Summer 2013

We thank the students and parents from the kindergarten class of 2012-2013 for a wonderful year, and we look forward to meeting our new kindergartners of 2013-2014!

Kindergarten Orientation is Tuesday, August 20th, from 10:00 to 11:00 (a.m.) and 11:00 to 12:00 (p.m.)

Supplies that we usually ask for include glue sticks, tissues, #2 pencils, white board markers, and baby wipes. Check Back-to-School sales for these items-- we appreciate it!!

School begins on Wednesday, August 21, 2013-- morning session is 8:05 to 11:25 and the afternoon session is 11:30 to 2:50. Child care for both sessions is available at Champions (408) 356-3178 or Holy Cross (408) 356-6828.

You will receive a letter around August 15th or 16th stating whether your child will be in the morning or afternoon session.  Due to fluctuation in enrollment, we cannot let you know before that time.

For kindergarten readiness, we highly recommend that your child comes into kindergarten:

• recognizing most letters
• writing his/her name legibly
• recognizing numbers to 10 & beyond
• knowing names of basic shapes
• having good cutting/scissor skills
• able to sit attentively for the duration of a picture book

We highly recommend LeapFrog's  DVD "The Letter Factory" for a good review of letter recognition and letter sounds.

If you have any other questions about our program, please feel free to e-mail us at: gristn@unionsd.org or sheikhm@unionsd.org

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in August!

Week of 6/2

Dear Parents,

It's exciting and a little sad at the same time, but we are heading into our last week together. What a wonderful year it's been! I'd like to thank you for the fantastic support you've given me all year long.

During the week, there will probably be a couple of opportunities to watch movies (class party day especially). If you can, please send in G-rated DVDs (no Blu-Rays, please) with your child's name on them, so that we have some movies to choose from. We will take a vote, so please let your children know that we won't necessarily be watching the movie they bring (there always seem to be some hurt feelings when a favorite movie doesn't "win" a vote!)

Here is a day-by-day run-down of the week-- hopefully the weather cooperates to allow all of these activities, but please check your e-mail daily to see if there are any updates!

MONDAY: No special activities

TUESDAY: Class party/water play. Pizza will be served-- no snacks needed. Please send your child with a bathing suit underneath (girls might want to wear a two-piece for ease of bathroom use/boys can wear swim trunks as shorts) a towel, and flip flops/water shoes/crocs, etc. for walking around on the blacktop. If they are going to day care afterward, please send a change of clothes. Please put sunblock on before school. Weather forecast is showing a pleasant day for Tuesday!

WEDNESDAY: Olympic Day. This is a school-wide event. Please wear class t-shirts and appropriate footwear! Sunblock would also be a good idea, and hats, too. The event starts at 10:00 and goes on until noon.  We will have snack time, so please send snacks on this day. Thank you to the parents who have volunteered to walk around with the class.  I could use you all, or the Olympic Day stations can use you, too!

THURSDAY: Promotion Ceremony in the classroom. Be prepared for a brief presentation from the children and a great walk down memory lane of our wonderful year together. Please plan on attending this event or sending another family member who can attend! This is a special time to share with your children. No snacks needed-- refreshments will be served.

FRIDAY: All children in kindergarten on an early schedule (8:05-11:25), so we will have 50 children in the room! Children will clean the classroom, sign yearbooks, and participate in our annual "Alphafriend Song Marathon!"  Please send a snack on this day if you think your child will get hungry.