Welcome to KB! I hope you enjoyed your summer vacation. We are fortunate to have Ms. Hagopian working with us in our classroom this year. I am looking forward to spending the year with you and getting to know your family.
Home/School Folders:
In order to foster ongoing communication, each child will receive a folder in which to carry school notices, classroom newsletters, and school work between home and school. This folder will travel home each Friday and should be returned each Monday. Please help your child to remember to pack his/her folder in his/her backpack each Monday morning.
Schedule:
For the first month of school, all Kindergartners will be dismissed at 12:30. They will have snack at school but not lunch. Starting on October 1st we will begin our full day schedule. Group A (Green Group) will stay at school until 3:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays. Group B (Orange Group) will stay until 3:00 on Thursdays and Fridays. On the days that children stay until 3:00 they will have lunch at school. On the days that children do not stay until 3:00 they will be dismissed at 12:30 and will not have lunch at school.
*Every Tuesday is a half-day. All students will be dismissed at 12:30.
Arrival:
Children are allowed to enter the classroom at 8:20 AM. Please note that school begins at 8:25 AM, which is earlier than previous years. If your child is late, please check him/her in at the office with our secretary, Ms. Mariano. It is to your child’s benefit to arrive as close to 8:20 AM as possible. It allows for the smoothest and most comfortable transition from home to school.
Attendance:
It is very important that you call the school’s attendance line (617-559-9530) if your child is absent or tardy (after 8:25 AM). Please do not call the main office number.
Dismissal:
Children will be dismissed at the end of the day by the doors located near the playground to a family member, babysitter, nanny, or after school staff (children who receive transportation will meet the vans in front of the school.) I have established a routine where I will shake each child’s hand and say good-bye at the back door once I have seen your child’s appropriate “pick-up” person. This routine is to ensure safety and promote social competence. Please be certain that I have shaken your child’s hand and have said good-bye before you take him/her. If you need to pick up your child early, please go to the office. Our secretary will call the classroom to notify us. If your child has a play date or is going to be picked up by somebody else, please send me a note or email in the morning.
What to Bring to School:
All children should bring a backpack and nutritious snack every day. Please do not send soda, candy, or glass bottles. Please include any cutlery your child will need. Kindergartners should also bring a lunch to eat in the classroom during their full days. (You may also purchase school lunches. Menus are sent out monthly and are available online.) Please send a change of clothes to school in case of any accidents or wet equipment on the playground. Make sure to write your child’s name on his/her change of clothes. Please do not send in any toys from home.
Birthdays
We enjoy recognizing the children’s birthdays in kindergarten! We will honor each child’s birthday with a birthday song and a small token (birthday certificate, birthday crown, pencil). Due to a system-wide policy, we are not permitted to serve cupcakes or other food treats on children’s birthdays. Please do not send in any treats (edible or otherwise) in lieu of cupcakes. We will do everything we can to help your child feel special on his/her birthday in the classroom. Please send all invitations to parties through the mail unless the whole class is invited.
Conferences & Progress Reports
Horace Mann School follows a system wide conference and progress report calendar. Conferences will be held two times this year. The first conference will be held at the end of October. The second conference will be held in March or April. As conferences approach I will be sure to send home a list of dates and times of the conferences. Progress reports will be sent home twice, in January, and on the last day of school.
Curriculum Night
Curriculum night will be Thursday, October 1st at 6:00pm. I hope you will join us. We will present an overview of the Kindergarten schedule, routines, and curriculum. This is a great way to meet other parents in the class and hear what will happen in kindergarten this year.
Allergies
This year we do have some friends that have food related allergies. Peanuts, tree nuts, products that contain peanut or nut oils, pose the greatest risk for these students. While our classroom is not a peanut-free classroom, we do have a table designated for students whose snacks and lunches contain peanuts, nuts, milk, or eggs. Students who have snacks or lunches containing these items will have to sit at that table while eating. Students should not bring in actual peanuts or nuts, especially those in the shell, as the inhalation of airborne bits of shell can lead to severe, life-threatening reactions.
I will be monitoring the food students bring in to help them determine whether they should sit at that table. It would be very helpful if parents could help their children know which if any of their snack and lunch foods contain eggs, nuts, peanuts, strawberries or kiwi. This includes products with labels such as “May contain traces of peanuts or nuts” or “Processed in a plant that handles peanuts/nuts and peanut/nut products”. When possible, please send food in its original packaging with the ingredient list so that we can check. You might find it easier to choose not to send any peanut or nut products.
Also, please remind your kindergartner of our school rule of no sharing snacks or lunches. Students will wash their hands before and after eating. Please discuss this hand-washing routine with your kindergartner, and remind him or her periodically. Staff will wash tables before and after snack and lunch.
Supplies and Wish List
Thanks to all of you who ordered your school supplies for the school year through the SchoolKidz Program, or who sent in school supplies on your first day of school. In kindergarten, students will share the supplies in order to minimize distractions, to facilitate necessary turn-taking skills, and to ensure that every student has the necessary tools for learning.
There are sometimes items that we need for an activity or project, or for running our classroom, that are not readily available from school supply catalogs, or we might need them sooner than they could be ordered. I will post a list of needed items on our classroom website. Please know that there is absolutely no obligation to donate items, and that all students will have access to donated items.
Thank you!
Library Volunteers
Please sign up if you are willing/able to come help in the library. Ms. Karam would appreciate help checking in the previous week’s books and checking books out to the Kindergartners. We need one or two parents for each class. Thanks!
KS – Wednesday 10:20
KF – Thursday 10:00
KB – Friday 10:35
Please contact Ms. Karam at patricia_karam@newton.k12.ma.us if you are interested in volunteering.
From the Nurse’s Office
If you have gently worn sweatpants and/or leggings and tops that you are willing to donate, we can use them! Rainy days, accidents, paint spills (the reasons are endless), sometimes cause children to need a quick change! Ms. Matloff would also greatly appreciate new packages of underwear, both boys and girls. You can send them directly to the nurse’s office. Thank you!
