ABCs of Pre-K4

ABCs OF Pre-K

Absences – If your child is going to be absent, a parent must call the school in the morning.  When your child returns to school, he or she  must have an absent note.  Absent note slips will be provided by the school and are available on the school website.

 
Arrival – There will be a staff member in the gymnasium starting at 8:05 each morning.   Student Safety Patrol Members will be there to help unload your child from the car.  For your child’s safety, please  do not arrive earlier than 8:00 as there is no adult supervision in the gym before that time.  When the bell rings at 8:20, the children will be brought into school.  Students are considered late if they are not in line at 8:20.
 
Art – Our class will have Art with Mrs. Biscoe.
 
Backpacks – Students should bring a backpack to school everyday.  Please make sure the backpack is large enough to accommodate the take-home folder.  Backpacks should not have a lot of unnecessary items inside.  A lunch box, snack, take-home folder, and a book for silent reading are the only items that should be in the backpack.  Please mark your child's name inside his/her backpack.

Belongings - Please mark all belongings (backpack, lunch box, sweat shirt, etc.) with the first name and the last name of the student.
 
Birthdays – Pre-K birthdays are very special times.  Children love to be the center of attention on their day.  Because of the growing number of food allergies, school policy is no birthday treats are to be sent in.  The birthday child will be recognized during morning announcements and in the classroom throughout the day. Summer birthdays are celebrated on the half-year birthday.

Book Orders - Every month I send home a Scholastic Book Order.  This is an opportunity to order reasonably priced books on your child's level.  When you purchase books our class is credited with points which I use for additional books for our class library.  Please make check out to Scholastic. You can do this online or send the order form in with your child. Please see page marked Scholastic Orders to order online on the webpage. 

Church - Please make weekly attendance at Mass a family priority. 

Conferences – Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled during the first tri-mester. Each family is scheduled for a fifteen minute conference.  This is the only scheduled conference for the year.  However, conferences can be arranged any time the parent or teacher feels they are necessary.
 
CARES – MPRCS has a before and after school program.  Information regarding the CARES program can be found on the school website.  Details can also be requested from the school office.

Communication Envelope – School and community news that needs to be sent home will go home in the Communication Envelope.  This goes home with the youngest child in the family at Mother of Providence.  This system cuts down on the amount of paper that goes home to each family.  The envelope goes home on the first day of the week.  Please empty it, sign the front, and return it to school.  Papers that need to be returned should be placed in the Take-Home Folder and not sent back in the Communication Envelope.

Computer Class – Our class with have computer class with Mrs. Sabatini                                                                                                                                                    
Dismissal – Car riders will be dismissed from the gymnasium.  Please do not line up any earlier than 3:00.  Your child will be dismissed when the car reaches the gymnasium door.  Please place a sign with your child’s last name on it in your car window so the safeties can read it.

1/2 Day Children: Dismissal is at 12:00 and you can line up next to the gym and one of the aides will walk the children out to your cars.

**** If there is a change in your child’s normal method of transportation at dismissal, a note  must be sent into school.  For example, your child is a bus rider.  You will be picking him up by car.  I must have a note stating that change in writing.  Please use the School Notes that are provided by the school as small papers tend to slip out of the Take-Home Folder.
 
Early Dismissal – If your child needs to leave early for an appointment or due to sickness, there are a few school procedures that must be followed.  When you enter the school to pick your child up, you must first go to the office in the main building to sign your child out.  The office will call down to the classroom and we will have your child packed up for dismissal.
 
Emergency Procedures – If an incident should occur, school will first contact the parents.  If the parents cannot be reached, they will contact those people you have designated on the information sheet filled out in September.  Be sure to update any phone number changes as needed throughout the year.
Occasionally minor accidents happen during the day.  If I feel that a situation was handled properly, I will not call you at work.  Examples: applied bandage, cleaned a cut or scrape.
 
HASA – The Home And School Association organizes a number of programs that benefit both the school and the families of MPRCS.  There are at least three membership meetings during the year.  There are also many ways for parents to become involved at MPRCS through HASA.
 
Hot Lunch/Drinks – The students can purchase hot lunch and drinks for lunch.
 
Jewelry – No jewelry is to be worn with the school uniform except for a cross or a religious medal.  Earrings must be post-type earrings.
 
Late Arrival – A student is considered late if he is not in line in the school gymnasium at 8:20. If your child is late arriving to school, he must be signed in at the office.  The student may come directly to the classroom, but the parent should go up to the office and sign the child in.
 
Library – Our class will have Library with Mrs. Jennings 
 
Medication – If your child needs to be given any type of medication, you will need to come to school to administer it.  Please contact the office with questions.
 
Physical Education – Our class will have P.E. with Mrs. Meehan.

Reading Club- Each student will have a reading folder containing a log sheet and each night I ask that you read with your child and keep track of it on the sheet.
     
Snack – We will have a short snack every morning.  Please send in a snack that your child can eat in a short period of time (five or ten minutes). We will not be having any drinks with our snacks...this is a difference from Pre-K3  There is an option of ordering a pretzel for snack.  The pretzel order is for the upcoming month.  If a pretzel is ordered, your child will receive a pretzel for snack every day for the next month.  Please make sure your child will want that every day before ordering it. Please  DO NOT pack your child’s snack with his lunch. Put it in a separate place in his backpack.

Star of the Week - Each student will have the opportunity, over the course of the year, to be Star of the Week.  The student's picture and info page gets hung up in the Pre-k classroom. 
 
Take-Home Folder – This is a communication folder.  This folder must be brought to school every day.  Please make it a habit to check this folder everyday because it will contain work, notes and newsletters.  The teacher will check this folder every morning, so please put notes, money, and anything that needs to be returned to school in the folder. When sending in money, please put the money in an envelope in the folder.  Also, please mark the envelope with your child’s name and what the money is for.   Do not send any loose money in the folder. 

Tattoos and Nail polish – As per the school Student Handbook, no student is allowed to wear any tattoos or nail polish.  If temporary tattoos or nail polish are applied over the weekend, please remove them before school.
 
Uniforms – All Pre-kers should wear the school gym uniform on gym day.  The other days of the week, the students may choose to wear either their gym uniform or their khakis/polos.  The winter uniform is worn from October 15 ^th to April 15 ^th.  Winter uniforms  MUST have sweatpants, but a tee shirt is recommended under the sweatshirt as the classroom is often warm.  Sneakers are part of the uniform.  For safety and comfort please make sure your child wears sneakers. 
 
Volunteers – There are many opportunities to volunteer in both the school and the Pre-k classroom.  It is Archdiocesan policy that all volunteers have clearances before they can work in the school.  Please contact the office for a list of the clearances needed to volunteer. Parent involvement is a plus and we love when parents come into visit our classroom:)