(**Information updated on 8/20/08.....page will be updated as needed so please check back
prior to the First Day of School.)
The answers to a few questions that you might have.......
First Day of School: Please take your child to the cafeteria, you will be directed to where the Kindergartners
will be waiting. When the 7:50 bell rings, please bring your child down to our classroom. We are in Room #317
in the Green Garden Way hallway. I will then put their nametag on and tell you where to put their supplies,
backpacks, and lunches. Please seat them at their tables and then quickly say good-bye. ***It is in the best
interest of your child for you to say good-bye and then leave immediately with a smile. We realize that
this parting is usually more difficult for the parents than it is for your little ones. So for that reason.....at 8:00
there will be a "Boo Hoo" Breakfast hosted by the PTA just for you in the
cafeteria!
Arrival Time: The building is open and supervision will be in the gym starting at 7:30. Please try to have your
child at school and in the gym no later than 7:45. We begin promptly at 7:45 so it is very helpful to have
everyone settled and ready to go at that time . I understand that we all have mornings when everything
goes haywire, but please make every attempt to have your child arrive on time each day.
Change in Transportation: If there is a change in transportation arrangements or in the designated caretaker,
please write a note to me or call the office instead of telling your child to inform me. Without a written note ,
or a phone call to the office, your child will be sent home in the usual manner. Your child may not be released to
to anyone who is not on file under your authorization in the office.
Lunch: The price for student lunches is $2.00. Meal tickets may be purchased in the cafeteria each morning before
school, or if you choose for your child to pay by cash daily, they may do so. I like to have a couple of weeks to establish
our lunchtime routine with the kids before we have visitors join us. But after two weeks, you are welcome to come
and eat with your child on any day. Please sign in with the office, and meet your child in the cafeteria, (not the classroom)
at lunchtime. Our lunchtime is from 10:50-11:15.
Supplies/Materials: The Kindergarten school supply packets from PTA have all been purchased, there
are no more available. I've heard that Kroger also sells pre-made packs of the supplies that we need. You are also
welcome to purchase them on you own. Notes will be sent home if supplies are running low. Thank you for making
sure your child has the necessary equipment and materials.
Communication: Please let me know if your child is experiencing anxiety or frustration about anything at school or if
something difficult is happening in their home life. What is VERY important to a 5-year-old may seem petty to an adult.
Ten minutes in conference, an e-mail, or a chat on the telephone can clear up a lot of concern and make the days more
positive for your child. If you send a note to me and do not get a written response, a return e-mail, or a phone call,
please assume that it was lost and send another. Also, remember that any money sent to school for lunch, book orders,
etc. needs to be placed inside a sealed envelope. On the outside of the envelope write your child’s name, my name,
amount enclosed, and purpose of the money. If you fear that it might get lost, please pin it to your child's shirt and I
will remove it when I see it.
Absences: On the day that your child is absent, please call the office to report the reason for absence. Send a note
or doctor's excuse when your child returns after an absence.
Medicine: All medication must be in the original containers and must be accompanied by a note or a doctor’s
prescription. The medicine will be kept and administered in the nurse’s office.
Clothing: Riverchase is a uniformed school, so please dress your child in uniform each day. On Fridays, they are
welcome to wear their spirit t-shirt, which the PTA sells for $16.00. Remember that kindergarten is a time for
working with and exploring new materials. Your child will get dirty from time to time. Please have your child to
wear tennis shoes as opposed to cowboy boots or sandals. Children wearing tennis shoes can climb, jump,
and run more easily during recess and the incidences of injury to self and/or others are decreased. Please dress
your child appropriately for the weather. Unless it is a red or purple ozone alert day, raining, or terribly cold,
we will be going outside every day. During the fall, winter, and early spring, layer your child’s clothing so that
he or she can add or take away articles of clothing as needed. Remember to send hats and mittens! If your daughter
chooses to wear a dress, consider having her wear shorts underneath because we do sit on the floor everyday and
she will probably do a lot of climbing during recess. Accidents happen from time to time, please keep a complete
change of clothing in your child's back pack just in case it is needed. Please label all items of clothing.
Conferences: Conferences will be held during the first nine weeks of school, I will be contacting you to set
up an appointment. If you feel that there is a need for a conference sooner, please call me after school, during my
conference time ( 12:25-1:15),write me a note, or send me an e-mail. Calls will not be put through during class time,
you are welcome to leave a message on my voicemail. For the sake of all the children, it is important to avoid any
class time interruptions.
Daily Folders and Backpacks: A daily organizational and educational folder called the "E.A.G.L.E.S. Folder"
will be sent home each day starting on Monday. (Please send in $5.00 cash to pay for this folder at your convenience.)
Please send your child to school with a regular sized backpack each day. Both should be brought to school every day.
Please find a specific place at home to keep these items so they will not be misplaced. Please send the folder back to
school in your child’s backpack everyday. Each week, the folder will contain important announcements from
school, a newsletter from me, and other items from time to time. Check our website under "E.A.G.L.E.S. Folder"
to find out more about this organizational/educational tool. Much of what we do in class is oral or “hands on”
activities. Therefore, the sum total of your child’s day is not always in his or her folder. When we start doing
homework assignments, they will also be sent home in the daily folder. I will check the folders daily for anything
that you might be sending in to me.
Gum, Gandy, and Toys:
We have very strict state guidelines concerning the foods that can be eaten at school. Gum, candy, or any other
food item (except for lunch items) may not be brought to school unless they are specifically requested for a party
or special occasion, and I will let you know when those times are. Toys should not be brought to school unless
your child is bringing the item for a special class project...so please monitor what your child puts into their backpack.
Book Orders: Each month, I will be sending home book order forms from Scholastic, Troll, etc. You are under no
obligation to purchase any items, although the books are very inexpensively priced quality materials. Please keep
in mind that the class receives additional free materials dependent upon the number of books purchased.
If you choose to purchase books, you are welcome to send in cash (exact amounts please) or checks can
be made payable to Scholastic Book Clubs.
**Additions are sure to be made to this
page....keep checking back......