FAQ's

This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.

What time does my child need to be at school and where do they line up?

Children must wait at the Kindergarten gate (adjacent to the drop-off parking area at the front of the school) until we open our classroom doors at 8:00 AM. There is no supervision prior to 8:00. Once the classroom door is open, children line-up by our classroom door. Children do not play on the playground before school begins. We walk into class at 8:00-8:15 AM. The K gate is locked promptly at 8:15 (according to the school clock).. If the K gate is locked, you will need to walk your child to the office and get a tardy slip. We take roll immediately and it is sent to the office electronically. We appreciate your help with getting your child to school promptly.

*The closer to 8:00 you can have your child at school, the better. I have learning activities prepared when they enter. They also need time to put away their backpack, coat, and select if they are having lunch from home or hot lunch. I also like to informally chat with the students during this time as we settle into our days routine. Thank you so much!

What time does my child get out of school and where do I pick them up?

We arrive out front (NOT near the drop off area, but near the entrance to the parking lot, near the Multi-Purpose building by the flag pole) at 1:40*. PLEASE either park and walk over to get your child or pull up alongside the parking curb and stand outside your car so I can see you. I will be out front waiting with the children. I always make contact with the person picking up each child for safety reasons. If you do park along the curb, please get your child and leave quickly so other parents can pull into your spot.

What if my child is going to be absent?

You must notify the school by a phone call or a note. You can call the attendance hotline at anytime and leave a message. The number is (916) 644-0555. If your child will be out more than 5 school days, see the front office about an Independent Study Contract (at least a week prior to the absence). Every day a child is absent is a day the school does not receive funding from the State. If your child is ill, please keep them home, but please don't take your child out for non-illness reasons, if possible. They miss out on so much instruction and it disrupts the flow of learning, too.

Does a Kindergartner really need a large backpack?

Yes! Your child needs to have a full sized backpack at school everyday. On the front porch, your child will receive a verbal reminder to check his/her backpack for anything that needs to be turned in. I have a large bucket in the same spot everyday to collect all the things they bring back to me (Friday Folders, art projects, etc.).

I do not check their backpack for things. This is the child's responsibility and it begins with emptying and packing their own backpacks each day. I have a bin in the classroom that I remind them to empty their things into for about the first month of school. It sits right by the door as a reminder.

Does my child need to bring a snack?

Snacks are optional. Children may bring in ONE snack item, that is easily consumed.

• The snack MUST BE PEANUT FREE AND NOT MADE IN A FACTORY THAT PROCESSES PEANUTS.

• Label your child's snack with their name

• Have the snack separate compartment in their backpack - NOT in their lunchbox

Please do NOT send in juice for snack time. They can have one with their lunch. You may send in water with your child and we also have a drinking fountain.

Remind your child NOT to share their snack with others (potential allergic reactions).

If your child has special food allergies, please tell me right away. We do tasting in class for various experiments, etc.

How are birthdays celebrated?

Birthdays are very exciting in Kindergarten. We love birthdays! Your child may bring in store bought cookies, mini cupcakes, rice krispie treats, brownies, baggies of popcorn or some other small snack item for their birthday to share with the class (no regular sized cupcakes, cake, etc.). Cookies are best because they are easily distributed and more equitable for all children to share. They must be PEANUT FREE and NOT PROCESSED IN A FACTORY THAT PROCESSES PEANUTS.

Please, no balloons, cake or regular sized cupcakes.

What about Summer Birthdays?

In the months of April and May we will be celebrating all our our summer birthdays. This gives all Kindergartners the opportunity to celebrate their birthdays with their classmates, even if their birthday is not during the school year. I'll contact our summer birthday families and schedule those birthday snack celebrations during April and May.

When can my child use the bathroom?

PLEASE have your child use the bathroom prior to coming to school in the mornings. Your child needs to use the bathroom independently on a daily basis. We have a bathroom break at about 9:00am (during our snack time children are allowed to come into our classroom and use the bathroom). I want your child to use the bathroom at home just before coming to school (so that, for example, 15 minutes into our day your child isn't having to use our in-class bathrooms ~which interrupts his/her instructional day and also is disruptive to our rug time or center time). Please encourage hand washing and remind them that this isn't time for water play. Please let me know if your child has any special needs.

When do I get my child's schoolwork?

Your child will bring work home every day in their backpack.

What do I do with my child's schoolwork?

Please go over each thing your child brings home each day. That is so important. If there is a mini book that day, have them read it to/with you and have them use their "reading finger" as they point to the words. Keep these mini-books in the special Treasure Reading box you and your child will be making for

Homework (a decorated shoebox works great for this!). Then, they can revisit their books often! Praise them for all the positive things they have done. Ask them questions about what they did, what they learned, to retell the story they heard, share the sequence of a story strip, say the sound of the pictures on the page and the letter that makes that sound.

What about Incomplete work?

If there is any work that is not completed, please have them finish it at home. This is an indication that they were probably not on task during their whole center time for that page, and I tell them that if they don't finish it at school, they will have to do it as homework when they get home. You do not need to return unfinished work unless I have a note to return it written on the paper.

What are Friday Folders?

Almost every Friday a folder will come home with your child. Inside will be items from school as well as any notes, etc. Please take everything out of the folder, read it and return the empty Friday folder on Monday morning. This is a great time to send in anything that needs to come back to school, too.

How do I talk to my child about school?

Ask your child questions about their day. Not just what they did, but more specific questions like,

"Tell me what you did with the calendar today?"

"What story did Miss Giannini read today?"

"Who was the helper of the day?"

"What did the KinderStar share today?"

"Who did you play with at recess?"

"What did you learn at center time?"

What about field trips?

We (Kindergarten) will be taking a few academic field trips throughout the year that enhance and extend our curriculum (district permitted - due to covid).

Parents must be TB cleared, Live Scanned, and vaccinated before helping in our classroom or being a field trip chaperone. Parents can volunteer to chaperone on our trips by signing up on the permission slip and returning it by the deadline noted on the slip. I will choose chaperones on a first come, first served basis. If I receive a number of people wanting to chaperone, I will do a lottery and notify everyone that requested to volunteer. Please remember, if I only need two chaperones, I will draw names to make it fair if many people want to chaperone and we are limited on how many parents we can bring. On the next trip, if we only need a limited number of chaperones, I will draw again, omitting the parents that have already had a chance to go on our trip with us. All chaperones (parents) have to be TB approved and Live Scanned.

Also, if you cannot afford to go on a field trip, we can confidentially make arrangements so that your child will be able to participate.

What should my child wear to school?

First & foremost...LABEL EVERYTHING (especially their sweatshirts, jackets, sweaters, etc.). It is school policy that all shoes must have a back-strap. No open backed shoes are permitted. We do lots of running around, too, so tennis shoes or shoes that fit well are best. Also, make sure your child can undo and fasten their pants for ease of undressing in the bathroom. Thank you!

Please have your child wear clothing that isn't for special occasions. We paint, glue, cut and play outside daily. We also sit on the rug. Your child needs to be comfortable so he/she can participate in all our fun activities. Please make sure they can button buttons and zip zippers.

Throughout the year, please work on shoe tying, although each child does grasp this fine motor skill at some point, practice does help the process move along. Shoes need to be sturdy, and your child should be able to run in them. Also, when warmer weather is happening, all shoes must always have a backstrap.

What is the best way to communicate with the teacher?

There are a few ways to communicate with me. Email is a great way. You can use the email link on my Home Page. A note also works, but I might not see it right away. You can also call the school office if it is something that needs immediate attention. I check my email before school (until 7:40 AM) and after class is dismissed (during my lunch). Once in a while you may send an email in the morning and it might not "arrive" in my inbox before the 7:40 time. So, if it is something important, please call the school office. I try to get back to all emails within 24 hours. I also check it before I go home at the end of the day. I teach in the afternoon as well, so it may be later in the day when I reply. Thank you for your patience.

How will the teacher communicate with the parents?

Communication is so key to our working relationship in helping your child to be successful and reach their full potential. I send home a weekly newsletter on Fridays, via email. I also send home notes on their work from time to time. Another way I communicate is via email or phone calls.

How is my child doing academically?

Your child's work is a good indication of how they are doing on a day to day basis. When you look through their work each day, be aware of how they actually did. Was the page done correctly? Did your child put things in the proper order? How well did they write their numbers or letters? Did they do the sound sort correctly? How well did they cut things out? How are they writing their name? Can they read their class mini books back to you (because we do them many times in the room and they should be able to "read" it due to repetition, picture clues and initial letter sounds to "guess" the word. Do they know the letters and sounds that they have already covered in class? These are a few of the ways that you can assess your child's progress. I also write notes on their papers from time to time - especially if I want to note something. Progress Reports will come home mid- trimester in between our grading periods if I feel it is necessary. You can also schedule a mini-conference with me at anytime.

How is my child doing behaviorally?

You can ask your child daily what color they were on. If your child gets an ooops, they will receive an oops card the same day that specifies the oops. The note has a place for the parent or guardian to 'sign and return' the next day. If there is a trend, I will reach out to you and we can brainstorm ways to help your child with the struggle.

Please read the blue Behavior Management page you received in the Back To School Night folder for more specifics or you can contact me.

What is the "KinderStar?"

The KinderStar is the star for the week. This person's special poster is shared on Monday and then displayed for our class to view during the week. Also, the Star of the week gets to bring the sharing bag home with them each day and share during their week!

How is sharing handled?

Our KinderStar gets to bring share everyday for their week. A sharing bag comes home and each day the child gets to bring something in. I encourage 3 clues to be written on a piece of paper each day with the sharing item, and then the Star tells the class their clues and the class gets to guess what is in the bag. I also have a number of question words that we go through so that the child that is sharing answers the questions about the item in complete sentences.