2000-2001 PARENTS LETTER

Welcome to Cassady Elementary School! I am very excited to have your child as a part of our classroom! I am Paula Lape, your child's kindergarten teacher. The purpose of this letter is to introduce myself and let you know important classroom information.

As most parents you are probably a little nervous if this is your child's first experience with school! I want to be among the first to tell you that this will be one of the most memorable years for your child!! During this year each student will have many new and exciting adventures. As your child's teacher I will do my best to guide and support each child throughout the year, however I will need your help and support as well! I know you have heard this saying before, but "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child".

Kindergarten Goals

My goal is for each child to leave kindergarten knowing: alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, knowledge of using a book, reading patterned texts, participating in kindergarten writing both shared and individual, and using small frequency words as well as approximated spelling when writing. These are just basic goals for kindergarten this does not mean that they are my only goals! I feel that it is important for children to get as many learning experiences as possible throughout their education and that they establish a love for learning that they can take with them to first grade. So during the year the children will be learning how to be scientists, mathematicians, discovers, teachers, friends and students!!

Teacher-Parent Communication

Communication is a very important part of education and should be viewed as a priority by both the teacher and parent. I will be sending home a folder that both you and I can use for communicating with one another. The folder will go home every night and should return every morning. Be sure to look in the folder for the weekly newsletter, homework and any important notes from school. I will also look in the folders every morning to see if you have sent any notes to school for me! If you feel like you need to speak to me in person please make an appointment so I can give your concern the attention it deserves. I can also be contacted by e-mail at mrs_lape@yahoo.com You can also check out our "Kinder Garden" Website at www.oocities.org/mrs_lape for up-to-date classroom information.

Arrival

Your child should not arrive any earlier than 8:45am. We will not let any children into the building before 8:45am! This is for your child's safety because many of the teachers are preparing for the day and cannot supervise your child at this time! So please do not send your child to school early or he/she will have to wait outside until 8:45am. In the morning your child will have the option to go breakfast. If your child is going to eat breakfast they need to go straight to the lunch room before going to the room.

Dismissal

The school day ends at 3:30pm please do not come to pick up your child before this time! We will be working until this time!!! If your child is a buser or rides a van to an after school program he or she will board the bus/van upon it's arrivial. All somerset walkers will be dismissed at 3:25pm to cross the street with the crossing guard. All other walkers will leave at 3:30pm and exit through the door beside the kindergarten rooms. Children that are picked up will be walked by the teacher to the front of the building at 3:30pm. If you are picking up your child please try to be on time, the teachers often have meetings that begin right after the school day ends! IF your child is going to be going home a different way than he or she usually does you must send a letter notifying me of this change! For each child's safety I will not let your child go home any other way unless notified by the parent(not the child)!!

Lunch

When your child enrolled you should have recieved an application for free and reduced lunch please return this form as soon as possible! If you did not receive this form please let me know!! The lunch prices are as follows:

Full priced lunch - $1.00
Reduced lunch - .30 cents
milk - .25 cents

When bringing money to school please try to pay for the whole week on Monday even if your child is going to pack a few days during the week. Paying at one time makes the ordering of lunch much easier! When sending money to school please put it in an envelope with the amount and the child's name.

Recess

Everyday that weather permits we will be going outside for recess so please make sure your child is dressed appropriately. To ensure that each student comes home with the right jacket, gloves and hat please write his/her name inside each of these items. We also get a large number of duplicate jackets and hats labeling will help us send the proper things back home. If you do not have a premanent marker you can use our class markers! Just ask and I will be glad to loan you one!
When the students are on recess they should report any problems to the teacher on recess duty immediately. Many times I have children come in and tell me about a problem they had with another student but they do not know that students name or what room he/she is in which makes it hard for me to solve the problem. The teacher on recess duty is responsible for the discipline on the playground so it is very important that children report to that teacher while on recess. If I have children coming in to tell me about every problem I cannot teach and try to find the other child he/she had the situation with.

School Wide Discipline Policy

During the 1999-2000 school year our discipline committee came up with a school wide discipline policy. We are using and will be using a three strike system. If a student gets three strikes against them they will not be able to participate in the school wide fun days (this could be any fun activity, for example a movie and popcorn). Children who do not get three strikes will be able to score homeruns and land themselves on our homerun wall! Information on homeruns and the homerun wall will be given at the beginning of the 2000-2001 school year!

Our Classroom Community

I really believe that the classroom should become a community of learners that work together and support each other. We will be using many of the TRIBES strategies to help us become a classroom community. Click here to learn more about TRIBES.
My goal is that our classroom is a place where every child feels comfortable, safe and secure. I want each child to feel they can take risks and depend on their classmates for encouragement during times of success and during times when they feel they are not so successful. Outcomes of risks will not be as important as the process of taking the risk and the learning that occurs along the way!

Classroom Management

I begin the year by letting the students work together to come up with classroom rules and expectations. This allows them to have an invested interest in their classroom. It also lets them know that they have a voice from the beginning of the year! We write and illustrate these rules/expectations on large chart paper. Then each child signs the chart paper stating that they promise to try their best to follow the rules and reach the expectations. We hang this chart paper at their eye level and the children are sent to find their names and to read the chart many times throughout the year.