Welcome to Kindergarten!
Hello Parents! Welcome to Kindergarten! I am very excited to be your child’s teacher this year. I am looking forward to a fun, exciting, and successful year together! Below you will find some important information about our kindergarten class.
Classroom Expectations and Management: A major goal of the Kindergarten Team at St. John is to create a positive learning environment where students can be successful. Throughout the year we will work on promoting self-esteem, developing social skills, and building positive work habits. This will help build a strong classroom community. It is my hope that as the year progresses our community of learners will grow to be one built on trust, a sense of belonging, and encouragement from each other. The rules we follow in kindergarten support my belief that children need to feel safe and that everyone needs the opportunity to learn in our classroom.
Class Incentives: In our classroom we must work together as a community of learners. When our whole class makes an outstanding choice, they earn a marble for our marble jar. When the jar is full, the class earns a fun incentive party!
Punch Cards: Students can earn hole punches on their punch card throughout the day by being kind to one another, helpful in the classroom, or any other way that shows they are being the best they can be! Once they earn 20 hole punches, they receive a trip to the treasure chest.
Homework: Homework is optional, but encouraged. On Fridays, we will send home a homework packet in their folders consisting of math practice and phonics work. Try as best you can to do a little bit each night. I recommend 10 minutes of reading a night as well as math practice. We will also send home monthly reading logs. Every night your child reads, they may color in a square on the reading log. Your child will enjoy seeing all the books they read in a month! Please turn in reading logs at the end of each month and homework packets on Fridays. While I encourage students to complete their homework because it reinforces our math and phonics learning targets, I am flexible and understand if you cannot get to it some days. I do however, expect students to always return folders on Friday mornings and take them home Friday afternoons. We are responsible learners!
Before and After School: When children arrive in the morning, they wait in line at our class spot right outside the playground. We will walk in as a class at 8:15am. I encourage parents to say their goodbyes on the playground in the morning. The first day of school is an exception. After school, we will wait right outside the classroom to be released to a parent or specified caregiver. Dismissal is at 3:00pm.
Birthdays: We love to celebrate birthdays in our classroom! On each student’s birthday (or half birthday if they have a summer birthday) they may bring in their favorite book from home to share with the class (instead of treats).
Star Student: We want to dedicate a whole week to learn about and celebrate your child! On your child’s assigned week, he/she will be given a poster to fill out the weekend before and will have the opportunity to share their poster with their classmates! Have fun decorating this poster and adding photos. They may also bring in a “show and share” the Friday of their week.
Clothing and Personal Belongings: “Dress Uniform” is a navy-blue St. John sweatshirt, white polo shirt, khaki pants or plaid jumper; see family handbook for more details. Please write your child’s name with a dark, permanent marker on your child’s clothes, especially sweatshirts and jackets. Please leave an extra set of clothes (pants, underwear, socks and uniform shirt) in a labeled zip lock bag in your child’s backpack. They will stay in their backpack unless they are needed. Everybody needs a change of clothes! Please try your best to make sure your child can either tie their own shoelaces or wear velcro shoes.
Lunch and Snack: Please pack a healthy snack for your child every day. We are a NUT-FREE classroom! (You may pack nuts, peanut butter, etc. for lunch, but please not for snack). Please write your child’s name on the outside of their lunch boxes/water bottles. Pack their snack separately from their lunch, this way they eat their snack at snack time and lunch at lunchtime. Please avoid sending sweets, soda, and any snack that could spill easily. Students are welcome to bring a water bottle to school. Please make sure your child can open everything in their snack and lunch. Thank you!
Rainy Days: On rainy days, please make sure to send your child with a hooded jacket or raincoat as we still go outside for recess when there is light rain. Please do not send umbrellas. If they wear rain boots, please send inside shoes for them to change into after recess.
Report Cards: These will be distributed three times per school year, as well as an SLE student self-evaluation. We will have parent-teacher conferences in October. St. John School follows the Common Core State Standards and the Archdiocesan curriculum guidelines.
Scholastic Book Orders: This is a monthly order. All orders are done online. Our class code is W779D.
SCRIP: Please help our school earn money by becoming involved in our scrip program! You will receive a list of all the company partners soon. Scrip orders will be taken throughout the week and received on Fridays. You may contact the wonderful ladies of St. John Scrip at: stjohnscrip@st-johnschool.org.
Friday Folders: Please help your child practice the responsibility of bringing their folder to school every Friday morning. We will send them back home every Friday afternoon. Inside will be weekly homework, completed student work and any notes from the office or myself. Please look at these folders with your child.
Attendance: Consistent attendance is essential for your child to obtain the maximum benefit from our carefully planned program. If your child is running a temperature, vomiting, or has diarrhea, please keep him/her at home until they are free of their ailment for 24 hours. If you child is going to be absent from school, please call Mrs. Q in the school office. If you arrive after 8:20am, please bring your child to the office for a slip, then walk them down to our classroom.
Supplies: Thank you for contributing supplies to our classroom! There is no need to label things like scissors, pencils and markers. We share all supplies. The only thing to label is their water bottle, lunchbox, and clothing.
Toys: Please make sure all toys or trinkets are left at home, unless it has been requested for a special activity. Thank you!
Volunteers: We love parent volunteers! Beginning in October, we encourage parents to volunteer in the classroom, parent-led art, etc. Our classroom volunteer opportunity will be on our class Sign Up Genius (an online signup schedule). A link will be posted sometime in September to sign up.
Website: I encourage you to visit and explore our school website https://st-johnschool.org. There you will find a calendar of school events, volunteer information, Parent Association information, uniform policy, and much more. You can also access our classroom page through the school website. Click on ‘Classrooms’ and ‘K/Williamson’. There you will find weekly class newsletters and reminders. I will email you a link to new posts on our webpage and send home information in Friday folders.
Communication: Contact me via email at awilliamson@st-johnschool.org. If you prefer to meet with me in person, please email and we will set up a time.
Please refer to the Family Handbook or school website for any other information. I am grateful to have the opportunity to teach your child and am looking forward to a fun and fulfilling year!
Best,
Miss Williamson
awilliamson@st-johnschool.org