Gwynedd Square Elementary School

Gwynedd Square Elementary School Kindergarten Orientation August 30, 2016

Dear Families,

Welcome to Gwynedd Square Kindergarten! I am looking forward to a pleasant and rewarding year with your child. Here is some important information to help you through our first couple of weeks together. I hope that you will be able to join us on Wednesday, September 7th for Back to School Night to learn more about our Kindergarten program. 

 Morning kindergarten hours are from 9:10-11:58. If you are dropping your child off, please be sure that you do so no later than 9:05 to ensure that he or she has plenty of time to walk to our classroom.  Afternoon kindergarten hours are from 12:52-3:40. We will meet afternoon students in the vestibule area between the two sets of doors in the front of the school no later than 12:50. If you are dropping your child off, please do not leave him or her unattended! Please wait for one of the kindergarten teachers to arrive.  If your child is being picked up by a parent, please meet him/her on time to relieve any anxiety and to assure his or her safety. If there should be a problem, please call the school as soon as possible. For morning kindergarten, we will bring your child to meet you in the vestibule area at dismissal time. Parent pick-up for afternoon kindergarten is at the keyhole on the side of the building; you will remain in your car and a staff member will bring your child to you.  When your child is absent, please call the school prior to the start of the school day at (215) 855-4331.  If you are making a change in transportation arrangements for your child, please send a note. This is for your child’s safety. We will not put children on a different bus, allow children who normally ride the bus to wait for a parent, or send them home with another adult without written permission. Also, please be patient with the bus schedule for the first few weeks of school. It will improve!  It is important for your child to carry a schoolbag and bring a folder in which to bring papers to and from school each and every day. Without one, many important notices and papers get lost before reaching home. Please check your child’s folder each day.  Birthdays are always celebrated in kindergarten! If you wish to send a small treat, feel free to do so, but please let me know in advance. We do occasionally have children who share the same birthday. Please keep treats simple and easy to pass out (no cakes to be cut or drinks, please!). An appropriate treat would be brownies, cookies, or pretzels. Please be mindful of food allergies (I will notify parents of any food allergies once I have met with everyone). Also, birthday treats do not have to be edible! Special pencils and stickers make great birthday treats, too!  During the month of September, we will be learning classroom procedures, rhyming, and beginning letters and sounds. We will be working on number readiness skills and learning color words. We will be learning about safety and school procedures. Much of what we will be doing will be a review of what many of our children already know. They will work on these familiar concepts as they learn to be part of a group and become acclimated to kindergarten at Gwynedd Square.  Again, Wednesday, September 7th is Back to School Night. We will talk more in depth about what your child will be learning in kindergarten this year.

I am looking forward to working with your child this year! If at anytime you have a question or concern, please contact me with a note, e-mail, or a phone call. We will arrange at least one conference for your child during the school year. I am sure that you and your child will enjoy this important first year of school! 

Sincerely, Mrs. Mandi Cooper [email protected] @Mandi_Cooper Kindergarten Orientation Odds and Ends

 Special Schedule:

Day Morning Special Afternoon Special 1 Art Library 2 Music Physical Education 3 Physical Education Music 4 Library Art

 Reminders About Specials: o Please be sure to wear sneakers and comfortable clothes on gym days. There is no time to change shoes before gym; please be sure to wear footwear that is appropriate for physical activity to school on gym days. o We will start taking out and exchanging library books during the next couple weeks. Please be sure to return library books on time so that your child is able to check out a new book. o Please send in a smock or old shirt labeled with your child’s name in indelible ink. This will be kept in your child’s schoolbag rather than in a common location due to potential health concerns.

 Supplies: o Please be sure to bring a schoolbag and folder each day. o It is advisable to label all of your child’s belongings, including coats, hats and gloves, with his or her name. o Please let me know if you did not receive a list of requested supplies from the district.