January 9, 2012 – pre-kindergarten

Dear Parents,

1.                  First, Mrs. Rosum and I would like to say Thank You so Very Much for all your continued support and generosity. We are so very grateful and appreciative for all the gifts we received for Christmas. It is a sincere pleasure and honor to be able to teach your children.

2.                  We want to welcome the two new children who joined our class – Owen Wiser and Isabel Neves. They have been with us for only two days, but it seems like they have been here from the start. Welcome, Owen and Isabel, to our Pre-K class!

3.                  We have been very lucky this year with the nice winter weather. However, it will probably snow soon and everyone should know that the children cannot wear boots in the classroom all day. Please send sneakers or slippers with your child if he/she does wear boots. You can also send in an extra pair of slippers that we can keep in the classroom for the rest of this winter if you chose. For safety concerns, please be sure that all slippers have a closed back (nothing that can simply slip on and off) and that they do NOT have big, stuffed heads on the toe of the slipper. We have limited space to store the slippers. Also, please be sure that your child has a hat and mittens/gloves every day. We will go out as often as we can!

4.                  January book clubs are open on Scholastic.com. Please place your order by January 21st.

5.                  Catholic Schools Week is from January 30th to February 3rd this year. More information regarding specific events will be sent out next week.

6.         PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES - I have started the evaluations for the prekindergarten children. Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held after Catholic Schools Week, probably the second week of February. More information will be sent home as I get more of the evaluations completed.

7.         FIELD TRIP TO THE MILLBURY POST OFFICE - I am hoping to schedule a field trip to the Millbury Post Office on Friday, February 10th to mail our Valentine Cards. I will send home more specific information as plans are finalized.

8.         VALENTINE’S DAY PARTY - Finally, all the “stuff” is out for Valentine’s Day already so I thought it would be good to let you all know that we will be having a small Valentine Party on Monday, February 13, after lunch. A sign up sheet for snacks and other goodies will be posted in the coat room. Please remember to send in one valentine card for each child (including your own child). You can help your child write their classmates names on the envelopes if you want. Remember that we have 17 children in the class but please plan on 20 children being at the party; this includes all younger siblings.

9.         Finally, I have ordered the hatching eggs. They will be delivered the week of April 23rd and with a little luck, we will see the chicks hatch in May!

If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Pat Smith


 

November 9, 2011 - prekindergarten

Dear Parents,

I am sending home both the November and December book orders today as well as two special clubs, “Virtues” and “Holiday Gift Books”. There are some great complete sets of books as well as many new Christmas selections. Also, the “Bob Books” are being offered, great beginning reading books. Whether you send in an order or place your order on line, please have all orders done by next Thursday, November 16, 2011 and if you are ordering any items as gifts for your child(ren), please send me a note. Book orders will be hand delivered to you without your child’s knowledge and all books will be in by Christmas.

Holiday Gift Books - #47 – Harry Potter Boxed Set

                                    #17 – Chronicles of Narnia Boxed set

                                    #77 – Magic Tree House Library

                                    # 70 – LEGO Ideas Book

Virtues - # 74 – Our Blessing Prayer (this is the blessing we say before snack)

               # 49 – Little House Collection

               # 55 – Magic School Bus Complete Collection

                # 4 – Chester Pack (these are great stories)

HoneyBee November - #55 – My First Bob Books for Pre-Reading Skills

                                         #60 – All About the ABC’s Boxed Set

                                         #29 – Guided Reading Set

HoneyBee December - #10 – Bob Books – Word families

SeeSaw November - #23 – New Laura Numeroof Book – If You Give a Dog a Donut

                                    # 24 – Laura Numeroff Set

                                    #25 – Jan Brett pack – 2 great stories that all kids love

                                    #68 – Snowmen at Night

Firefly December - #4 – Chicka Chicka Pack – two must haves!

                                #70 – The Snowmen Pack – 2 books only $6.00

           

Conference for kindergarten through grade 8 will be held next Thursday. Prekindergarten will have conferences during the first week in February.

I am awaiting confirmation of our scheduled time for the field trip to Stop and Shop on Wednesday, November 16. I should have confirmation by the end of the week.

Remember that we will be visiting the school store on Friday, November 18. Please send your child to school with $1.00 so everyone can have the chance to purchase something.

Finally, with the cold and flu season approaching we could use more Lysol or Clorox Wipes. Mrs. Rosum and I try to wipe down and disinfect everything we can in the classroom twice per week to keep the germs away! We could also use more Wet Ones for wiping hands and faces after sneezing and coughing.

Again, thank you very much for your continued support and generosity. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Pat Smith

September – 2011-2012 – Prekindergarten Program

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Assumption School. We hope this letter answers any questions you may have regarding specific details about our 4 year old prekindergarten program.

 

Drop-off: Preschool for our four-year old program starts at 8:30am. All prekindergarten children must be brought directly into the school by a parent or guardian via the church-side door, unless you utilize the extended day morning session. This door will be open until 8:45 each morning. Anyone entering the school after this time needs to come to the front door of the school and ring the bell. Go directly into the coat room to hang up your child’s jacket and backpack. Each child will have a cubby/locker with his/her name. Snacks and lunches need to be taken out of the backpacks and brought into the classroom. During inclement weather, boots MUST be removed and shoes/slippers put on. For safety reasons, children cannot go barefoot or wear only socks in the classroom.

 

Pickup: To help to expedite the car line, all of the prekindergarten children who do not have any siblings in the school are dismissed at 2:45/2:50pm. Parents should park anywhere on Grove St. or Waters St. and walk to the stairs by the church side entrance. The preschool children will be walked out to you. If possible, please call when you are going to be late (Mrs. Smith’s cell – 774-253-2625). This allows us to help your child understand why he/she needs to stay at school a little longer. Parents who utilize the car line to pick up older children can also pick up their prekindergarten child at this time if you are parked in the car line and waiting for school to be dismissed. Any child not dismissed by 2:50 will be paired up with their older siblings for carline.

We know that some of you work and may not be able to make it to school by 2:50 pm and others may utilize our Extended Day Program. Please speak with Mrs. Smith directly so that we may make arrangements for your situation.

Parking: When dropping off or picking up the children it is important that you park your car only on the left side of Grove Street (it is a one way street in front of the school). This will also eliminate the danger of having the children cross the street. You may also park on Waters Street directly in front of the church. The municipal parking lot behind the school is also open for parking. Please never drive your car into the school driveway as it endangers all the children in the school and please never block the church driveway, especially at drop-off and pick-up times.

 

Backpacks: We ask that each child has his/her own backpack large enough to accommodate a lunch box and a morning snack, shoes or slippers (to change during winter months) and all your child’s daily projects. Please be sure to write your child’s name on the outside of his/her backpack.

Morning Snack and Lunch: Children bring their own snack and lunch each day. Please bring your child’s snack and lunch directly into the classroom. All children will be given a labeled plastic Ziploc baggie for their snacks. Snacks should be limited to 2 items and 1 drink. Be sure to write your child’s name on the outside of his/her lunch box. We always have extra goldfish, pretzels or other small snacks and water for any child who may forget his/her snack or want more to eat.

Any type of lunch that requires refrigeration needs to be packed with cold packs. We do not have room in the class refrigerator for everyone’s lunch. Also, any type of lunch that requires heating needs to be heated prior to coming to school and put in a thermos to stay warm. We do not have time to heat up lunches every day.

We may occasionally have a “special” lunch day when money is collected to purchase pizza or chicken tenders and French fries. Specifics will be sent home at that time.

Birthdays/Parties: We love celebrating each and every child’s birthday. If you choose, you can bring in something special for this celebration on the day closest to your child’s birthday. However, it is imperative that these snacks contain no nuts, especially peanuts, or nut or peanut by-products due to allergies that some of the children may have. Please check all labels to be sure that any store bought items are peanut free and produced in a peanut/nut free plant. Any item that says “this may contains nuts” or “this product is manufactured in a facility that uses nuts” should not be brought in for parties. In the past, children have brought in home-made cupcakes, ice cream cake, and Hoodsie cups. We ask that you supply the plates and spoons when necessary.

          Summer birthdays will be celebrated at the end of the school year. We also have various parties throughout the year. At these times, sign-up sheets will be posted in the coat room for the various items that we will need for our parties.

 

Water bottles: Our classroom gets very warm in the afternoon when the sun begins to shine directly in through the windows. So that every child has a water bottle, we have been utilizing a policy that includes parents bringing in small, 8 ounce water bottles for the entire class. The water bottles are filled as need and changed at the beginning of every week. This year we have 15 children enrolled in the prekindergarten program. Parents are asked to purchase one case of 48 bottles which will last for a period of three weeks. A sign-up sheet will be posted on the cabinet in the bath room. All water brought in will be stored in the coat room until needed. Bottles will have labels with each child’s name printed on it which will also help with name recognition and spelling.

Parent Participation/Volunteering: The preschool welcomes any parent or relative who would like to share a profession, hobby or special interest with the children. We have an “open-door” policy and parents are welcome to visit the class at any time and to participate in any of our daily activities. Occasionally we will need extra help for certain class projects. When needed, announcements will be made in the class newsletter. All parents/relatives who would like to volunteer or attend field trips must have a CORI check, sign a CODE of CONDUCT, and attend a 2hr. SAFE ENVIRONMENT workshop. If you have already completed these requirements through your parish, please submit proof to the school office. If not, please see Mrs. Cote Dumphy in the school office.

Clothing: All prekindergarten children need to wear the school gym uniform each day. Sweat pants will be worn for the winter uniform and shorts can be worn for the summer uniform. Children need to wear a T-shirt everyday (even in winter as the classroom gets very warm in the afternoon) and a sweatshirt over the T-shirt when the weather gets cold. All clogs, crocks, flip-flops and other footwear that does not have a strap in the back for a secure fit are not allowed. Also, please label all your child’s clothing, especially coats, jackets and boots which will aid staff when helping your child prepare for dismissal. We also ask that you send in a change of clothing for your child that will be stored in the coat room. This change of clothing does not need to be a school uniform; just a simple pair of sweatpants, a T-shirt and a pair of underwear and socks.

School and class news: A weekly envelope is sent home from the school via the children. This envelope contains information pertaining to Assumption School. Parents are asked to return the envelope by Friday so that it can be used for the next week. Occasionally, information is also sent directly through our Connect-Ed Notification System via phone messages and/or posted on our school website.

          Class newsletters are sent home as necessary. These newsletters contain information pertaining to the prekindergarten only and include information regarding parties, field trips or other special plans that we may have. Please check our website often for all current information.

 

Inclement Weather: Assumption School follows the NO SCHOOL announcement for the MILLBURY Public School System. Cancellation announcements can be heard on WSRS 96.1 FM, viewed on WCVB, Channel 5 and are made directly through Connect-Ed Notification System at 6:00am. If school is not canceled in the morning but the weather begins to worsen, a determination to cancel school early will be made by 11:00 am and all parents will be notified via Connect-Ed.

 

Toys: We ask that your child not bring in any toys or other items from home (except when specified for show-and-tell). Unfortunately, some toys have been broken or lost in the past. We know that many children have a special item that helps them to feel more comfortable in new situations. If your child has a special toy or other item that he/she wishes to come to school with, we ask that it be placed in his/her backpack or cubby at the time of drop off. We discourage the wearing of any jewelry for we cannot be responsible for any lost, stolen or broken items.

Book Clubs:  The book clubs that we participate in include Scholastic Firefly, See Saw, Honeybee, and Click. The newspaper selections are sent home monthly. We receive bonus points for every dollar spent which allows us to purchase various big books and other items for our classroom. Bonus points earned often double or triple depending on the total amount of each order, so please look each book club newspaper over carefully and help us build our class library with the points earned.

          If you place orders from more than one club newspaper, total the orders and make one check out to Scholastic Book Club.  Please return orders by the date printed on the back side of each order form. However, late orders can always be called in. If you chose to pay with cash, Mrs. Smith always sends in orders and will include the amount of any cash order with her check. It generally takes two weeks for an order to arrive and late orders are continuously checked on. Always remember that these book clubs guarantee a 100% refund for any book order that you are not completely satisfied with. If you have any questions regarding any of the books offered, please do not hesitate to ask. Mrs. Smith owns over 1500 books and would be more than happy to show you a particular book if she has it. Parents will also be given a code this year when the first book orders are sent out so that you have the option to order online at Scholastic.com.

 

Rest Period: According to the Massachusetts Department of Education, all prekindergarten children who attend school for 5 hours or more are required to have a period of rest or quiet time. At the start of the school year, the children will lay down for rest. Each child needs his/her own bath towel to lie on. Space is limited so all bath towels should not measure more that 30-36” wide and 40-48” long, or approximately the size of your child. Please write names on all items used for rest. Towels will be sent home periodically for cleaning. As the year progresses, the children will not always be required to lie down but will partake in a quiet activity such as watching an educational video or looking at books.

 

Discipline: Discipline and guidance shall be consistent and based on an understanding of the individual needs and development of each child. Positive reinforcement and redirection are the primary methods used for inappropriate behavior in our class. If redirection is unsuccessful, then a child may be asked to leave a particular area and to engage himself/herself in a more quiet area such as the library or puzzle area. Time-out will be used only for repeated misbehavior. Time-out is a cooling off period lasting approximately one minute per year of age, allowing the child to think about the behavior. Corporal punishment, denial of food, humiliation or verbal abuse will never be used as a form of discipline.

          Parental involvement in the discipline process is necessary only when the behavior is repeatedly uncontrollable or harmful to other children.

Curriculum: We believe that children are active learners who gain knowledge by acting directly on and with concrete objects and that young children learn best through playful interaction with their environment. Through repeated activity with concrete objects, 3-5 year old children assimilate new elements into their already formed ideas about reality and accommodate or change these ideas when newly assimilated knowledge causes them to do so. They eagerly engage in symbolic thought by representing ideas and events with words, drawings, and dramatic play.

          Until now, most of their time has been spent at home and their experience as social beings has been somewhat limited. In preschool, most children begin to interact with people outside the family and to learn how to relate and socialize within a group.

          Our curriculum focuses on teaching gross and fine motor skills, cognitive skills, communication skills and personal-social skills. We strive to make our curriculum relevant to each child’s needs and to prepare them for future school years. The experiences offered will help them increase the skills of thinking, problem-solving, reasoning, and creating - not just the skill of memorizing.

          Our preschool program contributes to all aspects of each child’s development: physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual. No one aspect is ignored. All the children’s developing potentials are challenged, exercised, encouraged, and supported.

          Some of the themes we will be covering throughout the year include colors, shapes, letters and numbers, seasons and holidays, nursery rhymes, weather, insects, the farm, dinosaurs and many, many more. If you have any questions concerning the curriculum, please do not hesitate to ask.

We hope that this information is helpful and useful to you all. If anyone ever has any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to speak with us as soon as possible. We value everyone’s input and ideas.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Rosum

 

 

 

Important dates to Remember:

 

Wed., August 31st               Orientation   8:30am-11:30am    12:45pm-2:45pm

Fri., September 2nd             Orientation   8:30am-11:30am    12:45pm-2:45pm

Mon.,  September 5th         Labor Day – no school

Wed., September 7th          First Full Day of School for Prekindergarten