4K Connect
WSD 4K Newsletter - September 23, 2022 - Issue 2
Notes from the 4K Principal
Dear 4K & Early Childhood families:
What is the Pyramid Model?: We often refer to our practices in building social emotional skills as the pyramid model or "sefel" which stands for the social emotional foundations of early learning. The Pyramid Model is all evidence-based prevention/intervention framework that prevents challenging behaviors and promotes healthy social and emotional development by supporting positive relationships, creating engaging environments, and providing concrete teaching strategies.
WHO IS TUCKER TURTLE: Tucker is our mascot for our implementation of the instruction, assessment, and family participation of social-emotional skills. Tucker teaches our students to take time to "stop," "think," and come up with a better way to do things when frustration occurs or when problem solving opportunities arise.
Our teachers in our 4K & EC Programs have advanced training in the instruction of social-emotional skills. Instruction occurs in "mini-lessons" and in natural opportunities throughout the day as students need assistance with following rules, sharing, making friends, expressing their feelings, helping others, etc. An important part of this instruction is to give students alternative positive ways to do things. For example, instead of crying when someone tries to take your toy, the student is taught to say, "Please stop." or "Let's take turns." It is amazing to observe all these subtle teaching moments being infused throughout the day. Our students are learning social and relationship skills that are important in any school or job for the rest of their life.
CELEBRATING TUCKER: This year we will hosting a Tucker Turtle Night. You are invited to join us for Tucker Turtle Family Night on Tuesday, September 27th from 5-6pm. This event will be held at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.
PARENTS AT SCHOOL: We look forward to partnering with you throughout this school year. Each month we will offer parent engagement activities that will allow you to connect with staff and learn more about what your child is learning in 4K. The skills learned during these parent engagement activities are intended to be valuable tools and strategies to build behavior/social and pre-literacy skills at home. Your child's teacher will share additional details including dates and topics - mark your calendar and join us!
Thank you for being partners in education!
Kara Rakowski
Wausau School District 4K Principal
4K Breakfast and Lunch - Hawthorn, Jefferson, Jones
Beginning September 26, 2022 at GD Jones, Hawthorn Hills and Jefferson Elementary School; each 4K student attending a morning 4K session will be offered a free breakfast meal which includes a carton of milk and each 4K student attending an afternoon 4K session will be offered a free lunch which includes a carton of milk.
The free meals will take the place of the “Special milk Program” (and snack) that is currently offered at the CEP school sites to the 4K students. Milk will only be offered with the 4K meal. Milk will not be offered separately.
IF YOUR 4K or EC CHILD IS GOING TO BE ABSENT FROM SCHOOL, PLEASE CALL THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS!!
Contact Numbers
Please remember to call your 4K office if your child is going to be absent from school due to illness or another reason. When you call in, please give the reason for the absence. Please also call First Student at 715-842-2268 to let them know our child will not be riding the bus that day.
AM classes begin at 8:25am, dismissal is at 11am
PM classes begin at 11:40am, dismissal is at 2:15pm
Kara Rakowski, 4K Principal krakowsk@wausauschools.org
Program office: 714.261.0265
First Student: 715.842.2268
Jones - 4K Administrative Assistant: 715-261-0265
Jess Napiwocki jnapiwoc@wausauschools.org
Hawthorn - 4K Administrative Assistant: 715-261-0055
Kellie Messman kmessman@wausauschools.org
Jefferson - 4K Building Para- 715-261-0185
Jessica Brown jrbrown@wausauschools.org
Riverview - 4K Building Para: 715-261-0040
Jackie Keller jkeller@wausauschools.org
WSD 4K and Early Childhood Program Website: https://4kearlychildhood.wausauschools.org/
Link to WSD E-Flyers https://www.wausauschools.org/e-flyers Click on the E-flyers tab to see a listing of all current school activities flyers.
Link to District Handbook: https://www.wausauschools.org/students
Mark Your Calendars
September:
September 27: Tucker Turtle Night at Thomas Jefferson 5-6pm
October:
October 26-28: No School for 4K AM & PM (Professional Learning Days )
DON'T MISS TUCKER TURTLE NIGHT
Come meet Tucker Turtle!
Upcoming Events
Curriculum Corner
We start with our new unit, Little Red Riding Hood , on September 26th.
LITERACY I CAN:
- hold and use scissors
- hold a book to read
- tell something that happened in the story
- same and different
- hold a crayon the right way
- find something red
- find a dot
- draw a line
- repeat the L, F, E (straight line letters)
MATH I CAN:
- sort objects by their shapes
- recognize a pattern
- make small collections of 2
- verbally count to 5 with correspondence
- show a number representation for a group of objects to 2
- read numbers to 2
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL I CAN:
- tell my teacher if someone is following the rules (Rules 1.1)
TARGETED VOCABULARY:
- I can use and say these words: grandmother, wolf, woods, woodcutter, ax
LEADER IN ME:
- Rules
- - Habit 1: Be Proactive
- - Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind
- - Habit 5: Seek first to understand
Tucker's Nursery Rhyme Corner
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
the water spout.
Down came the rain and
washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried
up all the rain, and the itsy,
bitsy spider climbed up the
spout again.
Little Miss Muffet
eating her curds and whey
Along came a spider who sat down
beside her and frightened Miss Muffet away
One, Two Buckle My Shoe
3, 4 shut the door,
5, 6 pick up sticks
7, 8 lay them straight
9, 10 put them back again.
Tucker's Friendly Reminders
FYI -
We try to go outside and play everyday. Please have your child dressed for the weather.
Tucker's Helpful Tips
Tucker Tip - Friendship
We teach children to get attention by saying the other person's name or gently touching them. We teach the child to join play by offering a play suggestion to another child. "Do you want to build a tower with me?" "Want me to make you some pizza?" "Here's a car for you" or "Let's play with playdoh." Model sentences that start with "Let's.... "Do you want to......? or "I have an idea."
NOTES FROM THE NURSE
WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME
- Fever (temperature 100 degrees F or greater) child should be fever-free, without medication for 24 hours before returning to school
- Diarrhea (4-5 loose stools within the previous 24 hour period)
- Vomiting (within a 24 hour period before school starts)
- Upper respiratory illness with frequent cough/drainage
- Strep throat (until 24 hours after treatment has begun
- Pink eye (until 24 hours after treatment has begun
- undiagnosed or untreated skin rash or sores that cannot be covered
You can help your child stay healthy by encouraging frequent and thorough hand washing. Hand washing is the single most important defense against disease. Be sure to notify school if your child is going to be absent an the bus company if your child rides the bus.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Update Your Information
Thank you for helping us keep our records as accurate as possible!
WSD EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSING PLANS FOR 4K STUDENTS AT ACADEMY SITES:
School Closing: All AM & PM classes cancelled. No evening activities.
Yellow Bus Delay: All AM & PM classes cancelled. No evening activities.
District Wide Emergency Closing After Students Are At School: If morning 4K students are already at school, parents will be responsible for picking them up at school. There will not be bus service. No evening activities.
The 4K class times fit in between the pick-up and drop-off times for the rest of the school district. The same buses transport the older students to school before transporting the 4K students and likewise, take the 4K students home before taking the older students home.
In rare occasions, the Wausau School District is forced to cancel classes during the school day, usually due to inclement weather. If classes are cancelled after 4K students are already at school, this creates a problem for the bus company as they don't have enough buses to take the 4K students home as well as the rest of the district's students.
Due to the number of students involved, the bus company will transport the elementary, middle and high school students home on days that school is cancelled. This eliminates the possibility for transportation for the 4K students. Therefore, it will be necessary for parents to have a plan in place for school cancellations. Each family will need to designate a person who will be responsible for picking up their 4K student at school.
Tucker's 4K Spotlight - Our 4K & EC staff
WSD 4K Academy at GD Jones
Wausau, WI 54401
715-261-0265
Andrey Frey - 4K Teacher
Michele Kettner - 4K Teacher
Melissa Willemon - 4K Teacher
Cha Yang - 4K Teacher
Beth Gruber - EC Teacher
Shelly Urmanski - EC Teacher
Jessa Reif - Speech - Language Pathologist
Lori Kurszewski - EC Teacher
Anne Winter - EC Teacher
Cory Durbin - EC Teacher
Stacy Stenz - 4K & EC Program Support Teacher
Sara Boettcher - School Psychologist
Michelle Dahms - Social Worker
Beth Van Dong
Mia Lodahl - Physical Therapist
Jacob Ehlert - Occupational Therapist
Kathleen Kostner-Rass - Occupational Therapist
Support Staff
Chou Thao - Bilingual Paraprofessional
Pa Thao - Bilingual Paraprofessional
KaBao Mua - Bilingual Paraprofessional
Ashley Hafeman - EC Paraprofessional
Chris Mergan - EC Paraprofessional
Ami Serrano - EC Paraprofessional
WSD 4K Academy at Hawthorn Hills
Wausau, WI 54403
715-261-0055
Lisa Dunahee - 4K Teacher
Marla Harris - 4K Teacher
Jaci McKamey - Speech-Language Pathologist
Anne Winter - EC Teacher
Support Staff
Kellie Messman - 4K Admin Assistant
Julie Her - Bilingual Paraprofessional
Nhia Her - Bilingual Paraprofessional
WSD 4K Academy at Riverview
Wausau, WI 54403
715-261-0040
Danica Szekeress - 4K Teacher
Kristin Hall - 4K Teacher
Ashley Ermeling - EC Teacher
Morgan Persha - Speech-Language Pathologist
Renee Kressel - Speech-Language Pathologist
Donna Husnick - DHH Teacher
Cindy Schuster - DHH Interpreter
Mackenzie Wockenfus - Occupational Therapist
Support Staff
Jackie Keller - 4K Office
Cher Her - Bilingual Paraprofessional
Tammy Davisson - EC Paraprofessional
WSD 4K Academy at Thomas Jefferson
Wausau, WI 54401
715-261-0185
Samantha Kniess - 4K Teacher
scorreaobrien@wausauschools.org
Renee Krautkramer - 4K Teacher
BreAnne Wais - 4K Teacher
May Xiong - 4K Teacher
Denise Wonsil-Michlig - Speech-Language Pathologist
Support Staff
Jessica Brown - 4K Office
WSD 4K Community Sites
1500 Merrill Ave
Wausau, WI 54401
715-298-3832
Leah Bjerke
615 Stark St.
Wausau, WI 54403
715-848-0206
Alaina Lippert-Olson
707 3rd St.
Wausau, WI 54403
715-845-2177
Corina Ramos:
Sandy Readenour: