Helpful Information for Parents of Beginning Kindergarten Students

School Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

  1. A letter will be sent to you in June indicating the name of your child’s teacher and room number. A bus tag with your child’s bus number(s) and stop will be provided in August. This tag should be worn for the first week of school and then kept in your child’s backpack for the entire year.
  2. Please notify the school office (668-3760) before the second week of June regarding any home address or day care changes. The Transportation Department should be notified of any of these changes after the school office closes for the Summer. Their phone number is (612) 668-2300. Informing them of changes during the Summer will give them more accurate information for the first day of school.
  3. Emergency cards must be filled out and kept current in order for us to contact you if your child becomes ill during the day or if an emergency occurs.
  4. If you did not turn in your child’s medical forms, please have the doctor fill them out and mail them immediately to school in care of the nurse. Hale’s address is 1220 East 54th Street, Minneapolis 55417.
  5. Attending school may be a big adjustment for your child. We suggest that you help by making sure your child gets between ten and twelve hours of sleep each night when he/she attends school. If your child will not be attending school, please call the Attendance Office at (612) 668-3765 before 8:00 a.m. on each day of the absence. The absence will be listed as unexcused if we do not hear from you.
  6. Tardies: If your child arrives at school late, he/she must check into the office for a tardy pass before going to the classroom.
  7. Please show your child the safest route to school. Walking over the route on a few occasions would be helpful. Encourage your child to be in the company of others when walking to and from school. As a safety precaution, your child should arrive at school while the patrols are on duty.
  8. We suggest that you accompany your child to his/her bus corner the first week or two. School staff are outside each morning to make sure all busses arrive and that children come into the building safely. The Transportation Department requires students to be at their assigned corner five minutes before the scheduled pick up time. Be aware that busses may run very late the first week of school as the students and bus drivers learn the route.
  9. Several children have similar articles of clothing. It is very important that you label all clothing and mark books, mittens, boots, etc.
  10. Tennis Shoes: Each child is required to wear tennis shoes in the gym. It would be helpful if children could be taught to tie their shoes as it is very difficult for teachers to take time to tie 26 pair of tennis shoes in preparation for physical education.
  11. Breakfast is free for all students and is served beginning at 7:15 a.m. Students should report directly to the breakfast room if they are eating breakfast at school. Watch for information in August on how to pay for school lunches. Information can also be found on the district website at http://nutritionservices.mpls.k12.mn.us/