Dear Families,

On behalf of Pilgrim Community Preschool Teachers, Staff and Board, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our 25/26 school year! Whether you are a new or returning family, we are honored you have chosen us as your child’s first school experience and look forward to partnering with you to foster your child’s curiosity and love of learning. Though we have a few more weeks before school begins on Tuesday, September 3rd, we are eagerly anticipating our first days with you and your children as we embark on a year of deep play-based learning together.

This is our first installment of the monthly Director’s Newsletter which highlights important information and happenings at PCPS. You can expect this newsletter in your inbox on the first of every month September through May. Please read this monthly newsletter in its entirety as it will contain information about PCPS school wide events plus family events for Pilgrim Congregational Church and through our Oak Park community that may be of interest to families.

I look forward to getting to know your child and family this year, and am always available to support you and your family. Maria and I are often assisting at drop off in the morning, and our office is located upstairs in the Church Parlor. Stop in anytime, our door is always open!

Warmly,

Emily Norman, Director

The distribution list for this newsletter was created using parent emails families inputted through brightwheel upon 25/26 registration. If you received this email in error, you can unsubscribe below.

Please check that each parent or primary guardian in your family received this newsletter. If not: before August 15, add all parent and guardian emails and phone numbers to your child’s brightwheel profile. This will ensure we have your complete contact information for all purposes including the School Directory. You can also reply to this email with any additional emails you would like added to this listserve.

Learn more about our PCPS team on the Meet our Faculty page of our website

Star Classroom: Diana Leonard and Sophia Mendoza

Circle Classroom: Brandon Pittman and TBA soon!

Square Classroom: Liz Barnes and Jennifer Herkal

Triangle Classroom: Haeyoung Jang and Lauren Markowitz

Hexagon Classroom: Michelle Ahring and Whitney Brooks

Rainbow Classroom: Rob Huber and Molly Perkins

Administration Team: Emily Norman and Maria Tellez

Classroom Newsletters: Teachers return from Summer Break on August 15th. After which, families will receive a classroom welcome newsletter through brightwheel with classroom specific information including a sign-up for scheduling Home Visits and Welcome Night classroom visiting.

Home Visits: Teachers will schedule a short meeting with your family where your child is most comfortable, your home! These special meetings allow your child to meet their new teachers in a gentle way and begin to build the important home to school relationship.

Virtual Curriculum Night: Monday, August 18th at 6 pm Join Emily and Maria for a deeper overview of our program including daily procedures, curriculum and ways families can be involved in our community. The meeting will not be recorded, however the presentation will be shared with all families afterwards. Register to join the meeting

Welcome Night at Pilgrim: Thursday August 28th 5pm - 7pm Families and children are welcome to schedule for a short visit your classrooms with a small group of your classmates. Together you will explore the room, find your cubby, meet other children and families, receive the daily classroom schedule and drop off any supplies. When you arrive, enter through our PCPS main entrance: the red doors near the playground facing the parking lot.

First Days Abbreviated Schedule: To support the transition to school for our youngest community members, our 2-Year Old classrooms will have abbreviated schedules for their first day of school. Classes will run from 8:30 am to 10 am on September 2nd and 3rd for both Star and Circle Rooms. Coffee will be available upstairs in the Parlor both days for ALL families to meet & mingle until 10

Lunch: Healthy, balanced and organic lunch catered by Gourmet Gorilla is provided each day school is in session for in two classrooms: Triangle Preschool and Rainbow PreKindergarten. Lunch service begins September 3rd for both these rooms. Lunch in the Extended Day Classroom will begin Monday September 8th. Lunch Calendars will be shared in the Family Portal, Family Information Board in our foyer, outside each classroom and in the monthly Directors Newsletter.

Extended Day Classes: Extended Day classes begin Monday September 8th. Families can extend your child’s Pilgrim day with Lunch 11:30-12:30 and either Early Day (7:30-8:30) OR Stay & Play (12:30-1:30). Prior registration or authorization is required for extended classes. Families can opt to register as a regular schedule or request drop-in for these classes in advance. Contact Emily and Maria via brightwheel to register or request Drop-in. Please Note: Drop-in space is limited and may not always be approved.

Park Playdates: Room Parents and Teachers will coordinate a meet & greet classroom park playdate in September. More information coming soon!

NEW! Family Portal

We are excited to introduce the Family Portal, a website page only available to currently enrolled Pilgrim Families. Within the Family Portal, you will find important documents, including the 2025/26 Family Handbook and School Calendar. The Family Portal will also be the best place to find the Illness Reporting Form, Wellness Policy, Family Directory, and Staff Contact Information. Additionally, the Family Portal will feature the Director’s Monthly Newsletters and Upcoming Events. For privacy reasons, the Family Portal will not be listed in our main navigation.

To access the Family Portal, please sign up through our website and create an account using the Family Portal Link

Since this is a new feature, we welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please let us know if you experience any issues accessing the Family Portal.

Paperwork

Just a reminder, ALL paperwork is due by August 1!

All families: Student Information Surveys , Documentation Receipt and Family Permissions 2025 form, Tuition Agreement form are available and submittable through the “Forms and Requests” tab on brightwheel.

New families: Child’s Birth Certificate, up to date Child Medical History completed and signed by healthcare provider AND parents with up to date vaccination records are emailed to office@pilgrimschool.net

Let us know if you have any paperwork questions.

It’s time to make the donuts!

Save the date and sign up for Pilgrim Community Preschool Donut Day: Saturday September 20 Join PCPS families, teachers and staff as we take our turn to make the famous Pilgrim Church donuts at the Oak Park Farmers Market! This is one of our largest fundraisers, with all proceeds supporting our Ruth Prescott Scholarship Fund.

We need many hands to make this event happen, please sign up here to volunteer for a shift: Pilgrim Community Preschool Donut Day Sign Up

School Year Calendar

The calendar is also available in the brightwheel app, Family Portal and Family Handbook.