KENT COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
PHONE NUMBERS

Capital School
District:
302-672-1952

Lake Forest School
District:
302-284-3020

iaison
ffice
Spring is here, and in Delaware that means it is time to think about the NEXT
school year. That’s right! If you have a child who will turn 5 years old on or
before August 31 of this year, buckle up and hold on tight. Kindergarten is not
what it used to be, except that it continues to be a huge milestone that kicks off
your child’s educational journey. Keep reading for all you need to know about
registering your child, as well as a few tips for what you can do to help them be
ready.
Milford School
District:
When registering for Kindergarten, the first step is often to determine where
your child will go to school. For those that live on base, most children attend
Kindergarten at Welch Elementary School which is located right in base housing.
All other students in the Caesar Rodney School District (CRSD) will go to
Kindergarten at the McIlvaine Early Childhood Center. If you live outside of the
CRSD, or are unsure about what district you live in, please contact the School
Liaison at 302-677-6383.
302-422-1638

chool
KINDERGARTEN: WHERE TO BEGIN
Caesar Rodney
School District:
302-697-4800

S L O News
Smyrna School
District:
302-653-8585
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE:
Kent County
Charter
Schools
2
Mark Your
Calendars
2
EFMP
CORNER
3
The second step is actually completing the registration process, which in many
cases includes a short screening of your child to identify their strengths gather
baseline data about where they are academically. For most school districts,
registration occurs in person at the school. Of course, there is paperwork to be
completed for your child to become enrolled, including basic information forms
like names, address, emergency contacts, and a physical which must be
completed and submitted to the school by the beginning of the school year.
Make the pro- 4
gram work...for
Kindergarten
Readiness
4
SLO/EFMP-FS
Bulletin Board
4
6
PASS-time
Will you succeed? YES you will indeed!
Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed.
Dr. Seuss
PAGE
2
KINDERGARTEN: Ready or not here it comes!
Interesting
Facebook Pages

Caesar Rodney
School District

Delaware
Department of
Education

Dover AFB Youth
Center

Dover AFB Airman
and Family Readiness

Autism Delaware

Delaware Family
Voices: Family to
Family Health
Information Center

Parent Information
Center of Delaware

Military OneSource

Military Child
Education Coalition
Switching gears from the process of Kindergarten registration, what does your
child need to know and how can you help them be ready? While academic skills
and knowledge are important (for example, counting, alphabet, etc…), sometimes
more important are a child’s social skills and independence. In order to get off to
a great start in Kindergarten, it is necessary for a child to be able to talk and
respond to the teachers and other school staff. This means that they need to be
able to speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard, communicate their needs
effectively, and ask questions if they do not know or understand something.
They also need to know where they live and their parents names. Other
important “need to know” items include self-help skills such as putting on and
zipping/buttoning their coats and jackets, keeping up with their belongings, going to the bathroom independently, etc… Parents can instill these skills by giving
their child short 2– or 3-step instructions to follow, allowing them to work
through a problem without jumping in to solve it for them, providing them
opportunities to interact with adults, and giving them a few chores at home that
teach responsibility.
Academically speaking, Kindergarten is definitely not what it used to be! It is
rigorous, at times intense, and very fast-paced. Your child will do a lot of reading,
learning math and ELA (English/Language Arts) basic skills, as well as exploring
science and social studies concepts through books and center-based activities.
Much of their learning will be hands-on; however, they will also be expected to sit
at their desks and work, pay attention to the teacher for periods of time, and
follow directions. This requires them to be able to sit still and be quiet for up to
10 minutes, as well as take turns, which can all be difficult to learn. At home,
parents can help their children learn to be attentive and patient by playing board
games, reading, and having them practice doing a task quietly and independently
(Example: while you are cooking dinner).
In conclusion, entering Kindergarten is an exciting and busy time, and more is
expected of our children now than ever before. However, parents hold the key to
their child’s successful educational experience by interacting with them in
creative and fun ways that teach and encourage important skills without them
even knowing. Even though it is more rigorous, Kindergarten is still fun for kids
and you will be AMAZED at how much they will learn during that first year. So
continue reading to them, talking to them, and encouraging them to do their best
and they will make out just fine.
It is better to know HOW to learn than to know..
Dr. Seuss
SCHOOL
LIAISON
OFFIC E
NEWS
VOLUME
1,
ISSUE
5
EFMP Corner...
PAGE
3
NEW PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: EFMP Respite
GOOD NEWS...the Air Force
EFMP Respite program has finally
made it to Dover! This program,
offered nationally through a partnership with Child Care Aware, is
specifically designed for families
who have children with moderate
or severe special needs.
EFMP respite is free to eligible
Air Force families, includes care
for siblings under some
circumstances, and is offered free
of charge. In Dover, Easter Seals
is the local partner agency that
recruits, screens and trains potential respite providers.
Families are able to use their own
existing providers as long as they
are vetted through the Easter
Seals process.
ELIGIBILITY:
 Must be enrolled in EFMP
 EFM child is between the ages
of 0-18
 EFM child is diagnosed with
moderate to severe special
needs
 Care available for EFM siblings
ages 0-12
 Active Duty Airman, including
Guard and Reserve if activated
for at least 31 days
Visit www.usa.childcareaware.org/
air-force-EFMP or call 1-800-4242246 to begin the process.
For more information about EFMP
respite, OR if you are interested in
becoming a respite provider, please
contact your EFMP-FS, Sonya Dyer,
at 677-6383.
FAMILY APPLICATION PROCESS:
Interested families must submit an
application and be approved
through Child Care Aware. Once
the application process is complete
and a family accepted, they will be
connected with the local partner
agency to be matched with a
provider.
EFMP-FS
EFMP is the Air Force Exceptional Family Member Program.
FS stands for Family Support.
The School Liaison Officer (SLO/EFMP-FS) is available to ensure that each family receives comprehensive coordinated support through the military and/or civilian community. Services include:
 Resource information and referral to base and community agencies, groups and services
 Library of educational and special needs books, journals and videos available for loan
 Social and recreational programming such as monthly caregiver activities, and sensory-friendly movie night, and
arts & crafts
 Semi-annual information fairs
 Educational support for special needs students via partnerships with local schools and community agencies
 Educational workshops for caregivers
EFMP-FS services are a part of the Airman & Family Readiness Center via the School Liaison. Call 677-6383 or 6776930 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
EFMP-FS services and programs are available to ANY Airmen*, Guardsmen, Reservists, DoD Civilians, and any military
family member caring for a special needs family member.
PAGE
4
Got ideas? We want to hear them!
SLO SURVEYS…
MIDDLE SCHOOL
PARENTS:
www.surveymonkey.com/
s/7WVQJLF
DOVER AFB PARENT
INFORMATION
SURVEY:
www.surveymonkey.com/
s/B7QVYW7
DOVER AFB TEEN
INTEREST SURVEY (for
teens)
www.surveymonkey.com/
s/GFJGXN8
SCHOOL LIAISON/EFMP
NEEDS ASSESSMENT &
INTEREST SURVEY
www.surveymonkey.com/
s/PFCFKVR
School Liaison and EFMP
Family Support
programs are available at
every base, and two of
the few programs that
exist under the same
name through the service
branches. With that said,
the programs differ from
base to base, and service
to serve, largely due in
part to the unique areas
and population that each
serves.
As the SLO (School
Liaison Officer) and
EFMP Family Support
Coordinator, part of my
job is to create and offer
programs and events
based upon the needs of
the community. I meet
and interact with many
families from both
populations on a daily
basis, often because there
is an issue or concern that
they are seeking help for. I
often ask these families
what types of activities
would interest them, or
what programs would be
helpful. However, there
are many more families
out there that I do not see
or hear from that have
GREAT ideas that I would
like to tap.
teachers, etc…—to take a
few moments and complete
one or more survey. The
titles and links for all
surveys are in the green box
to the left.
The surveys are open and
ongoing, so if you think of
something a few months
from now, you can still go in
and complete another.
Results of the survey will
continue to be used to
inform future programs.
As a result, I have created Thank you,
several tools to assist me
in collecting this
Sonya Dyer, SLO
information. I would like
(School Liaison/EFMP-FS)
to ask each person reading
this newsletter—AD
members and spouses,
providers, volunteers,
SLO...What is that anyway?
SCHOOL
As most of you know (or are
quickly learning!), the Air
Force is often like a gigantic
pot of alphabet soup. It can
be more than a bit overwhelming, even for those of
us who live and breathe it
every day!
that happens, we just shrug
our shoulders and forget
about it until it comes up
again. So, since I am the SLO
(not slow) here at Dover, I
thought I would break it
down so you can see what it
means for you.
SLO is just another one of
those confusing letter
combinations that you may
have seen or heard, and
wondered “What is that
anyway?” Sometimes when
SLO stands for School
Liaison Officer, and in the
case of Dover is a condensed
version of “School Liaison/
EFMP Family Support
Coordinator”. Although
LIAISON
OFFIC E
NEWS
there is a SLO at every installation, and an EFMP-FS, it
may or may not be the same
person as it is here. The
location and structure of the
programs may also differ
from base to base, although a
good place to start is the
Airman & Family Readiness
Center which can direct you
to the correct place.
Continued on page 6
VOLUME
1,
ISSUE
5
PAGE
5
SLO/EFMP-FS BULLETIN BOARD
DOVER AFB
HOMESCHOOLERS CLUB
This is a NEW program brought to you by the SLO in partnership with the Youth Center and some of our wonderful
Dover families.
WHEN: 1st Thursday of the month when school is in session
WHERE: Dover AFB Youth Center
WHO: Any military family that is currently homeschooling their children ages 5 and up
***REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED***
PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
(to teach or assist with teaching lessons)
CONTACT Sonya Dyer at 302-677-6383
for more information.
CONNECT***
SUPPORT***
STRENGTHEN
Dover AFB School Liaison Office
Sonya R. Dyer, LCSW
Facilitating positive educational
experiences for ALL militaryconnected children.
Building 864, Youth Center
Dover AFB, DE 19902
Phone: 302-677-6383 or 677-6376
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: Dover AFB School
Liaison Office/EFMP Family
Support
SLO, cont...
The SLO serves as a link between military families and local
schools. This means that the
SLO can provide information
and resources, answer questions
about the education structure in
the area, facilitate communication when there are concerns,
and act as an advocate for military students when needed.
The SLO office at Dover is located at the Youth Center and contains a resource library of educational and special needs books
and videos. These materials are
available on loan for AD members and dependents.
The SLO provides a variety of
informational workshops and
programs for parents and children spanning all grades. In addition, the SLO offers educational, social and recreational opportunities for families with
special needs members.
If you have any questions, would
like to take a peek at the resource library, or just want to
say hello, contact the SLO, Sonya
Dyer, at 302-677-6383.
CONNECT***SUPPORT***STRENGTHEN
Facilitating positive educational
experiences for ALL military-connected
children
Parent Advocates for Students and
Schools is a parent volunteer program for military families designed
to offer support and facilitate effective school transitions. Dover AFB
is trying to rekindle the PASS program, and is currently recruiting parent volunteers.
If you are interested in helping other
parents by sharing your experiences,
would like to be a support for others,
would like to help create and present
educational workshops, or getting
involved in many other volunteer
opportunities, please contact Ms.
Dyer for more information. Volunteers must complete an application
and must be willing to share their
contact information.