you to schedule parent teacher conferences. You will have the choice to come into the building in person for those conferences or participate virtually.
If you have not done so already, please be sure to complete Online Verification in Skyward to complete the enrollment process. In addition please be sure and list emergency contacts in Skyward, including anyone who is authorized to pick your child up from school, should you be unavailable. If the person's name is not in Skyward, for your child's safety, we will not be able to release them to that individual. If you have questions regarding how to do that, please call our school office at 913-993-2600.
A school supply list can be found on our school website, located here
Important Calendar Reminders
August 12-13- Parent Teacher Conferences
August 16th- 1st day of School
August 27th- Early Childhood Screening
September 6- No School, Labor Day
Our building follows the district calendar and PreK schedule, with the exception of no school on Fridays. You can access the district calendar here District Calendar 21-22
Masking and Mitigation Protocol for SMECEC
Students will not be wearing their masks outdoors, on the playground.
All parents and outside visitors to the building must wear a mask. At this time visitors are not allowed past the office when school is in session.
Students are required to wear a mask on the bus as they are able.
For those of your bringing your child to school, masks are strongly recommended for the adults during drop off and pick up when around other adults, however because it is outdoors, a mask will not required. If you are waiting outside a door we do request you honor social distancing protocols of 3 feet.
We will continue to disinfect rooms between sessions daily, cohort as much as possible, and utilize assigned seating and social distancing when masks are off for meal time.
Please know that at anytime these measures may change based on data from the Johnson County Department of Health and decisions made by the Shawnee Mission Board of Education.
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
Car Rider Pick Up and Drop Off
Ms. Robin and Ms. Leslie’s Room:
Park going southbound along Glenwood Street
Walk your Child to Door 13 to drop off or wait outside door 13 for pick up
***Please social distance by standing 3 feet away from non- family members , masks are strongly recommended while waiting.
Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Emily’s Room:
Park going southbound along Glenwood Street
Walk your Child to Door 11 to drop off or wait outside door 11 for pick up
***Please social distance by standing 3 feet away from non- family members , masks are strongly recommended while waiting.
All Other Classrooms:
Pull in the west entrance to the school off of 83rd Street
For Drop Off:
Turn Right, drive to the back lot and turn around driving along the West side of the building
Stop Outside Door 2, get out and take your child out of your car, someone will come and get them and walk them inside. Please do not get your child out of the car and walk them up while waiting in line on the west side of the building. Please wait until your car is on the north side of the building to unload.
Exit carefully by going around the buses in the bus lane and leave out of the east drive onto 83rd.
For Pick Up:
Turn right, drive to the back lot and turn around driving along the West side of the building. Stop Outside of Door 2, Show your name sign and your child will be brought to your car, you will then load them into their car seat. Please do not get out of your car and walk up to the building while waiting in line on the west side of the building. Wait until you see your child being walked out to get out of the car to load them.
Once loaded exit carefully by going around the buses in the bus lane and leave out of the east drive onto 83rd.
Student Absences
If your child is ill or needs to be absent for any reason, please be sure you are calling the school nurse and notifying her of those absences at 913-993-2602. Thank you to everyone who has called so far this year, and especially those who have alerted us to potential COVID exposures. Communication is key to keeping us all healthy.
Food Service
Free Meals
School breakfast and lunch meals are FREE for ALL students at all schools for the 2021-22 school year. Once again, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has put into effect nationwide waivers allowing school foodservice departments to continue to serve healthy school meal options free to all students. PreK students at SMECEC attending the AM session receive breakfast, those attending the PM session receive lunch.
Breakfast
Breakfast is available each school day. The breakfast menu includes an entrée, grain, fruit and milk. Students are served all items to receive a full breakfast; including the required ½ cup of fruit.
Lunch
Lunch includes an entrée, grain, fruit, vegetable and milk. Students are served all of these five components on their lunch tray, including the required ½ cup fruit and/or vegetable.
The “pig” symbol on the menu means that the item contains pork.
Menus, nutritional and allergy information are available online at https://www.schoolcafe.com.
Special Diet
If you have an allergy or specific dietary concerns, contact your school nurse for a medical form to be filled out by your doctor.
Food service information is available on the district’s web site at www.smsd.org/about/departments/food-service or you can call the Food Service office at 913-993-9710.
Early Childhood Screening
SMSD offers an early childhood developmental screening which includes the areas of vision, hearing, problem-solving, personal-social development, gross/fine motor skills, and speech/language skills. The purpose of the screening is to identify children who may have substantial developmental delays and who may be eligible for special education services. SMSD’s Early Childhood Screening (ECS) is appropriate for children ages 2 years 9 months to 5 years old who reside within the Shawnee Mission School District boundaries.
How often are screenings offered?
Screenings for 2020-2021 occur monthly on a Friday morning and are by appointment only. Parent or other legal guardian must complete a request for screening and submit the required documents before an appointment is offered.
How do I request a screening for my child?
More information about the ECS program can be found on the district’s Early Childhood Special Education home page under Early Childhood Screening.
Connect with us via Social Media
We have new social media sites this year! Please feel free to follow us and like us!!
Twitter: @theSMECEC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THESMECEC/
Or search for #EarlyEDSMSD to see what's happening district wide in PreK!
Shawnee Mission Early Childhood Education Center
Email: carlaheintz@smsd.org
Website: earlychildcenter.smsd.org
Location: 6701 West 83 Street, Overland Park, KS, 6USA
Phone: (913)993-2600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shawnee-Mission-Early-Childhood-Education-Center-101802735143826
Twitter: @theSMECEC