Preschool 4 - Dual Language Immersion

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Dear Dual Language Immersion Families,

Welcome to the first school year of our new Dual Language Program! This summer, we have been hard at work preparing curriculum, collaborating with representatives from the University of Notre Dame, and getting our DLI classroom ready for an exciting year of learning and growth. We are thrilled to partner with you and support our students as they begin their dual language journey.

Every student will be learning grade-level standards or higher. We will continually strive to create a safe and engaging environment where learning in two languages is both exciting and rewarding. Students will have the opportunity to refine their motor skills and deepen their understanding of academic concepts in both Spanish and English. Additionally, each child will receive meaningful instruction while building self-confidence and faith-filled learning in a Catholic, values-based setting.

Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education! We deeply value your partnership and support, and we’re excited to work together with you and your child.

Visit our Dual Language Immersion webpage to learn more about our program.

Please click HERE to view our Welcome Letter and important information.

Arrival:
Please drop off children at Door #3, where the preschool teacher or assistant will greet them between 7:50 and 8:00 am. If you arrive late, use the main Apple Door, Door #2.

Dismissal:
Please inform the teacher about who is authorized to pick up your child and complete the pickup information form in the main office. Any changes to pick-up arrangements must be communicated to the teacher each time.

Backpacks:
Please make sure your child’s backpack is large enough to fit a 9 x 12 folder and a lunch box.  Also, don’t forget to label the backpack with your child’s name.

Folders:
Please send one two-pocket folder with your child on the first day of school. This folder will be used for home-school communication and for sending home your child’s work. Be sure to check this folder every night.

Change of Clothing:
Place a complete set of clothing (including a shirt, pants, underwear, socks, and shoes) in a labeled Ziploc bag, and keep it in your child’s backpack.

Clothing:
Dress your child in comfortable, easy-to-clean clothes. Pants with an elastic waistband are ideal.

Shoes:
Gym shoes are required for all children, even on non-gym days, as recess will occur daily.

Snack:
Please send a water bottle and a healthy snack daily. Suggestions include cheese sticks, fruit, or granola bars.

Naptime Expectations:
Each child should rest quietly on their mat. We encourage you to explain the importance of staying quiet, not talking, and remaining on their mat during this time.

Hot Lunch:
If you choose to order hot lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and/or Friday, please note that ordering information will be sent home shortly, and all orders must be placed online. Make sure your child will eat the items you select.

Aftercare:
Please email attendance@stcletusparish.com and CC your child’s teacher if your child will be attending aftercare. Make sure to do this before 2:00 pm.

Absences:
Please email attendance@stcletusparish.com and, if possible, copy your child’s teacher on the message.

Communication:
Email is preferred for communication. Dismissal is not the best time for discussions. Be sure to review any information or paperwork sent home each Wednesday, and check the newsletter on the DLI classroom webpage every Friday by 3:00 pm.

Curriculum:

Religion: Allelu! in Spanish is a Catholic early childhood religion curriculum for ages 3 through kindergarten. This curriculum uses techniques that speak best to young children using hands-on, active learning and multisensory approaches.

Phonemic Awareness: The Zoo Phonics Spanish kit is a fun, physical, and research-based phonics program perfect for emergent learners. This kit has everything you need to teach phonemic awareness, the alphabet, sound blending, reading, spelling and writing in Spanish!

Handwriting: Mi Primer Libro by Learning Without Tears provides hands-on tools to build vocabulary, fine motor writing skills and alphabet knowledge for writing letters.

Mathematics: Matemáticas Diarias (Everyday Mathematics) develops a deeper understanding of math as well as powerful, life-long habits of mind such as perseverance and creative thinking.

Social Emotional Learning: Second Step Programa Extraescolar focuses on teaching children problem solving skills and ways to cope with and manage different feelings.

Science and Social Studies: Teacher created lessons to help students become more aware of God’s world around us through different monthly themes.

Specials

  • Tuesday: Art & Physical Education
  • Wednesday: TLC
  • Thursday: Physical Education

Specials classes for DLI students will be in English.   

Preschool 4 - Dual Language Immersion Newsletters

Bienvenido noviembre! 10/28/24 -11/01/24

This week was extremely fun in DLI!We learned all about letter Dd and we practiced counting and recognizing numero 7. We also started our Dia de los Muertos craft for this week (we will continue next week). We learned about the elements om the altar and learned that Día de los Muertos is a day...
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¡Una Semana Ocupada! 10/21/24-10/25/24

We’ve had quite a busy week in DLI! To kick things off, we reviewed our vocabulary set from last week, now totaling 16 new Spanish words. The students are doing fantastic! Starting the week strong, we introduced new center toys, which have been a big hit with the kids. We also attended mass and spent...
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¿Que Pasa Calabaza? DLI News 10/14/24 -10/18/24

This week in DLI we did lots of fun things. We finished this week’s pumpkin (calabaza) craft. We also reviewed letter Bb and learned all about letter Cc. In math, we learned about Ovalos (ovals). We have also been working on our listening skills by doing simple 1 – 2 step instructions. In reading we...
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DLI October Fun! 10/7/21- 10/11/24

  What a Wonderful Week! This week, we dove into the letter Bb, practiced the number 4, and explored rectangles! The kids loved reading La Historia de un Rectángulo, and they’re doing great with it. We’ve also been practicing our Ave Maria (Hail Mary) prayer together. We’ve been speaking lots of Spanish, and through our...
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¡Hola Octubre! 9/30/24 – 10/4/24

Hello October! I cannot believe that we are on our second month in school! This week we finished our unit on vocales (vowels). We also talked about bautizos (baptism) and what it means to be baptized. Our Saint of the week was San Juan Bautista. We have also been practicing how to be respectful and...
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Welcome Fall! 9/23/24 – 9/27/24

Autumn is here! This week, we took our DLI class on a nature walk, focusing on how the trees are changing. We explored the different colors and used watercolors to paint a leaf, using only marrón/café (brown), rojo (red), amarillo (yellow), and anaranjado (orange). In religion class, we began creating a picture of our families...
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¡Somos Maravillosos! 9/16/24 – 9/20/24

We Are Wonderful! This week, we kicked off by celebrating Mexican Independence Day! We enjoyed some fun activities, including creating a small book and learning the colors of the Mexican flag. In religion class, we’re discovering that we are not only unique but also deeply loved by God—Dios nos Ama. Another exciting moment was attending...
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Dual Language Busy Bees! 9/9/24 – 9/13/24

Hello Everyone!   Welcome back from our long weekend! This week was filled with fun as we learned two new colors and a new vowel. A special moment happened when our students remembered last week’s color, “rojo,” and then confidently said our new colors in Spanish. It’s clear that our morning reviews are helping everyone...
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Los Colores & Vowels 9/3/24 – 9/6/24

This week in DLI was a busy one! Our students focused on the color red, learning to recognize it through our color song and by finding red items around us. We also began exploring the vowel “A” and completed a fun activity to reinforce it. One of the highlights of the week was when we...
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Our Bilingual Family 8/26/24 – 8/30/24

Hello DLI Families, We had a very busy week! In addition to focusing on our names and developing our gross and fine motor skills, we had special visits from the University of Notre Dame and our superintendent. The students were excited and proud to showcase what they’ve learned so far! This week, our DLI students...
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AOC Superintendent & Notre Dame Visit – 8/28/24

On August 28, 2024, we had the pleasure of welcoming Greg Richmond, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, along with Katy Lichon, Ph.D., from the University of Notre Dame, and other representatives from the Archdiocese and the University. They observed our Preschool 4 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) classroom and then toured our school. Following the tour, the...
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Our First Week of DLI 8/20/24 – 8/23/24

What a fantastic start to our Dual Immersion Program and the new school year! Our students are adjusting well to their classmates and learning each other’s names. They’ve also begun learning their prayers in Spanish. Through repetition and songs, they are exploring numbers, colors, seasons, and weather in Spanish. To wrap up the week, we...
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1st Day of Dual Language 8/21/24

We kicked off our first Dual Language Immersion class in Preschool! It was incredible to see our students eager to learn and grow in a new language. We are thankful to the University of Notre Dame and the Archdiocese of Chicago for providing this transformative opportunity for our school. View our First Day of DLI...
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Welcome to DLI Preschool! 8/20/24

Welcome to our Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program! We are excited and ready to start your child’s dual language journey! Please click HERE to view important information regarding our Preschool 4 DLI program. We look forward to an amazing year of Dual Language Learning!  Muchas Gracias.
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