Welcome to Kindergarten at Rosemount Elementary School. Kindergarten is one of the
most important and exciting years of your child’s school career. It is a year full of
opportunities for you and your child’s teacher to work together in your child’s social
and academic growth. The intent of this booklet is to provide important information
about kindergarten. Please read it carefully.
First Day of Class
Have your child come without you on the first day of school. There are fewer tears if Mom and Dad stay at home. From the very first day it is important for your child to become familiar with the bus stop, the route to school, and how he/she gets to the classroom. Your child’s teacher will meet your child’s class in front of school for the first 5 school days. Each kindergarten teacher will be wearing a different color boa around their neck to help the children identify the correct teacher.  Mrs. DeBord ‐ Red  Mrs. Fette ‐ Pink  Mrs. Kelly ‐ Green  Mrs. Schaefer ‐ Blue  Mrs. Wendel – Purple  Miss Duehn ‐ White Transportation
1. Bus Tags ‐ Complete your child’s bus tag and affix it to your child’s backpack. 2. Transportation Changes ‐ If a change is needed in your child’s transportation home from school, please send a written note notifying the teacher of the change. 3. Early Dismissal ‐ Kindergartners will be dismissed at 3:40pm to get settled on the bus before the older students are dismissed at 3:45pm. Please have older siblings meet your kindergartner on the bus. 4. School Times ‐ Please do not drop your child off at school before the 9:10am start time. Supervision is not available before those times. Absences/Tardy
1. If your child is absent for any reason, you are required to call the school attendance line (651‐
683‐6969 #92101) stating the reason your child is absent. 2. If your child comes late to school, you must check your child in at the office. Your child will need a late slip to be admitted to class. 3. If your child needs to leave class early for any reason, go to the office. The office staff will call the classroom to have your child dismissed. Communication
1. Monthly Calendar ‐ Have your child check this calendar daily for special kindergarten activities. 2. Monthly Newsletter ‐ This letter is intended for parents and provides academic information for the month and special activities. 3. Friday Folder ‐ Read and remove the information and return the folder on Monday. 4. Email/Voicemail ‐ Email or voicemail is the best choice for communicating with your child’s teacher. Keep in mind, however, that there are days in which a teacher may not have time to check email until the end of the day due to meetings in the morning and at prep times. 5. In the event of a last minute change in transportation or urgent message, please call the office and the office staff will notify the teacher. Birthdays
1. Celebration ‐ We celebrate your child’s birthday in the classroom with a song and a crown. RE school policy does not allow food treats for birthdays. 2. Invitations ‐ If your child’s birthday party invitations are delivered at school, they must be brought to the teacher by the Wednesday before the Friday you want them delivered. Invitations will be delivered in the Friday Folders. This is the only method for birthday party invitation delivery at school. Supplies
1. Gym Shoes must be worn for gym class and outdoor recess. If your child does not wear gym shoes to school, they may keep a pair of shoes in their locker and change shoes as required. 2. Change of Clothes ‐ Please send a change of clothes to keep in your child’s locker. Place them in a Ziploc bag marked with your child’s name. Individual clothing items should also be labeled. 3. Towel ‐ A towel that fits easily into the child’s tote tray will be needed for rest time. 4. Appropriate Clothing ‐ Please have your child dressed appropriately for the weather. Also, the temperature in our classrooms can fluctuate during the day. We recommend you dress your child in layers. Your child should be able to dress him/herself and tie their own shoes. Conferences/Report Cards
1. Conferences will be November 4/ November 5 and February 10 /February 11. 2. Report Cards will go home in December, March and June. Volunteer Opportunities
1. Parties ‐ We will need volunteers for the following kindergarten parties:  Fall Festival Party on Friday, October 30, 2015  Winter Party on Tuesday, December 22, 2015 2. Friday Folders ‐ We need volunteers to fill Friday Folders each Friday or an occasional other weekday on short weeks of school. 3. Classroom/Home Help ‐ There will be opportunities to help in the classroom and a few projects that can be completed at home. 4. Field Trips ‐ All kindergartners will be going to Gale Woods Farm in Minnetrista, MN in May. This will be an all‐day field trip. We will be asking for chaperones for this trip at a later date. Other Information
1. Poetry Books will come home on Friday, read over the weekend and returned on Monday. 2. The Overnight Reader’s Suitcase will contain a book created by the class. Each child will have the opportunity to bring it home for an evening. Please return it the next school day. 3. All children will be bringing home a Guided Reading Book later in the school year. Please have your child keep the book for 3‐4 days, reading it several times before returning it. We will continue to read with your child in the classroom, but we will not send another book home until the book and bag are returned. 4. We collect boxtops and all types of printer cartridges. Parent Responsibilities
1. Be sure your child is prompt for school. Children are allowed in the building at 9:10am. Students are expected to be in their seats and ready to learn at 9:25am. By encouraging your child to be on time and attend school regularly, you will be developing responsible work habits and demonstrating the value of education. 2. Please check and clean out backpacks each day. Most correspondence will come home in Friday Folders, but an occasional reminder may come home during the week. 3. Please take time to read school communications, such as newsletters, calendars and other notes sent home. These will keep you informed of classroom and school‐wide activities. If correspondence requires a response, please send it back promptly. 4. Set aside a special time each day for your child to share his/her Kindergarten day. Encourage your child to tell about a favorite activity and share items brought home in his/her schoolbag. 5. It is very important for parents to reinforce skills and concepts presented at school with their children. In addition, reading aloud at home is a key factor in your child’s future reading success. Provide a supportive environment for your child by applauding his/her effort and success at school. 6. Clearly label all your child’s belongings, including boots, both mittens, coats, hats, snow pants and tennis shoes. Please spend time helping your child learn to tie, button, snap and zip so that they can dress themselves independently. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or concerns. Let’s work together to make this a rewarding and successful year for your kindergartner. The school phone number is 651‐423‐7690. Sincerely, Julie Fette VM#651‐683‐6969 Box #95185 E‐Mail: julie.fette@district196.org Diane Kelly VW#651‐683‐6969 Box#92138 E‐Mail: diane.kelly@district196.org Patricia DeBord VM#651‐683‐6969 Box#92100 E‐Mail: patricia.debord@district196.org Amanda Wendel VM#651‐683‐6969 Box#92151 E‐Mail: amanda.wendel@district196.org Sarah Schaefer VM#651‐683‐6969 Box#94366 E‐Mail: sarah.schaefer@district196.org Heather Duehn VM#651‐683‐6969 Box#92168 E‐Mail: heather.deuhn@district196.org