Welcome Kindergarten Families!
This is our class blog. Each week (typically on Saturday or Sunday) you will receive an email with a link to our blog to let you know that an update has been posted. I will post information about what we are working on in kindergarten as well as calendar items that will keep you up-to-date. Our blog takes the place of a printed classroom newsletter. I hope you enjoy learning more about your child's kindergarten program. This is an unusually long entry as I am hoping to give you plenty of back-to-school info.
First some office details: Kindergarten families will be entering our school through the covered, set-back entrance by the bike racks (now known as 'Office B'). This is a change from last year. If you are picking up your child early, please enter the building through that entrance and check in at the office immediately to your left. Mrs. Wells, our secretary, will help you. This is also the entrance you will use if you need to sign your child in to school late or if you are signing in to volunteer or attend a special event. If you have older children in our school and will be picking up all of your children at once, please use Office B. (Basically, use the office associated with your youngest child.)
If your child will be picked up on a daily basis or will be walking each day, please send us a note letting us know. We will then escort the children to the outdoor bike racks where they will wait under supervision until you pick them up. Dismissal time is at 3:23 pm. If we do not have a note, we will leave your child in the office and you will need to enter Office B to sign your child out.
For the first four days of Kindergarten children will be dismissed at 11:30. Children should already have appointments to return to school for baseline assessments. If you do not yet have an appointment for your child you will be able to make one on Monday during our orientation. (Mrs. Wells was ill last week so if you left a message for the office, you might not have received a return phone call.) These appointments are very important as they are a wonderful opportunity for me to spend one-on-one time with each of my new students. It's a great way for us to get to know each other. The assessments also let me know what literacy and math strengths each child already has so that I can plan my instruction accordingly. Results create a baseline so that we can measure every child's growth and progress a few times over the course of the school year.
Due to early dismissal for the first four days of kindergarten, the students will not be attending any "specials" (art, music, P.E., library) for the first four days. I will include our specials schedule in next week's blog. During the first four days, children will eat lunch in our classroom. If your child is getting a school lunch, it will be a bag lunch delivered to the classroom. If your child is bringing a lunch from home, they will enjoy it in the classroom at lunchtime. We will introduce the children to the cafeteria on the first full day of kindergarten, Wednesday, September 5.
Once we begin our full day schedule, kindergarten students will each lunch at 12:15. All students will need to bring a healthy, mid-morning snack to eat in our classroom.
If you or your child has found any Monarch caterpillars, small rocks or shells, your child may bring them to school on Wednesday. Thanks for searching!
Please send your child to school in comfortable, safe shoes. Sneakers or Teva-style sandals with velcro are great. Flip flops and heels are not safe on the playground equipment nor do they allow your child to comfortably run around the playground. If your child does not yet tie their own shoes, velcro shoes are very helpful. I'm sure you can imagine how long it would take me to tie 20 pairs of shoes. Our classroom can start off cool in the early morning and then heat right up. Dressing your child in layers is always good. Also, please leave a change of clothes (including socks and underwear) in a plastic bag in your child's backpack. Accidents and spills do occur and it's very comforting to your child when he or she sees how easily and calmly we can handle these little problems. Thank you!
There are 20 students in our class and extra hands will be appreciated. Parents who can volunteer will be able to begin in October. We are also interested in inviting grandparents, neighbors or older friends into our school to read stories, play games and work with our kindergarten students. If you know of such a person, please send me their name and address and I will send out on invitation welcoming them to spend time at our school.
Sending a child off to kindergarten can be very emotional for families. I understand. I've done it four times. I think I got misty-eyed each time I sent one of my own kids off on the bus the first time. Please try to be relaxed and upbeat about your child's start to kindergarten. Empower your child. Let them know you feel they are ready and able to separate from their grown ups and that you will be excited to hear about their new classroom when they get home. Our staff is prepared and will attend to every child's needs. Remember that kindergarten is great fun. Your child will have a fabulous experience!
I look forward to meeting you all on Monday.
Beth
Monday, August 27: Kindergarten Orientation
We will meet in the cafeteria at 8:45. Coffee and refreshments will be available and there will be a welcome activity for grown-ups to complete. Dr. Barone, our superintendent, and Mrs. Savery, our principal, will welcome everyone and introduce the staff. My students will walk down to our classroom with me while the adults remain in the cafeteria to get information about topics such as buses, the lunch program, the health office and curriculum. Adults will pick up their children in our classroom between 9:45 and 10:00. Buses will arrive to bring families home at 10:00am.
Tuesday, August 28: No school. Enjoy the last day of vacation!
Wednesday, August 29: The first day of school. Kindergarten students will be dismissed at 11:30.
Thursday, August 30 and Friday, August 31: Kindergarten students will be dismissed at 11:30.
Monday, September 3: NO SCHOOL, Memorial Day
Tuesday, September 4: Kindergarten students will be dismissed at 11:30.
Wednesday, September 5: Our first FULL day of Kindergarten.
