McNear Kindergarten
Keeping us connected with 2020-2021 Updates
A Peek into the Year Ahead
Dear families,
We wanted to reach out and update you about our plans for the beginning of Kindergarten. We’re sure none of you anticipated your child’s Kindergarten experience beginning online! Although far from ideal, we will strive to make their learning engaging, joyful, meaningful and manageable for the students and for you.
Both teachers, Lisa Elliott and Freya Sharp, work together to plan our Kindergarten curriculum. Your child will be assigned to a teacher and class, but they will interact with both teachers in videos and online at different times throughout the week. We will spend the first couple of weeks getting to know each other and getting familiar with routines and technology. We will be using Zoom for video conferencing and Seesaw for assigning and submitting activities.
Your child’s Kindergarten day will begin at 8:30 with a morning message from us in the form of a teacher recorded video greeting and overview of the day on Seesaw. From 8:30 - 9:00 teachers will be available for families to reach out with questions about the day.
Your child will have two video conference meetings through Zoom each day except Wednesday. One meeting will be with a teacher and a small group of peers. The other will be with their teacher and their whole class. These will last 20 - 30 minutes. The small group meeting will be in the morning every day except Wednesday and the whole class meeting will be everyday at 11:30am.
We know how important it is for the children to get to know each other, so we will be mixing up the small groups quite a bit for the first two weeks. We want to get to know them too, and will schedule some one on one meetings with your child early in the year. As a result, for the first two weeks, your child’s small group Zoom may not be at a consistent time. Following those first two weeks, we will strive to keep your child’s small group Zoom time the same each day. We know that each child will be at a different comfort level with these online get togethers. Our goal is to use these times together to connect as a class as well as to learn.
Between 8:30 and 11:30 your child will need to watch, complete, and submit the activities we post on Seesaw for that day. Some of our first activities may include a self portrait, a photo and dictation about their work space at home, science observations outside, helping with and documenting a chore, counting the number of doors in your home…
We hope that this information begins to ease your feelings about distance Kindergarten. McNear is scheduling Information Meetings via Zoom for each grade level where you can join the teachers to learn more about our plans and ask questions before the year begins. Please keep an eye out for that email. We are looking forward to connecting soon!
Take care,
Freya Sharp and Lisa Elliott
Kindergarten Registration Check List
- registration form
- emergency card
- birth certificate
- immunization records
- dental report
- proof of residence (PG&E bill, lease etc.)
- physician's report for school use
- kindergarten questionnaire
- speech and language development form
- student treatment authorization form
- if transferring in: intra, inter or employment transfer form
Front Office Reopens Monday, August 3rd Call, email, or come by! Remember your mask and maintain a 6-foot distance for everyone's safety.
Still a Few Spots Open for Next Year!
Do you know anyone who hasn't registered their incoming Kindergartener for school next year? We still have some room at McNear with two of the most amazing kindergarten teachers one could ask for via distance learning, in person, in a room, on zoom, anywhere, anytime!
Register at https://petalumacityschools.schoolmint.net/signin
Ways to Stay Connected
Email: Leichert@petk12.org
Website: https://www.petalumacityschools.org/mcnear
Location: 605 Sunnyslope Avenue, Petaluma, CA 94952
Phone: 707-778-4752
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McNear-Elementary-243976945636795/?eid=ARA0ovmGs_7oUxh6_4wadNP1pGIc2snX8ZUqdFtE15ERQBNAa6SYUuk1idGxeccJqxEs6pOYIxmx7MJf
Twitter: @mcnearelement