1. Welcome to the Primary School
August 2016

2. What is kindergarten? What happens in kindergarten?

3. Kindergarten is: the first formal year of your child's education
a year of fun, interactive, and engaging learning

4. An academic year full of:
Spanish
music
library
art
physical education
socialization
manners
play
reading
writing
printing
mathematics
social studies
homework
routines
science

5. School Day Arrival Dismissal
Drop off is permitted between 8:30-9:00 A.M.
Students are expected to be in their classroom seats by the 9:00 A.M. bell.
In the event of tardiness, you must walk your child into the office to sign them into school.
School is over at 3:30 P.M.
Bus Dismissal takes place between 3:40-4:00 P.M.
Pick-up dismissal takes place at 3:35 P.M. (you must send a note in the morning notifying the office of the pick up)
Early Dismissal- a note must be received in the morning

6. First Day of School Please have your child ride the bus.
Parents are not permitted to walk to the classroom.
Students need to wear their bus tags during the first month of school, until they have memorized their bus number and dismissal location/teacher.
Please double check your child's bus number, address, and phone number.
Have your child wear their backpack and bring their daily folder.

7. First Five Days of School
The first 6 days of school are 1/2 days
Dismissal begins at 11:40 A.M. each day and the busses leave between 11:45 and
12:00 pm.
A responsible adult must meet your child at the bus stop.
Lunch is NOT served for kindergarten students on these 1/2 days
Snack is provided each day
Expect bus delays throughout the first few weeks of school, as the students and drivers get acclimated to their new routines.

8. Attendance is Important!
The Facts:
Students who miss school frequently are likely to fall behind classmates, disengage from learning, struggle academically, & develop behavior problems.
Establishing a pattern of regular attendance in KG is especially important and helps students feel better about school & themselves.
There is a strong link between elementary school truancy rates and High School dropout rates (can be predicted with 66% accuracy based on 3rd grade attendance data).
Truancy: When does it become a problem?
Chronic Absenteeism:
18+ days (10% of the school year)
At-Risk / Warning:
9+ days (5% of the school year)
Good Attendance:
Fewer than 9 days

9. “School success goes hand in hand with good attendance.”
What you can do to support good attendance:
Set regular bed times & morning routines
Prepare the night before (clothes, lunches, backpack)
Know the school schedule
Set a positive & encouraging outlook on school & education
Don’t let your child stay home unless s/he is truly sick
Talk to school staff if you have concerns your child may be anxious about going to school
Have a backup plan to get to school (neighbor, relative, etc.)
Avoid medical appointments or trips when school is in session
Additional resources:
Attendance Works: attendanceworks.org

10. Be There!
A program to reward excellent attendance and encourage a positive attitude about school
“Be There Wall” located in the cafeteria
Students will have their name placed on the wall during a month that they have perfect attendance
Students earn star stickers for each additional month of perfect attendance
Students earn certificates and other incentives

11. When Sick:
Call the office on the morning of the absence (412)
If the illness is extended, please contact the teacher to arrange for work to be sent home
Upon return from the illness a written excuse is required (if visiting a doctor, ask for an excuse), in addition to your call.
Illness:
If your child has a fever, stomach virus, pink eye, lice, or other contagious illness, they must stay home from school.
School policy requires that children are fever free, without medication, for 24 hours before returning to school.

12. Medications and the School Nurse
If your child requires a daily medication during the school day, you will need to complete a medical form with the nurse.
Medications are not to be transported by the student in their backpack.
Medicines (including cough drops, etc.) fall under this rule as well.
School Nurse:
We have a full time school nurse.
When a child is considered to be in need of the nurse,
The teacher will be sure that they receive the help that they
need.

13. Breakfast Breakfast is offered daily from 8:30-9:00.
This is an optional program and is an additional cost.
If you want your child to participate in the breakfast program, you will need to instruct them to do so AS SOON as they get off the bus.

14. Report Cards Report cards are sent home twice a year in kindergarten.
You will receive a report card in late January/early February and then again in June.
In addition to report cards, you will see daily work come home in your child's folders, which will enable you to track their progress. Please go over this work with your child to reinforce their learning and to show how interested you are in their learning.
Parent/Teacher Conferences will also occur in the fall.

15. Homework Homework is usually assigned daily.
Homework commonly consists of:
handwriting practice (name, letters, and/or words)
math practice
phonics (letters/sounds) practice
special projects
Expectations - It is expected that the children do their homework on their own and it must be completed NEATLY. Parents may help with directions, but their work should be the child's work. Homework is NOT graded and is used to support instruction.

16. Birthday Celebrations
Birthdays are celebrated in kindergarten, usually with a small treat sent in by the child's parents. Parents usually drop treats off in the office on the morning of the birthday.
Summer birthdays will be celebrated in May/June before school ends for summer vacation.
Treats should be easily distributed. As you can imagine, cakes are very difficult and not an appropriate treat.
*If you are hosting a private birthday party outside of school, the teacher can only help you distribute invitations if you are inviting the entire class. It is not permitted to only distribute invitations to certain students in school, this will need to occur outside of school.