1999-2000
This week your child will complete one of the most important milestones in his/her life - the first day of school! I understand that you and your child may have met this day with excitement or apprehension (or a little of both) and I hope that this letter will help you to know what to expect in kindergarten this year and answer any questions you may have. I would like to take this time to introduce myself. My name is Mrs. Amy Griffin. I am beginning my 11th year as a teacher here at Crewe Primary. I graduated from Longwood College with a degree in elementary and early childhood education. I received a master’s degree in Elementary Curriculum and Instruction from Longwood also. I live in Burkeville with my husband, Steve, and my 11 year old son, Ryan.
I am looking forward to a working with your child this year and helping him/her to achieve his/her full potential. Through the remainder of this handbook, I will share some of my beliefs and classroom policies.
Throughout the school year there will be a variety of special classroom activities and celebrations. I encourage you to attend these functions when possible and to support them by sending needed supplies or treats. Your support of school activities makes your child feel important and sends the message that you value school.
Your child’s regular and prompt attendance at school is crucial to his/her success. I can’t emphasize this point enough!!! Most kindergarten learning activities are group oriented and involve interaction with classmates. Therefore, it is next to impossible to make up work at home. Please view school as a priority, and see to it that your child attends everyday except in cases of illness or emergency.
If you plan to pick up a child that normally rides the bus or you wish for your child to ride a different bus than usual, you must send a written note. Do not rely on your child to tell me this information, because children often become confused and relay messages incorrectly. If no written note is received, your child will be sent home by his/her usual method of transportation.
The children will be going out for recess everyday unless it is raining or extremely cold. Please keep this is in mind when helping your child to select clothing for the day. Also, we are fortunate to have a variety of playground equipment, including several pieces for climbing. Please keep this in mind when selecting shoes. Cowboy boots and little girl’s dress shoes are less than ideal if your child chooses to play on this equipment. Also, these shoes can tend to be slippery on days when the blacktop is wet. For the most part, if your child is well enough to be at school, he/she is well enough to participate in outdoor recess, if properly dressed. In fact, the germs that cause colds thrive more readily in the heated indoor air and it is beneficial to go outside and get some fresh air. However, on those occasions when you feel it is best for your child to stay indoors, please send a written note and I will make arrangements for your child to do so.
On occasion it will be necessary for your child to bring money to school. Always send money in a sealed envelope with the following information written on it:
With over 20 kids to keep track of and several reasons to collect money, this helps me out tremendously and reduces the likelihood of errors. Also, if the envelope is left on the bus or dropped in the hallway, this information will help the money to be returned to my classroom.
Your child will be bringing home a form to order books about once a month. If you wish to order, simply fill out the form and send the correct amount of money or a check made out to the book company in an envelope. These orders are provided as a convenient way for parents to buy quality books for their child at a low price. As an added bonus, for every dollar that is spent on books, I earn bonus points which are used to purchase books for classroom use. This is a win-win situation because you get quality literature at a low price and you are helping to provide quality literature for the classroom. Of course, you are never under any obligation to order.
Birthdays are special occasions for young children. If your child wishes, he/she may bring treats for the class on the his/her birthday. Please send a note a day or two in advance, so I can give you an exact number of children in the class and set aside some classtime for the party.
In closing, I would just like to say that I am looking forward to a great year working with your child! I would also like to suggest that you save this letter for future reference. This letter can also be viewed on line if you have internet access. The address is: http://geocities.datacellar.net/Athens/Troy/5059/. Thank-you in advance for your concern and support throughout the year!!!