Weekly Updates and information

Hello Families,

 First Day: Getting to the Classroom

Start and End Time

Morning Driveline Start Time: 7:40am

Official Start Time and Attendance Taken: 8:00am

Afternoon Dismissal Time: 3:00pm

 Finding My Classroom

Parents will not be able to walk students to their classrooms.

In the morning, we will have many school staff members and 8th Grade Leadership students by the front entrance and throughout the building to help guide students to their classrooms. Your child will not be expected to find my classroom on their own!

 School Arrival Preparation

Please help your child feel prepared by reminding them:

• Their teacher is Mrs. Chapman

• Their classroom assistant is Ms. Sherri

• How they will be getting home from school

• Whether they are bringing home lunch or eating school lunch

• What the lunch choices are if they are getting school lunch.

A quick, confident goodbye can sometimes make the transition easier. Even if there are a few first-day tears, please know that this is very normal - and we will take great care of your child!

 Important Dates & Times

First Day of School: August 19th

School Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm

 Back-to-School Night

Date: August 26th at 5:00pm

Time: 5:00pm

Where: Mrs. Chapmans room. The first classroom in the elementary hallway. 

Back-to-School Night will be a great opportunity to visit our classroom, learn more about our kindergarten routines and expectations, and get to know what the year ahead will look like. I hope to see you there!

 School Uniform

Students are expected to come to school in their school uniform each day (including the first day of school), unless stated otherwise.

You can find information about the school uniform, including what students are expected to wear, on my staff page or the C2E website. Please take a moment to review the information before the first day so your child is ready to go!

 Driveline ( Do not forget to download the app)

We know how special those first-day-of-kindergarten pictures are! Please take any photos before arriving at school or away from the driveline. 

For everyone's safety and to keep traffic moving, please do not park or stop your car in the driveline for pictures.

At the end of the day, many staff members and 8th Grade Leadership students will be helping children navigate driveline and dismissal and getting to their parents or cars safely.

If your child's dismissal plans change, please make sure the school receives that information through the appropriate school procedure. Please don't rely on a message sent to me alone for a same-day dismissal change, as I may not see it in time. Of course still notify me as well.

 What to Pack in Your Child's Backpack

Each day, please send:

• A labeled. Spill proof water bottle

• 2 (or more) snacks - one for the morning and one for the afternoon. Labeled with students name. 

• A labeled lunch, if your child is bringing one from home

• A complete change of clothes, including socks and underwear

Kindergarteners are still learning how to keep track of their belongings, so please label everything! This includes backpacks, jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles, lunch boxes, snack containers, headphones, and school supplies.

For food containers, please label them with your child's name and either “Snack” or “Lunch.” Students often get confused!

Labeling is our best friend and helps SO much! It is very hard for teachers and staff to track items down with no name. Many students have the same coats, lunchboxes, etc.

Lunch & Snacks

Please make sure your child knows whether they are:

• Bringing lunch from home, or

• Eating a school lunch

If your child will be eating a school lunch, please review the lunch choices with them so they feel comfortable choosing their meal.

We will have two snack times each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Please plan on packing more than one snack.

Because of severe classroom allergies, please do not send snacks with nuts or nut products. 

You may send this for lunch as we have designated allergy tables in the lunchroom.

Please send foods that your child can open and manage independently whenever possible. It is difficult for us to open and close 25 snacks during snack time.  

 Important: Change of Clothes

Please make sure your child has a complete change of clothes in their backpack at all times. This should include:

•  Shirt

•  Pants/shorts

•  Underwear

•  Socks

Please label the clothing with your child's name and check the backpack periodically to make sure there are still clothes in there. 

Our classroom does not provide extra clothing, and we are not able to provide clothing for students who have an accident or need to change. We also cannot assist students with changing their clothes.

Practice changing clothes independently at home before school begins. Your child should practice taking off and putting on their clothing, including underwear and socks, as independently as possible.

Accidents happen, especially in kindergarten, and there is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about! We simply want every child to be prepared and comfortable if they need to change.

 Bathroom Independence

We are very fortunate to have a bathroom connected to our classroom, as well as another bathroom just down the hall, closest to our classroom. This makes it easy for students to access a bathroom when needed.

Please practice bathroom routines with your child before school begins.

Students should be able to independently:

• Use the toilet

• Wipe themselves

• Flush

• Wash and dry their hands

• Manage clothing such as buttons, snaps, and zippers as independently as possible

 School Supplies

Important

• I understand that carrying all the supplies on the first day will be tough for the kids.

• We are totally fine if you need to bring the supplies over a few days. It is fine if we don’t get everything the first day.

• The MOST important things for us to have the first day are headphones, folders, and composition notebooks.

 Edukit

If you ordered an EduKit, and you have it at home, please bring the items to school.

If you did NOT receive an EduKit at home, we probably got it and have already taken care of everything.

If you purchased supplies separately, please send them to school with your child this week.

Please label all supplies with your child's name before sending them in. If you are unsure if something needs to be labeled - label it anyway LOL! 

 Headphones

Please make sure the headphones are:

• Over-the-ear headphones

• Not Bluetooth or wireless

• Clearly labeled with your child's name

 Homework

There is no need to worry about homework right now!

We will not begin doing homework until the 2nd or 3rd week of September.

Our first few weeks will focus on helping students adjust to kindergarten, learn classroom routines, build independence, make friends, and get comfortable in their new school environment.

More information about homework and what to expect will be shared as we get closer to starting it.

 App Permission Form

I will be sending you an app permission form. This gives permission for your child to use all the online learning platforms and educational apps throughout the school year.

Please complete it as soon as possible. 

More information about the apps will come as I introduce them.

 Specials This Week

Our special this week is STEAM!

 Innovations

If your child attends our after-school care, Innovations, please send me a quick message to let me know so I can make sure they get there safely.

 IEPs, 504s, and Other Support Plans

If your child has an IEP, 504 Plan, Individual Health Plan, or another educational or support plan, please reach out and let me know. 

I want to make sure I am prepared to provide the correct accommodations and modifications.

You are always welcome to share anything you think would help me support your child - whether that is something they love, something that makes them nervous, or simply what helps get them through any big emotions that may arise.

 Communication

Please know that communication with families is very important to me! If you have a question, concern, or something you would like me to know about your child, please reach out.

At the same time, please understand that I may not be able to respond immediately during the school day. My priority while students are in the classroom is keeping them safe, engaged, and supported. I will respond as soon as I am able.

If something is urgent or involves a same-day transportation or dismissal change, please follow the school's designated communication procedures.

 The First Few Weeks May Feel Different

Your child may come home from school very tired during the first few weeks. Kindergarten is a BIG change! They are learning new routines, making new friends, following directions, navigating a new environment, and using their brains all day long.

You may also hear things like:

“I don't remember what I did today.”

That is completely normal!

Some children may also have big emotions at home after holding it together all day. Give them time, rest, snacks, and lots of love. The transition will get easier as our routines become more familiar.

 Questions, Concerns & Student Conflicts

I truly value open communication and want us to work together as a team to make sure every child has a positive kindergarten experience.

If anything comes up throughout the year, please feel comfortable coming to me directly.

 This includes concerns about:

• Conflicts or disagreements between students

• Hurt feelings or friendship issues

• Something your child shares with you about their day

• Classroom concerns

• Worries your child may be having

• Anything else that you feel I should know

Sometimes kindergarteners share only part of a story, remember events differently, or may not have all of the information about a situation. 

I kindly ask that if there is an issue involving another student or any situation at all, please come to me first rather than making assumptions. 

I never want a small concern to grow into a bigger worry. Please contact me immediately! It is much more effective for me to gather information, and resolve issues if I am notified the same day. I am here to listen, help problem-solve, and partner with you throughout the year.

 Weekly Class Updates

Communication with families is very important to me! Throughout the school year, I will post my weekly class updates with important information and updates for the upcoming week on my website.

You can generally expect these updates to be posted on Sunday or Monday, depending on the week.

These weekly updates include:

• Important dates and reminders

• Upcoming classroom or school events

• Special announcements

• Special materials or items we may need

• Reminders about helping our school day run more smoothly

• Other helpful information for the week ahead

Please make it a habit to check your email each week so you don't miss important classroom updates.  

Have a great week and I look forward to meeting everyone on Wednesday. 

Mrs. Chapman 

Kindergarten Teacher