Announcements:

Shining Stars Preschool Application Notice

Students will be chosen by lottery. Available slots are based on funding. Shining Stars Preschool provides a free, high quality program with certified teachers. It provides opportunities to Acquire academic, motor and social skills. READ THE APPLICATION FLYER HERE for details!

Students will receive a healthy snack every day free of charge. All applicants must be 4 years old before September 1, 2010, and be a Rio Rancho resident. There are no exceptions. All applicants will be screened in areas of speech and language and fine and gross motor skills in April. Shining Stars Preschool is located on the corner of Rockaway & Northern Blvd. (4477 9th Ave SE). For more information, call 892-7735 ext. 511 (English), or ext. 522 (Spanish).

 

OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY FAIR was a huge success!  Here are some summer health tips from our nurse:

What is heat related illness and why does it occur?

Playing and exercising outdoors puts extra stress on your heart and lungs.  The exercise and the air temperature increase body temperature.  Under normal conditions, your skin, blood vessels and perspiration level adjust to the heat.  But these natural cooling systems may fail if you are exposed to high temperatures for too long unless you take measures to prevent heat-related illness. Signs and symptoms of heat related illness may include weakness, dizziness, headache, muscle cramps, rapid heart rate and nausea and/or vomiting.

Who is at greatest risk for heat related illness?

Those at greatest risk for heat-related illness include infants and children up to four years of age, people 65 years of age and older, people who are overweight, those who are ill, on certain medications and those with sunburn. Check with your pharmacist if you are on medication to make certain it is not one that increases heat related illness.  Lithium, used in bipolar disorder, increases the risk.

Important Dates:

Be sure to check the SSPS Calendar for all dates. > 5/7: Pajama Day - students may wear their favorite pajamas! > 5/11: PTO Meeting >5/14: Sports Day - Students may wear their team jerseys > 5/21: Beach Day - Students may wear shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops. Send a towel as we will have water balloon toss (parents are welcome!). > 5/24: Last of class for PM classes > 5/24: Bridging to Kindergarten Celebration > 5/25: Last of class for AM classes

How can I prevent from getting overheated and still be active?

To keep cool during hot – weather exercise, keep these basic precautions in mind:

Take it slow and avoid the time of day when it is the hottest.  Dress in lightweight, loose fitting clothing to promote evaporation of perspiration and cooling by letting more air pass over your body.  Wear light colors that don’t absorb the sun.  A light-colored hat can limit sun exposure.  Wear a sunscreen so that you don’t get sunburned.  A sunburn decreases your body’s ability to cool itself.  And last but not least, drink plenty of fluids to stay adequately hydrated.  Drink water even if you don’t feel thirsty.  Avoid drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol.  They actually promote fluid loss.

What is heat stroke and what do I do if I think someone is having this heat-related problem?

Heat stroke is potentially life-threatening.  If you see someone with any of the warning signs of heat stroke, the most form of serious heat –related illness,  get the person to a shady area, cool the person rapidly by using a hose or sponging their body with cool water and get medical assistance as soon as possible. Heat stroke presents as a high body temperature, nausea, dizziness, confusion and unconsciousness.  The skin looks bright red and is hot to the touch. Heat stroke is a medical emergency.

 

Welcome from Suzanne: (read the full newsletter):
Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe that the year is coming to an end and summer is almost here.  I wanted to thank all my parents who helped make this year a great one and thank you so much for sharing your children with us. Thank you all for your support. 

The summer holidays are a great opportunity for us to spend time with our children.  As parents we are always trying to make the summer an awesome experience for the children and simultaneously continue with learning.  I have put together some fun-learning activities to do with your children.

Most of us will have a chance this summer to get out and enjoy the outdoors.  It could be fishing, camping, a walk to the park or a long car or airplane trip. Wherever we go we can build some geography into the experience.  Read our SSPS May Newsletter for more information!

Shining Stars Preschool Calendar

Teacher Newsletters: Find out what's happening this month at Shining Stars!

 

Health News:

School and Peanuts: There are students in school who are highly allergic to peanuts. You probably know that this is a life-threatening condition for some children. We ask that you keep this a peanut free school as much as possible. Please remember not to send peanuts or candy with peanuts or peanut butter to school. Most accidents occur when we are all busier than usual or are rushed. Please remember this whenever sending treats to school. Check out the Peanut Allergies Kid web site for more information.

Visit our Nurse's Health page for more health news.

Worried about the Swine Flu?
>> Click here to read all about what parents and children can do to prevent this from spreading.
>> RRPS has an information page about this as well here.

Parents: RRPS has implemented a "No Idling" procedure to cut down on exhaust pollution at our schools: read the explanation and procedure here.

ALL PARENTS: Please make sure that your contact information (especially addresses and home/cell phone numbers) have been updated in your child’s school record so that our emergency contact system will be able to reach the correct person in the case of emergencies or attendance calls!  Contact the Registrar at each of your children's schools to make sure information is correct if: - you have changed your phone number(s) - you have not received a notification call from the RRPS SchoolMessenger system this year   If you have received a call and you're not the parent of (or the emergency contact for) an RRPS student, call 896-0667 Ext. 180.

Shining Stars Preschool is a program for children who have educational disabilities, children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and four-year-olds funded through the Pre-K Initiative Grant Program.

 

The preschool is based on the premise that early intervention is effective in preparing children with a solid foundation for educational success, providing remediation for learning deficits, and identifying strategies which offset the impact of educational disabilities on young children. The SSP has a trans-disciplinary philosophy in which all the staff members working with a child share techniques to address individual goals and objectives. The school team along with the parents and other caregivers, work together in roles which address each child’s specific needs.

All of our students have identified learning goals and objectives based on the NMPED Performance Standards & Benchmarks for Three and Four Year Old Children. Children with educational disabilities attending SSP have Individualized Education Plans (IEP's) with learning goals and objectives based on needs identified through formal testing. The goals and objectives are guides for the staff to help the children acquire skills that other children of their age have already learned.

 

 

Parents:

• Access our online Library here: www.autolibrarian.net (use this pin to access the system: pssp735)
• Nutrition Nuggets- make sure your children are eating to learn (updated monthly)
• Parent Tips: Shining Stars Preschool now offers access (through this website) to an online service, "Parent Tips Site!". Get information about parenting topics here. (En Español)

Shining Stars Preschool ahora ofrece el acceso (por este sitio web) a un servicio en línea, "Ideas Para Los Padres", esto proporciona el consejo y la información a padres en numerosos temas. ¡El eslabón está abajo y en el menú a la izquierda!

What is our Philosophy?

The RRPS SSP is based on the premise that early intervention is effective in remediation of learning deficits and identifying strategies which offset the impact of educational disabilities on young children. Some children with disabilities need specialized intervention to maximize the skills they need for kindergarten. The SSP has a trans-disciplinary philosophy in which all the staff members working with a child share techniques to address individual goals and objectives. The school team, along with the parents and other caregivers, work together in roles which address each child's specific needs.

Program Components

The Shining Stars Preschool consists of a variety of placement options for children who qualify for services:

• Speech Only - The children receive speech therapy at the preschool as part of their daily program.
• Preschool Program - Much like community preschools, the typical Shining Stars schedule involves 2.5 hours per day, 4 days per week. Classes have a size limit of 8 students per session, served by special educators and instructional assistants.
  
  

Who will work with my child?

If you visit our classrooms, you will see several adults in the room. A certified special education teacher designs the daily program based on developmentally appropriate curriculum. Instructional assistants help the teacher implement the plans. Therapists integrate their activities into the curriculum.

The Latest RRPS News!