FUNdamental Sports

What is FUNdamental Sports?

FUNdamental Sports is a sports based program that provides holistic growth to facilitate learning and life skill development in today’s youth. We use sports as an opportunity for kids to connect with others, enhance their skills, and have a positive athletic experience.  

Healthy Development of Children through Sports

Physical activity and participation in sports is fundamental to the early development of children. Skills learned during sports programs contribute to the holistic development of today’s youth physically, psychologically, and socially. Through participation in sport, children learn about the importance of key values such as teamwork, resilience, discipline, confidence, and self-esteem. Most importantly, children build healthy habits and lifestyle choices that encourage life-long participation in physical activity through sports participation.

FUNdamental Sports, an in house child development sports program for the Downers Grove Park District, provides a forum for children to learn the basics of a variety of sports. The philosophy of this program is for children to learn, be active, and ultimately have fun while learning how to play. The structure of FUNdamental Sports is based upon age-appropriate progressive curriculum that keeps children learning new skills each stage of the program. Whether your child is just learning how to play or has some experience with sports, our program individually challenges its participants based on their abilities. 

The nature of youth sports has changed from what it once was. Children now have the chance to take classes of their favorite sports with experienced coaches who can provide one-on-one attention your children deserve. With these classes, children can become happier, healthier, and perform at their optimal level in all aspects of their lives. Take advantage of this opportunity for your children to build their skills and have FUN with the basics in FUNdamental Sports.

Winter Classes:

·         Soccer

·         Basketball

·         Football

·         Volleyball

·         Floor Hockey

·         Sports Mania

o   Sports Mania consists of classes that range from ages 2-4 years. Children are introduced to sports such as soccer, football, basketball, volleyball and more through creative and fun activities. Parent participation is required for the 2-3 year old class.

Ages:  2-12 years

Day:  Monday-Friday

SPACE IS LIMITED, REGISTER TODAY!!!

Visit www.dgparks.org or call 630-960-7250 for more information

Happy Holidays!

The Lincoln Learning Center Preschool and ThreeSchool began their three week winter break on December 16, 2013. Winter break will continue through January 3, 2014. Students will return to school the week of January 6, 2014.

We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday and a Happy New Year! Looking forward to 2014!

Registration for 2014-2015 school year

It's time to register for the 2014-2015 school year! Priority registration began Monday, December 9, 2013 and will continue through noon on January 11, 2014. All current Preschool and ThreeSchool students, as well as siblings can register during the priority registration period.

Information was sent home regarding class dates, times and tuition, but more information can be found in the Winter 2014 Recreation and Parks Guide, as well as online at www.dgparks.org.

A registration form was sent home with your child Monday and Tuesday. If you are registering your child for the 2014-2015 school year, please bring the completed form to the Lincoln Center registration office, along with your $50 non-refundable deposit and proof of residency. Even returning students must show proof of residency through a tax bill or utility bill. All new students (siblings), must also provide a copy of the child's birth certificate for age verification.

A random selection for class time placement will take place on Monday, January 13. You will only be notified if you do not receive your first class choice. Remember, classes do fill quickly so your best chance at receiving the day and time that you want is to register during the priority registration period. After January 13, returning students and siblings can register on a first-come, first-served basis.

New for 2014-2015! Unincorporated or non-residents who contribute taxes in Downers Grove School District 58 receive resident fees at the Lincoln Learning Center Tot School and Preschool.

We sincerely hope you consider continuing with us next year and allowing your children the opportunity to learn and grow at the Lincoln Learning Center.

If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact Michelle Pusateri at mpusateri@dgparks.org.

Annual Preschool Holiday Programs

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Time for our Lincoln Learning Center Preschool holiday programs. You and your family are invited to attend this special performance on Thursday, December 12 and Friday, December 13. The children from each classroom will perform a variety of classroom and holiday songs on the Lincoln Center auditorium stage. The children have been working really hard for this performance so you won't want to miss it. Bring your camera!

On the day of your performance, please bring your child to his/her classroom and then proceed to the auditorium. As soon as the performance is finished, you are welcome to go. There is no regular preschool class on the day of the holiday programs and there is no curbside drop-off and pick-up program on holiday program dates.

Please refer to the performance schedule that was sent home because some classes will meet at a different time and some classes will meet on a different day than their normal preschool class.

We hope to see you there!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! As part of our preschool Thanksgiving celebrations, the 3-year-old classes will be making our traditional friendship fruit salad during class on Monday and Tuesday, while the 4-year-olds will be making a delicious pilgrim soup! These two special classroom activities help to teach the children about working together and the importance of giving thanks for everything we have. From an academic perspective, the students will learn the basics of math through counting and measuring ingredients.

For the friendship fruit salad, please send your child with a piece of fresh fruit or a can of Dole or Del Monte fruit. For the pilgrim soup, please send your child with their assigned vegetable. If you have a question about which vegetable was assigned to your child, please talk to your teacher or email Michelle at mpusateri@dgparks.org.

All of the students will receive a bowl of their special creation, if they want, as a special snack for the day. If you have any concerns regarding food allergies or restrictions, please talk to your child's teacher for accommodations.

Remember, there is no Preschool on Wednesday, November 27 - Friday, November 29. We will return to school on Monday, December 2.

From everyone at the Lincoln Learning Center...Happy Thanksgiving!

Final Field Trip to Lyman Woods for 2013

Five field trips to Lyman Woods are done....1 more to go! What a fantastic time the 4/5-year-old Preschool classes have had on their annual field trips to Lyman Woods Interpretive Center so far! Now, the M/W/F 8:45 - 11:15am class in Room G13 with Mrs. Rottmann and Mrs. Owens will get to experience their fun morning in the woods!

Parents of students in the M/W/F Room G13 class should bring their child directly to the Interpretive Center on Friday, November 15. Please arrive no earlier than 10 minutes prior to the start of your class. When you arrive at the Interpretive Center, remain in the lobby until the teachers are ready for the children to enter the classroom.

 

Remember to dress your child for the weather and for nature, as we will be going outside. Gym shoes are required.

In case of severe weather, please call the Downers Grove Park District Parkline at 630-963-0575 after 7:30am. Follow the prompts on the parkline and you will receive an automated message as to whether the class will still take place at Lyman Woods or if we will be at the Lincoln Center.

Directions to Lyman Woods:  Highland Avenue north to 31^st Street. Turn right. The Interpretive Center is located approximately 2 blocks on your right.

Enrichment programs at the Lincoln Learning Center

As all of you know, there is a great importance for Early Childhood Education and the Lincoln Learning Center strives to provide a quality early learning environment for your child through the ThreeSchool and Preschool programs. However, there is more to Early Childhood Education than just those two fantastic programs.

The Downers Grove Park District offers a variety of early childhood enrichment programs such as music, dance, art, sports, environmental and historical programs, just to name a few. We also offer two specific enrichment programs that were created to directly supplement the Lincoln Learning Center Preschool. Those two programs are: Preschool Connection and Ready, Set, Kindergarten!

Preschool Connection is a supplemental learning program that is an extension of the 3-year-old preschool experience. The class is offered on Fridays from 9:00 - 10:30am in Room 201 with Mrs. Sexton and Mrs. Kornafel. Preschool Connection emphasizes 3-year-old preschool concepts while reinforcing the importance of independence, communication, literacy, arts and sciences, and social, emotional and physical development. Each week, the teachers review the topics learned in preschool while introducing new projects and activities.

Ready, Set, Kindergarten is a supplemental learning program that is an extension of the 4/5-year-old preschool experience. The class is offered on Mondays from 11:30am - 12:30pm in Room G11 with Mrs. Owens and Mrs. Kornafel. Because this program meets directly after our 8:45 - 11:15am preschool classes, the registered children will be escorted from their preschool classroom to the Ready, Set, Kindergarten classroom, essentially adding an hour onto their Monday preschool class. This program focuses more on academics in preparation for Kindergarten and the teachers work closely with the children in the areas of language, literacy, communication, social, emotional and physical development and arts and sciences. A small snack is served during class.

A new session of Preschool Connection begins November 15 - December 6. A new session of Ready, Set, Kindergarten begins November 18 - December 9. Both classes will also start back up in January after winter break. Winter session information will be available in our Winter Guide which will be available online November 15.

To register, please visit www.dgparks.org or stop by the registration desk in the lobby of the Lincoln Center. If you have questions about either program, please email Michelle at mpusateri@dgparks.org.

Lyman Woods Field Trips

It's time for one of our favorite preschool field trips of the year! The 4/5-year-old preschool classes will discover the fall season and their natural surroundings through interactive learning at the Downers Grove Park District Lyman Woods Interpretive Center. Students will spend one class day engaged in active play, activities and projects taught by the preschool staff and staff members from the Interpretive Center.

 

Parents should bring their child directly to the Interpretive Center on the class day listed below. Please arrive no earlier than 10 minutes prior to the start of your class. When you arrive at the Interpretive Center, remain in the lobby until the teachers are ready for the children to enter the classroom.

 

Remember to dress your child for the weather and for nature, as we will be going outside. Gym shoes are required.

In case of severe weather, please call the Downers Grove Park District Parkline at 630-963-0575 after 7:30am for the A.M. classes and after 10:30am for the P.M. classes. Follow the prompts on the parkline and you will receive an automated message as to whether the class will still take place at Lyman Woods or if we will be at the Lincoln Center.

Directions to Lyman Woods:  Highland Avenue north to 31^st Street. Turn right. The Interpretive Center is located approximately 2 blocks on your right.

CLASS SCHEDULES:

Class Day                Teacher              Room         Nature Center Date    

M/W/F  8:45am        Mrs. Davison         G11            Friday, Nov. 1

M/W/F 8:45am         Mrs. Norton           202             Monday, Nov. 4

M/W/F 12pm            Mrs. Norton           202             Monday, Nov. 4

M/TU/W/TH 12pm   Mrs. Rottmann      G13            Wednesday, Nov. 6

TU/TH  8:45am         Mrs. Davison        G11            Thursday, Nov. 7

M/W/F 8:45am           Mrs. Rottmann       G13            Friday, Nov. 15

 

 

Halloween Costume Parades

Next week is our much anticipated Preschool Halloween Costume Parades! This is a tradition for the Lincoln Learning Center and one that we look forward to every year. Preschool students are encouraged to wear his/her Halloween costume to school on October 30 and October 31.

Please bring your child to his/her classroom at their regular class time and then proceed to the gymnasium (Room 104) to wait for the parade to begin. You can either line up along the perimeter of the gym or you may sit in the balcony. The teachers will parade the children around the gym a couple of times and then each class will line up for a group picture. Bring your cameras!

Siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends...all are welcome to attend!

Note: There is no curbside drop-off and pick-up on October 30 and 31 due to the costume parades.

Save the Date! 2014-2015 School Year Registration

Although we are in the first couple of months of the 2013-2014 school year, registration for the 2014-2015 school year is just around the corner! Information regarding class dates, times, tuition, age requirements, etc. will be available in the Winter 2014 Recreation and Parks Guide. The Winter Guide will be available online in mid-November. In addition to the Winter Guide, information will be sent home with your child regarding registration deadlines and class information in mid-November.

Remember, all current students receive priority registration for the following school year, as well as siblings of current students. If your child is a current student in either Preschool or ThreeSchool and you are planning to register him/her for the 2014-2015 school year, it is strongly recommended that you enroll during priority registration because classes do fill quickly.

Dates to Remember:
(registration is completed through a lottery process until open registration begins on January 21)

• Returning student and sibling registration: Monday, December 9, 2013 - Saturday, January 11, 2014 at noon. A random selection for class time placement will take place Monday, January 13
• New resident registration: Monday, January 13, 2014 - Saturday, January 18, 2014 at noon. A random selection for class time placement will take place Monday, January 20, 2014
• Open registration: Begins Tuesday, January 21, 2014
• Note: All class times are filled on a first-come, first-served basis once open registration begins

New! Optional Curbside Drop-Off and Pick-Up Program

As you may have seen the past week, the Lincoln Learning Center began a new curbside drop-off and pick-up program for Preschool. This program allows preschool parents the convenience of not having to park and walk into the building and also helps to reduce the traffic in the parking lot and in the preschool hallways.

This program is 100% optional so if you prefer to park and walk your child to and from his/her classroom, you are welcome to do so.

If you have not signed-up to participate and decide you would like to, please stop by the Lincoln Center registration office to complete a curbside drop-off and pick-up registration form. October 15 is the deadline in order to participate in November. If you are already signed-up and have been participating in October, you don't need to sign-up again, as you will automatically be enrolled for November and the remainder of the school year. If you decide you no longer want to participate in the program, please let the Lincoln Center registration office know and we will remove you from the program.

As of now, since this is a new program, the curbside drop-off and pick-up program is only offered to Preschool students, not ThreeSchool students.

The deadlines to register and participate are below:

Start Date                    Registration Deadline
November 1, 2013        October 15, 2013
December 2, 2013         November 15, 2013
January 6, 2014             December 13, 2013
February 3, 2014           January 15, 2014
March 3, 2014               February 14, 2014
April 1, 2014                 March 14, 2014

Preschool Family Field Trip to Johansen Farms

Our first family field trip of the 2013-2014 school year is quickly approaching! Join us for a morning of fun at Johansen Farms in Bolingbrook. Enjoy a petting zoo with over 500 animals, the amazing corn maze, hay tunnerl, hay ride, two-stroy air slide and fun on the farm. You and your child will explore the farm on your own, but the teachers will be coming around to meet up with you.

The trip takes place rain or shine so please dress for the weather! Transportation is on your own, but carpooling is suggested.

Dates: Wednesday, October 9 for the M/W class; Thursday, October 10 for the Tu/Th classes and the M/Tu/W/Th class; Friday, October 11 for the M/W/F classes. There is no preschool on field trip days.

Time: All classes will meet at the farm at 9:30am. You are welcome to stay as long as you like. Your admission is good for the entire day.

Cost: $7.50 per person. Children 23 months and younger are free, but do not receive a pie pumpkin. Every paid admission will receive a free pie pumpkin.

Registration: Participation is optional. If you decide to attend, please stop by the Lincoln Center regisration desk or give us a call at 630-963-1300. Please register by Monday, October 7.

Location: 710 West Boughton Road, Bolingbrook. 630-759-8711

Directions: Take Maple Avenue to Route 53. Turn left on Route 53 and follow to Boughton Road. Turn Right on Boughton Road.

We hope to see you there!

Preschool Picture Days

Preschool Picture Days are Tuesday, October 1 for the Tu/Th classes and Wednesday, October 2 for the M/W class, M/W/F classes and the M/Tu/W/Th class. Individual pictures will be taken of each child, as well as a group class picture.

What to wear: please make sure to dress your child from head to toe for the picture because the individual pictures will consist of up-close and full length pictures. Hair is the most common reason parents are dissatisfied with their child's picture, so please make sure to keep the hair style simple.

Orders: You will receive a proof of your child's individual picture, along with an order form a few weeks after picture day. You will have approximately one week to decide if you would like to purchase individual pictures and/or a group class picture. You will not receive a proof of the class picture. Orders are 100% optional so if you don't want to place an order, that's ok.

If you don't want your child's picture taken, please talk to your teacher.

Here is a sample of the individual picture background:

Welcome to the 2013-2014 School Year!

We are off to a fantastic start to the school year for the Lincoln Learning Center Preschool and ThreeSchool programs. The children are adjusting well to their new classrooms and the teachers are enjoying getting to know their new students. As you have noticed, we created our own Early Childhood wing at the Lincoln Center with classrooms on our ground floor and new classrooms on the second floor. We are extremely excited about the new, beautiful classrooms, as well as the increased security for all students. As a reminder, the hallway doors leading to your child's classroom will be locked shortly after class begins and will remain locked until about 15 minutes before class ends. If you arrive late to school, please check in at the registration office located in the lobby.

We are also very excited about this new form of communication with you...our blog! If you want to receive an email notification when a post is made to this blog so you have the most recent information, submit your email address in the section on the right side of the page.

Throughout the year, we will post reminders and information for special days, field trip information, monthly calendars, general park district and Lincoln Center information and post pictures of the children with their special projects and fun days in the classroom.

We hope you enjoy this new blog and we are looking forward to the remainder of the school year!

Welcome to the Lincoln Learning Center Blog!

We are very excited for our new school year at the Lincoln Learning Center, and would like to introduce you to the NEW Lincoln Learning Center Blog! This will be YOUR source for the most up-to-date information about what's happening in class, upcoming programs, events and field trips, and much more!

 

Make sure to check daily for updates posted by the Lincoln Center Manager, Michelle Pusateri. We hope you enjoy the new form of communication!

 

Check back soon!