Pike Lake News
An e-newsletter from Pike Lake Kindergarten
August 23, 2019
Calendar
Next Week: Bus passes mailed out from the transportation department
August 19-September 30: Early Goal Setting Conferences with your child's teacher (teachers will contact you to set these up)
August 28, 4:00-6:30: Open House (more information to follow at a later date)
September 3: First Day of School
"Ready for K"
- Prepare for exhaustion. A new kindergarten student's day involves a lot of learning and interacting with others. It is not uncommon for them to fall asleep much earlier than usual.
- Be ready for emotions. Beginning kindergarten is a big milestone; parents and students alike have strong feelings about it. It also states, "You may also notice changes in your child's behavior at home. School requires a lot from kids [and] your child is working hard to stay engaged for many hours at a time. It's completely normal for a kid to crash or 'lose it' one they return to the comforting normalcy of home."
- Trust the teacher. Teachers want to work as partners with families and make communication a priority. Don't be afraid to ask questions; your teacher wants to know how you feel and can talk you through it.
The article ends with stating "The most important thing for parents to know is this: Your child's kindergarten teacher will teach them, encourage them and care for them: They will love your child like their own."
We are so excited to be a part of this milestone for your family and can't wait to get the year started! We hope to see you at our open house on Wednesday, August 28 between 4:00 and 6:30.
Transportation to and From School
Riding the Bus
If your child will be riding the bus, please start that routine the first day of school. Our goal is to create confidence and independence with our students and routine is a large part of that process for young learners.
Please be out to your bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled stop. On the first day of school a staff member will step off the bus, welcome your student to kindergarten, help them get on the bus, show them where to sit and help them get settled. Once they arrive to school, the staff member will get off the bus with the students and walk them either to breakfast or their classroom. Students are never left alone to find their way by themselves. (One of the advantages of a kindergarten center is that all of our students are new so we never assume they know where to go!)
At the end of the day, a staff member will walk your child out to the bus to ensure they get on the correct bus. For the first few days of school a staff member will ride the bus home with them. Please be out to the bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled stop. The bus driver will not let your child get off the bus until they make eye contact with an adult. On the small chance that there was an emergency and you were not able to make it to the bus stop on time, the driver will bring them back to school. We will call you to let you know that your child is in the office waiting for you to pick them up.
PLEASE DO NOT BE ALARMED IF YOUR STUDENT'S BUS IS RUNNING LATE THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS OF SCHOOL. On the first couple days we take lots of extra time making sure every student is where they need to be before we allow the buses to leave the school. Additionally, the drivers are still learning their routes and students are learning routines. We know that a late bus can be a scary for a parent, but please be assured that your student is safe either on the bus with an adult or safe at school with an adult.
Parent Drop-Off and Parent Pick-Up
For safety reasons, please do not park and walk your student into the building. We have a busy building with lots of buses and cars and want our parents, guardians and students to enter the building safely.
The same procedure is used for parent pick-up after school. A staff member will walk your student outside to the drop off / pick up area. Your child will wait on the sidewalk until you are one of the first two cars in line. After a staff member sees your visor hanger with your child's name, (see below) they will walk your student to your car and open the door.
If you will be regularly picking your child up from school at the end of the day, please obtain a visor hanger from the front office (see below). A car must have a visor hanger before we will allow a child to be picked up at the parent pick-up area. If you do not have one, you will be asked to park your car and go into the front office to pick up your child. Please bring your driver's license into the building with you.
If someone else is picking up your child and they do not have a visor hanger, please call the school office to let us know. They will need to come to the front office to be checked out and must have their driver's license with them.
Changes in Transportation
After the first several weeks of school, there may be a night that you need to make a change. Please let your child's teacher know (email is preferred) at least 24 hours in advance. If there is an emergency and you need to make a change with less than 24 hours notice, please call the front office so we ensure your child's teacher gets the message.
Please remember:
- The most helpful thing you can work on with your child is saying their first and last name clearly to an adult!
- Start labeling all of your child's clothing and backpack with their first and last name!
- Prepare an extra set of underwear, pants and socks to keep in your child's backpack in case of accidents!
Volunteers Needed!
Getting 500 new kindergarten students through a breakfast and lunch line is a big task! We've found it very helpful to have lots of extra hands the first couple weeks as our students learn the routines. If you are available to come in any / all of the days the first two weeks of school, please sign up for the times you are available. We'd like to thank you in advance for coming to support our students; Pike Lake is a community and working together with our families makes it a great place to be!
To make Pike Lake a safe place, we require all volunteers to fill out a background check form. These forms can be picked up in the front office or we can email one to you. Please complete the form and attach a copy (or clear picture) of your driver's license and return them to school as soon as you are able to allow time for the background check to be completed. Thanks for your assistance in making our school a safe place for all!
Feel free to sign up for as many slots as you are able! Click here to see the sign up genius.
The first days of Kindergarten
- Kids are incredibly perceptive. If you are feeling nervous, try not to show that when you talk to them or others about starting school. Adults can unknowingly project these feelings onto their children and cause them to start to feel nervous. When talking about their first days, speak calmly and confidently and tell them you know it's going to be exciting and fun!! (Remember, we are 'kindergarten experts' and we fully understand how nervous both you and your student can be. Everything we do in this building is designed for students and families that haven't yet been to school!)
- Please start your 'routines' on the first day of school. If your child is going to ride the bus to school, it is best to start riding on the very first day. We know it's tempting to drive them to school the first few days, but once you drive them, that becomes the expectation. Establish that they will take the bus to school starting on the first day and you may save yourself some future 'negotiations' later on.
- Some parents feel nervous about the bus. Again, our program is designed for early learners. Our students ride small buses with only kindergarten students. The first week of school, one of our staff will ride the bus with the students. When they arrive to your house the first day of school, a smiling face will come out to welcome your child to kindergarten! Tell your student to have a super first day of kindergarten and confidently wave good bye. The staff member will show them where to sit and talk with the students about how exciting their first day is going to be. (If you are having a hard time, your student may start to think they have something they should be worrying about. If they see the adults excited about where they're going and what they are doing, they feel confident and excited about what awaits them at school.)
- For students that are feeling anxious and scared, transitions away from parents / guardians outside of the building can often be easier. For many, dropping them off at our parent drop off area helps to establish that routine rather than walking them in the building.
- Your child's teacher will make sure to get a good picture of your student on the first day of school. Having a picture of them on their first day of school is a treasure for parents -- we'll make sure you have that. (Some teachers save those photos for a special project so you may not see it right away, but we'll make sure one is taken!)
- Throughout the first days of school you are bound to be curious / nervous about how they are doing. If there is an issue, we will be sure to let you know. This is a special place with teachers that are incredibly committed to making this a great year for your child and you! Our experienced staff anticipates needs and supports our students to help them build confidence and independence.
- Be ready for a very tired child to come home the first few weeks of school. We keep them very busy and for most students, they have not experienced this before. It is not uncommon for a student to fall asleep on the ride home or go to bed much earlier than normal. Rest assured, they adjust pretty quickly to their new routine.
- Prepare for an excited student to come home and share about all the new friends they've made and the fun things they learned on the very first day of school! The first few days are filled with opportunities to get to know each other and establish routines (routines build confidence and independence).
We are so excited to meet all of you and get to know your families! Kindergarten is so exciting for parents / guardians, students and teachers alike! Our teachers are already preparing their classrooms! We are just as excited as you for their first day of Kindergarten! There is a special energy in our building and we can't wait for you to be a part of it!
Getting Ready for Kindergarten
The most important thing for your child to be able to do before they start kindergarten is say their first and last name. It is also helpful for them to be able to recognize their name when it is printed.
Additionally, rather than focusing on letters, numbers, colors, shapes and other academics, it is most helpful if you work on some self-help skills with your child. Here are some of the things it's good for them to know how to do before they come in September:
- Button and unbutton pants
- For boys: What a urinal is and how to use it
- Ask to go to the bathroom
- Wash hands
- Blow their nose into a tissue
- Tie shoes
- Put on and zip coats
- Put a folder inside their back pack (and take it out)
- Drink from a drinking fountain
- Open and close food containers
- Cough into their elbow
- Walk / stand in a line
Knowing how to do these things helps students feel more independent and confident when they start school. Please also know that our building is filled with helpful adults! If your child can't do some of these things when they come in September, there will always be a friendly face close by to give them a hand!
We can't wait to get our year started and look forward to seeing everyone at Open House on August 28!