First Day of Kindergarten!

We had a great first day of Kindergarten.  Whew!  We were busy!  Your child will be very tired and very hungry after school.  Don't be surprised if your child has some meltdowns!  This is to be expected, even if your child did preschool or daycare.  Kindergarten is full of many new routines, people and places.  It is overwhelming for even the most mature 5 year old!  I promise it will get better and easier.

A few things to remember:

Snack

• NO nuts of any kind. NO nut products. NO peanut butter.  A few kids had nuts or nut products in snacks today so I put them in the lunch bin.  Nuts are fine at lunch because we have a nut free table for kids with nut allergies.  
• Please pack and label the snack separately from the lunch.  The lunch bin goes down in the morning before we have snack.  It the snack is in the lunch bin it is gone until lunch time.

Folders

• We learned a lot of routines today and I did not want to teach the folder routines.  Those will go home next week.  For now, all communication will be digital.

Upcoming Dates:

September 7th:  Curriculum Night.  This is in the evening and is really important for parents to attend.  The presentation is short-you'll be in and out in a half an hour.  The presentation is just for parents, so please either arrange child care or plan on dropping your child off in the auditorium for PTO sponsored child care.  (It is usually a movie.)

September 8th: Back to School Party.  This is a great chance for you to see other families from our class and meet your child's friends.  Pizza is sold and it is a fund raiser for the 5th graders!

Enjoy the Pictures!

Kindergarten is Almost Here!

Kindergarten is Almost Here!

Kindergarten is here! I am sure, like me, you are excited and a little nervous about a new beginning!  I am here to help answer any questions you have.  Here are a few notes to help you navigate the classroom, the school and our routines.
First Day

• Our first School bell rings at 7:55 and our second bell rings at 7:57.  On the first day of school I will come outside and greet the children and we will wave goodbye to you from outside. (This is different from previous years if you have an older child at Irving.) 
•  The children will follow your lead...if you seem reluctant to say goodbye-they will be reluctant, too.  I promise to take good care of them! 
• Dismissal is at 1:55 on Wednesdays. We will enter and exit the same doors.
• If it is raining during the drop off in the morning, I will open my classroom door.  After the first day, if it is raining, you will drop your child off in the cafeteria.  
• I will have goldfish for snack in case you forget to pack a snack those first few days.  Going forward, your child will want a snack as we eat lunch rather late. 

Schedule:

• Opening Bell rings at 7:55.  We will go in at 7:57.  
• Lunch and Recess is from 11:45-12:40
• Closing Bell is 2:55.  Wednesday it is at 1:55.
• If you arrive after 8:00 please go to the office for a tardy slip.  
• If your child will be absent call the office.  Please let me know via email. 
• Please stay with your child until the bell rings in the morning.  Please arrive promptly for dismissal.  Children get nervous when they see all their friends leave and they are still waiting for a familiar face.

Communication:

• A folder will go home EVERY DAY to help us keep papers tidy and help with communication.    Some days the folder will be empty-but please check it every day!
• I update the blog about once a week.   I will send you an email when it is updated.  If you prefer a hard copy, please let me know.  
• After years of following people on twitter, I may actually tweet a picture or two! There's not much to actually follow yet... but you can find me @parkinsonkinder 
• For day to day communication- email is best.  You can reach me at bparkinson@op97.org
• I will respond to your email within 24 hours.  It is hard for me to email during the day unless I have a planning period.  If you need to get a hold of me during the day please call the office. 708-524-3090 and leave a message.

Health and Wellness

• We will have a snack each morning.  I will provide goldfish for the first few days.  After that (or before if you prefer) you should send in a snack for your child.  It is a good idea to have it labeled so there is no confusion. We have allergies in the classroom.  Please talk with your child about NOT sharing snacks and lunches.  
• Encourage your child to eat a hearty breakfast and pack a snack that has some staying power.  
• PLEASE TALK WITH YOUR CHILD EACH MORNING ABOUT WHAT S/HE WILL HAVE FOR LUNCH THAT DAY.  
• LUNCH CHOICES ARE: HOT LUNCH (school) or HOME LUNCH.  Milk is included in hot lunch.   IF YOUR CHILD HAS A HOME LUNCH they can order milk-but they need to know it in the morning. 
• Rumor has it that pizza will be a daily option.  Once that is confirmed, I will let you know.  
• A few weeks after school starts, kids can order sandwiches or salads.  It is a little confusing the first few weeks, so let's keep it simple.   
• NO NUTS in our classroom, but it is fine to have nuts in lunches as the cafeteria has a nut free table.  Please no peanut butter granola bars, no peanuts or nuts in snack mixes, etc. in our classroom. 
• Plan on ordering a hot lunch once in the first two weeks.  I generally do not work in the lunch room, but the first few weeks I will be there to make sure they get settled.
• No edible birthday treats.  More on that on curriculum night. (September 7.)
• I cannot give medicine.  Our school nurse, Ms. Jaime Peterson will help you navigate medical forms.

Other Information

• I am looking for lots of great parent volunteers.  There will be opportunities to work with individual students, help with projects, and help keep the classroom looking great.  Please consider signing up on curriculum night.
• Homework will start in a few weeks. Homework is optional, but encouraged.  Nothing needs to be turned in. All Kindergarten classes will have the same homework calendar.