Start of School
From Wednesday, September 7th through Friday, September 9th, the Kindergarten class will be dismissed at 12:00. The children line up at 7:50 for the first bell. For this first week the children will bring a healthy snack and a drink (not a lunch), as they will be leaving at noon.
Schedule
Beginning September 12, 2011, the Kindergarten class will follow our regular schedule.
Regular hours for Kindergarten: 7:55â3:00
Children line up at 7:50 for the first bell.
School dismisses at 1:45 on Thursday.
Arrival
When the Kindergarten children arrive at school they should sit on the playground benches in front of the classroom. The children will be supervised by a 'bench parent' until called to line. The children should not run around on the playground before school. Please help your child be on time and sit on the benches before class begins.
Dismissal
The class will be walked through the playground and down the driveway hill to the O'Malley Hall entrance. Please enter the lot on Grandview to pick up your child at dismissal time. Please check the dismissal procedures in the Parent Handbook. Thank you for following our school safety rules. Parents and caregivers may pick their children up at the bench if they prefer to walk in to meet their children.
Please do not walk your children through the parking lot.
They will wait for you to be at the front of the line and we will put the kiddos in their car seats.
Rainy Day Dismissal
If it is raining hard at dismissal time, we will go through the Pac Hall and be dismissed from the Pac Hall door at the church driveway.
Late Pick-up
If you are unavoidably detained, please call the school office. The office personnel will inform me. Your child will wait for you in the school office if you haven't arrived by the end of our pick-up line.
Schedule Changes
When we have a change in our dismissal time or any other schedule change due to field trips, days off or special school events, please notify the person(s) (grandparents, nannies, babysitter, family, friends, etc.) in charge of picking up your child.
Art Shirts
Please send an oversized shirt the first week of school and label the shirt with your child's name. Your child will need a shirt large enough to completely cover his/her uniform (to the knees). Please cut extra long sleeves so that the shirt is more comfortable and practical. The 'cover-up' shirt must be one you don't plan on using again! Please send a large labeled plastic bag to store the shirt. Please do not send the shirt in a Ziploc storage bag, as they are very difficult for young children to use. I will send them home periodically to be washed and returned.
Labeling Uniforms
Please label all items of your child's uniform clothing with his/her name. Please label all lunch boxes, backpacks, school sweats, etc. with his/her full name as well.
Birthdays
We enjoy celebrating students' birthdays. Please see me a week or more in advance to plan your child's birthday treat day. Our birthday celebrations consist of birthday snacks or treats, drinks and party paper goods only (PLEASE: No goodie bags, gifts, decorations, etc.). If you would like to celebrate your child's July, August or September birthday in class, please let me know as soon as possible, so we can plan a date. If your child is having a birthday party and you would like to send invitations, they may be sent home in the Kindergarten envelope only if all the children in the class are invited or all girls or all boys. This is only allowed in the Kindergarten class.
Parent Helper / Field Trips
Your assistance and support in the classroom and on field trips is greatly appreciated.
Please note younger siblings cannot accompany parents when they are helpers in the classroom or on any Kindergarten field trip.
Supplies
We request that each child donate 2 rolls of paper towels and six glue sticks (or more) the first week of school for the first semester. For the second semester I will remind you of a second donation of paper towels and additional glue sticks. The more the better! We also ask for donations of Tacky Glue and tissues the first week of school. Throughout the year I will request donations of art supplies for special projects (Halloween, Christmas, Easter, etc.). Please see the Kindergarten Supply List for donation ideas.
Family Envelope
Please complete and return the paperwork in the Family Envelope as soon as possible.
The Family Envelope is sent home from the school office at the beginning of each week and must be returned to the office the following day.
Kindergarten Envelope
Each child will receive a large Kindergarten envelope on the first day of school. Class assignments, papers, projects, office correspondence, the weekly Kindergarten newsletter and teacher/parent communications are sent home in this envelope. All homework, school forms, parent notes to me or the office must be returned in this envelope. The Kindergarten envelope should be brought to school each day. This system is very successful in preventing lost papers in transit to and from school.
Please help your child remember to bring his/her Kindergarten envelope to class every day.
Newsletter
A weekly class newsletter goes home each Friday to tell you of the activities our class enjoyed during the week, and to keep you updated on upcoming events. Our 'Assignments for the Week' page will go home on Monday.
This information will be on line on the Kindergarten website.
Uniforms
Please note the first day of school is not a free dress day for the Kindergarten classes. Uniforms are required on Wednesday, September 7th. St. Rita has a 'Free Dress Day' on occasion. Guidelines for appropriate non-uniform dress days are in the Parent Handbook, and notices will be sent to you for these days.
The uniform shorts with the uniform shirt tucked in, may be worn on any uniform day with parental guidance. Let common sense and the weather decide if it should be a shorts day. The long pants, jumper and skorts are always allowed, with the uniform shirt neatly tucked in. Belts are required with pants or shorts.
P.E. Uniforms
Kindergartners have Physical Education with the primary Physical Education teacher on Mondays and Wednesdays. Tennis shoes or sneakers must be worn on those days throughout the school year for participation in P.E. activities. The P.E. uniform (shorts and shirt) may be worn to school on P.E. days only. The children in grades K - 3 may keep their P.E. uniform on throughout the day after P.E. class and will not be required to change back into their regular uniform. P.E. uniforms are not allowed during the rest of the week. P.E. will begin on Monday, September 12, 2011.
Pets
Pets are welcome to come to school for 'Sharing' or when your child is 'Super Kid' (information to follow). Please let me know ahead of time when an animal will be visiting our classroom. Pets need to go home after being shared unless they are in a tank or cage.
Sharing
Each child will be assigned his/her own Sharing Day. Please help your child remember his/her sharing day as part of our homework. Sharing assignments may include: bring something that begins with the 'letter of the week', two objects that are opposites or rhyme, a news story, a favorite book, something your child has made or sharing facts about a special topic, (i.e. animals, volcanoes, the ocean, or the rain forest). The assignment or theme for the following week's sharing will be sent home in Friday's newsletter, so that you can plan ahead. Please remember each child can only bring one item for sharing because of time constraints. Toy weapons or objects of violence are never allowed for sharing or any other occasion. Your child's sharing day will be sent home soon. This will be his/her sharing day for the year. On occasion all the children will bring their sharing on the same day. We will let you know ahead of time when we will have Super Sharing Day.
Letter of the Week
Each week we will focus on one letter of the alphabet. During the week we will do various art, science, and cooking projects, participate in music and movement activities, play learning games and make puppets and projects that begin with the 'letter of the week.' The children may need to bring in items or pictures that begin with the letter or other related items (i.e. rhyming, opposites, news etc.).
Story Journals
The children will be given a topic at the beginning of the week and a story page as part of their homework assignment. Please spend time with your child, listen and write down the story exactly as he/she tells you on the Story Page. Your child will illustrate the story at the bottom of the page each week. These stories will always be due on the last school day of the week for our 'Cozy Story Circle.'
Homework
The Kindergartners receive a Homework packet on Monday and their assignments will be due on Friday of each week. Their 'Sharing' and Story Journal topics are part of the homework, as well as several Kindergarten readiness assignments that are done with a parent or special grown-up. These include learning games or activities, practicing certain skills, learning prayers and doing acts of kindness and helpfulness at home. It is very important that all assignments are completed each week and that they are always turned in on time (not early or late). Your assistance and cooperation with our homework program will assist your child in forming good study habits throughout their education.
Snacks/Lunch
Kindergartners begin bringing in small nutritious snacks and their lunch to school when our regular class schedule begins on September 12th. This should be a healthy snack and a full lunch (i.e. half a sandwich, fruit, veggies, cheese & crackers, yogurt, etc. There will be certain times that sending a snack will not be necessary. I will let you know when we will be doing a cooking project, celebrating a birthday or holiday, or having a 'Super Kid' treat. These are special treats!
Lunches should come to school ready to eat. (not needing to be heated, etc.)
Super Kid
We have an ongoing program in the Kindergarten class called 'Super Kid. Each child has a week in which he/she is one of the special 'Kiddos of the Week'. We will have 2 SUPERKIDS each week. During his/her week, the Super Kid may share everyday, bring pets, and/or have family members come and visit. Your child may wish to give a presentation, bring a project for our class to enjoy or have a family member give a presentation or help the class with a special project. Your child may also bring a treat or cooking project to share with the class. We welcome special ideas, plans, projects or activities that you and your child might like to do during his/her 'Super Kid' week. There is an 'I am Special' poster to be prepared at home and brought in to share. The Super Kid also gets to be first in line all week!
Very special friends (our class teddy bears) visit the homes of our 'Super Kids' for the weekend, too! You will receive a letter when it is your child's turn to be Super Kid. Each Friday we will choose the name of our next 'Super Kids' from the names in our 'Super Kid' basket. If you know there is a particular week that will be difficult for you to have your child be 'Super Kid', please see me or send me a note in the Kindergarten envelope ahead of time, so that we can be sure the 'Teddy Bear' doesn't choose your child's name for that week.
Parents, please don't feel that you need to plan something for every day of your child's Superkid week. As we will have two Superkids each week, we will need to coordinate all plans and activities.
If you would like a particular week, please let me know well ahead of time, so that we can plan ahead. Please remember to write any special requests or plans for your child's Superkid Week, as this is a special surprise for the kiddos each week.
Help Wanted Parent Participation Hours
Please contact me if you can:
- Assist with a sewing project
- Xerox and collate material
- Laminate
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Parent Participation Program
There are many opportunities for parents to be involved in the Kindergarten program. Parents may choose to chaperone or drive on field trips, read to the class, help with projects, bake for class events, make learning activities/games at home, sew, type, make copies, be a bench parent (yard duty), etc. A sign-in form will be available in the classroom for you to sign in and out when you help our class. This assists the Time Keepers in tabulating the hours you work in the classroom. All helping activities count toward Parent Participation hours. Our parents/families really make our program work!
Please remember when working in the classroom or chaperoning on field trips, etc. to address the teachers, aides and other parents as Mrs. or Mr. When working in the classroom all children other than your own need to address you as Mr./Mrs.
Special Events
We have a number of special events during the year. These include several class plays, field trips, holiday, holy celebrations, bake sales, a pajama party, Christmas Craft Day and our annual Mother's Day Brunch. You will receive a list this month with the special events and dates for the school year so that you may plan ahead. You may need to make arrangements ahead of time (work, child care for siblings, etc.) in order to attend these special events.
Faculty Meetings
Please note that grades Kâ8 will dismiss at 1:45 on Thursday. (faculty meeting day).
Mass
The Kindergarten class will attend the school Mass one Tuesday each month. This will usually be the first Tuesday of the month. You will be notified ahead of time of the days we are attending Mass. Monsignor Richard loves to have the children come to Mass! Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend with us. On Mass days, students are asked to come early and be in line by 7:45. Our first day of Mass attendance will be Tuesday, September 13th... As the year progresses, we will attend Mass more often. .
We will need Kindergarten Readers on the mornings that we will not be going to Mass. Readers will read to the children while they wait for school to begin on those days.
Parent - Teacher Conferences
We will have a sign â up sheet for conferences at Back to School Night. I am available for additional conferences if you have questions or concerns regarding your child's development and/or progress. Please feel free to request a conference.
