Dear Parents,
Welcome to our 4 year old Pre-K class in room LC-2. I would first like to take the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Miss Maria and I am honored to be your child’s Pre-K teacher this year. This will be my 21st year at Park Shore. Joining us in the classroom will be Miss Tricia, & Miss Kayleigh. Miss Taneisha will be coming in our class at 2:00 pm. This will be my 9th year working together with Miss Tricia. Miss Taneisha joined our class two years ago and Miss Kayleigh is joining us this year. I feel blessed to have them on my team! It is wonderful to be a part of such a well respected and professional preschool like Park Shore. Just like you, I too chose Park Shore for my child. That was 21 years ago though. Time flies when you are having fun! Even then, it was the best preschool on the Island! I’ve always considered Park Shore a college campus for little students. You have all definitely chosen well!
I am so looking forward to working with you and your child in making their preschool experience an enriching and fun filled experience. We will have many wonderful opportunities to learn, grow and become Kindergarten ready in the months ahead.
Before I list some important information, I believe that communication is key to a great parent-teacher relationship. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can reach me by calling Park Shore and they will transfer your call into my room. If for some reason I am not available at that time, I will call you back at the end of the day. You also can feel free to e-mail me at mariamoll@att.net. This year I will participate in the communication App ‘Remind’. You can communicate with me through that as well. I will use it from time to time if I need to remind you of a special event or just to make an announcement of a special event. If you would like to participate, you can sign up by cell phone…text to 81010 and then text @gc2344 or you can go on-line to…Remind.com/join/gc2344. Please remember that if you email me or communicate through Remind I may not get back to you right away. I will be checking into them daily and will respond to you after I do.
Now for the list of important information: If your child is “not” enrolled in morning care, class begins at “9:00” am. For safety reasons, please wait for a teacher to be “in” the classroom before entering the room. As you all know, there will no longer be any bus service so please be patient while Park Shore accommodates parents dropping children off. When you pull into the parking lot there will be a PS employee directing you where to go. The Learning Center Bldg. is to the right as you enter the driveway. It is the long beige bldg. opposite the Fields. Your child’s classroom is LC-2. Enter the first door closest to the parking lot and the class is to the right as you walk in.
Class ends at 3:30 pm. If your child is enrolled in “aftercare” they will be leaving our classroom approximately 3:40 which will be after the rest of the children are picked up. They will, weather permitting, be outside on the playground. You should go to the front office first. They will direct you where to pick your child up. If your child is “not” signed up for aftercare, please come directly to Rm LC-2 at 3:30. Please be prompt so that we can attend to the aftercare children that will be waiting to leave the classroom. There will be a sign out sheet posted outside my classroom. If you are picking your child up from school early, please call ahead or send in a note stating that. Please note: “anyone” (you or someone else) picking a child up, “must” have proper ID on them.
Please send your child in with a change of clothes in a zip-locked bag. “Please” remember to “label” it, as well as, the clothes in it with your child’s name. This is in case of a bathroom accident, or if they spill juice on themselves. Please include: weather appropriate clothing, underwear, socks, and even an old pair of shoes (if possible). We will keep this change of clothes here at Park Shore, and will periodically send them home for a weather appropriate exchange. Please label “ALL” jackets, sweaters, hats, etc. with your child’s name.
Please send your child in each day with a backpack. There may be important school notices, as well as, beautiful projects that we will be sending home. I recommend that the backpack you buy be large enough to accommodate them. It would be a shame if they were ruined. Please remember to check and clean out their backpacks each day. There may be an important notice that you will not want to miss.
All children will receive a snack which is supplied by Park Shore. If you would like to send your child in with their own snack that is also perfectly okay. I would like to stress the importance that it be a peanut free snack. As you know, we are a peanut free school, and I would be very upset to have to disappoint your child by having to say that he/she could not have the snack that you have sent him/her in with. Please note that we may have children with allergies other than peanuts. When I have all of that information I will be happy to update you.
Lunch will be served in our classroom at approximately 12:45 pm. If your child is not receiving hot lunch, and you are sending in lunch from home, again, remember it must be peanut free.
Note: Your contact information sheet was mailed to you. Please fill it out and send it to me as soon as possible. I would like to learn your child’s likes/dislikes, any wishes that you may have, and most importantly, any allergies that your child may have. Please feel free to include that information onto that sheet. There was also a list mailed home of unsafe snack/fruit which is not permitted to be served to any of the children. Please review that list before sending in any snack/lunch. If you need a new one or have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
If your child is not feeling well, please call us and let us know if they will not be in. If they have a fever please keep them home until “24” hrs. of being “fever free”. My motto is: when in doubt, keep them out. I know that this, at times, could be a little tricky. You know your child better than anyone else. If they are not up to par health wise, they will not have a productive or enjoyable day and they will only spread the illness to another friend. If you are unsure as to what to do, please call me, and I will be happy to help you through it.
Birthdays. I love birthdays! We will celebrate every child’s birthday even if they have a summer birth date. In those cases, we will celebrate them together in June. Feel free to send in something for their special day. It can be cupcakes if it is absolutely peanut free. Please note that they must be store bought & must be labeled with the ingredients. Please check with me before buying them. Ice Cream cups are also a big hit with the children. You are welcome to join us for the celebration just call me and we will set it up. You may like a chance to read to the class on that day. The children always look forward to that. No pressure though! 🙂
You will all receive a class schedule during the first week of school. This will give you an idea of what goes on in the course of your child’s day. It will also list the specials that we will be going to.
You will receive a “monthly” classroom newsletter which will be posted on “Park Shore’s Web site”. This will help to keep you informed as to what is going on in the class and in the school as well. Please try to remember to check it out.
Please note that we will be having a ‘Meet the Teacher’ night. The date is tentatively set for Tuesday, September 26th. The exact time will be announced soon. It will “most likely” be approximately 7:15 to 8:00 PM. It will be in our classroom, which is Rm LC-2. This will be a wonderful opportunity for you to see your child’s classroom, and for us to meet each other. So don’t forget to mark your calendars when you receive the correct time, and bring your questions in.
You will be receiving 3 progress reports during the school year. This will give you a good understanding how your child is doing academically, as well as, socially. Please note that we will “not” be having an official parent/teacher conference day this November. If you would like to have one, please feel free to contact me and we can set a time up. It would take place during a scheduled school day, preferably during a scheduled special.
I will touch base with all of you approximately at the end of the second full week of school. I will at that time, let you know how your child is adjusting to their new surroundings. Please know that you don’t have to wait for my call. If you have any concerns or questions feel free to reach out to me.
This now brings me to the most important part….”Separation!” It’s a horrible thing. Believe me, I know. I’ve been there, and I have done that! I can say with confidence and experience that there is light at the end of that tunnel! Although it is not fun and it is difficult, I want you to know that we are here for you and will help you through it! Remember that it mostly happens during “transition” times. I promise that if you give it 2 full weeks, in some cases less, you will see those little tears turn into big smiles! It happens every time! Call me. I will let you know how they are doing. Don’t feel bad, believe me they are going to have the time of their lives! Please do not get discouraged! This “is” normal! It is difficult for some children to understand that it is okay to have fun without mommy or daddy. They need time to become familiar with this new surrounding that mommy or daddy is leaving them in. I have “never” had to say to a parent that their child is just not ready for pre-k. I will give you this advise though, and “please follow this direction”. If your child is crying and says they do not want you to go, you must “not” listen! Yes, that’s right, I will say it again, you must “not” listen! LOL:). I know it’s difficult, but bend down, give them a big hug and kiss and with a big smile say: “I love you very much, I want you to have a lot of fun now, and I will see you later”. “Do not” linger. Make a clean break, leave them to us. We will hold them, wipe their tears, we will tell them that you love them, and that you will be back in a little while. Yes, they will cry for a little while, but in October you won’t even believe that this happened at all! When you leave please don’t go through the day holding onto the memory of your child crying. That is just heart breaking. Call me after a little while and I will be happy to let you know how they are doing. Every child and parent has survived preschool! 🙂 Honest!
Well, I think that I have covered everything. I am truly looking forward to a wonderful and exciting year with you and your children. I look forward to speaking to you, as well as, meeting all of you.
Sincerely,
Miss Maria
LC-2