WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION
Pine Glen Room 101
Our kindergarten program is designed to help children learn to enjoy school and feel positive about themselves and their abilities. The program is largely a hands-on experience. Play is an integral part of the learning process at this level.
Massachusetts follows the Common Core State Standards. These standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world. We have curriculum goals in all curricula areas including; reading, writing, math, motor skills, communication, life skills, social studies and science. Music and literature are also part of our daily program.
Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher. You are needed to make your child’s school experience a success. We look forward to a partnership with you.
Let’s all be sure to give one another a lot of grace - to try things out and acknowledge we are all doing our best. Let’s support one another as we fail and succeed and learn and grow. We will be a team and work together to educate your child this year.
We are looking forward to working closely with you to ensure a successful year for your child.
Melissa Parnell & Kathleen Kearney
Below we have attempted to answer some questions we anticipate you may have. The questions are in 2 categories.
General information and in school learning.
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General School Information
Some questions most often asked by parents of incoming children:
How can I contact my child’s teacher?
You can reach me here at school. The classroom phone number is 781-221-7788. The best time to reach me is 7:30-7:50 a.m. or after 2:30 p.m. You can also reach me by e-mail. My email address is parnell@bpsk12.org. I check my email at least once a day. Generally, messages received after 3:30 will be responded to the next business day.
Who will work with my child?
The full day Kindergarten program will have a daily special. Room 101 students will have our special from 11:35-12:20. We will follow the following schedule:
Monday- Music with Mrs. Agati
Tuesday- Art with Ms. Fallon (Be ready to get messy - You are welcome to send a smock labeled with your child’s name to school leave for the year.)
Wednesday & Friday- Gym with Ms. Govoni (sneakers/closed shoes required for gym)
Thursday- Library with Ms. Small (remember to return library books weekly)
Classes may also work with:
School psychologist - Mrs. Perry
Guidiance Counselor- Ms. Kendall
Adjustment Counselor- Mrs. Nelson
ELL teachers - Mrs. Finn & Mrs. Kennedy
Additionally, other teachers and specialists will help us including staff from the Science Center, occupational therapists and physical therapists, speech pathologists, technology integration specialists and instructors, RtI Literacy and Math tutors, special education teachers and staff from the Developmental Skills Classroom.
Communication
Ways we communicate with parents:
Parent Square
paper notices
Weekly Updates
Monthly newsletters
e-mail- parnell@bpsk12.org
telephone-781-221-7788
When should parents write notes to the teacher?
Your child needs a note whenever he/she is going to be doing something different than what has been communicated to the homeroom teacher. If there is going to be a change in your child’s routine please send in a note or send a Parent Square message or email the night before (if possible), or by 7:50 a.m. to parnell@bpsk12.org. Important messages regarding last minute dismissal changes should be called into the office preferably by 9:30 a.m. Please call the office at 781-270-1712.
What about birthdays?
We will have a simple acknowledgement of each child’s day. Summer birthdays are celebrated before we leave for the summer break. We do not distribute party invitations in class. However, we will share a class list with addresses and phone numbers for parents to contact each other directly. Please confirm when completing forms if you would like your contact information to be included.
Note: Due to school department policy, we do not allow food to be sent in to celebrate birthdays.
How will I be informed of my child’s progress?
Our Progress reports will be published to the ASPEN portal in January and the end of the school year. The town has set aside a professional development day on December 12th for Fall Elementary conferences and and Evening in March for OPTIONAL Spring conferences. Information to sign up for these conferences will be communicated to families closer to these dates.
Please know that we value open communication and are available to talk on the phone or set up a Google Meet if at any time clarification or questions arise. Please contact Mrs. Parnell to schedule.
What can parents do when projects and creations are brought home?
Your child will be creating, writing and illustrating many projects. We suggest a special spot to keep these treasures on hand. Students will take great pride in their work and will look back at their books over and over again. They will memorize and eventually read these texts. Many of the projects will become treasures that you may want to keep for years. We recommend purchasing a Rubbermaid tote to store these items in. (Mrs. Parnell still has these totes from 18+ years ago!)
Will my child have homework?
There is no required weekly homework in Kindergarten. We will need parent assistance with helping students learn sight words, math facts, monthly reading logs, and participation with curricula applications (ST Math, Lexia and Symphony Math). Enrichment opportunities and suggestions for students will be sent home in communication folders occasionally. This will include math facts and sight word practice tools along with books to support our reading instruction. Participation is strongly encouraged.
Can I be a classroom volunteer?
We welcome and NEED parent assistance in the kindergarten program. We HOPE to have continued parent involvement in various ways. Please fill out the form in the packet if you would like to be a volunteer.
Opportunities include room parents who coordinate communicating with other parents to gather supplies from time to time, at-home prep work, special event assistance, serving as a classroom helper or surprise mystery reader. In order to assist us parents will need to fill out a CORI with Mrs. Gosselin in the Pine Glen office and attend a Confidentiality Meeting with Mr. Lyons. (CORI’s are good for three years).
What classroom donations are needed?
To start off our school year we would love a donation of:
WET WIPES- antibacterial hand wipes
Bounty paper towels
Lysol/Clorox wipes
Gallon Zip lock bags
Sidewalk chalk
Leftover small birthday party favors for our prize bin
24 packs of small water bottles
* We will continue to clean more frequently this year. We have found that if we wash hands often our classroom environment and members stay healthier, so we will continue with frequent hand washing this year.
At various times of the year our Room Parents- may ask for donations to school events, classroom celebrations or creative learning opportunities. We thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity.
Book Sponsorship Opportunities
We are big supporters of putting books in the hands of our students to have and keep as their own. Throughout the year we will be gifting books to the children. As a loyal supporter of the Scholastic book clubs, our classroom is given the opportunity to purchase books on sale for about $2 a book.We would welcome your support. If you would like to be a sponsor, please see URL from Scholastic to donate to our campaign. https://shop.scholastic.com/viewCampaign?campaignId=0ca65ee7-5b34-4aba-9ab0-3b4f252f5ac9
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In School Learning Information
What are the school hours?
Note: School hours for Pine Glen
Arrival 7:55-8:10 a.m.
Dismissal 2:15 p.m.
How will my child get to and from school?
Please inform us about your child’s transportation schedule. Please fill out the Transportation flier so we are aware of how your child will be arriving and departing from school.
Parent drop off is through the side parking lot and around the horseshoe. Teachers are on car duty at 7:55 a.m. Parents need to wait in the car with their child until teachers are on duty and the door is open. Parents should pull all the way up to the top of the horseshoe and wait for cars behind them to stop before allowing their child out of the car. Having your child exit the car from behind the driver is the safest for your child.
Dismissal will follow the same procedures but in reverse.
NOTE: Please attach the button we made for your child that asks staff to deliver your child to our classroom. Also, be sure to put the bus tag on your child’s backpack so it can be returned to your child if it becomes misplaced.
Bus questions: www.burlingtonpublicschools.org/parents/transportation
Dispatcher 781-222-5522
Tips for preparing kindergartners to attend school
These ideas are intended to help students be more independent.
Practice shoe tying or wear shoes without laces.
Practice opening snacks, food and drink containers.
Practice hand washing.
Practice using a tissue to blow your nose.
Practice with buttons, belts, etc for toileting and dressing for out of doors.
Practice toileting independently. (Teachers do not go into the bathrooms with the students.)
What should my child wear to school?
“Play clothes” and comfortable shoes are appropriate attire for kindergarten. Your child should feel comfortable working on art projects, sitting on the floor, playing outdoors. Pants and belts they can manage themselves are also important so they can be independent in the bathroom. We discourage flip flops and sandals as it is difficult for the students to manipulate play structures and mulch areas while wearing them. You are welcome to pack a spare outfit to leave at school just in case there is a toileting accident.
What supplies does my child need at school?
Your child will need a school bag or backpack. Your child will use the backpack to bring home important notices, home assignments and school projects. Full sized Backpacks (not toddler size) would be best to accommodate all that will be sent home from school.
Water bottles are strongly recommended. We recommend students have a water bottle at school every day so they may easily and quickly access a drink as needed.
If your child plans to bring a lunch from home, we recommend you send it in a Lunch Box.
Please make sure that all items sent in from home are labeled with your child’s name.
We go outside every day unless it is raining. (And maybe even then too!) Please send your child dressed for the weather! The playground and fields may have little to no shade. You may want to apply sunscreen to your child before he/she leaves for school. Sunscreen should not be brought to school.
We ask that toys and school supplies stay home. Our classroom is full of great materials! This will prevent special items from getting lost or broken. Also, please remember to send your child’s BLUE communication folder to school every day - even on field trip days!
Snack
We will have snack time each day. A healthy, quick and disposable snack that requires minimal clean-up is best. Be sure to include appropriate utensils and napkins if needed and pack snacks SEPARATE from their lunch. Students will have access to their water bottles during snack time. Our snack time is in the afternoon and we have found if the snack is not packed separately it is consumed at lunch and then we have tears at snack time, when no snack is available.
We kindly note, per our BPS Allergy Policy, that all food items from home must be tree nut and peanut free. Snacks suggestions include crackers, fruit, string cheese, raisins, etc.
Lunch
FREE lunch is offered to ALL students in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts again this year. It is a long Kindergarten day, so please make sure your child likes and will eat the school lunch. It is difficult to learn when you are hungry. Students may bring lunch from home if they prefer.
What if my child needs to take medication during the school day?
The school nurse must administer any medication that needs to be taken during the school day. Please contact Alex Laverty at 781-270-1713. Also, health forms need to be turned in by the first day of school.
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NOTE: Forms we need filled out by tomorrow, Thursday, September 1st.
(Our preference is for you to leave filled out forms with us today).
Bus Tag - TAKE THIS HOME and ATTACH TO CHILD’S BACKPACK
Room 101 button- Please have your child wear this the first week of school.
Student Data Form (green)
Emergency Medical Information for nurse (pink)
Student Transportation Verification Form for Pine Glen (white)
Room 101 Forms and Permissions
Any Student Information Questionnaires that were filled out.
All About Me (homework paper included in mailed letter to student)
We are looking forward to working closely with you to ensure a successful year for your child.
Melissa Parnell & Kathleen Kearney
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