A letter from the Principal
March 2021
Dear Parents and Guardians:
We are excited to start the 2021-2022 kindergarten process and we look forward to meeting you and your child soon. All Kindergarten Enrollment Information can be found on our website: www.pembrokek12.org. Please also view our Kindergarten Informational Video found here.
The informational video provides a summary of the more comprehensive Kindergarten Information Packet found here. This document will give you an overview of the Kindergarten daily process, the Kindergarten screening process, Kindergarten curriculum, and information specific to the Bryantville Elementary School.
In addition to providing the requested documents below, we ask that you register your incoming kindergarten student in PowerSchool by clicking this link or visiting www.pembrokek12.org and clicking the registration button (circle with a pencil in it). Online registration is now open for the incoming kindergarten class and must be completed prior to May 6, 2021.
Please upload copies of the following documents while you are completing the registration on PowerSchool or mail/deliver directly to the main office at Bryantville. All documentation must be received prior to the screening date.
• *Deed, lease agreement, mortgage bill, electric bill, water, tax, or trash bill (2 different forms of proof)(must be current, within past 2 months)
• Current driver’s license or valid photo ID
• Child’s birth certificate with seal
• Child’s current physical showing updated physical and immunizations
• Court papers (if applicable)
• Previous school records (if applicable) (preschool assessment)
• Kindergarten Parent Questionnaire
*If you reside with a family member or friend, you must submit a NOTARIZED letter from the homeowner stating you and your child(ren) reside with them at their address. The homeowner will need to provide us with a copy of their mortgage bill, lease, or Town of Pembroke bill.
Please download the Kindergarten Parent Questionnaire while visiting www.Pembroke k12.org and deliver to Bryantville prior to the screening.
The Kindergarten screening process for the 2021-2022 school year will be held at Bryantville Elementary School on the following Fridays: April 30th, May 7th, and May 14th. Once your registration is complete a Pick-A-Time link will be emailed to you to schedule a screening time. Screenings last about 1 hour.
We encourage all parents to review the information document and complete the enrollment and screening process, including parents not sure at this time whether they want to enroll their child in Pembroke Public Schools for the fall of 2021. Because enrollment and staff requirements are closely related, we would appreciate an email to Carol.Grindle@pembrokek12.org if you elect not to send your child after completing the pre-registration by June 1, 2021. Children who will be attending private/parochial schools in the fall are also encouraged to participate in the Kindergarten screening process. If you are certain that your child will not attend Bryantville Elementary School, please email Carol Grindle at Carol.Grindle@pembrokek12.org by May 1, 2021.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mark N. Galligan
Interim Principal
Parent Information Packet 2021-2022 School Year
Bryantville Elementary School
Interim Principal, Dr. Mark N. Galligan
Assistant Principal, Mrs. Michelle Arons,
Teachers: Mrs. Susan Fitzpatrick, Ms. Kelli Burke,
Ms. Whitney Reilly
Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Carol Grindle
Office Paraprofessional: Mrs.Tracey Smith
School Nurse: Mrs. Katie Haley
781-293-5411
Check out our website at
Transition Dates
Kindergarten Information Night
Virtual-please see the Video
Kindergarten Screening
Fridays: April 30, May 7, & May 14
By Appointment Only. Please select a time using the Pick-A-Time link sent to your email.
Placements
Classroom teacher placement mailed to you in early August
August Orientation
Bring your child, tour the school, meet the teacher, visit the classroom, board the school bus.
More details mailed to you in the August letter
First Day of School
TBA Calendar under Discussion
How will My Child be Assigned to a Classroom?
Screening information
Nursery/Pre School information
Boy/girl ratio
During screening interviews, input from parent to ensure a positive entry
What Resources Exist for my Child?
Support exists for literacy, social skills and behavior, emotional development, and physical development
Phonics program is Lively Letters
Math program in K-6 is enVision Math
iReady Math and Lexia Core 5 Reading are computer applications used to personalize practice
Same curriculum as other two elementary schools
Bus Buddies
Classrooms self-contained with bathroom
Mrs. Annie Goode, Reading Specialist
Mrs. Rachel Bittenbender, School Psychologist
Mrs. Cheryl Larson, Social Worker
Mrs. Marianne Christensen, Speech-Language Pathologist
Ms. Ashley Whye, Teacher of English Language Learners
How Can I Prepare My Child for School?
Children come to us with a wide range in development. Teachers are skilled at teaching children where they are in their development.
Read to your child!
Play games together! This reinforces math and literacy skills.
Engage in physical activity. Strong muscles make strong writers.
See below for ideas for strengthening muscles to build stamina for learning.
See the enclosed list of books about coming to school.
If your child experiences anxiety about coming to school, talk with one of us.
Read the Student/Parent Handbook for information about our school. This handbook is on our website.
Books about Starting School
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten
By Joseph Slate
It’s the first day of kindergarten and Miss Bindergarten is hard at work getting the classroom ready for her 26 new students. Meanwhile, Adam Krupp wakes up, Brenda Heath brushes her teeth, and Christopher Beaker finds his sneaker. Miss Bindergarten puts the finishing touches on the room just in time, and the students arrive. Now the fun can begin!
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
Wemberly worried about everything. Big things. Little things. And things in between. Then it was time for school to start. And Wemberly worried even more.
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
When Chester the raccoon is reluctant to go to kindergarten, his mother teaches him a secret way to carry her love with him.
The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing
It’s the first day of school! Join the kids as they prepare for kindergarten, packing school supplies, posing for pictures, and the hardest part of all - saying good-bye to Mom and Dad. But maybe it won’t be so hard once they discover just how much fun kindergarten really is!
My Teacher’s My Friend by P.K. Hallinan
A boy describes his various activities at school and explains how his teacher is both his leader and his friend.
My First Day of School by P.K. Hallinan
On the first day of kindergarten, a child finds out about name tags, safety, manners, bathrooms, snacks, games, and more.
First Day Jitters by Julie Dannenberg
Sarah asks herself the usual first-day-at-a-new-school questions: Will they like me? Will I make friends? That is, until she builds up enough courage to face her fears and hit the halls. Everyone will relate to Sarah’s feelings and laugh out loud when they find that Sarah is the new teacher at the school.
First Day, Hooray! by Nancy Poydar
Ivy nervously faces the first day of school. Little does she know that her teacher, principal, and bus driver are anxious, too.
Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! by Nancy Carlson
The first day of kindergarten is finally here, and Henry can’t wait to paint pictures, sing songs, and practice counting. When he gets to school, though, he’s not so sure he’s ready for kindergarten. But before long, Henry discovers that the only thing he’s not ready for is how much fun he’s going to have at school!
When You Go to Kindergarten by James Howe
“An excellent book for introducing the kindergarten experience.” – Booklist
“For all those normal fears and questions, this book has the answers, and gets them right.” - Publisher’s Weekly
Don’t Eat the Teacher by Nick Ward
It’s Sammy the shark’s first day of school, and he’s very excited. But when Sammy gets excited, he bites things! Can he get through the day without causing too much trouble?
A Curriculum Tour of Our School
How do five-year-olds learn?
- Active, hands-on learning
- Interactions with peers
- Enjoy exploration and free-choice time
- High levels of imagination
- Benefit from repetition of information
- Learn from modeling and practice
- Need clear expectations and consistency
How is the social, emotional, and physical development addressed?
- Meeting or circle time
- Free-choice time
- Snack time
- Music, art, library, physical education
- School psychologist
What is the literacy emphasis?
- Whole and small group work
- Shared, independent, and guided learning opportunities
- Lots of reading materials at your child’s level
- Leveled books to go home
- Sounds, letters, writing
- Teacher assessments and individualized support
- Read alouds
- Partner reading
- Literature conversations
What is the Math emphasis?
- enVision math materials to support curriculum
- Spiralling repetition of skills and concepts
- Homelinks to practice at home
- Numeral writing, counting, patternsGraphs, problem-solving games
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A Note from the School Nurse:
A Word From Our School Nurse
Bryantville Elementary School Health Office
Catherine Haley RN, BSN, M.Ed.
Phone: 781-293-5411 Fax: 781-294-4662
catherine.haley@pembrokek12.org
Follow @BryantvilleRN on Twitter
Welcome to Kindergarten!
Documentation of Immunizations and Physical Exams: According to Massachusetts law, all students in grades K-12 attending the schools within the state must be properly immunized. Only medical or religious exemptions are allowed.
*Please note, without proper documentation your child will not be allowed to enter school.
Please provide a copy of your child’s most recent physical exam.
If warranted, provide an annual immunization exemption letter. [Per Massachusetts’ law, to ensure that the student body is best protected from a vaccine-preventable disease, both religious and medical exemptions must be renewed annually. A medical exemption requires a letter from the child’s medical doctor, a religious exemption requires a letter from the parent/guardian.]
Food Allergies/Outside Food: Many students have food allergies. It is imperative that parents/guardians notify me of any food allergies as soon as possible.
A food allergy can turn into a potentially life-threatening situation.
In order to keep all students safe, we ask that parents/guardians DO NOT bring in outside food, other than lunches and healthy snacks for their own child’s consumption.
We follow a “no sharing, no trading” model.
If a class has a student with a nut allergy, the teacher will make parents/guardians aware to NOT send in nut-containing snacks to be eaten in the classroom.
Nuts and nut products MAY be consumed in the cafeteria to be eaten at the classroom tables
Those students with nut allergies may choose to eat at the “nut-free table” in the cafeteria.
Communication:
Make your child’s health concern(s) known to me.
Introduce yourself and your child.
Bring current signed healthcare provider orders [all medication orders must be renewed annually].
All medication must be hand-delivered by an adult.
Please be sure all phone numbers and health care information is kept current throughout the school year.
I’m looking forward to meeting you and your children!
