On Campus

These are the on campus procedures for Kindergarten/ TK during a "normal" school year and are subject to change in accordance with county health guidelines and/or direction from the school district. 

On Campus:

TK & Kindergarten classes will start promptly at 8:00 a.m. Please do not drop off your child before 7:45 a.m. as there is NO SUPERVISION until then. Students may play on the playground from 7:45-8:00.  Classroom instruction begins at 8:00 am. Attendance is taken promptly at 8:00am. 

Dismissal is promptly at 1:10 p.m (TK) and 1:45 (k). on M, T, Th, F. Wednesdays are early dismissal at 11:30 a.m. for both TK and K.  There is NO lunch needed on Weds. (unless attending after school program or lunch bunch). Children are not permitted to leave campus with another adult (except those listed on the emergency card) unless prior arrangements have been made in writing (email/ parent square message is fine.) This includes playdates!


Please leave for school early enough to allow for the delays of school traffic. There are 2 options for drop off and pickup:



If your child is enrolled in an after school program, let the classroom teacher know. Do not assume the after school teacher has informed the classroom teacher who is enrolled in the after school classes. Options for after school include: Boys and Girls Club, and Enrichment Classes. We are legally obligated to follow the plans you have specified for your child. In addition, if your after school plans change, YOU MUST notify the after school program directly. We will follow the directions they have received. Teachers cannot communicate any changes to your child's schedule on your behalf. In order to avoid any miscommunication it is recommend that parents email the child's after school teacher and CC the classroom teacher on the email if there is going to be a change of any sort. 

Information regarding enrollment for after school programs can be found at the front office. Please explore these options if you are unable to promptly pick up your child at dismissal time. Children tend to become anxious and overwhelmed when parents/caregivers are late for pickup. 


2. Late Arrivals/ Absences

We expect your child will arrive to school on time, otherwise he/she will be marked tardy. Tardies are counted and recorded on your child’s report card. Excessive tardies will have a negative impact on your child’s progress. If you have an older student(s) attending BL, please respect the 8:00 start time for kindergarten. However, we do understand mornings can be chaotic and there is a chance you may arrive late. If you arrive after 8:00 a.m. YOU MUST ESCORT YOUR CHILD TO THE OFFICE and receive a signed tardy slip. Have your child bring the tardy slip to the classroom teacher. DO NOT use the carline for kindergarten drop off if you arrive after the 8:00 a.m. bell. 

If your child is absent from school,  please notify the front office as soon as possible by email at blesattendance@lvusd.org. Please do not send your child to school if your child is sick. The expectation is that parents and caregivers will be honest about their child's health and act accordingly to keep everyone healthy. 

If you know that you will be absent for 5 or more school days, you can request to be placed on independent study. Please notify your classroom teacher at least 2 weeks in advance of this absence (exceptions made for students who must quarantine due to COVID) and she will put together work for your child to complete at home with a parent acting as the teacher. The work sent home WILL NOT be the same work that would have been completed as if your child was in class. For TK/K students the majority of our "work" is hands-on, messy, teacher-led, or group related such as games and discussions. It just isn't possible for teachers to replicate this type of teaching for an at-home independent student situation. 

Please visit our district calendar to plan your vacations this year. It is not recommended to take family vacations during instructional days as this leads to missed learning for your child. Absences for family vacations will result in an unexcused absence. Absences due to illness, quarantine, death in the family, or religious celebrations are generally considered excused. 

In general there is no "make-up" work in Kindergarten. 


3. Lost and Found

Please make sure you LABEL EVERYTHING: snack bags, sweatshirts, water bottles, hats etc… We will do our very best to make sure these items are returned. Unmarked lost items will be placed in the LOST and FOUND bin by the bike rack in front of the green kindergarten gate. As a courtesy to the BL families, we try our best to keep track of everything, however, we are ultimately not responsible for your child’s belongings. We do not suggest sending valuable items to school with your child. 


4. Snacks and Lunch

Each day your child will have a morning snack. Please pack a small healthy food item in a separate bag for your child to eat. Fruit, string cheese, yogurt and veggies are good choices. We cannot force your child to eat their snack, but we do ask all children to sit at the table with their food for at least 5-10 minutes before playing. Instead of throwing uneaten food away, we will send it back home so you can see what your child has/hasn’t eaten. We will have lunch each day except Wednesdays. On Wednesdays and other minimum days, students can sign up for "lunch bunch" which is a supervised 30 minute lunch session. Please email your child's teacher 24 hours in advance if your child will be staying for lunch bunch. Please send in a separate lunch container including all utensils needed. We are not allowed to refrigerate or microwave any food for the children. Children are not allowed to trade or share food at lunchtime either. Please do not sent nut/peanut products as some students have many allergies. 

Hot lunch will be available free of charge for all students. The menus can be found here although they are subject to change without notification (happens frequently). The hot lunch count must be submitted with the attendance each morning. If your child is ordering a hot lunch for the day they MUST RAISE their hand in the morning so the teacher can include his/her name on the hot lunch list for the day. If you are worried your child may forget to do this, you may want to email your child's teacher the NIGHT BEFORE and let her know to include your child on the hot lunch list. 


5. Class Attire

     Kindergarten is a fun and exciting time. Your child should be ready for active learning. We will be running, jumping, painting, exploring, digging and building. Please dress your child in comfortable, practical clothing that can get dirty, wet or even stained. All children should wear tennis shoes for PE and playtime. Open toed or high-heeled shoes are NOT ALLOWED at school. Accessories such as sunglasses, bracelets and necklaces should not be brought to school as part of your child’s regular attire. We will have a few special days in which children will be allowed to dress up and we will notify you of these days in advance. Please help your child learn to tie their shoes at home or use Velcro if possible.  

Students will have Physical Education (PE) once a week. Your teacher will notify you of your class day. On PE days children must wear athletic shoes and comfortable clothing. Girls should wear shorts under their skirts/dresses. 

6. Money

  Any money brought to school should be sent in an envelope, clearly labeled with your child’s name and purpose (i.e lunch, yearbook, field trip, class gift etc.). Please send exact change as we cannot make change for you. DO NOT send any other money with your child to school. There is nothing else for them to buy. If you feel more comfortable, you may turn the money in directly to the front office. Most items can be paid for electronically as well through our PFA. Please check both the PFA and class newsletter for items that will need to be purchased such as yearbook. 


7. After school Programs & Enrichment Classes

We offer Boys and Girls Club and enrichment classes as options for parents who are unable to pick up their child at dismissal time. Your child will be escorted to their after school program at dismissal time. You will need to contact them directly if your child’s after school plans have changed. If your child is enrolled in one of these programs we are REQUIRED to send them to these programs. If you would like to pick up your child early (even at 1:00pm) you still must sign them out of the after school program. For safety reasons, we cannot relay this information on your behalf.

Bay Laurel also offers a number of Enrichment Classes such as cheerleading, robotics, and Sports with Coach Dante. Please see the Sunday PFA newsletter for signups and more information. If your child is signed up for one or more of these classes, please let your child's classroom teacher know as well. Teachers are not in charge of signup, cancelations or discipline during the enrichment classes. Please communicate directly with the teacher or coach with these types of questions. 


8. Toy Policy

In general, toys are NOT ALLOWED at school. Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school unless prior arrangements have been made (i.e. for Star of the Week). Backpacks should not have toys hidden in them or attached/dangling from them. Children do not realize the monetary value of these items and will often trade or give them to other students. Teachers are NOT responsible for any toys brought to school for any reason. 

For TK/K students toys include watches and jewelry. Students often become extremely distracted with these items and if brought to school will need to be placed in a backpack for the remainder of the day. Please do not allow your child to wear a watch or jewelry to class. 


9.  Classroom Helpers/ Visitors

Each classroom will utilize parent volunteers and helpers in a manner that best serves the needs of the classroom. Parent volunteers are at the discretion of the classroom teacher. If a teacher needs parents to help with a class project, party or school event there will be a sign up sent out to all parents who are cleared to work with students. This year parents need to show proof of negative TB test and sign a confidentiality form. These requirements may change. Parents do not have to be cleared to attend school wide events such as music performances, graduations, parades etc... Any adult who is visiting a classroom must present a current valid ID to the front office staff and receive a visitor badge before coming to the classroom. The PFA may also send out parent volunteer requests via parent square for school wide events such as bookfair.


10.  Homework

Homework is essentially optional in Kindergarten but usually allows the child much needed practice for skills learned in class. Each teacher will communicate the homework directly with the students via parent square or an actual paper newsletter. TK students typically do not have homework but can login to online programs at home to enhance their learning. Kindergarten students usually will receive a Bingo Board in which students are encouraged to pick 3 activities in a row. In addition, there is usually a social studies or science magazine (an adult needs to read it to the child) and help complete the back page. There are a handful of homework projects that will be completed at home with the help of a family member and shared with the class (examples: Star of the Week poster, Leprechaun Trap, 100th day poster etc...). The homework is not graded and not reflected on the report card. 


11.  Reporting Periods

There are three reporting periods during the school year. Parents will sign up for a conference in the fall in which the teacher will review the grades and discuss your child's progress. Spring conferences are optional and typically reserved for students who are exhibiting academic or social difficulties.

For Kindergarten: Bay Laurel uses a 1,2, 3 grading scale.

- 3:indicates full and consistent mastery of the standard. 

-2:indicates that the skills required for mastery are still developing. 

-1: indicates that the standard is relatively difficult for the child and he/she requires additional support in this area. Not all areas are graded each trimester. 

For Transitional Kindergarten: Bay Laurel uses a 1, 2, 3, 4 grading scale. 

-4: indicates the child is meeting Kindergarten standards and is a year above grade level in this particular area. 

-3: indicates mastery of that particular skill and is meeting grade level expectations. 

-2: indicates adequate progress is being made toward mastery of the skill. 

-1: indicates the skill is in the early stages of development and the child requires additional support to make progress. 


12. Make-up Work & Absences

In general we want to make sure students are present as much as possible. School is much more than just a time to play. This is the year that we are building a solid foundation for your child's educational career and every day matters. We expect students to be in class except for illness, death of a family member or to attend a religious event. We strongly discourage taking family vacations during instructional days. There is no make up work given for most absences. The type of work we do isn't easily replicated at home. If your child is going to miss 5 or more days, you may request Independent Study. This is a contract in which the parent agrees to act as the teacher during the missed days. The classroom teacher will supply assignments (which may differ from what the class is doing) for you to complete during this time. Independent Study packets will be given the day before the leave will begin. In case of an illness, the packets can be picked up from the office. Independent Study packets cannot be completed in advance of the missed days ( Example: complete work in April for missing a week of school in May). 

Please email our school attendance line at blesattendance@lvusd.org to report your child's absence or to request an independent study contract. Please CC the classroom teacher. 

13. Water

Students should bring a reusable water bottle to school each day. Please make sure it is labeled with his/her name and room number as these often get left out on the playground. Children are not permitted to drink directly from the hydration stations. They are permitted to refill their water bottles during lunch and recess. 

14. Birthdays 

Birthdays are an exciting day in a child's life and will be recognized by the class. Each teacher will celebrate a little differently, but typically there will be a crown and a song. We are not able to accommodate any birthday treats in the classroom. We encourage parents to invite the entire class if there will be an outside party. This is a crucial age for friendships. However, we understand that sometimes this isn't possible. In this case, we ask that your child not discuss his/her birthday plans in front of the whole class. Teachers cannot hand out class invitations unless there is one for each student. 

15. Class Parties 

In kindergarten there are generally 4 parties each year: Halloween (parade included), Winter Teddy Bear Breakfast (wear pajamas), Valentine's Day and End of Year. The room parents will be in charge of hosting these parties (in agreement with the teacher) and there will be a sign-up for items to be brought in. There are other special days and activities that may also require parents to help or sign up to bring in items. Each teacher will communicate party/ special activities via the weekly newsletter!

16. Star of the Week

 In kindergarten (not TK- sorry), each child will have an opportunity to be the Star of the Week. Directions will come home in a special bag for you to complete. The Star of the Week will complete a special poster and bring in 5 share items. During this special week, there will be special jobs and responsibilities as well! Star of the Week helps students gain confidence as classroom leaders as well as develop oral language skills! 

17. Behavior 

Students  are expected to behave in a manner that is kind and respectful to other students and adults at all times. In both transitional kindergarten and regular kindergarten, ample time is spent helping students learn the rules, procedures and routines that allow everyone to have a safe learning environment in the classroom and on the playground. When students exhibit behavior that is inappropriate it will be handled by the classroom teacher in confidence. The classroom teacher may remove the child from the activity and have a talk with the child. The disciplinary action (if necessary) cannot be shared with other parents or students. Just as students are learning to read and write, they are learning how to make positive choices and regulate their emotions. Our Bay Laurel Rights and Responsibilities can be found here. 

Students may also be asked to complete a "think sheet" or engage in a restorative justice conversation with our school counselor. If the behaviors continue or are severe, a parent conference may be required. Please support your child by modeling appropriate, kind behavior at home.