Mission Statement: 
Building a strong foundation for life- long learners through research supported play-based learning. Guiding students on an adventure of self-discovery knowledge, developmentally appropriate academia, and social skills. Supported by state certified teachers who create a safe, healthy, and inviting learning environment for all students.

About Our Program

We provide Tier One instruction to all students. We use a research-based curriculum that promotes teaching methodologies from early childhood experts in math, science, literacy, and social-emotional learning. We believe students learn best in self-directed environments enriched with discovery and play-based learning opportunities.

 

Preschool Brochure

Spanish Preschool Brochure

Registration
Registration is held annually during February & March. Students that turn age 3 or 4 by September 1 may enroll for the next school year. Spaces are limited.
 
Tuition
Age 3 by September 1: $80 monthly
Age 4 by September 1: $150 monthly
Tuition does not apply to students who live in Title I (T1) boundaries.

Tuition Payment Options:
•    Online at https:// payments.efundsforschools.com/ v3/districts/56800/
•    Visit your child's school and ask for the finance secretary
Grants
Grants are available for students that qualify for free or reduced lunch and other risk factors.

Schedules
Age 3
Age 4
 
2 Days Weekly
4 Days Weekly

 We offer AM and PM sessions. Times vary by location.
No School on Wednesdays

Preschool Locations
•    Anna Smith Elementary (T1), 731 Aria Blvd. Wendover Ph# (435)665-0470
•    Copper Canyon Elementary (T1), 1600 N. Broadway St., Tooele Ph# (435)843-3820
•    Grantsville Elementary. 50 Park St., Grantsville Ph# (435)884-9991
•    Northlake Elementary (T1) 268 N. Coleman St., Tooele Ph# (435)833-1940
•    Rose Springs Elementary, 5349 Insbrook Pl., Stansbury Ph# (435)833-9015
•    Stansbury Park Elementary, 485 Country Club Dr., Stansbury Ph# (435)833-9015
•    Sterling Elementary (T1), 135 S. 7th St., Tooele Ph# (435)882-9001
•    Twenty Wells Elementary, 636 E. Nygreen St., Grantsville Ph# (435) 884-1280
•    West Elementary, 451 W. 300 S., Tooele Ph# (435)833-1931

Updated: July 2024
 

       
 

Printable preschools Handbook

Tooele County School District Preschools

Program Handbook 2024-25

92 Lodestone Way, Tooele, UT 84074

Phone: (435) 850-1966 or (435) 833-1900 Fax: (435)833-1912

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am to 4:00pm

 

Contact Information

 

Position	Name	Email
Director	Christy Opeta	copeta@tooeleschools.org
Head Secretary	Tami Gowans	tgowans@tooeleschools.org
Grant Specialist	Aimee Spencer	aspencer@tooeleschools.org
Instructional Coach	Erin Medina	emedina@tooeleschools.org
Special Education Specialist	Jennifer Flagg	jflagg@tooeleschools.org

 

Locations

 

Anna Smith Elementary (T1) 731 Aria Boulevard Wendover, UT 84083 (435)665-0470	Copper Canyon Elementary (T1) 1600 N. Broadway Street Tooele, UT 84074 (435)843-3820	Grantsville Elementary 50 Park Street Grantsville, UT 84029 (435)884-9991
Northlake Elementary (T1) 268 N. Coleman Street Tooele, UT 84074 (435)833-1940	Rose Springs Elementary 5349 Insbrook Place Stansbury Park, UT 84074 (435)833-9015	Stansbury Park Elementary 485 Country Club Drive Stansbury Park, UT 84074 (435)833-1968
Sterling Elementary (T1) 135 S. 7th Street Tooele, UT 84074 (435)882-9001	Twenty Wells Elementary 636 E. Nygreen Street Tooele, UT 84074 (435)884-1280	West Elementary 451 W. 300 S. Tooele, UT 84074 (435)833-1931

 

Table of contents

Allergies and Medical Needs                                                                                              Page 4

Assessments

Attendance and Tardiness

Calendar                                                                                                                               Page 5

Curriculum

Early childhood Environment Rating Scale, 3rd Ed. (ECERS-3) Enrollment

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)                                                       Page 6 Family Events & Field Trips

Funding Health

Open Enrollment                                                                                                                  Page 7

Pictures, School Potty-Trained Progress Reports Registration

Retention                                                                                                                               Page 8

Schedules, Daily Snacks

Social Media                                                                                                                         Page 9

Special Education Referral Supplies

Title One Transportation

Tuition and Fees                                                                                                                  Page 10

Volunteers                                                                                                                             Page 11

 

Allergies and Medical Needs:

If your child has an allergy (peanuts, strawberries, eggs, etc.) please inform your child’s classroom teacher. The school nurse will need to request written documentation from the child’s physician stating the allergy and the treatment if the child should be exposed. If the doctor has prescribed an allergy medication, such as, and Epi-Pen, the medication must be kept available for use while the child is at school.

Assessments

Benchmark

Preschool benchmarks are given 3 times yearly in September, January, and May. The benchmark measures all areas aligned with Utah Core Early Learning Standards Ages 3 to 5, May 2020. Areas include; English Language Arts, Fine Arts, Health Education, Lifelong Learning, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science and Social Studies. The benchmark was written by Granite School District and includes both oral assessments and observational data. Benchmark assessments are administered in September, January, and April. Reports of progress will be provided to parents upon completion of benchmarks.

PEEP

PEEP is a Pre-Kindergarten assessment given to preschool students twice yearly at the beginning and the end to measure growth in literacy and numeracy. As part of the Expanded Student Access Grant, we are required to share the following information with parents.

Grantee Model Disclosure Notification to Parent or Guardian of Participant

Utah State Statute 53E-4-314 requires School Readiness Grantee preschool providers to share the following data elements with the Utah State Board of Education to assess school readiness: Student name, Date of Birth, Birth Certificate Number, Gender, Parent or Guardian name, home language, and Pre-K Entry and Exit Profile (PEEP) Score. In order to submit assessment data, a State Student Identification (SSID) number will be created. The SSID will be maintained throughout the student’s educational experience in Utah. A third-party evaluator may be used to meet statutory requirements. Program-level data will be shared with the Department of Workforce Services to fulfill requirements of 53E-4-314. No personally identifiable student data will be shared by the Utah State Board of Education without parental notification. If you have questions about the assessment or data collected, please contact (insert program contact information).

Attendance and Tardiness

Regular attendance establishes consistency and creates structure that supports the learning foundation for your child. We understand there are short periods of absence for vacations or illness. If your child is absent, please notify your child’s teacher to excuse the absence. Classes missed for illness or other reasons are not considered refundable.

 

Curriculum

·         World of Wonders, 2017, McGraw-Hill, https://www.mheducation.com/prek- 12/program/MKTSP-BGA10M0/world-of-wonders.html

·         Feeling Buddies, Self Regulation, consciousdiscipline.com

·         Heggerty, Phonemic Awareness Pre-Kindergarten, 2022, Literacy Resources LLC, https://heggerty.org/curriculum/pre-k/

·         Learning Without Tears, PreK, lwtears.com

 

 

Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, 3^rd Ed. (ECERS-3)

ECERS-3 focuses on the full range of needs of preschool-aged children. This is a comprehensive assessment tool measures both environmental provisions and teacher-child interactions that affect the broad developmental needs of young children, including: Cognitive, Social-Emotional, Physical, Health and Safety.

Enrollment

We have limited availability. Our current funding mandates priority placement is given to students with an IEP and low-income families. Title I and tuition seats are determined through a lottery.

Preference will also be given to siblings who currently have a 3-year-old student in our program transitioning to a 4-year-old class.

Students who have reached their 3rd or 4th birthday on or before September 1st are eligible to enroll into Tooele County School District Early Childhood/Preschool Program.

Students who are age 5 years on or before September 1st do not qualify for enrollment for TCSD preschools and are encouraged to enroll for kindergarten.

 

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA applies to any public or private school and any state or local agency that receives funds under an applicable program of the US

Department of Education (20 U.S.C.S. § 1232g(b).

Family Events & Field Trips

There are many opportunities to support your child in preschool. Parents are encouraged to participate in Parent Education Activities and parent-teacher conferences. Events are determined by school locations. Please see your child’s teacher for more information.

Funding

Special Education Funding

·         State special education funds appropriated to the State Board of Education for the preschool special education shall be allocated to district to provide a FAPE to preschool students with a disability, ages three through 5.

·         State special education funds shall be distributed based on a district’s count of preschool children with a disability for December 1 or previous year, as mandated by Federal law (UCA 53F-2-308).

Grant Funding

·         Expanded Student Access Grant, The Department of Workforce Services

·         The Expanded Student Access Grant provides funds to existing preschool programs deemed high-quality, as determined by the Board. Expanding access to high-quality school readiness programs for eligible students will increase school readiness, improve academic performance, and reduce remediation costs associated with poor academic outcomes.

Health

Daily Health Assessment Check

The teachers and staff of our preschool who are familiar with the behavior and appearance of the child should assess each child’s health status when the child arrives and periodically throughout the day. This assessment involves observing the child, speaking with the parents, and, if applicable, talking with the child.

Staff should be instructed to observe and document

·         Changes in behavior or appearance

·         Any skin rashes and itchy skin or scalp

·         Signs of fever such as flushed appearance or shivering (Daily temperature monitoring, in the absence of behavior change, is not recommended)

·         Complaints of pain or not feeling well

·         Vomiting, diarrhea, and drainage from eye(s)

 

·         When a child or family member has been exposed to a harmful communicable disease

Sharing this information among caregivers/teachers and families helps everyone to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of illness and discuss the implication of potential exposure to illness with health professionals.

Children Who Are Ill

When a child becomes ill but does not require immediate medical help, a determination must be made whether the child requires exclusion. Most illnesses do not require exclusion. The caregiver/teacher should determine if the

·         Illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities.

·         Illness results in a need for care that is greater than the staff can provide with compromising the health and safety of other children.

·         Illness poses a risk of spread of disease to others.

If any of these criteria is met, the child should be excluded, regardless of the type of illness.

Reference: “Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools,” American Academy of Pediatrics.

Open Enrollment (Out of Boundary Request)

Open enrollment is available to families of preschool age children. We have limited space and preference is given to students living within school boundaries. Decisions for “Open Enrollment” for preschool students will be determined by May 31th each year. Follow the link below to fill out an “Out of Boundary Request” form https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1713299981/ tooeleschoolsorg/jdiqbzulyr9omyczwqfa/ UPDATEDOpenEnrollmentforOutofBoundaryApplication2025_1.pdf If approved, placement is for the entire school year. Unless physical address changes.

Pictures, School

Please refer to your child’s school for dates.

Potty-Trained

All general education students must be fully potty-trained before beginning their preschool journey. This entails that they are able to wear underwear throughout the day with infrequent accidents. If a child is enrolled without being fully potty-trained, they will be unable to continue attending preschool. Re-enrollment will be possible only if there are available spots at the time.

Progress Reports

Progress reports are sent quarterly beginning, mid, and end of year. Reports are based on benchmark assessments.

Registration

Grade Codes: Age 3 (P3) and Age 4 (P4)

 

New Students

·         Click https://www.tooeleschools.org/

·         Select “New” student registration on Skyward

·         Provide a copy of student’s birth certificate, current immunization records, proof of residency

·         Please refer to the preschool page to complete the grant and tuition agreement.

·         More information on immunizations, Policy 5062, http://go.boarddocs.com/ut/tooelesd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BVMUZA7E7435

·         More information on birth certificate, Policy 5015, http://go.boarddocs.com/ut/tooelesd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BXVV3A7CCB7C

Returning Students

·         All students must complete the “Welcome Back” packet on Skyward annually

·         Click https://www.tooeleschools.org/

·         Select “Current” student registration

·         Please refer to the preschool page to complete the grant form and tuition agreement. Transfer Students

·         Students transferring from another school district are not guaranteed placement. Placement is contingent on availability.

·         If your student has an IEP, please contact our preschool offices at 435-833-1966.

 

Retention

There are no retentions in preschool. Parents are not required to send their child to preschool or kindergarten in Utah. Compulsory education in Utah begins at age 6 (Utah code §53G 6-201 and

§53G-6-202).

 

Tooele Preschools are classrooms located in public-schools serving children who are age 3 or 4 on or before September 1 of the current school year. A child who is 5 years of age on or before

September 1 of the current school year is Not Eligible for enrollment in Tooele County School District preschool programs. It is the agency’s position that children who reach the age of 5 on September 1 are most appropriately served by kindergarten.

 

Schedules, Daily

·         Age 3

·         Age 4

2 Days Weekly

4 Days Weekly

·         We offer AM and PM sessions. Times vary by location.

·         No School on Wednesdays

 

Snacks

Snacks follow the USDA nutritional guidelines including a fruit or vegetable, dairy (2% white milk), and a grain. All students are offered a snack daily during their regular session.

 

Social Media

Throughout the year, photographs are taken of the children in action. These are periodically displayed on bulletin boards or on public forms, such as, Facebook, Instagram, or the district website. When registering on Skyward, please mark your child’s photo restriction preferences. Teachers may also request a student information form requesting photo restriction preferences. Policy 4027, http://go.boarddocs.com/ut/tooelesd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=ATT2ZG827286

Special Education Referral

Current Students: current student refers to preschool students enrolled and attending our preschool program. If you suspect that your child has a delay in his/her development, please talk with your child’s teachers about options.

New Students: To initiate a referral, please fill out

https://www.tooeleschools.org/about-us/preschool-information

Supplies

School supplies are provided by your classroom teachers. However, please send the following items with your child every day! Do not forget to print their name on all their personal belongings.

·         Backpack (Large enough to carry art projects, notebook, etc.)

·         Change of clothes (shirt, pants, socks, underwear). We will keep these items at school in a Ziplock bag with your child’s name.

·         Diapering supplies (IEP students ONLY)

Title One

Schools in which children from low-income families make up at least 40 percent of enrollment are eligible to use Title I funds to operate schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school in order to raise the achievement of the lowest-achieving students. School within our district serving preschool students include; Settlement Canyon, Northlake, Sterling, and Anna Smith Elementary. Title One funding is reviewed yearly based on the number of free and reduced lunches served.

Transportation

General Education Students:

The Parent/Guardian provides transportation for preschool students to and from school. Special Education Students:

Transportation is a related service as defined by 34 CFR §300.34(c)(16) of the IDEA regulations and can include travel to and from school and between schools. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) team is responsible for determining both if transportation is required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education and related services, and how the transportation services should be implemented.

Transportation is determined by the student’s home address. Policy 5028 http://go.boarddocs.com/ut/tooelesd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=B5UUJ7759139 . It is the parent’s responsibility to provide transportation to students attending outside their designated preschool boundaries.

Dropoff

Learning time at the beginning of class is important for building routines and social development for the entire class session. Please respect start and end times. Students should

arrive no more than 5 minutes prior to the beginning of class and wait for your teacher to be present before leaving. Students should be ready to learn when school starts. Please respect the teacher’s need for time before class begins to prepare for the day. If you need extended time to talk with a teacher, you can make an appointment at a mutually agreeable time. Students who arrive late will need to check in through the school’s office.

Pickup

You must pick up your child on time. All preschoolers will remain with a teacher until a parent/ guardian arrives for pick up after each session. Students will only be released to an adult listed on the child’s contact sheet or in Skyward. We will not release preschool students to children under the age of 12 years.

If a parent is late for pickup, the following will apply:

·         First Offense: Parents will be given a verbal warning from the teacher. A note will be kept on file in the child’s record to document the waring.

·         Second Offense: Parents will receive a written warning from the teacher.

·         Third Offense: Child and parent will be dismissed from the preschool program. For children on an IEP, the team will reconvene to discuss options.

In an emergency, please notify the school by phone if you are going to be late picking up your student. Please refer to contact information for phone numbers. Children will be taken to the office after 10 minutes.

If you need to pick up your child before the end of a session, please check them out through the school’s front office.

Tuition and Fees

A tuition agreement is signed during registration for all children.

·         Age 3 by August 1st:       $80 monthly or $720 annually

·         Age 4 by August 1st:       $150 monthly or $1350 annually

Tuition does not apply to students who live in Title I (T1) boundaries.

 

Grants are available to qualifying families.

Pay Tuition: online at https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/56800/ or visit your child's school and ask for the finance secretary.

Due Date: Payments are due monthly on the 1st.

Past Due: Accounts more than 45 days past due will risk un-enrollment. Accounts     not brought current will be subject to collection.

Volunteers

Tooele County School District (TCSD) recognizes that school volunteers are an important part of the district's educational mission and can make a significant difference in the lives of students. The District volunteer policy is intended to ensure that volunteers enhance the school's instructional programs and activities. Policy 7002 http://go.boarddocs.com/ut/tooelesd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BLJ2YM78BFA3

Open Enrollment (Out of Boundary Request)

Open enrollment is available to families of preschool age children. We have limited space and preference is given to students living within school boundaries. Decisions for “Open Enrollment” for preschool students will be determined by May 31st each year. If approved, placement is for the entire school year, unless physical address changes. Please return completed form to Tami Gowans. 

Preschool Out of Boundary Request Form

Anna Smith Elementary (T1)
731 Aria Blvd. Wendover
(435) 665-0470

Copper Canyon Elementary (T1)
1600 N. Broadway St., Tooele
(435) 843-3820

Grantsville Elementary
50 Park St., Grantsville
(435) 884-9991

Northlake Elementary (T1)
268 N. Coleman St., Tooele
(435) 833-1940

Rose Springs Elementary
5349 Insbrook Pl., Stansbury
(435) 833-9015

Stansbury Park Elementary
485 Country Club Dr., Stansbury
(435) 833-9015

Sterling Elementary (T1)
135 S. 7th St., Tooele
(435) 882-9001  

Twenty Wells Elementary
636 E. Nygreen
St., Grantsville
(435) 884-1280

West Elementary
451 W. 300 S., Tooele
(435) 833-1931

Printable Schedule

Annual Open Enrollment

• Open enrollment is held annually during February/March for the following school year.
• Students that turn age 3 or 4 by September 1st may enroll for the next school year. 
• Students who turn age 5 prior to September 1st are not eligible to apply for district preschool programs.
• Spaces are limited. Current funding sources mandate giving priority placement to special education and low-income students.
• Spaces are filled annually through our lottery in April. 

Grants

• We have a limited number of grants available to qualifying preschool students. Qualification to be determined after completion of application. 
• We review all applications. Someone from our office will contact you if your child is selected to attend our program, contingent on availability. Please do not register on Skyward unless your child has been selected. Registration on Skyward and pre-registration does not guarantee enrollment.

If you would like to join our waitlist- please complete the Late Enrollment Waitlist form below. 

Late Enrollment Waitlist
Preschoolers must be potty trained to attend.
 

Special Education

Specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities. Areas of development may include cognitive, language/speech, motor, social/emotional, adaptive, hearing and vision.

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) team may determine a student needs related services to benefit from his/her early intervention program which may include transportation, speech
therapy, physical and occupational therapy, assistive technology, and hearing or vision support.

We provide services tailored to meet specific needs of qualifying students. We offer special education services through services by appointment at neighborhood schools and in inclusive classroom settings.

IEP Referral Process

• New Students: Students not currently enrolled in our program, parents and legal guardians may request a screening to identify areas of concern.  Please fill out the referral form https://forms.gle/azAUMwd8u4BkHUJ37 to initiate a referral.
• After completing referral form, you will be contacted within 5 to 7 business days to schedule your child's screening.
• After the screening, a professional educator will review the results and discuss next steps.
• If additional assessments are required in order to determine eligibility under Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), an assessment date will be scheduled.
• Current Students: Students currently enrolled in one our preschool classrooms, please contact your child's teacher to discuss concerns.

After the completion of formal and informal evaluations; 

• The IEP team will meet to review the assessments and determine if the child has a disability as defined under IDEA and would benefit from specialized instruction.
• When determining eligibility, the team must consider the 3 prongs:
       1)Does the child have a disability as defined under IDEA?
       2)Does the disability adversely affect their education?
       3)Does the child require specialized instruction in order to access general education?
• If the team determines the student is eligible, they develop an IEP.
• Service delivery is determined by the IEP goals.

Child Find Notice

Tooele County School District is responsible for Child Find identification and evaluation for all students suspected of having a disability residing in Tooele County. This includes children (birth through 21 years of age) who are in public schools, and private schools, are being homeschooled, are preschoolers (birth to five years), and need an evaluation for possible special education or early intervention services. Early identification and intervention may be essential to your child’s development.

If your child is having significant difficulty with vision, hearing, speech, and behavior, is experiencing slow development typical for his/her age, physical development, or learning difficulty, he/she may be a child with a disability that requires specialized instruction through special education. If your child’s three to five years, contact the TCSD Preschool Department at 435-833-1966.

Preschool Special Education Referral Form

Procedural Safeguards-English

DDI Vantage Birth to Age 3