Early Childhood Development Program

(ECDP)
Program Handbook

Ms. Robyn Kuseler

Dr. K.A. Clark School

 2018-2019

Dear Parents and Guardians:

I am very happy to welcome you and your child to Dr. K.A. Clark School’s Early
Childhood Development Program (ECDP). I am looking forward to experiencing this
exciting, transitional year with you and your child.

The ECDP program is a friendly and caring learning environment that encourages
each child to develop cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically through a
language and play based approach. Children are encouraged to participate in child-
centered, exploratory learning. The adults are here to offer comfort, support, and
encouragement along the way; while celebrating individual successes and personal
growth.

I hope this handbook will be a helpful resource for you. If you have any questions or
concerns, please call me at 780-743-2444 OR email me at [email protected]

Sincerely,

Ms. Robyn Kuseler

 Mission, Values, and Goals of ECDP
Mission Statement

The Early Childhood Development Program (ECDP) in Fort McMurray Public Schools
aims to build a foundation of basic child development traits and skills to prepare the
child for success in progressively more structured learning environments from
Kindergarten to higher grade levels.

Principles and Values

The ECDP operates on the following principles:

● Safe and caring environment

● Child- centred

● Promote positive thinking

● Build self esteem and confidence

● Developmentally Appropriate Practice

● Involving a learning community of parent, child, staff, and agencies

● Positive relationships with parents

● Frequent and close communications with parents and partner agencies

● Utilize strengths and skills of people in our system

● Recognition and appreciation of children, parents, and partners

 Mission, Values, and Goals of ECDP

continued….
Goals

1) To nurture the self-esteem of children. To build their confidence in an ability to

participate in learning opportunities beginning in Kindergarten and continuing
into the primary grades.

2) To cultivate in children a sense of security while away from home by providing a

safe and caring environment of play and interaction with peers and adults.

3) To support children in their development of social, gross, and fine motor skills
and knowledge and attitudes that will increase the likelihood of being ready for
and successful in Kindergarten and higher grades.

4) To improve children’s speech and language skills as foundations of literacy

development to increase the likelihood of success with reading and writing in the
primary grades.

5) To provide other specific intervention supports and services to improve the

readiness of children for Kindergarten and primary schooling.

6) To collaborate and communicate with parents and other helping agencies on

early development of their children.
 Important Program Details

Class Times and Schedules

ECDP is a 3 hour program (morning or afternoon) which runs Monday to Friday. Some
Friday’s may be a NO SCHOOL day just make sure to check Ms. Kuseler’s calendar for
those Fridays!

● The AM program runs from 8:50am - 11:50am.

Parents are expected to bring their children to the cubby area, however there will be
supervision at this time so there is no need for parents to stay with their child. This year
my ECDP students will be using the front entrance of the school.
Please plan to arrive on time or a few minutes before the end of the session. Children
can become upset if they are still waiting after their friends have gone home.

The times and order of activities are flexible to meet the needs of the children. We will
have a scheduled gym lesson, music lesson and library session.

● Carpet Time (Calendar, News, Literacy and Numeracy Lessons, Shared

Activities)
● Centre Time (free choice exploration)
● Washroom and Snack Break
● Gross Motor Activities
● Fine Motor Activities
● Outdoor Play and Activities

Supply List
Please bring the following school supplies during the first week of school in Sept.

● 1 medium sized backpack (marked with child’s name)

 ● 1 lunch bag (marked with child’s name)
● 1 Pair of velcro indoor running shoes (marked with child’s name)
● Spare clothes in a labeled bag to leave at school (pants, shirt, underwear, socks)
● 1 Blue Coil Bound Hilroy “Studio” Scrapbook – 20 sheets (35.6 x 27.9 cm) (marked
with child’s name)
● 2 Boxes of Kleenex
● 4 Glue Sticks (2 medium size and 2 large size preferred)
● 1 Squeeze Bottle of White School Glue
● 1 Box - Crayola Crayons
● 1 Box - Water Soluble Crayola Markers
● 1 package Dry Erase Markers
● 1 Box - Large Ziploc Freezer Bags
● 1 Box - Medium Ziploc Freezer Bags
● 1 Pair of Scissors

Entry and Exit Routines

● This year my ECDP students will be using the front entrance of the
school. These doors will open at 8:30AM. Your child will proceed to
their cubby and wait for the 8:50AM bell. There will be a supervisor
monitoring this area.

Attendance
Please notify the school or myself if your child is going to be absent. The school phone
number is 780-743-2444. If you know in advance that your child is going to be missing
school, please let me know. We encourage regular attendance, but please let your child
stay home and rest if they are visibly ill or overly tired.
 Allergies and Medical Information
Please inform us immediately if your child has any specific food restrictions, allergies,
or medical conditions.

Snack Time
We will be having snack every day. Please send in a nutritious snack. As we are
encouraging good eating habits, we discourage sending junk food such as pop, chips,
or candy. Fruit and other foods should be “ready to eat” and not require cutting, peeling,
or other preparation by staff. Please remember this is just a snack, not a full lunch, and is
to be eaten in approx. 10-15 minutes.

● Please note, we are a nut-free school. When buying items at the grocery store,
look for a peanut-free symbol on the packaging. Please read labels carefully to
ensure snacks have been made in a nut-free facility and may not contain traces
of nuts. Thank you for your cooperation.

Birthdays
We will sing to each child on their birthday. Birthdays will also be acknowledged on
our class calendar. Unfortunately, due to the prevalence of serious food allergies
(nut, egg, gluten, etc.), we will no longer be distributing birthday treats during class
time. Birthday party invitations are to be given out by parents before or after the
program times.

Clothing
Please send your child to school in clothes that are easy to wash so they don’t have to
worry about getting a little messy. Crafts and play are all a part of the learning process,
so please make sure they come to school comfortably dressed to
have fun!
In the first week of school, please send a complete change of clothing in your child’s
backpack. Please put the change of clothing in a plastic bag and label with your child’s
name.

Please label all of your child’s belongings (especially shoes!) with first name and last
initial! Your help is greatly appreciated.

Toys from Home

Please remind your child to leave their personal toys safely at
home. If taken to school, these toys can get lost or broken easily.
Our classroom has many toys for everyone to share and enjoy.
Students will be permitted to bring a toy for scheduled show and
tell days. Please note that we do not permit toys of a violent
nature (play guns, knives, etc.) in the classroom.

Playdough by Popular Demand!

Playdough is a popular centre in the ECDP classroom that promotes fine motor
development and creative thinking. For hygienic reasons, we need a fresh supply each
week. We ask parents to become involved by volunteering to make playdough. The
sign-up sheet is posted near the cubby area, along with copies of our recipe. If you have
your own recipe, please feel free to use that as well. Thank you!

Discussing Your Child’s Day

It is only natural that you will want to know how your child spent their day in ECDP.
Sometimes it is hard for a young child to answer general or broad questions such as
“how was your day?” or “what did you do today?” and so they answer with “good”
“nothing” or “I don’t know.” For more details, try asking more specific questions, such as:

● Did you paint/draw today? What did you make?

● Did you build with the blocks? What did you build?
● Did you listen to a story today? Did you like the story?
● Did you sing any songs today? What did you sing?
● Who did you sit with during snack?
● Who did you play with today?

Home-School Connection

There is no official homework in ECDP, but I will provide some tips on how you can
reinforce learning in the home. Every month we will have target vocabulary words
and concepts to focus on in the classroom. I will share this information with you in
the monthly newsletter so you can reinforce it at home. This is completely
optional, so please do not feel pressured.

Contacting the Teacher

If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 780-743-2444 or email

me at: [email protected]