Kindergarten Handbook

Kindergarten Days

Trinity Lutheran School’s Kindergarten is now a full five-day program. Children will need some time to adjust to this full week at school so we have arranged an alternate attendance schedule for the first quarter. Children may leave school early on Tuesday and Thursday each week through October. They will not be considered absent if they miss those afternoons. You have the option of picking up your child before or after lunch on those two days or to let them attend the entire day. Communication of your intentions will be very important so please fill in the form with each week’s newsletter if you plan to pick up your child early. Those staying at school will have a longer than usual rest time on those two days, and will participate in special music activities, story extensions, puppets, craft projects and videos.

Arrival and Departure

School begins at 8:30 and ends at 3:10. Children may enter the building at 8:10 and proceed to the classroom. If a child needs to be dropped off before 8:10, you may use the extended care program. Parents may accompany their children to our classroom. I will be happy to greet you and have brief conversations before school. If you need more time to speak with me when I can give you undivided attention, we can arrange for a time to meet together.

Children will be dismissed from the classroom at 3:10. Those riding the bus will go to the gym and get into one of two bus lines and be directed to their bus by a staff person. Parents or siblings may come to the classroom door to pick up a student. Please remember to wait quietly outside the door while we say our closing prayer. With parent’s permission, children will be allowed to exit through the front outside door and wait for parents to drive up. Two staff people are on duty outside each day after school to supervise student departure.

Lunch

All Trinity students eat hot lunch, unless there is a medical need for a special diet. Lunch tickets are marked and kept by the cafeteria staff. The lunch price includes milk (2%, skim, or chocolate). Parents and other guests may join their child for lunch at school any time. Please inform the secretary or the cafeteria staff by 9:00 a.m. that you plan to come. The adult lunch price is $3.00. We strive for a quiet lunchroom.

Snack

We will have a light snack each afternoon. Each child will be assigned 6 or more snack days this year. One of the snack days will be on or around the child’s birthday. Cookies or cupcakes are o.k. for a birthday treat, but otherwise try to use more healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, cereals, milk products, crackers, and bread. Snack should be easy to serve. No drinks are necessary. Check with me if you need some fun snack ideas.

Sharing

Kindergarteners will have Sharing time each week. Each child has a special day of the week as his/her sharing day. There will be an assigned topic for each week based on what we may be studying or the time and season of the year. The first two weeks of the school year your child may show or tell something about their summer. They may do this any day in the beginning. After that, I will send a list of Sharing topics for the month and assign each child a sharing day. Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school unless they are for the sharing topic. Then they are for Sharing time only.

Classroom Visitors and Volunteers

Parents and others are welcome in our classroom! You may visit to see what we are working on. Please stop and sign in at the office if you come to volunteer or visit. (It is not necessary to sign in if you are coming in before or after school with your child.) Younger children may not allow us to be attentive to learning and you may need to leave them with a sitter or limit the time of your visit. You may want to be a regular volunteer. Please see the volunteer sign up form.

Trinity Trumpet

School information is shared each week in our weekly school newsletter, the Trinity Trumpet. You will find lunch menus, sports events and schedules, Parent Teacher League information and school and church family news. The students will bring their folders home each Friday with news and completed class work. Please look over the information and send the empty folder back each week.

Church and Sunday School Attendance

We believe church attendance is an important expression of our love for our Savior, Jesus. Church and Sunday School attendance will be taken each week and recorded. This is a school-wide procedure. Please find the quarterly attendance form in your child’s folder and mark if your child attended church and/or Sunday School. Use Y for yes and N for no. Then please initial the form each week to indicate you have seen the folder. If you do not have a home church and you would like information about the Lutheran faith, one of our pastors would be happy to talk to you.

Classroom Rules and Discipline

Our classroom will be a little community and we will set up rules and procedures to help it run smoothly. The class will have input into the rule-making process. We will also discuss and set up consequences and punishments. Each family will receive a copy to the classroom rules and procedures. An important aspect of discipline in a Christian setting is the love and forgiveness we share through Jesus. Students will take responsibility for their actions and the impact of those actions on the class and individuals. Conflicts can be resolved with words, and many times with a hug and a prayer.

Assessment and Report Cards

Students will be assessed in these curricular areas: Religion, Math, Reading/letter recognition, Language/vocabulary. Other skills will also be evaluated, such as work habits, sharing, manners, and ability to follow directions. Evaluations will be done by observation of students at work, play, discussion times or by direct individual testing. Report cards will be marked four times during the year. The first quarter ends in late October and Parent Teacher conferences will be scheduled for early November and again in January. These will be times to discuss your child’s school progress. Don’t feel you have to wait that long if you want to talk with me about a problem or concern. I will be happy to set up a time before or after school, or discuss it by phone. Your child’s education is very important to me and together we can make this Kindergarten year a productive and enjoyable one.

Last of all, be sure to ask me about anything that is not explained clearly. After 20+ years here, I may assume that everyone understands what our procedures are and how things are done. If I forget that it is all new to some of you, just ask me to explain it a little better, or stop in the office to talk to the secretary or the principal.

God’s blessings on this year.

Mrs. Becker