Kindergarten August Newsletter 20l3-14

Bus tags: All students riding a bus should wear their transportation tags to and from school through August 23rd. This aids the bus drivers in getting to know the students and ensures they get on the right bus and off at the correct stop. If your child rides a bus, please make sure that your child wears or brings their bus tags every single day through August 23rd.

Allergies: Please let me know if your child has any allergies and what actions or medications are necessary if they are exposed to the allergen. Please put a note in your child’s Home Folder the first day of school to notify me of any allergies so that I can be aware of any possible issues right away.

Attendance: Please try to have your child at school every day they are scheduled to attend Kindergarten. Kindergarten has changed a lot over the years, and the children are learning something new every day at school. Skills taught one day are the foundation for the skills taught the next day, with each day’s learning adding to what has been learned before. Of course, if your child is not feeling well, just call and let the secretary know. Parents are allowed to authorize 5 absences per semester. After that point we need a doctor’s note or the absence will be unexcused even if your child is ill. It is wise to get a doctor’s note any time your child sees a doctor when school is missed. That way you can “save” the parent authorized absences for illnesses that do not require a visit to the doctor.

Backpacks: Make sure your child’s backpack is large enough to hold a 9”x12” folder. Also, it is helpful if you write your child’s first and last name somewhere inside the backpack.

Behavior and Discipline: Our district uses Positive Behavior Support (PBS). Please refer to the PBS information sheet that was sent home in your school packet. Don’t worry, the kindergarten students will have an opportunity to learn and practice the system before we “put it into action.” We will discuss the system, learn the rules and consequences and even role play positive behavior. Thus there will be a few days to settle into our routine before we use the behavior system.

Birthdays: Birthdays are important days to the students! If you would like to send in a food item, it should be pre-packaged and have an ingredient list included. If your child wanted to give something to his/her classmates you could send in a small item for your child to give to each student in the class. Pencils, super-bounce balls or other small party-favor type items are ideal as the children enjoy them and they are inexpensive. Another option would be to donate a book to the classroom library in your child’s honor. Often the children enjoy sharing their favorite book and having it in the classroom library makes it even more special. Please contact me a week before your child’s birthday and let me know your plans. As students can move into or out of the district mid-year, this allows me to give you the current number of children in the class as well as to finalize my plans for that day. We will recognize some summer birthdays at the beginning of the year and some at the end of the year.

Invitations: Invitations to events (birthday parties, sleep-overs or any other activities) may NOT be passed out at school unless every child in the class is invited. This prevents hurt feelings and there will be no exceptions.

Book orders: Your child will have the opportunity to order books from the Scholastic Book Club. Watch for order forms to come. The PTO also hosts book sales during the year.

Clothing: Refer to Conger’s student handbook for the specific dress code policy. Please do not send your child in open toed or open heeled shoes. If Crocs are worn the strap must go across the back of the heel. Also, gym shoes are required on the days when we have Physical Education. (Please see the Specials Schedule section to see which day your child will have Physical Education.)

Toys and Silly Bands: Toys are not allowed to be brought to school. This rule also applies to all the cards that children collect (Pokemon, Magic, Digimon, etc.). There is too great a chance for these items to get lost or be damaged. Silly Bands are also not allowed in the classroom. They are easy to lose, to trade (and then want back) and it is impossible to tell whose is really whose.

Conferences: There are two parent/teacher conferences during the year. Typically they occur in late fall and mid-winter. You will receive more information about these when the time nears.

Contacting me: I can be reached by email at bikli@delawarecity schools.net or by phone during the morning at the school number, 740-833-1300, ext. 2319 You can also put a note in your child’s Home Folder and I will call you as soon as I can. While I will get the note right when class starts, the school day is often very busy, so it will most likely be after 3:30 before I can call you.

Note: Please DO NOT send me an email if you need to change how your child will be going home that day. There is no guarantee that I will be able to check my email before dismissal. Please call and have the office let me know or send a written note if you must change your child’s “going home” routine. If I am not notified about a change in dismissal plans I will have to send them home the regular way.

Curriculum Night: As of now, I do not have the date of Curriculum Night but will let you know as soon as it is scheduled. This night is aimed at adults and so is not very “child-friendly.” If possible, please make other arrangements for your child during this time. The evening will primarily be discussing the units studied during Kindergarten, explaining the behavior system and answering questions about the curriculum. As such, it is not the time to discuss issues concerning your child. Please call or email me to set up a time where we can discuss such matters privately.

Fees: Please contact the office if you have questions about school fees. Please note that this year you do not automatically qualify to have your school fees waived even in you qualify for free/reduced lunches. There is a separate part of the form (Part 5) to fill out so you can have your fees waived. Please contact the office if you have any questions about school fees or the free/reduced lunch application.

Grade cards: Grade cards are sent home twice in Kindergarten. The first time is in January and the second time is in June. However we will be able to discuss your

child’s progress at the October and February conferences. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns at any time!

Home Folders: The school will provide a folder that your child will bring home every day. This folder needs to come back to school every day. This folder is used to send home completed work as well as homework. This folder is where you should send any notes that you would like me to see.

I do not check backpacks but will remind the students to turn in their Home Folders. Please check your child’s Home Folder each and every evening,and return it to school each and every day.

Newsletter and Homework: Newsletters and homework are an important link between your child’s school life and his/her home life. I will send them home monthly.I will begin giving homework around mid-September. There are usually two items for the students to work on: a math activity, and a literacy activity. The newsletter and homework will also be posted on my website.

Specials schedule:

Monday – Library

Tuesday – Art

Wed. – Music

Thurs. – Physical Education

School hours: Students are considered tardy if they arrive after the second bell at 8:45. You must sign in your child at the office if he/she arrives after 8:45 unless they are tardy due to a school bus being late. The dismissal bell will ring at 3:00 and the walkers/pick-ups will be dismissed at the door on Winter Street. You must park your car along the curb before your child will be allowed to walk over to you. No student will be permitted to walk into the street to meet a car that is simply stopped in the lane of traffic. Students riding a bus will be walked to the bus when it arrives. Students going to SACC are walked to the cafeteria.

Breakfast: Breakfast is served at the school from 8:20 until 8:45. There is a $1.50 charge for breakfast. The free/reduced plan also applies to breakfast with it costing 30 cents on the reduced plan. I have no way of knowing if your child ate at home. So if your child tells me they need to go to breakfast, I will allow them to go. Your child is to eat in the cafeteria and then come to class by 8:45. If your child arrives after 8:40, they will get a breakfast to bring to the room. They will be given a short time to eat and then will join in the activities for the day.

Lunch:Lunch is served at school and students may pack a lunch and drink, pack a lunch and purchase milk, or purchase a full lunch. If a full lunch is purchased students may get the hot lunch offered, or may substitute a peanut butter-jelly sandwich for the entrée portion of the lunch. A full lunch costs $2.50 regardless of which entrée they choose. The cost on the reduced plan is 40 cents. Milk costs 50 cents.

Snack: Everyday I will give the children an opportunity to have a healthy snack. For the three days of school I will provide the snack, but after that I ask that you send something for your child. This healthy snack needs to be something that can easily be brought to school and not require utensils. Some examples are baked goldfish, pretzels, grapes, cut vegetables, raisins, fruit or a cheese stick. Please do not send a drink with your child. We have a water fountain in the room they have access to all day.

Volunteers: I use parent volunteers in a variety of ways. One way to help is at school, while I run small groups. They may help students working independently during that time or they might run copies, change bulletin boards or do other routine tasks that keep the classroom functioning. Another way to help is working

at home to prepare certain crafts. We also need parents to help with field trips and class parties.

Again, please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions. There is nothing that is worth worrying over – simply call or email me so that we can discuss your concern and I can set your mind at ease. Thank you for allowing me to work with your child this year!