Getting Ready For September
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Welcome to Somerset,
New Primary Students and Families!
Our Primary Teachers at Somerset and District Elementary School are Mrs. (Shannon) Squires and Mrs. (Amy) Murray.
The Primary program is different from Pre-Primary and other day care settings. We have one teacher in each room, and we help children grow into independent learners. Here are some important things to know!
Routine:
● For all grades, beginning in Primary, full-time, daily attendance is expected. We learn a lot! We begin lessons first thing in the morning at 8:05 am! Please plan to have your child at school every day on time for full days. Our regular dismissal time is 2:25 pm. If your child is ill, please call the office to have them excused for the day.
Communication:
Communication Books will be going home each day during the school year, and should be returned every school day. This is also where students will be home creations and work from school, and later in the school year books and other learning activities. We use Communication Books as our main way to communicate with families. Please read it each night. If there are any changes to dismissal plans, this is the best spot to communicate that!
First Day of School:
● School supplies will be purchased for the children (family fee to be paid in September). On the first day of school, please pack:
o A full lunch box with snacks and a complete lunch (don’t forget spoons and forks!)
o A full water bottle
o Indoor shoes
o Extra clothes in a labelled zip lock bag to be left at school.
o A note to the teacher with clear dismissal plans:
▪ If your child is taking a bus, please indicate the bus number (if you know it), the address of the bus stop and who will be at the bus stop to meet your child. All Primary students MUST have an adult waiting at the bus stop for the bus driver to let them off the bus.
▪ If your child is being picked up, please indicate the adult who will be picking them up at school.
▪ If your child is attending the After School Program (once started), please let us know.
▪ If this is a regular plan, please let us know that it will be every day (or specific days of the week). In Primary, it is best to have simple, clear dismissal plans.
● If there is any communication that is time sensitive during the day (especially dismissal changes!) you must call the school office to speak to our secretary. Email cannot be checked at all times during the day because we are busy learning with the Littles, and classroom teachers do not use phones to text families.
● For any communication that is not time sensitive, you can email the classroom teacher or office, but please expect at least one full school day for a reply.
Independence:
● Practice independence with all steps of the bathroom process, including wiping, flushing, pulling up clothes, fastening pants, and washing hands.
● When choosing school shoes for your child, please select shoes without laces (elastic, slip on or velcro work well).
● Practice putting on coats, hoodies and outdoor gear at home, including zipping, buttoning and pulling sleeves if they get turned inside out.
● Please send in one or two full changes of clothes to be left at school. Accidents happen! We keep the extra clothes above each child’ hook.
Lunches and Snacks:
● Practice opening snack packages, and closing any reusable containers for snack and lunch. Pack lots of snacks, because learning kids are hungry kids!
● Please pack a full, spill-proof water bottle each day with your child.
● Keep in mind that our classrooms do not have microwaves, and there are no microwaves available to heat items at school.
Staying Organized:
● Practice opening and closing backpacks and lunch boxes, and packing items in the backpack before the first day of school. When choosing a good backpack, please keep in mind that each day, your child will be bringing a water bottle, a lunch box and a Communication Book (duotang) and space for clothes or creations. Send along a hoodie each day (our rooms can be chilly, and layers are best).
● Label everything! If items are labelled, we can help them get back to you!
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