Week 1 Newsletter

Dear TK Family and Friends,

Our first week of school is running smoothly.  I appreciate all of you and your commitment to your child's education.

This week we will be learning about:

• Prayer and Love
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Calendar Skills - Days of the Week, Months of the Year, Numbers on the calendar
• Emergency Procedures
• How to be a good student
• Classroom rules and apply them
• We are all different and special
• Zero is a number
• We all can "read"

We are busy this week with learning how to be a student.  Remind your child of the 5 class rules and the importance of following those rules (safety and to learn).

1. Looking Eyes
2. Listening Ears
3. Quiet Mouths
4. Helping Hands
5. Walking Feet

Just a few reminders to help make the classroom run smoothly:

Morning Procedure

• Please do not leave your child unattended within the gated area at morning drop off until 7:30am (please wait for the bell).
• Have your child place his or her tote bag in the appropriate bin.  There are labels on the bin to guide you.
• Remove their daily folder (currently the blue folder) and place it in the tray labeled "FOLDERS".
• I will lead the class into the classroom at about 7:45 am.  Please have your child lined up and ready to go.

Tote Bags

• All tote bags must have your child's name clearly visible at all times.  If we placed a temporary sticker, we asked that you replace it with a luggage tag, iron sticker, or have it embroidered. Placing your child's initials inside the bag makes it really difficult for us to efficiently sort the bags.
• You are welcome to personalize the tote bag by decorating it.  Remember, your child will use the same tote bag in Kindergarten.

Snack Bags and Lunches

• If your child goes to Daycare, please separate snacks from the lunch by placing the snack in its own bag.  This makes it easier on your child to distinguish what you expect them to eat for lunch.  You may place the snack in a gallon size ZipLoc and the lunch can be placed in a lunch box/bag.

Emergency clothes

• If you have not done so yet, I have sent a gallon size plastic zip bag with your child's name.  Place the following items inside the bag:  t-shirt, shorts, socks, and underwear.  The purpose of these clothes is if your child has an accident, he or she can change themselves right away.  
• If your child does have an accident, we that you replace the clothes the following day.
• Half way through the school year, we will send home the emergency clothes to be checked for size.  If your child has outgrown the outfit, place the new appropriate size in the bag.  I will remind you of this in a couple months.

Labeling

• Be sure to label all your child's personal belongings - uniforms, snack/lunch bags, tote bags

After School Pick-up Procedure

• We will try to have the gates open before 11:30.  You are welcome to come in quietly and wait at the benches.  Please be mindful that Kindergarten will still be in session and to keep the volume to a minimum.
• We exit only using one door - the classroom door furthest from the gates.
• I will call your child to the door one at a time.  This will take a while especially while I try to get familiar with the grown-up faces.  I am starting to recognize you, but am still having trouble matching with the children.  I appreciate your continued patience.
• You must pick up your child before 11:45, otherwise, they will be part of the Daycare group.  
• I welcome parents to gather and chat, but I do ask that you take the conversation outside the gates as the Daycare children need the lunch tables to eat.  
• If you are running late, phone the office and let them know.  They will page me in the classroom.  This allows me to tell your child that you are on your way and not to worry.  

Current TK Family Link

• The link to this section of the website is now working.  I will upload photos, videos, practice work and other TK information to this section of the website.  I ask that you do not share the password.  I do use YouTube to upload some videos.  My settings on YouTube is strictly private and can only be accessed with a specific link.  I ask that you refrain from sharing the link on social media.

Conferences

• If you have not yet schedule a TK Conference, I still have some slots available.  As much as this conference is optional, it is a good way for you to tell me about your child.  
• This conference is not for me to tell you what I have assessed or have noticed, it is for you to tell me what your child's strength and areas of improvement are; medical conditions; family situations, and so forth.

I have provided you with tons of information in this week's newsletter.  I regularly try not to over-do the post, but this week was filled with information.  

If anything is confusing or you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Paragas