School District of Hartford Jt. 1
HARTFORD EARLY LEARNERS PROGRAM
“HANDS ON 4 SUCCESS”
2010-2011
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Welcome to the Hartford Joint #1 Early Learning Program
The early childhood years are very important for children and their parents. When
children experience success in responsive, nurturing programs they gain essential skills
and knowledge that set the stage for more formal learning in the kindergarten-third
grade years.
Four-year-old preschool programs have been growing in number throughout the state
of Wisconsin. To date over 320 districts in Wisconsin have 4K programs. Approximately
one third of these programs are community based. These programs are growing in
popularity across the state and are an excellent example of collaboration among the
District, parents and local child care and preschools.
The District has been exploring four year old Kindergarten for a number of years;
however, more formal exploration began in December, 2008, when the District met with
area preschools and Head Start to assess interest in establishing a four year old
program. Presentations were made to the School Board the first year, and in 2009-2010,
the committee continued to meet and develop plans for a universally accessible and
community based approach for our four year olds. The School Board approved the
plan in January, 2010 for implementation for September, 2010.
The School District of Hartford will work collaboratively with five community agencies:
Dream Center, First United Methodist Church, Happy Hollow Day Care, Hartford
Recreation Center, and Sycamore Tree Day Care. Approximately 130 four year olds will
participate in our first year of the Hartford’s Early Learning Program-Hands on Four
Success.
Hartford Early Learning Handbook has been written to provide 4K parents and other
interested parties with information regarding our program. We hope you find the
handbook helpful to answer many questions that may come up throughout the year. If
you have questions not answered in this Handbook, please do not hesitate to you’re
your child’s teacher or call the pupil service office at 262-673-8042.
Joan M. Schultz
Pupil Services Director//4K Coordinator
Email: Schultz@hartfordjt1.k12.wi.us
Dr. Mark Smits
Hartford Jt. 1 Superintendent of Schools
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Hartford Early Learners Mission Statement
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We believe that every age eligible child in Hartford has a right to high-quality,
universally accessible and developmentally appropriate preschool education.
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We will accomplish this through:
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Developmentally appropriate curriculum that is discovery and play based
By encouraging voluntary participation by families
Recognizing and being sensitive to the diverse needs within Hartford
Community Collaboration that supports an array of opportunities that give
children a jump start in school.
Hartford Early Learners Program Philosophy
The Hartford Joint #1 School District and the community agency partners believe that
every child in the Hartford Joint #1 School District has a right to high quality,
developmentally appropriate and universally accessible preschool education. All age
eligible Hartford Joint One children will be allowed to participate in the preschool
program and the associated activities.
The collaboration values the family-school connection and encourages parents
to attend parent-teacher conferences, parent outreach activities, and to
volunteer in their child’s school and help extend learning in the home.
Curriculum of Hartford Early Learners
The goal of our early childhood curriculum is to create an environment that promotes
learning and social skills appropriate for our four-year-olds. Children learn by
doing….they use all of their senses to explore and get information. Play is the important
work of a four-year-old.
The Hartford Early Learners Program will be based on the philosophy of intentionally
designed play based instruction. Through play children can understand the world
around them and interact with others. The 4K day will be designed to stimulate
development of skills in the area of social and emotional growth, language and
literacy, fine and gross motor, and cognition. These areas make up the developmental
domains of early childhood. Please see the Developmental Chart listed at the end of
the handbook.
The teachers for the Hartford Early Learners preschool program will use the Creative
Curriculum and the Wisconsin State Early Learning Standards (thinkbigstartsmall.com) as
a curriculum guide. All teachers have four-year degrees in early childhood or pre
kindergarten and are highly qualified to work with preschool children. In addition the
teachers and assistants will continue to attend conferences and workshops on early
childhood education.
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Each child will be given the opportunity to learn at his/her own pace and in the way
preschoolers learn best……through play! Actually, what looks like play has been
planned by professionals to develop specific skills that your child will need for later
school years and into adult life. Your child’s daily schedule will include a balance
between the following types of activities:
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Centers and discovery play
Active and quiet times
Large group activities, small group activities, as well as time to play alone or with
others
Indoor and outdoor playtime as appropriate
Time for children to select activities on their own and time for the children to
participate in teacher directed activities.
The following are a few examples of how what appears to be play is actually a learning
experience that helps the child prepare for formal learning.
When Children Do This:
Put blocks in a truck and dump them out
They Are Learning To:
Understand size, weight, and number
concepts (math and science)
Put pegs in a pegboard
Eye-Hand Coordination (Reading and
writing readiness)
Finish a puzzle
Complete a task from start to finish (study
habits and self-esteem)
Play beside other children
Get along with others (Social Skills)
Follow directions in a recipe by adding
ingredients
Understanding measurements (Math)
Turning pages of a book
Learning to read from right to leftconcepts of print
Using writing as a means to communicate,
fine motor coordination
Love of books, remember details,
expressing ideas and pre-reading
(Language and reading) and social skillslearning in a group
Small muscle development (Writing and
self-help)
See how materials change (Science)
Following directions (Listening
comprehension)
Grouping objects into categories (Math)
Scribble on paper
Listen to a story and talk about what
happened
Put on dress-up clothes
Make play-dough
Separate cups and plates
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2010-2011 Hartford Early Learners Program
Locations, Coordinators, and Teachers
Hartford Jt. 1 School District – Pupil Services
675 E Rossman St
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone:
262-673-8042
Fax:
262-673-8045
Joan M. Schultz
Director of Pupil Services
schultzj@hartfordjt1.k12.wi.us
Kristen Oechsner
Lead 4K Teacher
oechsner@hartfordjt1.k12.wi.us
Jean Jacoby
4K Secretary
jacoby@hartfordjt1.k12.wi.us
*Dream Center
1190 Western Drive
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone: (262) 673-3154
Email: Sheila@dreamcenterschool.com
Site Coordinator: Sheila Trost
Teacher: Sheila Trost (262) 673-3154
First United Methodist Church (3 Classrooms)
738 W. Monroe Ave
Hartford, WI 53027
Site Phone: (262) 673-3290
Site Coordinator:
Doreen VanMinsel
Teacher of Session 1:
Teacher of Session 2:
Teacher of PM Session:
Tracy Strachan
Mollie Preston
Sarah Navin
*Happy Hollow (2 Classrooms)
3265 Hwy K
Hartford, WI 53027
Site Phone: (262) 673-3005
Site Coordinator: June Ertenberg
Teacher of AM Session:
Teacher of PM Session:
Kristin Oechsner
Oechsner@hartfordjt1.k12.wi.us
Same
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Hartford Recreation Center
125 N Rural St
Hartford, WI 53027
Site Phone: (262) 673-8226
Site Coordinator:
Mike Hermann
Teacher: Julie Scepanski
*Sycamore Tree
244 W Loos St
Hartford, WI 53027
Site Phone: (262) 673-0161
Site Coordinator: Becky Carter
Teacher: Sarah Nolte
*These locations offer child care for children outside the 4K school day. Parents are
responsible to make arrangements for child care and expenses associated with child care.
Please call the site directly to make arrangements.
Children may arrive 10 minutes before and must be picked up promptly at the end of each
class.
Eligibility
Students participating in the Hartford Early Learners program must be four years of age by
September 1. There will be no early admissions. Participants must be residents of the
Hartford Jt 1 School District or apply through Open Enrollment, if eligible.
Program Days and Hours
School Hours:

Dream Center
Monday through Friday
PM
11:50 – 2:30

First United Methodist Church
Monday through Friday
AM
8:20 – 11:00
PM
11:50 – 2:30

Happy Hollow
Monday through Friday
AM
8:20 – 11:00
PM
11:50 – 2:30

Hartford Recreation Center
Monday through Friday
AM
8:20 – 11:00

Sycamore Tree
Monday through Friday
AM
8:20 – 11:00
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Daily Sign-In/Sign-Out
As part of the collaboration between parents, 4K sites and the teachers, parents will need
to walk their child into the 4K classroom each day and sign their child in. The same
procedure will be repeated with sign out at the end of each session.
Children being bussed to and from 4K will be signed on and off the bus and escorted into
the 4K classroom.
Absence Call-In
It is an expectation that all children enrolled in Hartford Early Learners will attend every day
school is in session. If students are going to be absent from school for any reason, parents
are required to phone in the absence to the elementary building associated with each 4K
site prior to or on the day of the absence. Please inform the elementary secretary or the
pre-recorded attendance line the name of your child, 4K teacher’s name, session (AM or
PM), and site location along with the reason for the absence.
Prompt notification of absences helps keep your child safe and accounted for.
The 4K teachers will continue to take attendance first thing each day in their classrooms
and will then communicate attendance to the secretaries at either Lincoln or Rossman.
If a 4K student is absent from the site, and the parent has not called in to the elementary
schools, the secretary will call the child’s contact number to verify absence.
Dream Center, Hartford Rec. Center and Sycamore Tree will call Rossman School at 262673-3300 and speak directly with a secretary or follow the prompts to leave an attendance
message.
First United Methodist Church and Happy Hollow will call Lincoln School at 262-673-2100
and speak directly with a secretary or follow the prompts to leave an attendance
message.
Site numbers or contact numbers to call if you need to communicate with the 4K teacher
(for non-attendance issues) at each site are:
Dream Center
First United Methodist
Tracy Strachan – AM
Molly Preston – AM
Sarah Navin – PM
Happy Hollow
Hartford Recreation
Sycamore Tree
262-673-3154
*262-673-3290 (emergencies only)
262-422-1933
262-422-1932
262-422-1932
262-673-3005
262-673-8226
262-673-7012
*If you have an emergency for First United Methodist Church site you can use this number.
Otherwise use the teacher’s number that is listed.
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Attendance
It is an expectation that each child will attend school when school is in session. The
importance of regular attendance cannot be overstated; regular attendance at the fouryear-old preschool level establishes healthy patterns of attendance that can last
throughout the school. Excused absences include illness, medical and dental
appointments, and certain family situations.
When in doubt of your child’s health condition, play it safe for your child as well as for the
other children in the class. Please consider keeping your child home:
 The first 24 hours of a cold or upper respiratory infection
 If the child has an infectious disease, or
 If your child has a rash or spots…until you know what it is
General criteria for parents to us in deciding if their child should attend school:
 The child has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher and is fever free for 24 hours
 The child has vomited or has had diarrhea within a 24 hour time period prior to
leaving for school
 If the child has a common cold where there is much nasal discharge and a
continuous cough
 If the child has an infectious disease
In the event of one of the following conditions, the staff will call a parent/guardian to pick
up their child:
 The child has a temperature
 The child has vomited
 The child has diarrhea
 The child is fussy and crying for an unusual amount of time for an unexplained
reason
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2010-2011 School Calendar
There will be no PM 4K on early release days.
2010
August 24-25
August 26-27
August 30-31
September 1
September 6
October 28-29
November 5
November 12
November 16
November 18
November 19
November 25-26
December 23
New Teacher In-service
In-service / Records Day
In-service / Records Day
Classes begin for all students
Labor Day – NO SCHOOL
Teachers' Convention – NO SCHOOL
End of 1st quarter
Student morning early release / afternoon workday for teachers
Parent-Teacher Conferences (evening)
Parent-Teacher Conferences (evening)
Parent-Teacher Conferences – NO SCHOOL
Thanksgiving break
Christmas / winter break begins
2011
January 3
January 21
January 28
February 1
February 21
March 7
March 29
April 1
April 18
April 26
May 30
June 10
Classes resume
End of 2nd quarter
Student morning early release / afternoon workday for teachers
Parent-Teacher Conferences (evening)
NO SCHOOL
In-service / Records Day
End of 3rd quarter
Student morning early release / afternoon workday for teachers
Easter / spring break begins
Classes resume
Memorial Day – NO SCHOOL
End of 4th quarter – Last day of school
Student early release in morning / afternoon workday for teachers
Family Outreach Program
An important component of the Harford Early Learners program is the Family Outreach
Program. The focus on the program is to provide parents and children with opportunities to
grow as a family. Throughout the school year activities and presentations will be open to
all families. Each family is encouraged to participate as much as possible. You will be
informed of activities via flyers, notes and information on our web site.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Communication between the parents and the preschools is of utmost importance.
Communication between parents and teacher should take place as often as possible. At
a minimum, each agency will schedule a parent-teacher conference for each child so the
teacher can advise the parent of the progress of their child. Conferences will take place
once in the fall and once in the late winter/early spring.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Parents have the longest contact with children and are recognized as their child’s first and
most effective teacher. Parents are encouraged to participate as much as possible in the
Hartford Early Learners program. In addition to participating in the Family Outreach
program, parents are encouraged to attend scheduled parent-teacher conferences.
Parents can also participate in other ways such as being a parent volunteer in the
classroom, being a chaperone on field, trips, occasionally reading a story to the class, or
helping prepare classroom materials, etc.
Child Guidance/Classroom Management
The Hartford Joint #1 School District promotes the philosophy of positive guidance of
children where children develop self-control of their actions and increase their self-esteem.
The goal in every 4K classroom is to develop appropriate social skills so that child can
become independent and competent learners.
The classroom teachers and teacher assistants have the responsibility of guiding children’s
behavior and ensuring the safety of all the children and adults in the classroom. The
classroom teacher has the primary responsibility of determining what developmentally
appropriate behavior or guidance techniques will be used in each specific situation.
Techniques use in prevention:
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Giving clear and reasonable expectations
Teaching the correct behavior and or replacement behavior
Making the children feel important and respected
Non-confrontational techniques used by staff:
 Ignoring
 Redirecting
 Shadowing
 Modeling
 Praising
 Suggesting
 Changing the environment
 Providing logical and meaningful consequences
 Staying calm
Adult interaction may be necessary when a child displays a lack of self-control. The child
may be removed from the situation for a short period of time. The child may return to the
activity when the child determines he/she is ready. Staff and parents must remember that
each child develops at his/her own rate.
Individual Child Behavior
It is the goal of the Hartford Early Learners program to work in collaboration with parents or
guardians in promoting positive child guidance strategies, both in the classroom, in the
home, and in the community. An Individual Behavior Plan may be used with those
children who demonstrate repeated or significant behavior problems in the classroom.
Adults will use observations of the child to document the child’s behavior in a variety of
situations. Conferences will be held with staff and parents to review classroom
observations and to develop appropriate intervention strategies to address the individual
needs of the child.
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Weather Related Information
The school district is unable to call parents regarding closings. To acquire up-to-date school
closing information, please utilize the following resources:
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Our website – www.hartfordjt1.k12.wi.us
WTMJ – TV4 – www.todaystmj4.com
WTKM – 1640 AM ^ FM 104.9
WTMJ – 620 AM – www.620wtmj.com
School closings for the Hartford Union High School and School District of Hartford Jt. #1
schools and other K-8 consortium schools will be announced at “HARTFORD AREA
SCHOOLS”. If the School District of Hartford Jt. #1 elementary district has to close alone for
an emergency, the closing will be announced as “HARTFORD JT. #1 SCHOOL DISTRICT” (this
includes Central, Lincoln & Rossman and Hartford Early Learners.
Parents of Hartford Early Learners are required to complete an Emergency Release form
indicating where their child is to go in the event it becomes necessary to dismiss school
before the end of the regular school day. If you have not completed this form or if
information on this form has changed, it is your responsibility to notify the school your child
attends.
The closing of the school because of inclement weather is based on information received
from the county sheriff’s department, city police department, the transportation company,
weather forecasting, city and town road crews and personal observation on the part of
the district administrator in cooperation with the high school district.
If the Hartford Joint #1 School District cancels school for the day all Early Learning programs
will also be canceled. If the public school system delays school in the mornings, AM
sessions of Early Learning will be canceled. If the public school system closes early for the
day; Early Learning afternoon sessions will be canceled.
Special Occasion Treats
The Hartford Joint #1 School District recognizes the benefits of healthful foods in our schools
and classrooms to assure that our children can grow, learn, and thrive.
If parents desire to send a food item for a child’s birthday or special event, the food should
be low in sugar and fat. Due to an increase in the number of allergy sensitive students to
peanuts, some classrooms may be designated as Peanut Free. Parents are encouraged to
send items that are more nutritious in value.
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