Welcome to Kindergarten
Your child’s Kindergarten year is here! I am excited to have the opportunity to teach your child this year and to partner with you in their learning experience! I am looking forward to a wonderful year full of academic and social growth. The following is information about my class.
First Week of School
Parents are welcomed and encouraged to visit the classroom throughout the year. Please contact me beforehand if you’d like to visit. Also, to make an easy transition into Kindergarten, we ask that car riders be encouraged and allowed to walk to their classroom on their own. It is very difficult for all involved when parents are in the classroom during the first week of school, especially for those students that are struggling to transition into a new class away from mom and dad. Faculty and staff are positioned in the hallways and throughout the school to assist students upon arrival. If you would like to visit the classroom, please contact me. I always welcome an extra set of hands!
Attendance
Instruction begins promptly at 7:55 a.m. If your child is a car rider, please have them here no later than 7:45 a.m. This gives your child time to unpack their bookbag, turn in their homework, and make their lunch choice before the bell rings. Also, if your child is a car rider and will be eating breakfast in the school cafeteria, please have your child at school at 7:35 a.m.
Monday Folder
Monday folders contain graded work and projects from the previous week, as well as school notes and information. Please review the enclosed work and have your child tell you about the things he or she has been learning. Your interest will encourage your child to do their best in school. Please sign the folder and return it back to school the next day.
Homework Folder
Your child will bring home their homework folder several times a week. Please assist your child as they complete the homework and return it with their folder the next day. I will check his or her folder first thing each morning. The purpose of homework is to reinforce skills we are working on, along with teaching responsibility. I encourage you to enjoy this time to spend with your child and encourage them as they are working. Five to ten minutes is developmentally appropriate and should be sufficient to work each night on homework.
Lunch Money
Please send any money for the cafeteria in a Ziploc baggie or envelope labeled with your child’s name (ex. Jane Doe, Lunch Account). If you are sending money for the week, please send it in on Monday. An online lunch account payment service is also available.
Snack
We will have snack time in the afternoon. Please pack a small nutritious snack that your child can finish in five minutes. Juice boxes and plastic bottles are not allowed, due to spills and sticky messes. You may send a “thermos” style water bottle with your child that he or she can securely close independently (no plastic water bottles.) If you choose to send a thermos, only water is allowed. Also, we have a water fountain in the room that your child will have access to throughout the day and at snack time. If you put your child’s snack in his or her lunchbox, please discuss with your child what is for lunch and what is for snack.
Birthday Celebrations
In compliance with the Bedford County Wellness Policy, we will not be able to have birthday parties. I will recognize each child on his or her birthday.
Dress Code
Safety is important! Please note the dress code found at the BCPS website. Reminder: students must wear shoes with backs. No backless shoes will be allowed. (flip flops, slip-ons) In Kindergarten, we are always moving! Please dress your child in comfortable clothes and shoes each day. Students must have proper shoes (shoes with rubber soles) for P.E. and recess or they will not be allowed to participate.
Volunteers
We welcome volunteers! If you would like to volunteer, please contact me or look for the volunteer sign-up sheet in your child’s Monday folder. This year, we will need a “Room Mom” and a list of parents our room mom can call for help.
Notes
If your child is not going to be following his or her normal daily dismissal routine, please send in a note that morning indicating the change. I will note the change and send the note to the office.
Office Check-in/Check-out
Remember to have your driver’s license with you whenever you check into the office.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns throughout the year. Good communication is key to a wonderful educational experience. You may call me at school 586-9210 or email me at [email protected].
I look forward to an exciting year with your child!
Mrs. Hogan
2019-2020