August 11, 2008
Dear KW Parents,
Welcome to kindergarten at Holy Rosary Academy! I am very excited to be working with your children and am looking forward to a wonderful year with them. The purpose of this letter is to introduce myself to you by telling you a little about myself and to mention a few important items that will help get our year together off to a smooth start. Please keep this for future reference this year, as questions may arise. I like to refer to it as my “Kindergarten Bible” J
ABOUT THE TEACHER...My name is Patty White and I am originally from Tampa, Florida. I am proud to say that I have been teaching kindergarten at Holy Rosary Academy for nineteen years! In addition, I taught Kindergarten for four years in Michigan, first grade for three years in Florida and have also worked with preschoolers in the Federal Head Start program. I received a BA in Early Childhood / Elementary Education from the University of South Florida and have done graduate work in the same area at Western Michigan University. I am married and we have two grown sons and one granddaughter, age four. We love to use our boat docked on Old Hickory Lake, swim, fish and spend time together as a family, as well as our extended families in Florida. We are members of St. Stephen’s Catholic Community.
SCHOOL & CLASSROOM CALENDARS.... In addition to the HRA school calendar you received at registration, each month you will receive a “KW” monthly calendar in your child’s BEACH book (in the calendar section). In addition, I will send a weekly newsletter informing you of what we are learning that week, special dates to remember, special days, special events, field trips, show and tell dates, etc. Please keep all monthly calendars and refer to BOTH of these calendars for important dates/information.
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL.... School begins each day at 7:45 A.M. The children are expected to be in their rooms and ready to begin their day at that time. Children arriving at school after 7:45 are considered tardy, must be signed in at the office and receive a tardy slip from the office to be admitted to class. Our tardy/early check-out policy at Holy Rosary is strictly enforced to reduce the amount of classroom disruptions and loss of important class time, so please review it carefully when you receive your Family Handbook and Directory. Children may arrive between 7:15 and 7:30, and all K/1st students go to the meeting room in our K/1st wing for central supervision until 7:30 at which time they are dismissed to their classrooms. Between 7:30 and 7:45, they may go directly to their classrooms. For the first few days only, while the children are becoming familiar with the building, kindergarten parents may park and walk your children to the room, if necessary. After the first few days we ask that you drop them off in the morning lanes of traffic and have them walk to the classroom on their own to encourage and develop their independence. There will always be older students/staff there to open the doors for them and walk with them to their classroom, if necessary.
School dismisses each day at 3:00 P.M. however, we do offer “Early Dismissal” for kindergarten and first grade students only (who are not in a carpool with older students). They may be picked up at our back parking lot at 2:45 P.M. The children who remain until 3:00 for regular dismissal in the front or go to ESCAPE (after care program) will have S.S.R. (Sustained Silent Reading) time with their teachers from 2:45-2:55. For our regular 3:00 dismissal, the children are escorted to the front parking lot to be picked up there, or if they are to attend ESCAPE, our after care program, they will be taken to the dining hall. Please let me know if your child will go to after care, early dismissal in the back at 2:45 or regular dismissal in the front at 3:00. The children are taught to look for their cars or the person waving from their car. They must stay in line with the teachers on duty until they see the person picking them up. Parents may walk up to find their child for the first few days, but after that they are expected to wait behind the line nearer to the cars. If your child does not see you and proceed to your car and the whistle blows and traffic begins moving again, you must return to your car without your child, drive around and come back into the parking lot to get them on the next round. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY THE CHILDREN LEAVE THEIR TEACHERS AND GO TO THEIR PARENTS WHEN TRAFFIC HAS BEGUN MOVING. STUDENTS MAY ONLY BE LOADED FROM THE PARKING LOT (not the street in front of the building, or across the street). THIS IS A POLICY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN. Please be patient for the first few days UNTIL everyone will become accustomed to the parking lot procedures during arrival and dismissal. You will have until 3:20 to pick up your child. At 3:20 we return to the foyer by the dining hall where they are signed in for late pick-up. You will then need to come in for them, sign them out and you will be assessed a late pick-up charge.
On 11:30 dismissal Fridays once a month (see calendar), early dismissal in the back will be at 11:15. Whatever the dismissal time, early dismissal is always 15 minutes prior to that time.
On rainy days, we will look out the door for parents in the parking lot and send the children out to you. If the children do not see you, they will remain in the building with a teacher and watch for you from the windows of the dining hall downstairs. Please hold umbrellas up high enough that we can see who you are to send your child out the door when we see you J Any questions…please ask!
ABSENCES…. Parents are asked to call the school between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m. if your child will be absent. On the DAY of their return, an excuse note (reason for absence) is required after EACH ABSENCE, to be kept on file. The note must include: date, reason for the absence, parent signature, phone number and name of child. A doctor's note is required after three consecutive days of absence in addition to the parent note. Email notes for absences can not be accepted, they must be in writing, signed by the parent. For one day's absence, the make up work will be given to the child the day of return. For two or more day's absence, you may contact the office by 10:00 a.m. for work to be picked up after dismissal or sent home with a sibling. Please refer to the family handbook for full details of the school policy. Because of the nature of our kindergarten curriculum and program, it is not always possible to send make-up work home. It is especially important for children this age to be in school and hear/participate in the lesson of the skill being taught. Hands on experiences are so very important for kindergartners! Please try to schedule doctor’s appointments, etc. when we are not in school and do not schedule vacation times during scheduled school days. Thank you!
SNACK.... (Snack is optional) Each afternoon after rest time the children will have the opportunity to have a nutritious snack (fruit, crackers, dry cereal, etc.) which has been brought from home, during their centers time. Please be sure that their snack can be handled as independently as possible. Please, no drinks or candy for snack time. They may use the water fountain after snack.
LUNCH.... Kindergarten students go to lunch each day from 10:45-11:15, except on 11:30 dismissal Fridays, when we do not have lunch at school. The dining hall staff provides a lunch menu every two weeks with menus, cost of daily lunches, cost of meal tickets, milk, etc. Meal tickets (which include milk) or milk tickets (for those bringing lunch that wish to buy milk), should be purchased at the beginning of the week. Tickets can be carried over if your child does not use it every day. Whether you are sending money for a meal ticket, a daily lunch, etc. please send it to school with your child in an envelope with your child’s name, amount, and what it is for clearly marked on the front. We ask that they are prepared to handle the items in their lunchbox as independently as possible. Children may purchase hot lunches at school or are welcome to bring their lunch from home. Parents are welcome to come to school to have lunch with their children from time to time, but we ask that you not do this during the first month of school to help them adjust to their lunch routine and help reduce any separation anxiety. Please send a note with your child on the day you are coming so that you can be included in the daily lunch count we are required to send to the dining hall. Parents are welcome to order lunch from the dining hall or bring lunch from home, but we do have a policy that no fast food can be brought into the dining hall.
LUNCH ON SMALL GROUP ORIENTATION DAY:
On your child’s orientation day, your child may bring his/her lunch or buy a hot lunch in the dining hall. We will orient the children to our lunch procedures and teach them how we go through the line, pick up milk and/or trays, pay the cashier, where straws and napkins are, where our class will sit, how we clean up, etc. We hope to “ease any lunch time anxieties” by doing this gradually in the small groups! The teachers always stay in the dining hall during lunch and spend as much time as we can helping to get things opened, etc. before we sit down nearby to eat our own lunch. We are happy to help open things, but would appreciate your help if possible, by teaching your child ahead of time how “things work or open” that might be in their lunch box. This will give them more time to eat and less time “becoming anxious” about not being able to independently do it “on their own”. Lunch at school with a group vs. lunch at home or at preschool is a big transition for the children and we hope to make it as anxiety-free as possible!
LUNCH RECESS.... Teachers and/or aides supervise the children during lunchtime and for their fifteen-minute recess outdoors after lunch. We DO go outdoors for recess every day except in inclement weather…Please be sure that your child comes to school with the necessary clothing for outdoor play (sweaters, jackets, coats, etc.)
BATHROOM BREAKS…We take a bathroom and water break each morning and again right after recess. We encourage the children to make use of these breaks so as not to have to ask too many times during the day, missing class and lunch time. Many times, when the children “do not want to eat their lunch” they ask to go to the bathroom in lieu of eating, so we are very firm about using their lunch time to eat, and not getting up to go to the bathroom unnecessarily. We understand of course, that there are sometimes emergencies, which we will accommodate in the small bathrooms between the classrooms or the bathrooms near the dining hall. Please make sure that your child can handle as much of their clothing as possible independently. It makes them feel so proud when they can put their clothes back together after using the bathroom! All of their new uniform parts (belts, zippers, snaps/fasteners on shorts and pants, buttons, shoelaces, etc. are very new to them and they will need practice with mom and dad to learn to handle them.
EXTRA CLOTHING.... We ask that you send an extra uniform or change of clothes to be kept at school in case of an accident (shirt, pants or shorts, underwear, socks). Please keep in mind that sometimes other accidents occur besides bathroom accidents, such as spilled food, mud puddles at recess, etc. Their extra clothing might be older clothes (as close to uniform colors as possible to avoid embarrassment if they need to change) that are not needed at home because they are to be kept at school. Please place the items in a large zip-lok bag with your child’s name on the outside. This really helps in an emergency situation. Teachers will assist the children with "wet" accidents, but for any other bathroom accidents (B.M.), you will be called to come and take your child home for necessary cleansing. The child may return the following day. This is for health and sanitary reasons and to save your child from any further embarrassment.
BIRTHDAYS.... Birthdays are special days! If you would like to send a special treat for our snack time on your child’s birthday, you are welcome to do so. Please send it or bring it to our classroom the morning of their birthday, before school and please send napkins, as well. For those children with summer birthdays or birthdays during holidays and school vacations, we will choose another day to celebrate! Enclosed in their B.E.A.C.H. book is our KW birthday schedule with the dates we will celebrate each child’s birthday at school (in the “class lists” section). I ask that birthday treats be simple (a cupcake, cookie, brownie, etc.) and again, as at snack time, no drinks, please. We’ll always use the water fountains afterwards. You will also be invited to come and have lunch with your child on the day we celebrate their birthday and also to read a story to the class either before lunch (10:30-10:40), or if your child does not go upstairs for early dismissal at 2:45, to read during SSR before regular dismissal (2:45-2:55), if you have a Diocesan Profile Form on file in the office. (On 11:30 dismissal Fridays, SSR reading time will be 11:15-11:25).
“ALL ABOUT ME” RECOGNITION.... During the year, each child will be featured on our “All About Me” bulletin board. I will assign each child a week to be featured and this schedule is also in your child’s B.E.A.C.H. book in the “class lists” section. You will receive information several weeks prior to your child’s week asking you to send in pictures, mementos, favorite things, etc. to be displayed and help your child fill out the special “interview” form about their favorite things, to be returned to me.
EXTRA CLASSES AND TEACHERS.... We will have several “extra teachers" and classes this year that you will probably hear about from your children....
PE - Mrs. Malmin and Mrs. Mascari (daily)
MUSIC- Mrs. Melton (once a week)
LIBRARY- Mrs. McGowan and Mrs. Schroder (once a week)
COMPUTER- Mrs. Helbling (once a week)
SPANISH – Ms. Walker (once a week)
ART - Parent volunteers (once a month)
In addition, we have on staff a full time guidance counselor, Ms. Romley, who will be available for individual referrals at any time. In addition, she will conduct classroom visits with the children to teach important topics such as feelings, friends, personal safety, etc.
In addition two of the kindergarten teachers, Mrs. McCabe and I, will rotate for Religion and Science classes, usually visiting each class twice a week. I will teach Religion to both my class and Mrs. McCabe’s class and Mrs. McCabe will teach Science to both her class and mine. We will each teach our own class for the subjects of Math, Reading and Social Studies.
FIELD TRIPS….
The kindergarten classes take five field trips together this year:
Walden Farm in Smyrna - October 14, 2008
Traveller’s Rest Plantation - December 2, 2008
The Nashville Children’s Theatre -December 12, 2008 (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”)
The Nashville Children’s Theatre - April 7, 2009 (“Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse”)
and the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere on May 27, 2009
We travel by chartered buses and all field trips will be chaperoned by the teachers, unless it is a trip where we need one or two extra chaperones, to be determined at the discretion of the teachers. Our policy is that parents do not attend field trips with their child in order to help develop their independence and social interaction/development with their peers and teachers. We appreciate your cooperation with this policy for your child’s benefit. Permission forms and information about fees will come home 2-3 weeks prior to each field trip. Your child is required to have a signed permission form for each field trip.
COMMUNICATION....
Weekly Communication: For the beginning of the year, each Friday the oldest or only child in each family will bring home the FRIDAY COMMUNICATION FOLDER from the office. The folder will have important communications from the office about calendar changes, upcoming events, menus every two weeks and other important information. Please read and keep all communications from this folder. Sign the folder and return it with your child the following MONDAY for the next week’s communications.
**Notification will be given by the office when the folders will no longer be sent home. At that time, all information will be available on-line.
Each Monday in their B.E.A.C.H. book (or the first day we return from a long weekend), your child will bring home a Weekly Newsletter for our classroom telling what we are learning that week, what is going on in our classroom and what to expect for the week ahead. Please initial the top of each newsletter that comes home each week.
Daily Communication:
Your child will have a “B.E.A.C.H. Book” to carry to and from school each day. B.E.A.C.H. is an acronym for BRING EVERYDAY: ASSIGNMENTS, COMMUNICATION & HOMEWORK.
This three-ring binder will contain all of the papers, notes and communication necessary for home and school. Each night please check the folders, review the day’s behavior and work with your child, initial the day on the behavior calendar and return the book to school with your child the following morning. They will be responsible for bringing it with them when they arrive and may qualify for a homework award each semester for remembering to bring it everyday with no more than six “OOPS, I Forgot my B.E.A.C.H. book” each semester (see Awards sheet for more details).
There will also be a zippered pocket to send money back and forth to school, as well. Please remember that all money coming to school needs to be in an envelope marked on the outside with your child’s name, the amount and what the money is for (lunch, field trip, etc.)
After you have looked over the work and discussed it with your child, please keep the work at home. Your child should bring their HRA tote bag to carry belongings, including their B.E.A.C.H. book to and from school each day.
ART & SHOW AND TELL.... We will have parent-led art projects (which you can sign up for) and Show and Tell on alternating Fridays each month as noted on our monthly class calendars.
Parents will select and plan the art projects and bring the supplies needed (always ask us ahead of time, as we have some items such as construction paper, tempera paint, liquid and solid glue, etc. available here at school). We do have an art curriculum with certain objectives to be taught/practiced, which you can look over to get ideas for the projects. We would love to have projects that can be displayed in the hallway, as this is so very important to the children to have their art displayed for all to see!
For Show & Tell Fridays please encourage your child to bring things to school that they are prepared to tell about and share with their classmates. Toys are not permitted at school except on Show and Tell days. Your child may also bring books, records, tapes, etc… that are appropriate for the class at any time. No comic books, please. Please be sure that all items coming to school are clearly marked with names, including sweaters, jackets, raincoats, etc. Many are identical and lost items are much easier to return to the owners if marked with names.
VOLUNTEERING AT HOLY ROSARY… ALL people (moms, dads, grandparents, other relatives, friends, etc.) who wish to volunteer in the classroom or school in any way must have the required and current DIOCESAN PROFILE FORM completed and on file in the school office. This would include art projects, reading on birthdays, party participation, field trip chaperoning, clinic, library & office volunteers, and any other activities with the students. YOUNGER SIBLINGS MAY NOT ACCOMPANY YOU WHEN YOU ARE VOLUNTEERING IN THE CLASSROOM OR SCHOOL, PLEASE. If you have not completed a form, and wish to do so, they are available in the school office. Forms must be completed ahead of time and entered into the school computer before one can participate. The forms may not be brought in the day you wish to participate/volunteer, please. THIS IS A POLICY OF THE DIOCESE OF NASHVILLE.
REST TIME.... We do have a kindergarten rest time each day in the afternoon for about 45 minutes to one hour. A thin, foldable rest mat is necessary and you may send a small pillow and cover if desired. Beach towels work great as coversJ. The children are not required to go to sleep, but are expected to rest quietly, without disturbing others. We ask that favorite stuffed “friends” be left at home, now that they are in kindergarten.
SUPPLIES…During the year, I might send home a note asking you to replenish any supplies in your child's workbox that need replacing (glue sticks, crayons, etc.). Please do not send in any items that are not on the kindergarten supply list (such as pencil sharpeners, extra erasers, etc.) and also, please follow the original supply list requests when replenishing items (for example, Crayola brand crayons in the original primary colors, not “Neon” or “Tropical” colors – this makes it very difficult for your child to find the correct colors to do their work with).
MASS.... The kindergarten classes will be attending mass with the primary grades every Wednesday morning beginning September 3rd. We will also begin attending the all school mass on Thursday mornings the following week. Mass begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. We must take care of “school business” first, so it is very important that your child arrive on time. We will visit the church before we begin attending mass, when they will meet Father Hunt who will speak to them about attending mass as a classroom group.
S.S.R. - SUSTAINED SILENT READING- (Teacher reads in K).... For those students who stay until 3:00 dismissal, our primary grades engage in S.S.R. from 2:45-2:55 P.M. Please conduct all school business including phone calls/messages prior to this time, so that S.S.R. time is not disturbed.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES AND REPORT CARDS.... We will have a required parent-teacher conference in the fall (November 3) and an optional conference in the spring if needed by parent or teacher...please mark this date on your calendar and do not schedule family vacations at this time. Kindergarten report cards will begin at the end of the second nine-week grading period in January, and again after the third and final grading periods. Please feel free to contact me at anytime if you need to discuss anything and I will do the same. An open line of communication is very important to me and I hope to you, as well.
AWARDS… Along with daily praise and weekly trips to the treasure box, at the end of each semester (approximately 12 weeks) there will be an AWARDS ceremony conducted by Mrs. Hart, our principal, in the gym (dates/times are on calendars). For each of the two semesters, in Jan. & May), kindergarten students can earn the "Citizenship" award based on their weekly behavior grades and the "100% Homework" award based on their record of returning their BEACH book and spelling homework (which begins in January). See AWARDS IN KINDERGARTEN note for more details!
COMMUNICATING WITH THE TEACHER… Anytime you need to contact me, please feel free to send a note with your child, phone me at school and leave a message, (voice mail #326), or an e-mail (whitep@holyrosary.edu) and I will respond to you as soon as possible. Please keep in mind that the majority of the day I am with the children and may not be able to respond immediately. If there is something personal or confidential you wish to discuss about your child, I will be happy to discuss it over the phone or in person. Our school e-mail policy prevents me from communicating personal or behavioral issues via e-mail.
DISCIPLINE PLAN...also in your child’s B.E.A.C.H. book is a copy of our Kindergarten Discipline Plan, which we use for positive and effective classroom management. Please read, sign and return the “agreement” page (found in the “Between Home and School” pocket to me as soon as possible (preferably by 8/22/08). Please leave the discipline plan in the behavior section to use as future reference, if necessary.
And finally, I hope this information will answer many questions that you might have about kindergarten. Please keep this as reference to refer to during the year as questions may come up.
Please talk to your child about going to school, and the importance of what they will be learning each day. Talk positively about school and encourage your child to talk with you about their activities each day. Your interest will play an important part in your child’s learning success and positive and happy experience in school!
I am looking forward to getting to know each of you as I work with your children during the year and especially, to make sure their kindergarten year is off to a happy and positive start! I am excited about a great year together!
Sincerely,
Patty White
Holy Rosary Academy, Kindergarten
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