Dear Room 111 Families,
Welcome to kindergarten! I look forward to a wonderful year of teaching and learning! Below you will find lots of important information regarding routines and procedures for room 111. Please take a moment and read over this, contact me if you have any questions. Keep this letter in a special place so you can refer to it if necessary.
Kim Austin
Snack
We will have a snack time each day. Please send a healthy snack (crackers, fruit, carrots, dry cereal, etc.) for your child every day. Please do not send candy, soda, items that are difficult to open or require a spoon. Also, do not send anything in a glass container. Make sure that you label items allocated for snack so your child won’t eat his/her lunch at snack time. You can label it “snack” in a baggie. The cafeteria does not provide milk or snacks for your child. Your child’s snack must be brought from home. Please send water for your child to drink or he/she can get a drink from the fountain. Please send your child’s water in a container that will not easily spill.
***Please do not send nuts or any food that has nuts in the ingredients. We have students in our class with nut allergies. Thanks in advance for being mindful of other students when selecting a snack for your child. We never share food; please have a conversation with your child regarding food sharing.
Birthdays
Birthday teats are always welcome. Please let me know at least one day ahead if you’d like to bring something (individual small cupcakes, cookies, popsicles, Oreos or brownies work best). We will share these treats during our lunch. Keep it simple. 
Green Folders
All important papers and work will come home your child’s green folder daily. Homework and assignments will also come home in the green folder. Please check the folder nightly, keep the class work at home and please give your child positive reinforcement for his/her work. Praising your child for a job well done is an instant confidence booster. Looking through your child’s work is also a great way to start a conversation about what he/she is learning in school. You may use this folder to send in notes, bus passes, money, book orders, etc. Whenever you send in money, please place it in a zip lock bag and label it with your child’s name and indicate what the money is for.
Student Calendar:
The student calendar will come home daily; this is how I will share your child’s progress each day. This student calendar will be placed inside your child’s green folder. Keep in mind that the student calendar is primarily used for behavior and communication. Academic progress will be noted on your child’s written work, interims, or report cards. Please sign and place the student calendar in your child’s green folder. You are welcome to write notes to me on your child’s calendar. I do not mind if you write notes regarding absences or dismissal in your child’s calendar. This calendar should be stored in your child’s green communication folder.
Late Arrivals:
If your child is arriving late (after 8:20), please check in at the office. Your child should walk to the classroom alone, so our classroom interruptions are minimal. Thank you for understanding this request.
Absences:
Please call the office when your child is absent at 556-5385 anytime. We have an answering machine therefore you can simply leave a message. State law requires schools to call parents regarding absences if we are not otherwise notified. A written excuse is required when your child returns to school. If you send an email to me regarding an absence please copy your email to lrussell@glnd.k12.va.us
Fees and Money
Instructional Fee: $10.00 (Checks made payable to RES)
Cafeteria Fees:
Breakfast $1.20 (Students go directly to the Cafeteria after he or she gets off the bus)
Lunch $2.55 (includes milk)
Milk .60
I highly recommend creating an account for your child. You can do this online or in the cafeteria. The account is a convenient way to pay for breakfast, lunch, etc. (This is also a great “backup” in case of forgotten lunches).
Additionally, ANY money sent from home must be in a clear zip lock bag and must have a note stating what the money will be used for. This will eliminate confusion and lost money. If your child needs money added to his or her account the cafeteria will send a note to remind you or I will write a note on your child’s calendar. Don’t forget to take a look at your child’s agenda each evening.
Behavior:
I use a system of color changes in my class. Green= Great Day, Yellow= Warning, Blue= Short Time-Out, Red= I will give parents a call regarding red color changes.
Kindergarten will be an exciting and rewarding time for you and your child. We will all work together to make this a successful year for all the room 111 kids. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Homework:
The room 111 kids will make lots of class books. I will send these books home for your child to read Monday-Thursday. There will be a short activity related to the class book that your child brings home. Please complete the activity and return the class book on the following school day. I rotate the books. If one book is missing another child may not have a book to carry home on the following day. I promise that you will love these books! I am not sure when the books will be ready for students to bring home. I am thinking sometime in September. It takes some time to prepare the class books. I will send homework assignments related to colors and letters. This will begin the first week.
Contacting Mrs. Austin
You may use email, phone, or written notes
Email: kaustin@glnd.k12.va.us
School: 556-5385
During school hours, you can leave a note with the office, and Mrs. Russell will either email me or leave a note in my mailbox
If you need to contact me regarding afternoon or morning transportation using email always copy Mrs. Russell. If I am absent or my computer is down, it is imperative that Mrs. Russell be aware of any changes in your child’s routine. If I receive an email, I will reply. If you don’t hear from me, you may want to send it again or call the school.
PTA: Please consider joining our wonderful PTA. Becoming a member and lending your support directly benefits all of the RES kids. Our PTA is the best and all parents love being a part of this organization. The cost is $6.
Box Tops for Education: We all have money sitting in our kitchens. Just cut the little box top symbol off of your favorite food containers and send them to school. Don’t forget to ask your friends and family to help out. If you need more information regarding this program, visit this site:
http://www.boxtops4education.com/
Technology:We will use the laptops on the first week of school. Please complete an acceptable use policy as soon as possible. This will be included in the papers that come home on the first week of school. This form is necessary before your child can use technology. We will also use iPads. Please consider sending in a set of headphones for your child to use during technology time. I will place them in a ziplock bag and keep them for you child to use during the school year.
1st Day Reminders
1. Have your child ride the bus to school. Make sure your child wears his/her nametag. Write your child’s afternoon transportation on his or her nametag. There is a designated line for the bus # or car rider or YMCA.
2. Send in all supplies if you haven’t already brought them to Open House.
3. Send back all papers that need to be signed.
4. Kiss and hug your child and tell them to have a wonderful day.
5. Wear PE appropriate shoes. Please do not send your child to school wearing sandals, crocs, or flip-flops. Tennis shoes are always a best choice.
Class Donations:
Always Greatly Appreciated Classroom Wish List
We are always in need of the following supplies if you would like to donate.
*Clorox Wipes for teachers to clean off the tables/doorknobs/etc.
*inexpensive paper plates – small and large
*cotton balls
*plastic spoons and forks
*stickers for our Creation Station
*treasure box items (items from Dollar Store or Party City)
*plastic toy food for our play kitchen
*any color construction paper
*A roll of paper towels
Kindergarten’s Daily Sch
