Important Information

Helpful Information 

Good night's sleep - School is exhausting and it is extremely important that your child arrive well-rested. 

Feed your brain! - Eat a good breakfast before coming to school!  Pack two, small, healthy snacks everyday.  Put snacks in separate bags and please do not put them in the lunch bag. That causes a ton of confusion for a kindergartner.  PLEASE DO NOT send  candy, chips, or cookies for snack. 

Potty before you leave the house and bring water bottles filled each day. New Vision has a clear liquid policy. The only liquid allowed is water. If other liquids are brought, they will be sent home and water will be provided. 

Parent/Teacher Relationship

I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success.  Throughout the year I will communicate with you through Parent Square notes, Thursday folders, report cards, and parent-teacher conferences.  I respectfully ask that you read information sent home thoroughly before contacting me with questions. We will have a list of important Kindergarten links on Parent Square for you to reference. Most often the question has been addressed and a quick read through can mean missed information.  However, please know that I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns that have not been covered.  Parent Square will be the best way to reach me.  I am available for conferences regarding your child's progress by appointment only.  Please do not interrupt instructional or plan time (7:50-3:20) except in case of an emergency.

Any personal information changes such as address or phone need to be provided in order to maintain student emergency contacts.  Please update all information forms with the front desk ASAP.

Clothing

PLEASE label ALL clothing and backpacks with your child’s name or initials. Jackets and sweatshirts often get lost forever if they are not labeled. It is the responsibility of the student or parent to search lost and found for missing items.  

• Please read and adhere to the NVCS dress code policies. They are on the school website.    

• Because of our frequently changing weather,  it’s good to have a sweater or sweatshirt for your child to keep in his/her backpack for those chilly days and don’t forget to label it. 

• Please dress your child appropriately for school activities and weather.

• Kindergartners are involved in activities that require a lot of movement and we find that tennis shoes work best.  Flip flops are not allowed at school.  

• In class we paint, use stamps, and other "messy" stuff.  Please select clothing that is comfortable and appropriate for these activities.

• Accidents happen-We have a bathroom break often and students are invited to use the bathroom when necessary.  However, it often takes time to adjust to the schedule and your child may have an accident. Please send an extra change of clothes just in case. Please put the clothes inside of a gallon sized Ziploc bag with your child's name on them to be kept in their backpack.  These are also useful if your child gets sick or has a bloody nose.  If your child needs a change of clothing, we will try to accommodate them with spare clothing from the health office, but that is not always a guarantee.  Please be sure to wash and return borrowed clothing ASAP. Be sure to switch out extra clothes when the season changes!

• All OTC medications, including Tylenol, need to be administered by the nurse, with a doctor’s note.  Contact the health office for more information.

• Cough drops may be taken in-class with a parent note or parentsquare message attached, but please limit the amount to 1-3 sent to school, as the kids like to use them as “candy”.  Make sure your student knows to give them to me right away.  

•  Items from Home

We ask that you do not allow your child to bring toys to school.  Jewelry and watches are a huge distraction. Please encourage your student to wear those “fancy” things on the weekend and not to school.

• Money-On occasion it might be necessary for your child to bring money to school.  ALWAYS send money in a sealed envelope/Ziploc with the following information on it; child's name, teacher's name, amount, and purpose.  Please place it in your child's backpack and remind them to give it to me.  This helps reduce the likelihood of any errors.  I do not go through backpacks, it is the responsibility of your child to turn it in to me .

• Backpack-Your child will need a regular sized backpack with no wheels.  It should be brought to school daily and checked & emptied by you every night.  This is to ensure that you receive all important information in a timely manner.  Please read communication thoroughly before following up with questions.   

• Thursday Folders- Your student will receive their Thursday folders each week at the end of the day.  We ask that you send them back empty on Friday.  

• Getting to and from School-Remember that school begins promptly at 7:45 am.  Instruction begins immediately when we get into the building. It is extremely important that your child arrives on time so they don’t miss out on their education.  For safety reasons, please adhere to the following pick up and drop off procedures.

• Drop Off-All  Parents are not allowed to enter through any door other than the front. You must check in at the front office with a valid ID if you have school related business. NOTE: The doors will be closed & locked at 7:50.  Students arriving after 7:50am must enter through the front entrance and get a pass to class.  Thank you for understanding our need to maintain a safe and secure school environment.

• Pick Up- Please make certain that the child safety seat is on the passenger side of the vehicle and your student can buckle and unbuckle it without your help. There will be adults to help them get in and out and we ask that you STAY IN YOUR VEHICLE.  It is imperative that you practice the car seat buckle before the first day of school. A computerized program is in place for the safety of all of our students and to keep the parking lot moving in a timely manner. Please refer to the information provided by the front office regarding the procedures. No parking at the county building. You will be ticketed.

• For parents picking up to walk home. Your Driveline number is required for your student to be picked up.

• Please inform the teacher & front office ahead of time of any and all transportation changes.  Your child will not be released to anyone other than who you have designated to do so with the front office.  Your child's safety is of utmost importance to us.

• If you do not have your Driveline tag, it is required that you park and present your ID to the front office to pick up your child.

    Beginning of Class Responsibilities

Your child has many responsibilities as they begin class they must learn to complete independently, such as unpacking their backpack, turning in a library book, and  turning in their Thursday folder. You can help develop an independent routine by making sure they have what they need (snacks, full water bottle, etc…) 

Attendance Procedures

• In the event of an absence, please call the attendance line at 970-593-6827 ext.1

• All extended absences longer than 4 days MUST be pre-approved by administration. Please contact the front office to receive the form. 

• Tardiness-Students must check in at the office and bring a slip to class.  It is imperative that your child be on time.  When your child is late, he/she misses out on a great deal of learning that occurs.  PLEASE do your best to be on time each day. 

• Your child's regular and punctual attendance at school is crucial to his/her success.  They need to be in school all day and every day.  I can't emphasize this point enough!  HOWEVER, if your child is sick keep them home. 

• If you are picking up your child early for an appointment, please be sure to pick up before 2:50 to avoid Driveline.

• Most kindergarten learning activities are small group oriented and involve explicit instruction.  Therefore, it is next to impossible to make up all the work at home.  Interaction with classmates promotes social growth and learning.  Please view school as a priority (schedule appointments or trips after school hours or during breaks).  In case of illness or emergency please inform the front office so your student is marked excused.  If a child arrives late or needs to leave school early, you must sign them in/out at the front office.  School hours are 7:45-3:10pm.  

Weather Conditions

Please watch the morning news stations or check the district website for Thompson School District cancellations due to bad weather. NVCS does follow Thompson school cancellations, but may also cancel school for NVCS students only. 

Snack

• All children may bring two small healthy snacks to enjoy in the morning and one for the afternoon. Some suggestions include fresh fruits/veggies, goldfish, pretzels, cheez-its, crackers, squeeze applesauce pouches, or a cheese stick. Remember, if they can’t open it at home, they can’t open it at school. Please do those things before packing snacks. We have life threatening allergies to peanuts/tree nuts in our classes and foods may contain nuts without us knowing and will contaminate our room and make it unsafe for some friends.

•  Water bottles are allowed in class, but may contain only water. Please send a full water bottle daily.  There will be designated times for students to have drinks to avoid distractions and messes.  Water is the only liquid allowed at NVCS.   

Celebrations

• We know how special birthdays are to kinders.  Our school is a Healthy Initiative school. We do not use food as rewards or for birthdays.  Our classroom can not accept food treats. An optional celebration consists of a small goody bag with toys instead!   

• If your child has invitations to a birthday party, please ask children to give those to me, so I can pass them out discreetly.

Curriculum

• Here is a sampling of what you can expect your child to learn this year. 

• Literacy- Phonemic Awareness, letters of the alphabet, sounds of letters, correct formation of letters, writing, fiction, non-fiction, and reading sight words.

• Math- Two and three dimensional shapes, patterns, comparison of length/weight/capacity, number recognition, number bonds, addition and subtraction.

• Core Knowledge -Early Settlers, Native Americans,  Royal Families, Presidents, Seasons & Weather, Taking Care of the Earth, Farms, and  Plant Life Cycles.

We use CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) to teach literacy & Core Knowledge and for math we use Envision Math. You can learn more about these curricula online if you would like. 

Conferences

• We use Parent Square to sign up for parent/teacher conferences.  You will be notified in advance of the sign up going live and it is up to you to sign up for a time that works for your family.   

      Assessments

• We use several instruments to assess students in kindergarten both formally and informally.  DIBELS is given at the first of the year to determine if your student can recognize the beginning sounds of words,  recognize upper and lower case letters, and track words in sentences.  

Behavior Policies

• Even at the age of five & six, We expect all children to follow classroom expectations and procedures and we will help them learn to do so in a positive, fair, and equitable manner.  In our classroom, the expectations are reinforced through positive behavior intervention & support.  

• Within my classroom for major behaviors, the first time will be handled with a conversation and problem-solving that is teacher-directed. The second time a major behavior occurs, I will use a think sheet for the child to reflect on the behavior. An email or phone call home will accompany the think sheet. That will need to be signed and returned the following day. If the major behavior occurs a third time, it will be an immediate referral to the office. 

• Minor behaviors will be addressed in the classroom and through parent partnership.

Volunteers

• There are opportunities for parents to become involved in volunteer programs such as the NVCS board, advisory councils, and PTO.   

• All volunteers must be registered through our background check process known as Raptor. I advise registering as soon as the school year begins so that it is complete for the school year.

• Expirations occurred this school year. Even if you have previously registered, please do so again as your status may have changed.

• I will let you know of various volunteer opportunities throughout the school year!

Communication

• There will be frequent announcements and personal messages through Parent Square. Please check daily for updates.

• Please be sure to check and empty your student’s backpack daily.

• Thursday Folder-Most communications will go home in the Thursday folders to be returned on Friday. Please be sure to read through and remove all communications before returning the Thursday folder.

Emergency Procedures-There are emergency procedures in place in the event of an inside or outside attack.  Please understand that we do not give that information to anyone. Our schedules cannot be shared for safety reasons. Our lunch time for this school year is 10:45 in case you would like to have lunch. (Joining your student for lunch means you will be having lunch with ONLY your student. No other students may dine with you)

FERPA- Please understand we cannot disclose any personal information about other students including names and parent information. 

We would like to thank you for allowing us this opportunity to work with you and your child this year.  We truly believe that kindergarten is the best place on Earth!!!  Encourage your child to discuss school activities with you and continue having a positive attitude about school.  We look forward to working with you to make sure your child starts school on a positive note.  If we can be of any assistance to you, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.  We appreciate your support and anticipate a fun and successful school year!  Again, welcome to New Vision!