The mission of the Special Services department is to ensure that all students benefit from a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, as mandated by federal and state legislation, Special Services provides a continuum of services.
About Great Explorers Pre-K
The Great Explorer’s Early Childhood Program serves preschool-aged children (ages 3–5) who qualify based on developmental screening or evaluation, in alignment with the State of Illinois' Preschool for All guidelines at Grass Lake School in collaboration with Emmons School District.
Please note:
- The program does not offer open enrollment.
- Children who are kindergarten-eligible are not eligible for this preschool program.
The program is designed to meet the requirements set by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for Preschool for All and to support students who qualify for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Program Details
- The preschool operates 5 days a week, for a total of 12.5 hours a week.
- Two sessions (AM and PM) are offered.
- A snack is provided daily in all classrooms.
Implements The Creative Curriculum for Preschool. The curriculum is designed to build each child’s confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills through hands-on, project-based learning and focused, daily opportunities to build essential foundational skills in literacy and math.
Enrollment and Screening
All children attending or receiving services through the program must first complete a developmental screening and/or special education evaluation (as deemed appropriate).
The screening process is intended to:
- Identify children who may be at-risk and would benefit from participation in a high-quality early childhood program.
- Determine if a child may need further evaluation for special education services.
Screenings are conducted on an ongoing basis throughout the school year.
Please note: Kindergarten-age students are not eligible for screening.
If you are interested in having your child participate in the Great Explorers Pre-K Program, please click this link to request a developmental screening, and someone will contact you within 3 school days.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
In August of 2019, Governor Pritzker signed into law House Bill 3586 which has several new provisions related to children with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
The first provision is to provide parents/guardians with all draft documents that will be presented at an IEP meeting three days prior to the meeting. The written drafts provided to parents must include, but is not limited to:
- All evaluation and collected data that will be discussed at the meeting.
- For students already eligible, a copy of the IEP components that will be discussed by the IEP team, copies of all written material that will be considered for development of the individualized education plan and the related service minutes proposed for the child and the educational placement.
Additionally, the amended statute requires public school districts to keep related service logs and to make these logs available to the parent/guardian at the student's annual review meeting or upon request.
Students with disabilities who do not qualify for an individualized education program, as required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and implementing provisions of this Illinois law, may qualify for services under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if the student (i) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, (ii) has a record of a physical or mental impairment, or (iii) is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment.
For further information, please contact the Special Services Coordinator.
Contact:
Marguerite VanScoyoc, Ed.D, Special Services Coordinator
[email protected]
847-395-1105
Notice of Procedural Safeguards for Parents/Guardians of Students with Disabilities or Espanol
504 Parent/Student Rights
Illinois PUNS