Dear Parents,

Welcome to kindergarten! The Kindergarten year is a wonderful time in your child’s life: a time of beginning, learning, growing, developing new skills, and blossoming. Throughout the year your child will grow cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally. Our program is planned to facilitate and stimulate growth in all of these areas. We will provide numerous language experiences to help your child develop their early literacy skills. Language development will be an integral part of all that is learned in math, science, movement and language arts this year.

Young children learn as they play, and their play is their work. In this context, your child will be learning all of the time this year as he or she joins in the tasks that lie ahead. It is exciting and challenging! We see the kindergarten experience as a partnership – a three-way partnership of child, parents, and teachers working together to make each day fruitful. One of the joys of spending the year with your child is being able to share with your child!

The following pages contain important information about the daily routines in the classroom. Please read them carefully, and feel free to contact us with any questions (703) 227-5400.

The Kindergarten Team

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE FIRST WEEK

Have your child bring a stuffed animal for the first week of school.

Be sure that you put the correct dismissal information on your child’s name tag. If your child will ride a bus, please read the bus list carefully before writing the bus number, because your child will be placed on the bus you select. If your child will be walking home, write “Walker” and the name of the person who will pick him or her up on the nametag; if your child will be picked up by car, write” Kiss and Ride” on the nametag. ALL KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN MUST BE PLACED IN THE CARE OF A RESPONSIBLE OLDER PERSON AT DISMISSAL. An adult at the bus stop must meet a bus rider; an adult or trustworthy older child must pick up a walker on the school blacktop.

THE PARENTS’ ROLE

To support your child’s educational progress effectively, we would encourage you to:

• Read to your child daily.
• Review and discuss any papers and artwork that your child brings home. Let your child tell you as much as possible about them.
• Praise your child for strengths and be patient with areas not yet developed.
• Listen carefully to your child when s/he speaks. Maintain good eye contact and be animated. You are providing a model for good listening skills that your child will imitate in school.
• Have supplies such as crayons, scissors, glue sticks, etc. at home. School should not be the only place a child writes, colors, cuts, or reads.
• Help your child develop muscle coordination through the use of play dough, scissors, snaps, buttons, zippers, and by running, hopping, skipping, jumping, and throwing and catching a ball. Be sure to practice self-help skills such as dressing or trying one’s own shoes.
• Help your child develop independence and responsibility by offering simple choices when appropriate, such as clothing, and by giving them appropriate household chores.

LONDON TOWNE KINDERGARTEN’S COMMUNICATION SYSTEM: Citizenship Folders and Tuesday Envelopes

Each day your child is responsible for returning a citizenship folder to school. This folder has a calendar inside to keep you informed of your child’s citizenship skills and of holidays, etc. Feel free to use the pocket of the folder to send in notes, checks for lunch money and any other needed communications.

The Tuesday envelope will be sent home each week. It will contain school and PTA notices and some of your child’s work. Please return the envelope along with any forms needing your signature the following day. Notes to the teacher are always welcome.

LATE ARRIVAL

Getting to school at the proper time is important – not too early and not too late. To be considered on time, children may arrive in the classroom between 8:10-8:25. Children arriving after 8:25 must first go to the office and be signed in before going to the classroom. Likewise, if you need to pick your child up early, please go to the office. The office staff will then call your child from the classroom. This policy also pertains to dropping off forgotten or needed items. BEING ON TIME WILL HELP MINIMIZE INTERRUPTIONS OF EVERYONE’S LEARNING TIME.

LUNCH AND SNACK

We have a scheduled lunch period every day. Your child may bring in lunch money on the days they wish to buy or you can purchase a lunch card for any desired number of lunches by sending in a check in an envelope marked with your child’s name. Students are allowed to spend additional money to buy ice cream, cookies, fruit roll ups with your permission.

Each day your child should bring a small nutritious snack in a brown bag, labeled “SNACK”. A snack is a ½ sandwich OR a small piece of fruit OR cookies OR crackers.

REST TIME

We have a rest time each day. Please send a towel labeled with your child’s name to use at rest time. We will return it on Friday to be laundered and they are to be returned to school every Monday. No towel is necessary if your child is in the Dual Language Program.

BIRTHDAYS

We welcome birthday treats to make your child’s day special. PLEASE send in a note with your request several days in advance so that we can schedule accordingly. A simple treat is all we need – cupcakes or wrapped treats for each classmate are enough. We will enjoy them at our afternoon snack time. Summer birthdays will be celebrated in May or June as you wish.

ABSENCES/RIDING HOME WITH A FRIEND

If you know in advance that your child will be absent from school, please send in a note or leave a message on the school’s answering machine (703) 227-5454. This will be of great help to our attendance secretary. If your child will be going home with another kindergarten friend, a written note must be sent with each child or arrangements must be made through the school office.

We look forward to seeing you in September. Welcome to the new Kinder Kids – let the learning begin!

Fun Links for Kindergarteners! Click Here