‘s
of Kindergarten
Dear Parents,
We look forward to working with you and your child this year as they enter kindergarten here at Our Lady of the Presentation School. This letter serves as an introduction to the basic guidelines of our kindergarten classrooms. Should you ever have any questions or concerns, please let us know. Together we can make this a delightful year for your child.
A
Appropriate Dress: 
Students are to wear the required uniform at all times unless otherwise directed. Please check the handbook for specific requirements. Please help your child learn to tuck in their shirt. This is a new skill for many Kindergarteners and they have a difficult time with getting their shirt tucked in all the way around. Be sure to dress your child in accordance with the weather we will try to go outside every day.
B Book Bags, Birthdays and Breakfast:
Students should bring a book bag to school every day. Please limit the number of key chains on book bags. Birthdays: We will recognize your child’s birthday with a small surprise (pencil, crown, sticker, etc.) and noting it on the calendar, in addition to it being posted on the birthday board by the front office. June birthdays will be recognized in December, July will be recognized in January and August in February. In accordance with the health policies of the school, any food treats will be sent home at the end of the day. Breakfast: Please encourage your child to eat breakfast every morning. We do not eat lunch until 11:00 am and have reading, recess and religion before we eat. That is a long morning on an empty stomach.
C Communication:
Each child has a folder they will bring home every night. Please check the folder EVERY NIGHT. Inside will be their papers from the day and any important notes either from the office or the teacher. After you empty the folder, have your child put it back in their backpack. Any communication you have for the school or teachers needs to go in the folder for the next day. We are much more likely to remember things if you write it down and send a note. We encourage the children to be responsible for their folders by getting them out for you when they get home, making sure the folders come back the next day and keeping them in good shape. They will receive a new folder each quarter.
D Daily Prayer:
The children will learn various prayers throughout the
the year. We will begin our day with a prayer. Prayers include:
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be and the Sign of the Cross. We also say the prayer before meals that begins, “Bless us O Lord…”. The prayer after lunch is:
We give you thanks
Almighty God
For these and all
Thy benefits,
Which we have received
Through Christ, Our Lord.
Please help your child practice these prayers at home and encourage them to say the appropriate ones during Mass.
E Entering and Exiting the Building and Extended Care:
By this time your child should be walking in by him or herself, hanging up their backpacks, getting out folders and checking them for notes. We encourage the children to be responsible and independent. If your child arrives before 7:30, they need to be registered in the ACED program. Between 7:30 and the 7:45 bell, they can wait in the cafeteria with the teacher on duty. Please observe the drop off procedures and not drop off in the circle drive. If you need to pick up your child early, you will need to enter the building by the office and have them page your child to the office. To insure the safety of the children, please wait there for your child so we know they have been signed out. Extended Care: If your child is to do something different than their regular routine in regards to Extended Care, please let us know IN WRITING. Often the children forget or are unsure about what they need to do.
F Field Trips:
You will be notified in advance about any upcoming field trips.
G Gym (P.E.):
Please send your child in appropriate P.E. shoes on their assigned day. If you are unsure if it is their P.E. day, feel free to send shoes in their backpack. Gym days are: A – Novak and C – Lackamp.
H Handwriting:
We use the D’Nealian style of handwriting in Kindergarten. It may look strange to you at first, but it aids in learning cursive writing later. This style is new for most children; please help them practice at home. A D’Nealian handwriting sheet is attached for your reference.
I Ice Cream and Invitations:
Frozen treats will be sold occasionally(starting in September) for $.75, as noted on the menu. This money will come out of your child’s lunch account. Please encourage your child to eat their lunch before buying treats. We have noticed quite a few children not eating their lunch on these days. Invitations: If you are sending invitations for your child’s party, you may hand them out at school only if you have invited all the boys in our class, all the girls in our class, or the entire class. We don’t want anyone to have hurt feelings.
J Join:
We encourage you to join in on the many opportunities to support our school. The PTO, Education Advisory Board, Clerical Helpers and Room Parents are just a few of the ways you can help our school. If you are a new family, you are always welcome. Some of our best ideas come from someone with a fresh perspective. Our Lady of the Presentation is a great school, largely due to the involvement of our parents.
K Kindergarten is fun!!
L Lunch:
Please pack a healthy lunch for your child. Hot lunches and milk are available for purchase. All lunches, milk, frozen treats and extra entrée are paid for from your child’s pre-paid lunch account and deducted as they go through the lunch line. Please do not send cash in your child’s lunch box. Hot lunch includes milk. Kindergarteners are always going through a growth spurt. If you think they may be hungry even with a hot lunch, you may purchase an extra entrée for $1.50 or send something extra for your child to bring to lunch. If your child is ordering extra, please send in a note. Sometimes children order more because their friends did and do not eat it, yet their account is charged for it. Please check the lunch menu for the days your child will eat the hot lunch. Too often, children tell us they do not like the hot lunch and refuse to eat anything. An empty tummy is a terrible way to spend the day.
M Mail and Mass:
Please either send us messages written and in your child’s folder or through our email:
Novak – anovak@presentation-parish.org
Lackamp – klackamp@presentation-parish.org
Mass: Kindergarten will go to Mass every Monday, unless we are celebrating a holy day. Please try to have your child here on time, as we leave the classroom for Mass by 8:05.
N Newsletters:
We will be sending home newsletters to keep you informed and up to date.
O Outside:
We will go outside for recess EVERY DAY! Exceptions to this rule are when the wind chill or temperature is below 25, the heat index is above 100 or it is too wet to play. We have been known to go outside and play in the snow, so please dress you child appropriately.
P Parents, Panther Prints and Parking Lot:
Parents are of vital importance to the classroom. You are your child’s first teacher. We want to work together with you for the best interest of your child. Panther Prints: Our school newsletter is sent out at the end of every week. Please check your email and school website for this important bastion of information. Please refer to parking lot procedures for morning drop off and afternoon pick up.
Q Questions and Quiet:
If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. If you have a question that requires a more detailed answer, please set up an appointment with us. The parking lot at carpool is not a very private and confidential place. Quiet: Talking in Church will not be tolerated. While in the halls, we ask that children do not socialize. We need to have respect for others in the building. School prayer begins right after the 8:00 bell. We ask everyone in the building to observe respectful silence.
R Religion:
Religion will be taught every day, except Mass days, using the Faith First religion series. In addition to our regular religion curriculum, we will be incorporating the previous Sunday’s Gospel readings into each day.
S Snack:
We will have a snack every afternoon around 2:30PM. Please send a nutritious snack for the class. No candy or cookies, please. Be sure to check the snack calendar for your day.
T Tardies:
Please review the tardy policy in the handbook. Children will need to be in the classroom and ready to go by 8:00AM. When your child is tardy, they will receive a tardy slip to bring home, stating the time they arrived in the classroom.
U Understanding:
We understand this is a lot of information at once. Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns or comments.
V Variables:
Each week we will attend Physical Education, Computers, Art, Music and Library.
W Walking:
The students must walk in the classroom and in the halls at all times.
X X-citing:
Kindergarten is a year of excitement, discovery and growth.
Y You and Us:
Let’s work together!
Z ZZZZZZZ:
Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep every night!
Questions, Comments and Concerns. Please feel free to contact us at school by letter, email or telephone. If you would like to set up a conference with one of us, please do so in advance. We are unable to talk with you extensively during arrival and dismissal times.
We look forward to a wonderful year with your child and you!
Mrs. Lackamp & Mrs. Novak