GENERAL INFORMATION
The first days / weeks of Preschool are a big step for you and your child to take and often the first social setting your child may be in without a parent / guardian. Being adequately prepared for this milestone is key to your child’s success and transition. To make the transition a little easier you may want to try some of the suggestions below:
- Read picture books about school to help lessen apprehensions and help your child develop positive feelings about school.
- Enroll in a special activity prior to Preschool that are designed to gradually ease your child towards independence and get used to structured activities such as playing with others, sharing and following directions on a small scale.
- Attend library story times, social or special events where other young children are present.
- Allow your child to explore with art tools (markers, scissors, paint, chalk etc.) to create beyond a coloring book. They are too young to color in the lines.
- Have your child start writing their name (or recognizing the letters in order of their name in print).
- Allow your child to try putting on their own coat, shoes and carrying their belongings (such as a backpack) – it creates independence and builds self-esteem.
- Take advantage of opportunities to leave your child in a safe environment without you (such as with a grandparent or babysitter) for a short period of time.
- When leaving your child in care of others, do not linger. Your child can easily pick up on your hesitation or anxiety. Tell your child you will return and give them a reassuring hug and walk away.
- Give your child opportunities to speak for themselves so as to be able to express their thoughts to others. If you speak multiple languages in your home, begin speaking and having your child speak English so that your child can be understood and is able to express themselves to others (they will not lose their home/primary language). Being on their own without you is sometime unsettling to a child and it only complicates the situation if they cannot understand or communicate with the teachers or other children.
- Toilet independence is required to start in Preschool. Practicing self-help skills (including wiping with toilet paper on their own) to master this process before school begins will lead to positive self – esteem. Pull ups and diapers may NOT be worn in or during class.
Parent Handbook
Frequently Asked Questions
What We Do in Preschool
Developmental Profile 3-year-old
Developmental Profile 4-year-old
Illinois Standards
RESOURCES
Preschool Curriculum
Our Preschool program’s goal is to prepare each child for entering Kindergarten and beyond with the necessary skills to succeed. We strongly believe that each child should be given the tools and resources that will enable them to do things for themselves through hands on activities and experiences. We achieve this by providing each child the opportunity to grow at their own pace in large and small groups as well as one on one. Our teachers create lessons that incorporate the skills to master achievable age-appropriate goals. To you and the average person, it may appear that “all they do is play”, however, to a child, the best way to learn is through play.
Handwriting / Letter Recognition and Math / Number Recognition
We use many resources to develop handwriting and math skills by incorporating hands-on, multisensory materials that are designed in such a way that introduces shapes, numbers, and letters in an order that matches the progression of a children’s developmental abilities so that it is easier for them to practice, learn, and remember. It is very important for your child to continue many of these practices at home with you on a regular basis. Mastering skills takes lots of practice and reinforcement. Once a child master’s a skill- it makes them want to learn more- it’s like climbing the mountain of success!
We utilize an array of resources such as but not limited to: Handwriting (Learning) without Tears; Handwriting / Numbers Galore; TPT; A-Z Handwriting NO PREP and so much more. Our 4-year-old / Pre-K programs are even beginning to learn sight words for early beginning reading prep (these are words commonly seen such as “a, to, the, and, at, go, be, can, etc.). We follow the Illinois Early Learning Developmental Standards (which are located below) in planning our lesson plans appropriately for each age group.
Meet the Teachers
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Karen Maxwell Karen holds a BA in Education and Psychology with a K-9 certification and endorsements in Language Arts and Science. Her experience in Early Childhood begin in 1988 and continued over the next 30 years until joining Bartlett Park District as the Preschool Coordinator in December 2018. Karen takes great pride in educating the children as well as serving as a mentor and resource for preschool staff and parents. |
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Justyna Castillo Justyna holds an Early Childhood Educator Credential, Early Math Counts Certification, and a degree in Interior Design. She joined Bartlett Park District as a substitute in 2020 and has been an Assistant Teacher in Pre-K since August 2021. She is a resident of Bartlett and her daughters are both graduates of the BPD Preschool program. |
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Sherri Culloton Sherri holds a BA in Media Communication from St. Norbert College and has completed courses at Elgin Community College in Early Childhood Education. She became a Bartlett Park District Assistant Preschool Teacher in August 2014 at and a Lead Teacher in 2020. Her children attended the BPD Preschool program and are now both college graduates. She has also worked many years with the Girl Scouts. |
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Victoria Hernandez Victoria attended the College of DuPage for Elementary Education and is bilingual in English and Spanish. She has been with Bartlett Park District since 2020 as an Assistant Teacher and became a Lead Teacher in 2023. Victoria is also one of our Enrichment Class teachers. |
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Christy Mazza Christy holds a BA in English with 6-12 certification as well as a Master of Science in Education. She has been with the district since August 2015 as a substitute and became the Pre-K Lead teacher in 2021. Previous to her employment with the district she served as a 6th -8th grade English Language Arts and girl’s track and field coach. Christy has been a Bartlett resident for over 10 years. Her three children are graduates of the BPD Preschool program. |
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Gunjan Patel Gunjan holds a BA in Psychology and a Certification in Children & Family Studies from Roosevelt University. She has been at Bartlett Park District since August 2019. She has worked in the Early Childhood Education field for over 20 years as a Lead Teacher as well as a Director. Gunjan is one of our Enrichment Class teachers. She is an advocate for supporting young children’s growth which makes teaching a passion of hers. |
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Kristin Pellegrini Kristin holds a BA from Dominican University in Early Childhood Education and PEL in ECE with as Special Education Approval. She has been a Lead Teacher since August 2014. Her children are graduates of the BPD Preschool program. She is one of our Enrichment Class teachers and helped start the Intro to Preschool program as well. |
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Jen Powell Jen attended Harper College and spent 12 years in Pediatric Healthcare. She is currently working on completing her CDA in Early Childhood Education. She has worked at the district in Preschool 3-year-old and Young 3’s program since September 2022. Jen has five children, three of which graduated from the BPD Preschool program. She is one of our Enrichment Class teachers and helped start the Intro to Preschool program as well. |
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Nicky Schur Nicky attended Elgin Community College and has been at district since August 2014 primarily as an assistant teacher in the Pre-K classrooms. Her three daughters were students in our preschool program and stay connects as volunteers and employees of the district. She has lived in the Bartlett community since 1998. |
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Kathy Stanko Kathy attended Elgin Community College where she studied Early Childhood Education. She earned her CDA credential through Rasmussen University. She has experience working with students in various capacities including after school tutoring, first grade religious education, and as a lead food service director at U-46 school district for 12 years. |
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Danielle Shahwan Danielle received her Bachelor in ECE from National Louis University as well as an Associate in Early Childhood Education and Care from College of DuPage. She has been a Lead Teacher at Bartlett Park District since August 2020 and has been assisting in Pre-K. Her children are graduates of our program. Danielle is an advocate for supporting young children’s growth which makes teaching her passion. |
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Stacey Ventrella Stacey attended the College of DuPage and is a licensed cosmetologist. She became an Assistant Teacher in August 2018. Her twin girls attended the Preschool program and her family have lived in Bartlett since 2019. She and husband coach a team for the girls’ softball league at the District. |
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Michelle Perham Michelle earned her Bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education from National Louis University. She began her career in Early Childhood in 2007 and started with the district as a substitute in August 2023. She is one of the Intro to Preschool program teachers. Previously she was a Lead teacher in multiple age group settings from infants through Pre-K at day care facilities as well as Assistant Director at two nearby schools. Her daughters attended our program. She is one of our Enrichment Class teachers and works with the Lunch Bunch. |
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Maia Resurrection Maia began her Early Childhood career with Northwest Special Recreation Association as an aide for several students in the Bartlett Park District program. Beginning in 2023 she began working as a substitute teacher. Currently she is a teacher in the Intro to Preschool and teaches Enrichment programs. Additionally, she works as an after-school care counselor with the District. Maia enjoys creating a fun atmosphere for children allowing them to explore their environment. |
