This page contains important information about our classroom.  Please read thoroughly and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Label Items

Please use a permanent marker to label any item sent to school.  Items needing labels include lunch boxes, coats, and anything that might get lost or misplaced.  It is recommended that write your child's first name or initials on their clothing or tags with a permanent marker.  Stickers tend to fall or be pulled off.

Change of Clothes

Students have scheduled and unscheduled trips to the bathroom throughout the day.  Each student will need a full set of clothes that are appropriate to the current weather (shirt, pants, underwear, and socks) to be able to change into in case of a spill or accident.  Please send this clothing in a gallon size Ziploc bag labeled with your child’s name.  All clothing should be labeled with your child’s name.

Rest Time

A daily rest time of no more than an hour is provided . There will be calm music and dimmed lights during this time.  Students who do not fall asleep can listen to the music, color, do puzzles, or read a book quietly. As the year progresses, rest time will be faded out as part of the transition process for kindergarten.

Daily Communication Folders

These Parent Communicator folders will contain special event fliers, children’s artwork and other important information that you will need to read. They will be sent home every day. Please be sure to read all the information and send these folders back to school the following day. If you should need to send us a note regarding your child, please put it in this Parent Communicator folder, which we check every morning.

Attendance

Your child is expected to be in school for 6.5 hours for 180 school days. Although children may arrive at school at 7:30 a.m., the instructional day begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. Students who arrive after 8:00 a.m. are counted tardy and MUST be signed in by a parent or guardian at the office. Regular attendance in the Pre-K program is mandatory. Attendance is closely monitored. If your child will be absent or tardy for any reason, please inform your teacher via email, note, or by phone. Excessive tardiness or absences may result in contact from the teachers and/or school administration. 

Meals

The Pre-K menu is available on the DeKalb County School District website: https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/school-nutrition/menus/. Please let us know if you would like your child to purchase breakfast and/or lunch from the cafeteria.  Breakfast will be provided upon arrival beginning at 7:30 a.m. Our current scheduled lunch time is at 11:25 a.m. If you are providing a lunch, please ensure that it is a healthy lunch free from sugary snacks or sodas. Please refrain from food items that could cause a potential choking hazard for young children. Students will not be able to warm food in microwave ovens nor store in refrigerators. If your child regularly eats a home lunch and would like to buy a lunch, just let us know via email, phone call, or send a note. Typically, meal payments can be made online at https://www.schoolcafe.com/. However, meals are free this year. Families will need to submit an application via School Cafe for any meals you would like your child to have during the year.

Snacks
Our daily schedule also includes a snack time which is currently in the mornings around 9:45 a.m.  We ask that you provide your child a simple, nutritious snack i.e. fresh fruit/veggies, granola bar, cheese sticks, etc. in a separate container from their lunchbox. To reduce the risk of any potential choking hazards, we suggest that any food you provide is cut in such a way as to minimize choking as well as avoid common choking related items: popcorn (Pirate's Booty preferred instead) whole grapes (halved grapes preferred) nuts, hot dogs, candy that is hard, gooey, or sticky especially if it does not dissolve quickly with saliva), raw veggies (carrots, broccoli, etc.), edamame/soy beans, chunks of meat or cheese, chunks of peanut butter, chewing gum, and marshmallows.

Toys

We prefer and do ask that you do not allow your child to bring toys to school. They often become a distraction and can easily get lost or broken which causes the children to become very upset. We will occasionally invite the students to bring an item from home that may relate to the current lesson's theme, class interest, or for Show n' Share. We will inform families via the daily communication folder or email.

Discipline

Keeping the children involved and engaged in appropriate activities is the most important part of maintaining a nurturing, calm, and safe classroom environment. Positive reinforcement and praise will be the first choice in handling classroom behaviors. Good listening, kindness, self control, and other age appropriate skills will be encouraged, modeled, and rewarded.  Time away from activities will be used in the event that it is necessary. Time away will be given at the time the problem occurs after sufficient warning has been given. In the event that there are repeated behavioral problems, we will notify you.

Along with our curriculum, we will emphasize character education. This will include sharing, honesty, respect, kindness, and caring for each other. We will teach the importance of each of these while learning about appropriate behavior and classroom expectations.

Discipline is viewed as part of the process of learning self-control, respect for others, and responsibility.  To help children learn this process, the following guidelines will be followed:

• Children are taught the expectations, rules, and limits, and are reminded of them as needed.
• Teachers will anticipate and redirect inappropriate behaviors.
• Teachers will help children use words to express emotions, resolve conflict and express needs and desires.
• Teachers will assist children in the conflict resolution process.
• Children will be spoken to in a friendly, calm but firm voice when necessary.
• Teachers may remove a child from an activity if inappropriate behaviors persist and help redirect the child to find an appropriate activity to engage in.
• If a child physically hurts another child, he/she will be removed from the activity, the hurt child will be comforted, and the children will be assisted with the conflict resolution process and the parents will be notified.
• A conference will be held with parents if serious inappropriate behaviors continue.

Newsletter

A newsletter will be sent through email and made available for download on our class website on a monthly basis.  The newsletter will include the skills being worked on in the classroom, as well as information about upcoming events.

Library Books

Children have the opportunity to visit and check out library books. Children are responsible for returning their library books in good condition.  If a book has not been returned by the time, we visit the library, your child can still check out a book once it has been returned.  Please note that checking out books from the library are not limited to our Library day.