Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to all returning children and to those of you who are new to
Clairlea! My name is Cindy Sharman and I am very excited to be your child’s Kindergarten
teacher. This year I have the privilege of sharing the role of teaching your
child alongside Denise Bennett, a certified Early Childhood Educator.
In this letter you will find important information regarding our
classroom routines. Please check your child’s backpack each day and read all
notices sent home so that you and your child do not miss important information
and dates. Any information the office would like to convey is sent home in this
fashion. As much as possible, we like to avoid sending paper home and more
often post important information on the classroom blog: http://clairleakindies.blogspot.com,
so please check it on a regular basis.
School begins at 8:40 a.m.
and ends at 3:15 p.m. Children need
to bring a backpack to school each day as well as healthy snacks for snack time
in both the morning and afternoon in addition to their lunch. Please try to
make it as clear as possible what should be for snack and what is for lunch.
Lunch
time is 11:30 a.m.—12:25 p.m. All
students are expected to go home for lunch unless their parents are working or
attending school full time. However, if this is not possible, a supervised
lunch program is run in each kindergarten classroom. Students who stay are
expected to bring their lunch. Please note, all drinks, cutlery and straws must
come from home and will not be provided by the school. If you have questions or
concerns about your child staying for lunch, please speak directly with one of
us.
Healthy options only please! The
Full-Day Kindergarten program strongly emphasizes the importance of healthy
living and healthy eating and as such we like to use snack and lunch as an
opportunity to discuss what is good for us and what is not. We would also
strongly encourage you to send a litterless snack (we are an eco-school and try
to produce as little garbage as possible) by using a lunch-bag or other
container clearly marked on the outside
with your child’s name so we don’t have any mix-ups. Water is strongly
encouraged as most others encourage ants if spilled.
Some great ideas for snacks are: (Please keep in mind Clairlea is a nut free environment so please do not
send any food with peanut butter or that may contain nuts)
Please make sure to send your child with a water bottle as there is no
water fountain in our classroom and kids tend to get thirsty throughout the
day.
Our classroom is a busy place where children are
encouraged to get fully involved in their activities. Please send a full set of
extra clothes in a labeled plastic bag to be kept at school in your child’s
cubby. Rubber soled shoes, are required for gym and outdoor activities. A pair
of running shoes should be left at school this year. Please choose slip on or
Velcro closures so that your child can put on and remove his or her shoes
independently. Please do not send shoes with laces. Please write
your child’s name on their shoes in a place that is clearly visible. Many
children will have the same shoes as your child and this will help to know
which shoes belong to which child. It is important to label all clothing,
especially boots, shoes, outdoor coats, sweaters, hats, mittens and scarves
with your child’s name.
Our classroom is full of wonderful opportunities to keep your child
busy. Although we encourage children to share, we ask that toys and treasures from
home are not brought to school. They are frequently misplaced, damaged, or a
distraction which causes upsets. If something is needed for a special day, an
invitation to contribute will be extended to all of the children in the class.
It is our goal for the children to LOVE school and have fun. In order to do this, we strive to provide
a positive learning environment that is safe for your child. An
expectation of your child in the Kindergarten program is that she or he grows
to be independent. To encourage this, you are asked to say goodbye at the
Kindergarten gate and have your child enter the gated area by him/herself. In
addition, to ensure the safety of your child, please wait outside the
Kindergarten playground until your child is dismissed by a teacher on duty. If
you need to speak to one of us, please wait until the entire class has been
dismissed. Students will not be released to anyone but the approved caregiver
unless the school has been notified in writing or in person.
As we will be establishing routines in our classroom, it would benefit
your child to establish these positive routines and practices at home:
Early and consistent bedtimes
Read to and with your child often
Nutritious eating habits
Independence to dress and to help with simple
household chores
Use good manners (especially pleases and thank
yous)
Respect for oneself, others and things
Spend time talking with your child and play
games (alphabet, word, number games, puzzles etc.)
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