Mrs. Balk’s Kindergarten
September, 2008
Welcome to School!
Our Kindergarten year is off to a wonderful start with so many families coming to the Open House and then to the Kindergarten screenings. It was a pleasure to meet both families and children at these events. I look forward to meeting those of you who were unable to attend these activities. Kindergarten is a magical year for both children and the adults around them! I understand that transitioning to Kindergarten can be stressful for some and exciting for others. Be assured that we will all take good care of your children as they enter the door to new adventures, new friends and new teachers.
When setting up your school routines, be sure to include responsibility and predictability for your child. Have your child get their backpack ready each night before school. All toys from home are to stay at home. It causes too many conflicts for personal toys to come to school. Sometimes laying out clothes the night before can save a lot of time in the morning rush! Be sure to have your child go to bed on a regular schedule while school is in session. The first few weeks of school can be very tiresome for Kindergarten children as they are learning routines in their new class. They may need a short nap after school or an earlier bedtime to help them get through. A healthy breakfast in the morning is so important for all children before they come to school. Children cannot learn when they are hungry! We eat lunch at 11:00 each day. Be sure to label your child’s lunch bag with their name if they are bringing home lunch. School milk is also available for those bringing home lunch. Many families choose to have their child get school lunch each day. A menu will come home once a month so you can go over it with your child and make decisions together about their meals. Each child needs to bring a snack and drink from home for our afternoon snack time. Please be sure to put all lunch money in a sealed envelope with your child’s name on it and marked for school lunch.
After lunch, children go outdoors for recess. Sneakers are always best for active running and playing that is done on the playground. “Crocs” are not safe shoes for running children or for children on the climbers or structures. Sneakers are also to be worn on each Tuesday for Physical Education class. Be sure to send in appropriate outer wear as the season changes occur. Cooler mornings often require a sweater or sweatshirt!
When we come in from recess, Kindergarten children have a short rest time. Please send in a pillowcase with your child’s name on to keep at school for a rest time. If is cleaner to use these for resting on rather than the floor and it is a great way for each child to have their own space at rest time. Rest time sometimes includes looking at books, listening to calming music or listening to a story on a tape.
We are fortunate to be able to offer “Specials” for each class at Winchester school. Our class is scheduled to attend “Specials” each day at 12:20. Our schedule is as follows: Monday- Computer, Tuesday-Physical Education, Wednesday-Library, Thursday-Art, and Friday-Music. We use the Everyday Math curriculum at our school. You will learn more about this program throughout the weeks ahead. We also use Houghton-Mifflin as our reading program. Kindergarten children practice learning letters and letter sounds as they develop reading skills. The Houghton-Mifflin curriculum is both fun and direct, which makes it very successful for our early learners! There will often be home extensions for both Math and Literacy throughout the year.
School pictures will be taken on September 16th. More information will be coming home for you to look at for packages that are available. We will also be practicing fire drills and lock downs during the next few weeks. We practice these drills throughout the year and hope you have an emergency plan at home in case of emergencies too!
Feel free to call me at the school with any questions or concerns. I return calls during the children’s “specials” or when I am not with the children. We always welcome volunteers for our classroom. Although many people are not able to volunteer at the school due to work schedules, there are always things that can be done at home to help out the class. Let me know if you are interested! I look forward to sharing this year with you and your child. Kindergarten is an exciting time as our little one grows, matures, learns and becomes more independent. Kindergarten children have an amazing ability to relish in the simple pleasures of life and are naturally curious of the world around them. Celebrate this time with your child by slowing down the pace long enough to see the world through their eyes!
Welcome to the Winchester School and Welcome to Kindergarten!
Mrs. Balk
Please Bring to Kindergarten:
Backpack, Pillowcase with name on it, Snack and Drink, Lunch Money in a labeled envelope.