Latest / Inside the OSD / S1 E7 - Fun in 4K! Feat. Lindsay Engelhart

Transcript

S1 E7 - Fun in 4K! Feat. Lindsay Engelhart · Inside the OSD

• 0:05
  SPEAKER1: Welcome to Inside the OSD.
• 0:07
  I'm Dr. Leslie Bergstrom, and I'm the host of this podcast.
• 0:11
  Our purpose is to educate and inform about timely topics and have a little fun doing it.
• 0:16
  We hope to give you an inside look at what life is like in our schools.
• 0:20
  And that is going to be fun because it's all about our kids.
• 0:23
  We recently had our 4k orientation for families who are planning on registering their student for 4k for the 23-24 school year.
• 0:33
  We know that not all families were able to make it to this event and may have some questions.
• 0:38
  Today we're talking with our 4k coordinator, Lindsay Engelhart, and we'll also hear from one of our 4k students.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER2: Welcome to this episode of Inside the OSD podcast, where it's all about the kids.
• 0:52
  Here is your host, lifelong educator, and our superintendent, Dr.
• 0:57
  Leslie Bergstrom.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER1: We're happy to have you here in our podcast, Lindsay.
• 1:06
  You're the best person to talk about 4K because you live it every day.
• 1:10
  So could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and your current role is for 4K coordinator?
• 1:15
  SPEAKER3: Yeah, well, thank you so much for having me on the podcast this week.
• 1:20
  I am in my seventh year in the district.
• 1:26
  So I spent some time teaching first grade and then was down at Brooklyn as the intern.
• 1:32
  And I'm also a Oregon alumni.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER1: Yes, that's great.
• 1:37
  So 4k in the OSD is a community based program.
• 1:41
  What does that mean and how does that work?
• 1:43
  SPEAKER3: Yeah, So in our community, we have partnered with different sites to have our full program.
• 1:52
  Many of our sites also have a daycare component to it.
• 1:55
  So our families start in their daycare setting and then have the option to attend 4K.
• 2:02
  We have five 4k sites in the village of Oregon, and then we have one in the far south of our district and one in the far north.
• 2:11
  And then we always want our families, especially incoming 4K, that maybe didn't attend a preschool or haven't been in that daycare setting by having our open
• 2:20
  houses, which will be in February, where families can go and tour and see our different 4k classrooms and sites.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER1: Oh that's really nice.
• 2:28
  So what's our overall overall approach to 4k in the Oregon School District?
• 2:32
  And what would a typical day look like for 4k students?
• 2:36
  SPEAKER3: Sure. So in 4k, our ultimate goal is a very play-based approach.
• 2:42
  And so we start at all of our sites with students coming in with that soft site where they can move into a free choice activity and engage with peers
• 2:51
  and then often will come together for a structured group time on the rug where -- very short but direct instruction happens and then often
• 3:01
  kids go back out to either centers, choice time.
• 3:05
  We always are trying to include that gross motor activity, whether it's outside when the weather allows.
• 3:11
  Otherwise many of our classrooms or have alternate locations within their site where the kids can run around and jump and work on that gross motor activity.
• 3:21
  And then another really important piece about our 4k approach is that we don't expect kids to come in knowing anything when they come to 4k.
• 3:31
  Yes. And so it is a very non-threatening environment where we just want kids to come in and enjoy being in a little bit more structured environment to get them
• 3:41
  ready for kindergarten.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER1: So play-based and developmentally appropriate learning, really, they're learning through play.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER3: Correct.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER1: And it sounds really exciting to be a little 4Ker, and we'll get to talk to one in a moment, who gets to select from all those fun activities all day?
• 3:59
  Yes. Or all all morning or afternoon, depending on how their their program is running.
• 4:04
  Correct. So I also know that family involvement is really, really important.
• 4:09
  So what activities take place to involve 4K families?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER3: Yeah. So every month the district hosts a event for 4k and their families.
• 4:20
  The event is always free and we often lean into our community to tap those resources as well.
• 4:26
  So we've used a lot of help from the Oregon Public Library and we visited a local apple orchard this year and then later this
• 4:36
  spring we will be going to the Oregon pool.
• 4:40
  And so each of those events, our goal is really to bring families together, to give them that intentional time to either connect with their child in the
• 4:47
  educational setting and connect with other families who are in the 4k program.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER1: Which is really nice because that gives you some -- a circle of people you know, as the child enters into kindergarten.
• 5:00
  Yes, it's great to start building those connections.
• 5:03
  Yeah. So now on to registration, because I know that is coming up.
• 5:09
  So who's eligible to register for the 23-24 program and what's the timeline?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER3: Yeah, so anyone who turns four by September 1st of this year is eligible for 4k.
• 5:21
  Our registration will open on the Oregon School District website on March 6th and you will complete families will complete a
• 5:31
  variety of registration pieces and that the and will be asked to provide us a little more information as many factors go into that placement piece.
• 5:40
  And some of those factors include like transportation and if they've attended preschool or wrap care, where the family resides.
• 5:48
  And so we work to always try to get our families lined up with the best fit for their child.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER1: That's wonderful because for many families, this is their first foray into the Oregon School District and we want it to be smooth and we want them to feel
• 6:02
  supported. And we want them to feel really confident that their child will be well cared for.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER3: Yes, absolutely.
• 6:08
  And then after registration happens, then our placement letters go out in early May, and we also have a continuous enrollment.
• 6:17
  So for families that are moving into our district, they are able to enroll whenever it fits for them.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER1: That's great. So where can families go to find more information if they still have some questions?
• 6:32
  SPEAKER3: Yeah, I would first recommend sending them to the Oregon School District website.
• 6:36
  We have a 4k page that has lots of information on it, and if they have questions specifically about 4k that they aren't able to find on the website,
• 6:44
  they can certainly call or email me and we can work through any questions or concerns that they have for the program.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER1: Great. Thank you.
• 6:52
  Thank you. Now, I'd like to spend a little time talking with one of our own 4k students.
• 7:00
  Could you introduce yourself?
• 7:02
  SPEAKER3: My name is Hallie.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER1: Well, Hallie, it's wonderful to meet you.
• 7:06
  Here's a question I'd like to ask you.
• 7:09
  What's your favorite thing about 4k?
• 7:13
  SPEAKER3: Um, I like playing.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER1: You like playing?
• 7:19
  "In the kitchen." Oh, you like playing in the play kitchen?
• 7:23
  SPEAKER3: And I like having meeting time.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER1: Oh, that's -- meeting time and playing in the floor kitchen.
• 7:29
  That sounds pretty good.
• 7:31
  What is something you've learned in 4k in this year?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER3: The cale--The calendar.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER1: Oh, you've learned to use a calendar?
• 7:43
  Oh, my goodness. "We learned months." You know what month of the year it is?
• 7:50
  Wow. "January." Oh, my goodness.
• 7:54
  Good job, Hallie!
• 7:56
  SPEAKER3: We learned patterns.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER1: You learned patterns?
• 8:01
  SPEAKER3: And to count.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER1: Oh, my. You learn patterns and you count in 4k?
• 8:08
  Wow. Do you want to count to ten for us?
• 8:12
  Not today?
• 8:16
  What do you want to make sure to tell other kids who are coming to 4k?
• 8:23
  SPEAKER3: Um...Be kind.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER1: Oh, Hallie, that's wonderful advice.
• 8:30
  Thank you for for being on the podcast.
• 8:32
  Hallie. Say bye!
• 8:35
  SPEAKER3: Bye.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER1: Thanks to our listeners for tuning in this week.
• 8:40
  Remember that you can find links to all episodes of Inside The OSD and, this is new, submit topic ideas on our website at
• 8:49
  OregonSD.org/podcast. It is also available on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and
• 8:59
  Amazon Music.
• 9:00
  Make sure to subscribe if you're listening on one of these apps to get notifications on the most recent episodes.
• 9:07
  We'll see you next time on Inside The OSD, where it's all about the kids.