Staff:
Dr. Sue Ellen Girard, Administrative Director
Mr. Joe Robbins, Principal
Mrs. Jenni Williams, Teacher
Mrs. Dusty Knaggs, Classroom Aide
Mrs. Carla Connelly, Speech/Language Therapist

Program Description:
The Morrison Early Learning Program is a high quality preschool program which uses the High Scope Preschool curriculum; developmentally appropriate guidelines established by the National Association of Educating Young Children (NAEYC); and the Illinois Early Learning Standards.

Morrison Early Learning Program is held at Northside Elementary School. The early learning program is funded by a grant through the state of Illinois. The program meets Monday through Friday and has approximately 20 children ages 3-5.

Two sessions are offered through out the course of the week. The morning session is held from 8:10 until 10:50 a.m. each day. The afternoon session is held from 12:15 until 2:55 p.m. each day.

Parental involvement, through a parent contract, is a key component of the early learning program.

Blended Preschool Model:
The Morrison School District seeks to do what is right for children by providing them with an appropriate Preschool education that meets all of their needs in the least restrictive environment. Based on this commitment, the Morrison Early Learning Program adopted a blended, team approach to preschool education and services in January 2009.

This blended preschool program provide opportunities for children with Special Needs and students who have been identified as At-Risk to share learning experiences. This new program follows Illinois state guidelines for special education, stating that no more than 30% of the class be made up of students with Special Needs, including students receiving Speech-only services. The remaining 70% of the class will be composed of students identified as At-Risk of academic failure. By combining these two groups of students, the Morrison Early Learning Program is able to provide appropriate academic services to all students who need additional instruction to achieve their appropriate school readiness skills.

Research clearly supports the blending of Special Education Preschool programs with programs addressing the needs of students at the same age.
As of September 2009, the Morrison Early Learning Program supports an enrollment of 20 at-risk students and 11 children with Individualized Education Plans through the Bi-County Special Edcaution preschool program during the morning session. The afternoon session has a roster of 20 at-risk students and 11 children with Individualized Education Plans through the Bi-County Special Edcaution preschool program.

The classroom provides two full-time teachers and three classroom aides, and two individual aides to support supervision and instruction within the classroom. This creates a student-adult ratio of approximately 4 students to one adult in the classroom.

Student Screening & Selection Process:
In order to qualify for the Morrison Early Learning Program, parents must register for and complete a preschool screening held in the spring and/or the fall of each school year.
All parents are notfied of their child's results and recommended placement options via mail.If there are additional questions or concerns as a result of the developmental screenings, team members may contact parents for a follow-up meeting to discuss results, further testing opportunities, as well as possible programming options.

Once a child has been selected for the program, they automatically qualify for the next school year. Often times, the number of students exceeds the number of available slots in the preschool program. In this case, students are placed on a waiting list and will be contacted if an opening occurs.

Screening dates for the 2011-12 school year will be held on the following dates:

• Creative Representation
• Language & Literacy
• Initiative and Social Relations
• Movement
• Music
• Classification
• Seriation
• Numbers
• Space
• Time

Assessment:
Learning is assessed by using the "Work Sampling Illinois System." The Work Sampling System will assess children's skills, knowledge, behavior, and accomplishments. Developmental guidelines and checklists are utilized throughout the course of the program. Student work is also collected and a summary report is completed to share with each parent.

Parent Contract:
Learning for children is a partnership between the parent/family and the classroom. A parent contract is established at the first home visit of the year. There are many different ways for parents to become involved in their child's schooling. At least six interactions are required throughout the school year.

Snack:
A light snack will be provided for each day. Parents will need to send $1.50 each week for milk. Milk is $.30 each day. If a child has lactose intolerance, a doctor's note is needed. Orange juice is substituted.

Transportation:
The grant does not allow a lot of funding for transportation. Ideally, the parent or daycare provider will be able to pick the child up after the program each day. Transportation will be attempted for those who cannot make accommodations via the bus company that the school has contracted.

Attendance:
Attendance each day is necessary for the success of the program. If your child is ill or unable to attend school, please notify Mrs. Cathy Benoit, Northside School secretary, at (815) 772-2153.

Mrs. Jenni Williams, Teacher

Mrs. Becky Coons, Teacher