Indian Prairie CUSD 204 offers 'Becoming an Elementary School Parent' session with classroom and SEL guidance for families

Dawn Forkner, Indian Prairie CUSD 204social emotional learning and wellness coordinator, opened a virtual Parent University session called "Becoming an Elementary School Parent" and said the presentation would focus on social-emotional learning (SEL) skills to help children transition into kindergarten and first grade.

The session brought together classroom teachers, building leaders and student-support staff to give practical tips and answer parent questions. "SEL is something we embed all through our school day," Forkner said, listing five SEL domains: self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision making, relationship skills and social awareness. She connected those skills to the districtlook called the Portrait of a Graduate, which emphasizes flexibility, resilience, communication, creativity and citizenship.

Lauren Quinn, a kindergarten teacher at Peterson Elementary, led a series of common "myth or fact" items for families. She said it is a myth that teachers do not want parents to email them and urged families to treat staff as partners. Quinn also said kindergartners do not take naps at school, noted that children may return with partially eaten lunches because lunch time is limited, and described play as an essential part of learning. "Playtime is crucial, especially at this developmental stage," Quinn said, adding that teachers explicitly teach social and problem-solving skills during play.

Teachers emphasized routines and independence as concrete preparations families can do at home: practice dressing skills, handwashing for 20 seconds, opening lunch containers and following multi-step directions. Quinn recommended short home routines and small, repeated practice to build stamina for the school day. She also described classroom "calming corners"—three-minute time-outs with breathing tools or a quiet activity—to help children regulate strong emotions.

Panelists addressed common parent concerns in a question-and-answer segment. Luke Radijan, a kindergarten teacher at Georgetown Elementary, said kindergarten assumes no prior knowledge and that teachers introduce letters and letter sounds to every student in the first weeks: "We're just gonna make sure that every single student gets introduced to every single letter." He reported class-size examples, saying his classes had 18 students this year but can range up to about 25; first-grade teacher Ariel George said she had 22 students this year and as many as 25 in prior years.

On attendance and dismissal logistics, staff urged parents to call the school office for same-day dismissal changes so the office can relay the information promptly; teachers may not see email quickly during the school day. For children showing morning nervousness or mild tummy complaints, social worker Megan Rogers recommended encouraging attendance, praising the child afterward and notifying the teacher and school social worker so staff can provide support.

The district described student technology and safety practices: Indian Prairie CUSD 204 is 1:1 for student Chromebooks; kindergarten and first-grade devices typically stay in the classroom rather than going home. Staff said the district uses single sign-on and educational apps (examples named included Lexia, DreamBox, Zearn and PebbleGo) and that teachers can monitor and restrict browsing via a tool called Securly.

On transportation, panelists said schools deploy extra staff at the start of the year to ensure safe bus procedures: kindergarteners often sit in the front seats, backpacks may carry bus tags, and a guardian is required at the stop for a kindergarten student to be released. The panel also described building-level orientation events (kindergarten roundups or "sneak peeks"), recommended families visit playgrounds over the summer and explained that services for students who received preschool supports can involve meeting providers and building staff during orientation events.

Panelists noted how multilingual learners are identified: a home language survey completed at registration triggers early screening for WIDA; for kindergarten the district typically screens listening and speaking domains early in the year and families will be contacted if their child will participate in multilanguage services.

Sherry Fredericks, principal at McCarty Elementary, explained that after registration is accepted families will see an "accepted" status in ParentVUE and that the student will be assigned a district ID used for Pushcoin lunch accounts; she said health and dental forms can be uploaded via ParentVUE but families may bring paper copies to the school if needed. Staff encouraged parents to check their school's website for specific dates and to reach out to building secretaries with questions.

The presentation closed with Forkner thanking the panel and inviting families to contact their elementary building with specific questions. "We have wonderful staff in all of our buildings who would be happy to help you and help your child get ready for this exciting transition," she said.

The session combined SEL context, classroom practices, logistics (registration, attendance, buses, devices) and building-specific orientation recommendations to help families prepare children for the start of kindergarten and first grade.