If your child is going to be absent, please notify the school by 9:00 a.m. You can do this by calling the absentee line. The phone number is (856) 540-6200, Option 6, then Option 1 to report an absence. You can send an email to kkiger@psdnet.org. *This year, parents can fill out a Google Form online to report that their child will be absent. Here is the link, Valley Park Student Absence Notification Form. Don't forget to send in a written excuse with your child when he/she returns to school. A doctor's note is required if your child is absent 3 or more days due to illness.
The district is implementing a new attendance policy this year. Regular attendance is crucial to student success. Click on this link to view the Attendance FAQs Slideshow.
Our class will have art on Wednesdays with Ms. Corozza. We also have an art center in our classroom and will do some "messy" projects this year. Your child will need to have an art shirt (an oversized t-shirt ). Please write your child's name inside the collar of the art shirt. Send it to school in a Ziploc bag with your child's name on it.
Arrival time is 8:55-9:10AM. School starts at 9:10AM.
Your child needs to have a full-size backpack. Many of the cute character ones are too small to fit the items. The backpack needs to be large enough to hold the Home/School folder, a change of clothes and a coat when the weather gets colder. Students put their coats in their backpacks when they are not wearing them.
Back to School Night is on Tuesday, September 2nd. You should have received information from the school telling you the time your visit is scheduled. Last names starting with A-M attend 6:00-6:20 PM and last names starting with N-Z attend 6:30-6:50PM. Only parents/legal guardians and students may attend due to space limitations. You will visit our classroom, Room 17. Valley Park students, who will be riding the bus for the first time, are invited to take a brief bus ride with a parent or guardian. The bus rides will take place in front of the school from 5:45-7:00 PM for K/1 students on September 2nd. Please take this opportunity for any photos as pictures will not be permitted in the bus area on the first day of school.
Birthdays-School policy does not allow parents/guardians to send in food items like cupcakes, cookies... or treat bags for the class.
Click on the Calendar Reminders button to check for important dates to remember. You will find reminders in my weekly newsletter, Pawprint Press, posted on Seesaw, too.
Communication is important. There are several ways to contact me:
You can send a note in your child's blue Home/School folder.
You can e-mail me at friley@pv-eagles.org . I check my e-mail first thing in the morning and at the end of the day so I might not get back to you right away. (Keep in mind that sometimes our computers are down so if you have a change in dismissal plans or will be picking up your child early, you should call the Office at 856-540-6200 ext. 7800.)
You can message me on Seesaw.
You can reach me by phone at (856)540-6200 Ext 7817 before 8:50AM and after 3:50PM. I am not available during the day because I am teaching. If you have an emergency, you should contact the Office at (856) 540-6200 ext 7800.
Parent/Teacher conferences will be held in November. We will have early dismissal on those days. You will sign up for a conference. You will get more information as we get closer to that time.
If there is a change in dismissal plans, please send in a note with your child or call the Office. I can't go by your child telling me. Too many times children confuse the information. If I don't have a note or a phone call from the Office telling me about the change, school policy is that your child will follow his/her normal dismissal plan.
Dismissal time is 3:40 PM.
Early dismissal time is 1:40pm. Check the Calendar Reminders for the dates.
Teacher's e-mail address is friley@pv-eagles.org .
It is very important to keep your Emergency Contact info updated. Please inform the Office of any changes immediately. It is very important that the school has current phone numbers and contacts so they can reach you in case of an emergency. This year parents are able to go online to update this information in Power School.
First Day of School for students is Thursday, September 4, 2025. You can help prepare your child ahead of time by attending Back to School Night to familiarize your child with our classroom and the hall bathroom. Note the dog icon outside the classroom door. Remind your child to look for that icon. (There will be staff stationed in the hallways to provide assistance, too.)
Other ways to prepare for the first day:
You can read books about school to your child and discuss what they might do in school.
Don't wait until the night before school starts to get back on a schedule.
Being well-rested helps your child cope better with stressful situations.
Practice zippering/unzippering his/her backpack.
Have your child pick out clothes the night before to make mornings easier. (Helpful hint: Encourage your child to pick items that he/she can easily unzip/zip or pull down/pull up when he/she uses the bathroom. )
Practice basic toileting needs so your child is confident doing it independently.
See that your child eats something for breakfast. (There is no snack time in kindergarten.)
Don't overpack for lunch. You don't want to overwhelm your child with too many choices. Keep in mind that the children only have a half hour for lunch.
Set a schedule.
It is a big transition for some students. Be positive. It is hard for some children to separate from their parents/guardians. On that first day, you can make it easier for your child by being matter of fact about it. Parents/Guardians and other visitors will not be permitted in school. After dropping off your child, say your good-byes and remind your child that you will see them after school. It is harder on some children when you drag out the separation process.
Sometimes it is hard for parents to separate, too, especially if this is your first child going to school. So, even if you are emotional, try to not let your child see you being upset. It is normal for some children to cry the first couple of days. Do not keep your child at home. That will make the situation worse. Most children stop crying after a few minutes in the classroom.
This summer or when you registered, you should have received a packet with information about different forms that you need to complete online like the Internet Permissions and the Bus Protocol Form. If you did not receive the packet or were not able to complete the forms online, you should contact the Office for help before school starts.
If you are applying for free lunch, please complete and return the form as soon as possible. If an older brother or sister received free lunch last year, it does not mean that the new kindergarten student will automatically receive it. You need to return the form. It takes a few days to process the forms so you might want to check with the Office or pack a lunch for your kindergartener for the first few days of school.
Ms. Johnson is our school guidance counselor. Our class will have a guidance lesson with her on Thursdays.
Our district has a Health and Wellness Policy. We have guidelines we have to follow concerning which food items are allowed for the winter and spring parties. Please do not send in food items for the parties unless requested by the teacher or Room Parent(s). Your child is not allowed to share food items with other students during lunch because some students may have food allergies.
In kindergarten, your child is learning to be independent. Even though it is easier and quicker for you to do things for your child, allow your child the opportunity to do things for himself. You might be surprised by what your child can do. Be patient and offer encouragement. It might not be exactly the way you would do it, but appreciate the effort.
Teachers are not allowed to hand out invitations to birthday parties. If your child brings in invitations, he/she must hand them out before school starts or at the end of the school day.
In kindergarten your child will do journal writing. At the beginning of the school year, we start with a drawing journal. We trace and draw different kinds of lines and shapes. We use the lines and shapes to draw people and settings. Then, as we learn the letters that represent sounds, we start to add labels to our pictures. Some children may write random scribbles or attempt to write a few letters and draw a simple picture. By the end of the school year, the children will be writing sentences and drawing detailed pictures.
Keep updated by reading our weekly classroom newsletter, along with any announcements I post on Seesaw, and by visiting my website.
Kindergarten is a very important year in your child's education. It is a year of transitions and building a strong foundation for future learning.
Kindergarteners will have library once a week. This year my students will visit the school library on Wednesdays. Ms. LaPalomento is our librarian. Students will have the opportunity to borrow books from the school library during the year. Students are responsible for taking care of the books and returning the borrowed books on time Parents/Guardians might find it helpful to designate a special place for the library book when it comes home so it doesn't get lost. There is a fee for lost books. I also have a classroom library that students use during our literacy block, and free-choice time.
Lunch
Our class will have lunch in the cafeteria from 11:35AM-12:05PM. They may bring a packed lunch from home or order lunch from the cafeteria. Students do not have access to a microwave. Keep this in mind if you are packing a lunch.
Pennsville School District uses the lunch management system. Parents/guardians can create a SchoolCafe account here. You may put money into your child's account via cash or check or by going online. If you are sending cash, please put it in a sealed envelope. Write your child's name, the amount, and "lunch deposit" on the envelope. If you are paying by check, please make the check payable to: Pennsville Board of Education. Please write your child's full name on the memo line on the check so the correct account gets credited.
If you have a SchoolCafe account, you can log into SchoolCafe to check your child's breakfast/lunch account balance.
Prices:
Breakfast $2.00 *Milk is included with the breakfast
Lunch $3.30 *Milk is included with the lunch
If you want to see the current lunch menu, visit the Valley Park School website . Scroll down a little. Click on Dining to find the menu.
Mistakes will happen-especially in kindergarten when we are first learning. It is okay to make mistakes. We learn by fixing our mistakes.
If your child is bringing money to school for things like breakfast/lunch or Scholastic Book Club, please make sure it is in an envelope with your child's name, the amount and the purpose. Put the envelope in the clear zippered pouch in the Home/School folder so it doesn't get lost.
Students will have music with Ms. Stephanie Fiala on Mondays.
Mrs. Fordham creates a monthly school newsletter called Buzz from the Hive to keep parents informed. It will be available online here.
I share a weekly classroom newsletter called Paw Print Press. I share what we are covering in class that week, important dates and reminders. The newsletter is posted on Seesaw.
Our school nurse is Ms. Crystal McFarland. If you need to contact her, the number is 856-540-6200 Ext 7834.
We are learning to be organized. Lesson materials and work are kept in different colored folders in students' chair pockets. Each child has his/her own supply pouch.
Parents are important partners in education. Teachers and parents must work together as a team to provide the best education for your child.
Your child will have PE with our HPE teacher, Mr. Cerone, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
You will need a password to log into PowerSchool. You should have received one before school started. If you lost your password, contact the main office. Teachers do not have access to parent/guardian passwords.
Play is developmentally-appropriate in kindergarten and is an important part of your child's day. The children need some unstructured play time. We have free choice center time. Our kindergarten students will also have the opportunity to choose activities during ELA time and math time when I am working with small groups. Your child will develop social skills, practice math skills, build fine motor skills, explore, investigate, create, learn to problem solve and develop oral language through play.
There is no such thing as a dumb question. If you are not sure about something, please ask. I welcome your questions.
Don't forget to complete the parent questionnaire (survey) that I emailed to parents/guardians before school started. It will help me to get to know your child.
Valley Park is on a trimester reporting system. You will receive a report card three times a year.
Children need to respect themselves, other students, and the adults in charge. They do that by following the school rules.
Kindergarteners are learning to be responsible. Your child is responsible for taking home and returning the blue Home/School Folder every day and for completing work. He/she is responsible for taking care of the materials in the classroom, cleaning up and returning items to proper places. Kindergarteners are responsible for the choices they make.
This year your kindergartener will become a READER! It is hard work and takes a lot of practice. The more he/she reads and listens to reading, the better reader he/she will be. Read to your child often. Encourage your child to read to you. Take turns reading to each other. Let your child see you reading.
Click on the Daily Schedule button to find out which day your child has art, library, music, or P.E. with the special area teachers.
Click on the Supplies button to find out what supplies your child needs.
I will send home information about Scholastic Book Club after school starts. Parents/Guardians can order books and pay online.
The students and I will use the Seesaw app as a digital portfolio, as well as a communication tool. You will be able to see some of your child's work when you sign up for Seesaw. I will give parents information on how to sign up for Seesaw at Open House. I post announcements, reminders and our class newsletter (Paw Print Press) on Seesaw. Parents and teachers can send messages to each other.
There is no snack program in kindergarten. .
This year our class will visit Ms. LaPalomento in the library for STEAM on Thursdays.
We have technology in our classroom. We have 1:1 student iPads, a TouchView, and a HoverCam (document camera). The students work on apps like Reading Horizons and iReady (Reading and Math). They use the Seesaw app to take pictures of their work and and to complete activities to practice skills and show their understanding.
Bringing in toys from home is discouraged.
Every child is unique and special. Avoid comparing your child to other children. Keep in mind that some children have had preschool experience, while others haven't. Even children within the same family are unique and have their own gifts and talents.
Please consider joining the wonderful group of volunteers who support our school-Pennsville Educational Foundation. The group meets on the third Tuesday each month in the Valley Park library.
Here are links to important websites for this school year.
VPS Monthly Newsletter-Buzz from the Hive
Lunch Menu and Cafeteria Payments
I am excited to work with you and your child this year.
Exit and enter through the main doors by the Office. All other doors are alarmed and require a key card.
You are your child's first and most important teacher.
Zzzzzzzz-Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give your child.