Kindergarten Policies
For the first few weeks of school you can expect an avalanche of notices and papers to be filled out and returned to school. Please fill out all of the paperwork and send them back to school promptly. They are important!
All paperwork that you receive today during orientation (found on the left hand side of your child’s green folder) needs to be filled out at home and returned to school by ASAP.
Safe and Best Practices:
Monitor for Symptoms:
Be sure to monitor your child daily for any symptoms. Students must stay home if they feel unwell for any reason. On the annual health information form for your child, you are certifying that your child is healthy and free of COVID-19 symptoms each day they are sent to school.
Masks:
All staff and students must wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose while on school property (including the school bus) except while eating, drinking and during mask breaks. Please start practicing to increase your child’s mask stamina as well as proper mask placement and removal (ie. using ear loops only when placing and removing masks). We will provide mask breaks for students throughout the day. Students will also be given a bag to safely hold their mask during snack and lunch time. Providing an extra mask might be a good idea in case of an accident such as dropping it on the floor, spilling fluids or accidentally throwing it away. Reusable masks need to be washed at home daily.
Hand washing:
Students will be washing their hands upon arrival to school, before eating, and when masks need to be removed and placed on. This is in addition to normal hand washing practices.
Social Distancing:
Students and teachers will be practicing social distancing of at least 6 feet at all times. Assigned seating will be maintained in both the classroom, cafeteria, bus, and throughout the school. There is no sharing of materials.
Need to Know:
Snacks
We have a snack break every morning at 10:30 am. Be sure to pack a snack and drink daily for your child. We have approximately 10 minutes for snack so only send in what your child can eat/drink in that time frame. Be sure to include plastic silverware and a napkin with your child’s snack. We do encourage healthy eating in kindergarten and independence with opening snacks. You may want to have your child practice opening and closing their food items before school begins. When you send your child to school with a snack and lunch please separate the two so your child will know which is his/her lunch and which is his/her snack.
Indoor Recess Box:
Now that we can no longer share materials, we would like to ask that families provide a shoe box labeled with their child’s name and fill it with some different materials from home to entertain their child during indoor recess. Items such as Play-Doh, tools for Play-Doh, coloring books, a small lego set, action figures, and matchbox cars are good starters.
Attendance:
Attendance is taken every morning at 9:15 am. Attendance will be taken for both students who are in the classroom and those who are at home. On remote learning da
Backpacks
Backpacks are necessary to the development and organizational skills for your child. This backpack should be large enough to hold personal belongings as well as school items. Every night, it will be necessary for you to check your child’s backpack. This will ensure that you have received our notes about school happenings and upcoming events. You will also be able to appreciate all that good “Kindergarten” work that your child treasures and has worked hard to accomplish. Please have your child practice zipping, unzipping, and packing their belongings into a backpack.
Folders
Your child will have a green folder for Kindergarten. It is necessary that your child bring this folder to school every day. All notices, papers, and any homework will go home in this folder every day. You need to check your child’s folder daily and remove the papers in the folder. Only one paper should remain in your child’s folder at all times (It is the pre-decodable/decodable take home practice stories check off sheet.) If you have any paperwork or changes that I need to know about, please put them in your child’s folder because I will check them each day. As soon as you know about a schedule change (bus pass/walker) for your child please notify the office and myself before 9:15 am. It is important for the office to have this information in the event of my absence.
Pre-decodable/Decodable Books
Every week in our “Wonders” language arts program, your child will be receiving their own black and white copy of a pre-decodable/decodable book. This book is sent home in your child’s folder. Please remove it from the folder and KEEP it at home. Your child will need to practice reading this book to an adult at least three times. Afterwards, please be sure to sign off on the practice stories check off sheet stapled inside your child’s folder.
Updates on Curriculum
We will be sending home a weekly Wonders family letter to keep parents up to date on letters and sight words introduced as well as comprehension skills. It will also provide parents with an opportunity to supplement their child’s learning at home. You will be receiving login information so that you can access the Wonders website. Here you will be able to find more activities to practice and reinforce concepts learned at school.
We will be sending home Go Math! newsletters with each new chapter. This will keep you updated on what we are working on in the classroom, the math vocabulary that we are learning and a family activity that you can do at home.
When you receive work for home, please make sure it is completed in pencil and it can be uploaded to your child’s Seesaw account.
Birthdays
We love birthdays in Kindergarten. Your child will be able to choose a read aloud from the classroom library as their special treat for their birthday.
Lunch
For the first week of school (October 5-9), we are asking for you to provide a home lunch for your child. Beginning October 13th, your child can either purchase lunch or bring a lunch from home each day. Please be sure to tell your child what they are doing for lunch each day before they leave for school. You will need to set up a lunch account for your child by going on the MURSD.org website and click on School Lunch Information. You can find your child’s student ID number on the blue data form. You will be able to put money on your child’s lunch account using a credit card OR you can pay ahead with a check sent into school inside your child’s folder. If sending in a check please fill in the “memo” section of the check specifying that it is for your child’s lunch account. The cafeteria will send home a notice if you owe money.
Quiet Time & Book Bins
After lunch, we have a period of quiet time for the kindergarteners. This includes time to read to self and a story read by the teacher. Please send in two small, familiar paperback books for your child to keep inside his/her book bin. Every week these books will be sent back home and you will need to replace them with two new books.
Bus Name Tags
Please have your child wear his/her bus tag to school each day for the next few weeks. Please remind your child what bus he/she is to go on each day. Wearing the bus name tag will make it less fearful for your child to come to school and go home each day.
Expectations
With our help and guidance, it is expected that all students will follow the Clough school rules on pages 27-29 of the Clough School Parent and Student Handbook. These rules include the following: Be Respectful, Stay in Control, Hands Off, and Quiet Voices. These rules are guidelines for behavior in the classroom, cafeteria, playground, and all specials (ex. music, art, library, physical education, and technology). They are also reinforced through SOAR. Each SOAR butterfly explains the expectations in those areas. They can be found on our website. We will discuss and review the rules frequently so that each student has an understanding of what is expected of them throughout the day. We understand that they are only kindergartners and sometimes rules are broken. It is our job to provide students with understanding and guidance so that they can be successful. If a behavior is consistent and disruptive to the class I will ask for your support and ask for you to help me to reinforce the school wide rules at home.
Parent-Teacher Communication
I believe that you and I are a team with the best interest of your child at heart. If at any time you have a concern or question please do not hesitate to contact me. The best way to reach me is through email at: [email protected] I will respond to emails as soon as I am able to do so. Parent-Teacher communication is key to the success of your child’s first year of kindergarten. I want every child to have a great year and together we can make that happen. So thank you for being a part of my team.
Other Important Things
Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.
Thank you!
The Kindergarten Team
For the first few weeks of school you can expect an avalanche of notices and papers to be filled out and returned to school. Please fill out all of the paperwork and send them back to school promptly. They are important!
All paperwork that you receive today during orientation (found on the left hand side of your child’s green folder) needs to be filled out at home and returned to school by ASAP.
Safe and Best Practices:
Monitor for Symptoms:
Be sure to monitor your child daily for any symptoms. Students must stay home if they feel unwell for any reason. On the annual health information form for your child, you are certifying that your child is healthy and free of COVID-19 symptoms each day they are sent to school.
Masks:
All staff and students must wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose while on school property (including the school bus) except while eating, drinking and during mask breaks. Please start practicing to increase your child’s mask stamina as well as proper mask placement and removal (ie. using ear loops only when placing and removing masks). We will provide mask breaks for students throughout the day. Students will also be given a bag to safely hold their mask during snack and lunch time. Providing an extra mask might be a good idea in case of an accident such as dropping it on the floor, spilling fluids or accidentally throwing it away. Reusable masks need to be washed at home daily.
Hand washing:
Students will be washing their hands upon arrival to school, before eating, and when masks need to be removed and placed on. This is in addition to normal hand washing practices.
Social Distancing:
Students and teachers will be practicing social distancing of at least 6 feet at all times. Assigned seating will be maintained in both the classroom, cafeteria, bus, and throughout the school. There is no sharing of materials.
Need to Know:
Snacks
We have a snack break every morning at 10:30 am. Be sure to pack a snack and drink daily for your child. We have approximately 10 minutes for snack so only send in what your child can eat/drink in that time frame. Be sure to include plastic silverware and a napkin with your child’s snack. We do encourage healthy eating in kindergarten and independence with opening snacks. You may want to have your child practice opening and closing their food items before school begins. When you send your child to school with a snack and lunch please separate the two so your child will know which is his/her lunch and which is his/her snack.
Indoor Recess Box:
Now that we can no longer share materials, we would like to ask that families provide a shoe box labeled with their child’s name and fill it with some different materials from home to entertain their child during indoor recess. Items such as Play-Doh, tools for Play-Doh, coloring books, a small lego set, action figures, and matchbox cars are good starters.
Attendance:
Attendance is taken every morning at 9:15 am. Attendance will be taken for both students who are in the classroom and those who are at home. On remote learning da
Backpacks
Backpacks are necessary to the development and organizational skills for your child. This backpack should be large enough to hold personal belongings as well as school items. Every night, it will be necessary for you to check your child’s backpack. This will ensure that you have received our notes about school happenings and upcoming events. You will also be able to appreciate all that good “Kindergarten” work that your child treasures and has worked hard to accomplish. Please have your child practice zipping, unzipping, and packing their belongings into a backpack.
Folders
Your child will have a green folder for Kindergarten. It is necessary that your child bring this folder to school every day. All notices, papers, and any homework will go home in this folder every day. You need to check your child’s folder daily and remove the papers in the folder. Only one paper should remain in your child’s folder at all times (It is the pre-decodable/decodable take home practice stories check off sheet.) If you have any paperwork or changes that I need to know about, please put them in your child’s folder because I will check them each day. As soon as you know about a schedule change (bus pass/walker) for your child please notify the office and myself before 9:15 am. It is important for the office to have this information in the event of my absence.
Pre-decodable/Decodable Books
Every week in our “Wonders” language arts program, your child will be receiving their own black and white copy of a pre-decodable/decodable book. This book is sent home in your child’s folder. Please remove it from the folder and KEEP it at home. Your child will need to practice reading this book to an adult at least three times. Afterwards, please be sure to sign off on the practice stories check off sheet stapled inside your child’s folder.
Updates on Curriculum
We will be sending home a weekly Wonders family letter to keep parents up to date on letters and sight words introduced as well as comprehension skills. It will also provide parents with an opportunity to supplement their child’s learning at home. You will be receiving login information so that you can access the Wonders website. Here you will be able to find more activities to practice and reinforce concepts learned at school.
We will be sending home Go Math! newsletters with each new chapter. This will keep you updated on what we are working on in the classroom, the math vocabulary that we are learning and a family activity that you can do at home.
When you receive work for home, please make sure it is completed in pencil and it can be uploaded to your child’s Seesaw account.
Birthdays
We love birthdays in Kindergarten. Your child will be able to choose a read aloud from the classroom library as their special treat for their birthday.
Lunch
For the first week of school (October 5-9), we are asking for you to provide a home lunch for your child. Beginning October 13th, your child can either purchase lunch or bring a lunch from home each day. Please be sure to tell your child what they are doing for lunch each day before they leave for school. You will need to set up a lunch account for your child by going on the MURSD.org website and click on School Lunch Information. You can find your child’s student ID number on the blue data form. You will be able to put money on your child’s lunch account using a credit card OR you can pay ahead with a check sent into school inside your child’s folder. If sending in a check please fill in the “memo” section of the check specifying that it is for your child’s lunch account. The cafeteria will send home a notice if you owe money.
Quiet Time & Book Bins
After lunch, we have a period of quiet time for the kindergarteners. This includes time to read to self and a story read by the teacher. Please send in two small, familiar paperback books for your child to keep inside his/her book bin. Every week these books will be sent back home and you will need to replace them with two new books.
Bus Name Tags
Please have your child wear his/her bus tag to school each day for the next few weeks. Please remind your child what bus he/she is to go on each day. Wearing the bus name tag will make it less fearful for your child to come to school and go home each day.
Expectations
With our help and guidance, it is expected that all students will follow the Clough school rules on pages 27-29 of the Clough School Parent and Student Handbook. These rules include the following: Be Respectful, Stay in Control, Hands Off, and Quiet Voices. These rules are guidelines for behavior in the classroom, cafeteria, playground, and all specials (ex. music, art, library, physical education, and technology). They are also reinforced through SOAR. Each SOAR butterfly explains the expectations in those areas. They can be found on our website. We will discuss and review the rules frequently so that each student has an understanding of what is expected of them throughout the day. We understand that they are only kindergartners and sometimes rules are broken. It is our job to provide students with understanding and guidance so that they can be successful. If a behavior is consistent and disruptive to the class I will ask for your support and ask for you to help me to reinforce the school wide rules at home.
Parent-Teacher Communication
I believe that you and I are a team with the best interest of your child at heart. If at any time you have a concern or question please do not hesitate to contact me. The best way to reach me is through email at: [email protected] I will respond to emails as soon as I am able to do so. Parent-Teacher communication is key to the success of your child’s first year of kindergarten. I want every child to have a great year and together we can make that happen. So thank you for being a part of my team.
Other Important Things
- Please label and put your child’s name on all of his/her possessions.
- Sometimes your child enjoys bringing toys to school. This can present some problems, especially if it is a “special” toy your child has received as a present. They often enjoy sharing these toys with friends and if the toy is delicate it can break. We are asking that your child keep his/her toys at home. A suggestion is placing a picture of yourself in your child’s backpack as a comfort item.
- Your child will need to know his/her full name, address, and telephone number by the end of September. Your assistance in this area would be greatly appreciated.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.
Thank you!
The Kindergarten Team