Important Kindergarten Information
Bus Procedures
If your child is not riding the bus home, you must send a note to the teacher.
Please specify who will pick up your child if it is not a parent. If your child will be
picked up before the end of the class period, stop in the office, and they will notify
the classroom that you have arrived.
Spur of the moment pick-ups are fine as long as you arrive at the school before
students’ board the buses. Please do not tell your child you might pick him/her up
early as it can be upsetting for the child if you do not arrive early. The student
must board the bus if there is not a note, and you are not there. Students may not
ride a bus to a friend’s house.
All Kindergarten students in District 95 are bused to and from school without
charge.
Wardrobe Considerations
When deciding on children’s wardrobe for Kindergarten, please note that he/she
must be able to manage their own clothing. After using the washroom he/she
should be able to re-zip and button his/her clothing. If your child cannot tie
his/her shoes, please consider slip-ons or Velcro styles. NO FLIP-FLOPS OR
CROCS PLEASE. Dress your child for active play. Being prepared of weather
changes is also important. It is better to have too much clothing than not enough
clothing. Our curriculum includes active movement; floor play as well as media that
can be messy such as paint and glue. We go outdoors daily, weather permitting.
Comfort is the key.
Jewelry
Discourage your child from wearing jewelry. It is a source of distraction and
usually ends up lost.
Backpacks
Send a Backpack to school with your child daily. Please make sure it is large enough to hold
a folder, as well as other projects that will come home on a daily basis. It is easier if it
zips or opens at the top. Label it on the inside, with your child’s first and last name.
Snack Time
Kindergarten students can choose to have a daily snack break after they finish
their classwork. They can bring their own snack and drink every day. Snack is a
great opportunity for the students to use good manners, polite eating habits, and
be responsible for themselves and their social discussion. We are a NUT/SEED
FREE classroom.
Volunteer Opportunities
The Kindergarten child is always very proud and excited to have their parent
volunteer in the classroom. Since this is such a special time for you and your
child, siblings are not invited.
 Classroom Helper-as needed
 Library Helper-once a month
 Kindergarten Field Day
 Halloween Party
 Valentine’s Day Party
 Field Trip Parent
 Enrichment Parent (sponsored by the PTO)
Sharing Time
In Kindergarten it is important for your child to develop his/her verbal skills and
one way this is done is through group sharing. Your child’s sharing day is on their
“Big Cheese” day. I would like for sharing to be educational so, the item you and
your child choose to bring on their “Big Cheese” day should follow with what we are
learning during the particular week.
Folders
The folders you purchased for Kindergarten are to be used to transport work and
important school information from school to your home without too much damage.
They are also used to transport notes coming to school from your home. Please
remind your child if you are sending a note to school. This will help me from having
to go through every child’s backpack. Please remember it’s a good lesson in
responsibility for your child to be in charge of his/her own backpack.
Book Order
Once a month I will send home book order forms. You may either send in the form
and a check made out to the company or go online and order books. I will send home
another note with information about ordering online.
Calendars
The students will make monthly calendars. Please put them in a conspicuous place
and spend time marking off the days in the month. This is a great tool for teaching
the days of the week, the names of the months, numbers, patterns, time awareness
and calendar dates. The monthly calendar will remind you of your child’s “Big
Cheese” day, gym, library, special events, weekly learning activities, and book order
due dates.
Monthly Newsletter
The Kindergarten team will send home via email a newsletter on or near the first
school day of the month. The newsletter will highlight the classroom activities and
give tips to reinforce what we have been learning in school.
Notes
When you send notes to school, please put them in an envelope. Label the envelope
with your child’s name, A.M./ P.M. or EDK and the nature of the note, for example:
field trip money, book order or change in pickup, etc. This labeling helps us to
establish reading priority. If you send a note please remind your child to give the
note to their teacher.
Paper and Projects
Since children measure their self-worth through our reactions, CHECK THEIR
SCHOOL BAGS DAILY FOR NOTES, PAPERS AND PROJECTS. Praise their
responsibility in getting things home in their folder. Review what they did by asking
questions about the work. If there are comments on their work please discuss this
with your child. Show joy in their work and hang it up for all to see.
Progress Report Schedule
There are three official Progress Reports. The first Progress Report will be sent
home in November and discussed at parent/teacher conferences. The mid-year
Progress Report will be sent home in early March. The final Progress Report will be
sent home on the last day of school in June. Parents may sign up for November
parent teacher conferences during Curriculum Night in August/September.