WEST LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PRE K CLASS

 

 

Dear Parents,

 

Welcome to the 2007 – 2008 school year at West Lake Year-Round Elementary School.  Our class follows Track 4, which is the green track on the year-round calendar.  We have two separate classes:  the AM class (morning) starts at 8:20 AM and ends at 11:00 AM and the PM class (afternoon) starts at 12:00 PM and ends at 2:45 PM.  The children attend school Monday thru Thursday.  On Fridays, Ms. Janie and I will schedule a family consultation meeting.  These meetings are once per quarter and can take place either in the home, at daycare or at West Lake Elementary School.  We will inform you as to when we will be meeting with you, one week in advance. 

Your child’s development and education are very important to you and us.  Children learn more and progress faster when both home and school are cooperating to make sure that your child has the most beneficial learning environment, a broad range of learning experiences, and meaningful personal interactions.  While your child is in school with us, we will be sending home letters, handouts, and other materials to keep you informed about what we are doing during the day.  We recognize that you know your child better than anyone.  The information that you have about your child can help us to plan a better program.  We would like to begin an ongoing dialogue with you about your child’s development and learning.  Throughout the year, we will encourage you to share information about your child.  We, in turn, will offer you information about your child and how you can support your child’s development and learning at home – as part of your regular routine with your child – without sitting down to try to teach your child. 

Our role is to provide the environment, structure, ideas and materials needed to guide your child’s learning and to inform you of what is happening in the classroom and how your child is progressing.  We also know that what happens at home is as important to your child’s development (if not more so) as what happens at school.  Your child will have more fun and learn more if the family is also involved in our storybook adventures.  By reading to your child the same books that we are reading at school, as well as many others, you will share in your child’s school experiences, have a great deal to talk about with your child, and be able to observe your child’s progress as new skills are acquired. 

To help your child develop a foundation for success in school, we will be sharing ideas about how you can help us help your child to learn.  We will focus on one book at a time for about 2 weeks, and each time we start a new book we will send a letter home telling you the name of the book and a bit about the story.  When you read this book at home, you will be helping your child gain more practice in the skills development we are working on during the day.  Continue to read other books to your child, too; each and every reading provides valuable learning experiences and more familiarity with literacy.  We will be giving you suggestions for the following:

  1. What you can do at home to provide space and materials for learning.
  2. What you can do to help your child gain the developmental basis for reading and writing.
  3. How to know what your child is ready for next.

 

We will be sending home letters, newsletters, offering parent/caregiver conferences, scheduling workshops and inviting you to our classroom so that you can join us in supporting your child’s development.  Although many of the materials we send home will emphasize how to make the most of books and print, we will also be offering suggestions throughout the year for other important areas of development.  Transdisciplinary means that our teaching approach can focus on these and many different elements of development at the same time.  In this way, all of us working with your child in the classroom join you in helping your child grow in well-rounded ways.

           

The AM Class schedule is as follows:

 

Arrival and Unpack

Free Choice (Designated Center Activities)

Circle Time

Small Group and/or individualized activities

Music and Movement

Snack and bathroom

Gross Motor Activities (outdoors)

Circle Time

Pack up and depart

 

 

The PM class schedule is as follows:

 

Arrival and Unpack

Lunch and bathroom

Circle Time

Small Group and/or Individualized activities

Music and Movement

Gross Motor Activities (outdoors)

Circle Time

Pack up and depart

 

****The schedule is based on the needs of the children and may be adjusted accordingly.

 

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE:

 

 The children will be dropped off and picked up in the front circle.  (The AM class will need to go through morning carpool and dropped off where Ms. Sarah and Ms. Janie are standing.  You will have special pass from us that will designate your child as a preschooler).  Ms. Sarah and Ms. Janie walk all children to the preschool classroom.  

In order for our children to be safe and organized in the classroom and playground, we have a few simple rules that we follow:

 

 

Classroom Rules:                                          Playground Rules:

 

I will follow directions.                          I will follow directions.

I will keep my hands and feet to myself. I will use good listening ears.

I will use good listening ears.                             I go down the slide feet first.

I will use my inside quiet voice.              The sand stays in the sandbox.

I will use my walking feet.                                 I will keep my hands and feet to myself.

 

Here is a list of items that your child will ALWAYS need at school:

 

Extra change of clothes – this includes a shirt, shorts/pants, 2 pair of underwear, and one pair of socks.  The clothing should be appropriate for the weather.  IF your child has not been potty trained, please make sure that your child has extra diapers or pull-ups either in their backpack or cubby.

 

AM SNACK:

 

You will need to send in a healthy snack everyday.  Snack should include some for of drink, preferably juice or water and a small snack such as goldfish, fruit, yogurt or chips.  Soda and candy are not permitted. 

 

PM LUNCH:

 

The PM class will be eating lunch around 12:30.  Children can either bring a lunch from home or Ms. Janie will get their lunch from the cafeteria. The children will eat lunch in our classroom. 

 

ILLNESS:

 

Children should be kept at home when the following symptoms are present:  undiagnosed rash, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, red and watery eyes with drainage, green runny noses and fever.  Children will be sent home from school if they have any of the above symptoms or have a fever of 100.6 or above.  In order to maintain minimal risk to other students and staff members, children should remain at home until they are symptom-free for 24 hours.  

 

TOYS:

 

Students MAY NOT bring toys or cards from home unless specifically approved by a teacher. Teachers are not responsible for lost toys. 

 

 

 

FIELD TRIPS:

 

We will be going on four field trips during the course of the school year.  At least one parent and/or friend of the family are required to accompany your child.  If you, your spouse or other family member or friend are unable to go, you will need to make other arrangements for your child on the day of the field trip.

 

SUPPLY LIST

 

Here is a list of donations that our class will need: goldfish, juice boxes, baby wipes, tissue, paper plates, Hefty One Zip gallon bags, and plastic spoons and forks (We would greatly appreciate each family donating at least two items from our list).  Thank you in advance for your support and help.

 

We look forward to a great year and sharing the joy of watching your child learn.  Please share your suggestions and questions with us.  I can be reached at 662-2318. 

 

Thanks,

 

Ms. Sarah and Ms. Janie