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| | New Parent Q & ATO & FROM SCHOOLQ: How does a Kindergartner know how to get on the right bus to come home? What happens if they miss the bus? Any monitoring? A: During the first week of school, Kindergartners receive a lot of help from teachers, parent volunteers and a school staff member assigned to help with bus loading. Throughout the year there will always be a staff member available in the bus loading zone to assist children. If a child misses the bus, the child will be taken to (or should go to) the Main Office and school staff will contact a parent. Q: What do Kindergartners do during the 10-15 minutes after the bus arrives but before classroom activities begin? A: They line up outside the classroom. Kids are not allowed into the school until 7:55AM. There is no supervision until the school bell rings. Q: How do I know what time to be at the bus stop? Q: If my child doesn't take the bus, how early can I drop them off at school? Do I need to walk them in or pick them up at the door? A: You cannot drop children off before 7:50AM. At 7:50 children can be dropped off at the entrance to the school. Please note that you may not leave your car unattended in the drop off/pick up circles. Children are only allowed to enter and exit cars on the curb side for safety. There is no need to take your child to the classroom door but if you are going to walk your child in then you must park your car in a designated parking spot – same rules apply for picking up after school. Teachers will also bring students who are being picked up in cars out to the front of the school where children can see when a parent arrives. Drop Off and Pick Up times are hectic and parking is limited. Q: What if the bus doesn’t come? A: This is indeed a rare occurrence. The school will contact you or you can send a parent to call the school for more information. Q: What if I am late for picking up my child from school or the bus? A: This has happened to all of us at one time or another. If you are picking your child up at school, instruct your child to go to the main office if you are not there to meet him/her at the agreed upon time. The office will then call you. For the bus, it is advisable to work out a plan with your child in advance. Decide whether they should go to a neighbor, go home with someone else, etc. It is recommended that parents compile a list of home phone and cell phone numbers of the other parents at the bus stop for emergency situations and unplanned delays. Q: How do I know if there’s an emergency school closure? A: If the school is closed for an emergency it will be posted on the Bellevue School District’s website, http://www.bsd405.org. You can also tune into radio stations listing school closures. Q: What about non-emergency closures? A: The school calendar is available online: http://www.bsd405.org/. FIRST DAY OF SCHOOLQ: What kind of school supplies does he/she need? A: The student supply list is available here. Q: What does my child need for the first day of school? A: A backpack, snack and lunch or money to buy lunch. Q: When will I find out the name of my child’s teacher? A: Kindergartners will receive teacher assignments and will have the opportunity to meet their teachers at the Newcomers Party the last week in August. All other class assignments will be posted at the school on the Friday evening before Labor Day. LUNCH & RECESSQ: How do Kindergartners make their way to the cafeteria at lunch? Are they guided there? Who watches them? A: During the first 2 weeks of school Kindergartners receive some assistance from teachers, parents and assistants. They sit at lunch with their class. There is supervision to ensure that everyone sits down and attempts to eat. The class is typically excused together to go to recess. Q: How does my child buy his lunch? A: Bellevue uses a third party, PayPams, to manage school lunch accounts. To open an account visit http://www.paypams.com. You can also log into your child’s account on this site to monitor how your child is spending their lunch money. Q: What does the cafeteria serve for lunch? A: The lunch menus are available on the district’s site: http://bsd405.org/default.aspx?tabID=2279. Water is not served with lunch but milk can be purchased. Q: My child, while highly capable, still needs my help with his/her juice box, etc, will he starve at lunch? A: Lunchroom volunteers are on hand to help younger classes during the lunch period. Q: Who supervises the playground at recess? A: There are assistants and parents at recess. Q: How are school injuries reported to me? A: You will be called by the nurse or your child’s teacher. CLASSROOM & CURRICULUMQ: What is the best way to get involved in the classroom? A: During the first couple of weeks of school, at the PTSA meeting and on curriculum night there will be opportunities to sign up. There are a number of ways to help out in the classroom: being a regular reading volunteer, helping out with homework, doing book orders, organizing parties as well as chaperoning field trips, helping out in the library are some examples. Some jobs require you to be at school, others can be done at home, so there are lots of ways to help. Q: What is the Kindergarten curriculum at Cherry Crest Elementary? A: You will receive a packet that explains the kindergarten curriculum. There is also a Kindergarten curriculum night early in the school year where the philosophy, programs, etc is explained. This is an informative night. The information can also be found on the Bellevue School Districts website at http://www.bsd405.com. Q: What is the best way to communicate with the teacher? Email? Phone? Notes? A: Ask your child’s teacher early on what works best for them. All three are options. Q: Can I visit my child's classroom anytime I want? A: Ask the teacher when the best time is to visit your child’s classroom. Most classrooms can be easily visited. Please remember to sign in at the main office before going to your child’s classroom. Q: Is there homework? A: This will discussed during curriculum night. Q: What is the classroom party policy? A: Birthday party policies are set by the teachers, check with your teachers on how they handle student birthdays as it may change from classroom to classroom. ACTIVITIES & PTSAQ: Where do I find out about school activities for my child? A: The Cherry Crest PTSA newsletter, the Charger Chatter, is the comprehensive source of information. The Charger Chatter is distributed every Friday, it will be sent home with your student. Q: Can my child go home with a classmate for a play date after school? A: Yes, but you will need to inform the school via a note sent on that day that your child will be going home with his/her classmate. You will not be allowed to arrange this during the school day. If your child rides the bus, you will need a separate note for the bus driver that gives your child permission to get off at another stop on his/her regular bus or permission to ride a different bus if necessary. Q: What is the PTSA and do I need to join? A: The PTSA is an important link in the communications chain between parents and the school staff and seeks broad participation in activities to enhance the activities of students. This organization is made up of the parents of kids at Cherry Crest Elementary. The PTSA sponsors a number of programs and activities that enhance Cherry Crest Elementary including sponsoring teaching assistants, computer labs, playground equipment, the Charger Chatter newsletter, teacher appreciation, as well as acting as a liaison with the school and legislature. The activities of the PTSA are supported by 2 major fundraisers: The Walkathon in October and the PTSA Auction in the spring. | ||