Welcome to
This Kindergarten Handbook has been written
to give you a brief overview of our Kindergarten program. It includes school rules and policies that
you need to be aware of before your child’s first day of school. A more comprehensive and detailed description
of our school is contained in the Elementary School Handbook that will
be distributed at open house in September.
Do not hesitate to call your child’s teacher if
you have any questions. Please remember
that “stories” that come home from school are subject to a five year old’s
interpretation of events. If something
doesn’t sound quite right to you, please contact us so that the correct
information can be shared with you.
Families are an essential part of the educational
process. Parents who interact with their
children by reading to them, talking with them, and helping them understand the
people and events in their lives are also helping children to think, solve
problems, and work within the school community.
Kindergarten Goals
The kindergarten program provides educational
experiences for young children that encourage independence and achievement. The teachers and support staff who work with
our kindergarteners strive to::
1.
Develop
independent work habits.
2.
Encourage
the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of each child.
3.
Help
children to learn school routines and rules.
4.
Develop
expressive and receptive language skills, including listening skills and the
ability to follow directions.
5.
Enhance
communication skills.
6.
Model
the social skills of cooperative work and play.
7.
Instill
confidence and independence in social and academic areas.
8.
Develop
a curiosity about the world and the environment.
9.
Foster
a partnership between home and school that supports students.
Day Care Information
If your child attends day care, please let us know the arrangements in writing as soon as
possible. Bus routes determine your
child’s assignment to AM or PM kindergarten.
It is very important that you provide the school with contact
information for day care providers and keep us updated with any changes.
The Kindergarten Day: 2007-2008 School Year
Regular
Schedule:
Morning Kindergarten 8:50
AM to 11:45 PM
Afternoon Kindergarten 12:35 PM to 3:30 PM
Early
Dismissal Days: Conferences and Holidays
Morning Kindergarten 8:50
AM to 10:42 AM
Afternoon Kindergarten 11:22
AM to 1:15 PM
Late
Opening: 2 Hour Delay to the start of
the school day
Morning Kindergarten CANCELLED
Afternoon Kindergarten 12:35 PM to 3:30 PM
Early Dismissal of
Children / Tardiness to School
Please do not request an early dismissal from
school unless it is absolutely necessary.
Parents must write a note for the child to be released from class early. No child will be dismissed to anyone other
than the person(s) stated in the note unless the parent has informed the
school.
Tardiness to
school is disruptive to the classroom and can be upsetting to the child who
arrives late. If you are bringing your
child to school, please make sure that he or she arrives on time. If tardiness to school is unavoidable, please
accompany your child to the Main Office to be signed in.
Bus Information
Each child received three name tags at
orientation. Please write your child’s
name and bus number on the nametag. They
are for the first three days of school.
Ellington Public Schools requires that an adult
stand in a visible area while waiting for kindergarten children to return home
from school. Each child coming home from school after the morning or
afternoon session of Kindergarten must have an adult waiting to receive him/her
from the bus. If not, the child will be returned to school.
LAIDLAW BUS COMPANY provides our school
transportation. Anna Hyde, the manager,
can be reached at 860/875-6675.
Children may not ride a bus other than the one
assigned parents send a note requesting a change. Please include the following information in the
note:
·
child’s
name
·
the
date
·
name
and address of where the child will be dropped off
Dropping Off and Picking
Up Children
Please park in the side parking lot if you are dropping off
or picking up your child in order to be away from the busses. Traffic is very congested in the parking lot
at arrival and dismissal times. There is a stop sign at the walkway because
some children walk to and from school. Please remember that it is a violation of
state law to pass a school bus when its lights are flashing and the stop sign
is extended.
If you are picking up your child, you must come into the
office and sign the child out. Anyone
other than a parent will be required to show identification. Students
who do not have a note signed by parents for pickup from school will be sent
home on the bus. Students with notes
will be sent to the main office at dismissal time. Parents may not go to the classroom or
playground to pick up students.
Health Information
Children must have a state of
Please call the school any day that your child
will not be attending. If we do not
receive a call, we have to locate you through the contacts you provide.
Kindergarten Supplies
The only supplies children need for kindergarten
are sneakers for physical education class and a backpack large enough to hold
school papers and a snack. This backpack
is a vehicle of communication between school and home. Most work and notices come home on Fridays,
but please check your child’s backpack daily.
A raincoat works better than an umbrella for rainy
weather. Umbrella’s can be difficult to
manage on the bus.
Please label all clothing, and your child’s
backpack.
The Kindergarten Snack
Program
Kindergarteners have a short snack time everyday, except
early dismissal days. If your child has a food allergy, please let the nurse
and classroom teacher know!
You
may provide a small snack and drink from home or you may purchase one at
school. A snack order form is sent home
at the end of each week for the following week.
Complete the form with your child and return it with the money in a labeled
envelope. On the envelope please
include:
·
your
child’s name
·
the
amount of money enclosed
·
what
the money is for (snack, PTO, book clubs, etc.)
Birthday Celebrations
We make birthdays special at school. If you would like your child to share a
treat, please contact the teacher ahead of time to discuss food allergies. You may wish to consider a small item for
each child in the class, such as stickers or pencils. If you are planning a party at home, we can
provide you with a list of addresses to mail invitations. Please do not send in invitations to be
distributed in school unless the whole class is included.
Parent Volunteers
Parents are encouraged to volunteer in kindergarten
on a regular basis if they are available.
You will receive sign-up information the first school newsletter in the
fall.
Reporting Student Progress
Report cards are issued in December, March and
June. Parent/teacher conferences are
held in early December and late March.
Parent involvement is important to a child’s
success in school. Teachers regularly
communicate with parents and encourage parents to keep in close contact with
the school. You may contact Ms. Gagnon
by calling the school (860-896-2322x102).
If you call during class, you will get her voice mail. You may also e-mail her at vgagnon@ellingtonschools.net
Suggestions for Parents
Parents are always eager to help their child get
off to a good start in school. The
suggestions below will help your child prepare for kindergarten.
1.
Listen
to your child when he/she is talking to you.
It’s very important for children to have opportunities to express
themselves. You can also model good
listening skills.
2.
Read
stories, poems, and nursery rhymes to your child. Buy your child books or visit the library to
borrow books and teach him/her to treat books with respect.
3.
Talk
with your child about day to day experiences.
Let him/her talk about what has been seen and heard. Use these opportunities to introduce new and
meaningful words.
4.
Give
your child the opportunity to interact with others of the same age by inviting
playmates into your home.
5.
Set
up a work area and materials for creative activities such as drawing, cutting,
etc.
6.
Ask your child to do jobs at which he/she will
succeed. Cleaning up should be a part of
any project to build responsibility.
7.
Dramatic
play is a form of self-expression that can contribute greatly to your child’s
general development and should be encouraged whenever possible.
8.
Children
love science. Provide opportunities to
build your child’s natural interest in the world.
9.
Encourage
your child with verbal approval and respect.
Genuine praise is important in everyone’s life. Children like to know when they have done a
good job. Praise can take many
forms. It can be a few appropriate
words, a pat on the back, a smile, or a nod of the head. It doesn’t take much time.
One of the activities we
enjoy in kindergarten is singing old favorites.
We also enjoy changing the words!
To get you started, here’s a variation of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
to sing this summer!
Kindergarten, Here We Come!
Kindergarten, here we
come!
We know we’ll have lots of
fun.
Lots of things to make and
do.
Kindergarten, here we
come!
We know we’ll have lots of
fun.