We are very happy to welcome you to Marysville Schools and our Kindergarten program at Raymond Elementary! This is a wonderful time for you and your kindergartner! Whether this is your first child entering kindergarten or last, you should find the following letter filled with information to make those first days and weeks a bit easier. Our goal is for you to feel comfortable and have many of your questions answered before the first day of school.

We are pleased to introduce our new kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Jess Gompf. Mrs. Gompf was a substitute teacher for the district last year and she also has experience teaching kindergarten at a private school. Her passion for students, strong work ethic and knowledge of kindergarten learning standards made her a stand out during the interview process! Our kindergartners will attend school on “red” days again this year. Please remember that the Red Class attends school on Mondays/Thursdays and alternating Wednesdays. You will want to refer to your Kindergarten Calendar for specific days and more information regarding our school calendar. We are including a copy of this calendar and it can also be found on the Marysville Schools website at www.marysville.k12.oh.us . Our families who are choosing the All Day/Everyday option will be attending Edgewood Elementary this year. We would also like to wish Mrs. Weiser the best of luck as she continues her career at Navin Elementary this year. Mrs. Weiser made the tough decision to move to Navin when an All Day/Every Day class became available. We know she will love her new Navin family!

Again, this letter will provide you with some very important information concerning dates and procedures for the beginning of the year. Please read carefully and keep this handy for future reference. If you have specific questions for the kindergarten teacher, please call after August 13th . In addition, the school office is now open 8:00-4:00 weekdays. The phone number for the school is (937) 578-7200.

Important Papers The following items are necessary to have on file before the beginning of the school year: birth certificate, immunization records, and custody papers (if applicable). We will also need a NEW proof of residency to ensure that everyone still resides in the Raymond attendance area. Please bring these items to the office so that copies can be made for your child’s school file. Thank you!

KRA Days and the First Days All incoming kindergartners will be given the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) over the course of the first three days of school. This is a screening assessment mandated by the Ohio Department of Education. The KRA was discussed at your registration appointment in the spring and you should have already made your screening appointment. Mrs. Gompf and/or other teachers will be conducting the screening during these three days – August 18th , 19 th , and 20th . Your child will need to come in for his/her scheduled screening appointment ONLY on one of these first three days. A letter from the Board of Education Office confirming your appointment day and time is enclosed. If you have not made your screening appointment, please contact the school office to schedule. Our kindergartners will have their first “official” full day of school Thursday, August 21st . The school day begins at 8:55 a.m., but students may begin entering the building at 8:40. If you are dropping your child off in the morning, please drive follow the line and drop off at Entrance B. If you need to come into the building, all visitors must enter through Entrance A. At the end of the day we begin dismissal at 3:40 and pick-ups will be dismissed through Entrance B.

We also have a wonderful School Aged Child Care (SACC) program at Raymond to accommodate your needs both before and after school on the days your child attends kindergarten. For more information please call Nichelle Harris at (937) 578-6135.

Kindergarten Fees Kindergarten fees will be $44.00 for this school year. This money goes toward purchasing classroom consumable supplies for the year which includes: scissors, crayons, pencils, folders, glue sticks, markers, erasers, construction paper, consumable lesson packs & digital access for Math, Take Home Folder, etc. We do request that every child has a book bag that is large enough to hold a folder and one your child can open and close independently. There are also a few additional items that can be found on the enclosed school supply list. Thank you for your help with these supplies! Your child’s fees may be paid on Thursday, August 14th from 4:30-6:30. This is a great time to get this taken care of before school begins! You may also choose to send in the payment with your child or stop by the office during regular school hours.

Meet the Teacher and Kindergarten Orientation! On Thursday, August 14th Kindergarten students and their families are invited to Raymond to take a tour of the classroom and meet the teachers! Mrs. Gompf will be available from 4:30-6:00. This is a very informal evening with no “programs” scheduled and you are not expected to stay for the entire block of time. It is just a great way for the children to visit the school and begin to feel more comfortable about coming on the first day! In addition, Mrs. Gompf will also be hosting an orientation for parents from 6:00-6:30. Important information regarding the kindergarten program will be shared.

Please note that the rest of the building and classrooms are also scheduled to be open from 4:30-6:00 - this is a special event for our Raymond families. We do feel strongly that our kindergartners need the opportunity to visit and talk to the teacher before he/she comes in for the screening appointment, so please try to stop by for a few minutes and help your child begin to feel more comfortable.

We are anticipating a great year and look forward to meeting you and your child on August 14th !