Helpful Tips for Kindergarten Parents

 Welcome to Brentfield!  We know this can be a stressful time for parents and kids, so we have compiled a list of helpful tips from parents and teachers to help you both have a wonderful transition to Kindergarten!

• Send your child to school with a backpack or bag, every day. School supplies ordered online through the PTA online store will be delivered to your child's classroom prior to school starting. If you purchased school supplies independently, please have your child bring their supplies to school the first day.

• Walk your child to his/her classroom for the first week only; staff will help with encouraging an independent transition on week two. It becomes a source of pride for the Kindergartners to walk themselves to class. We are mindful of having a secure building, and limiting access to classrooms is part of our protocol.

• If you are driving your child to school and would like to walk them to the building, please park on the street next to the sidewalk opposite of the school, or across the street in Parkhill's parking lot (they start school at 8:30am). Please do not park on the street along the building. This blocks traffic flow. If you are utilizing our carpool lane at drop-off, please pull all the way through the circle drive to the end, don't stop at the front door and let your kids out. Only let kids out on the right (curb) side of the lane. The safety patrol (5th grade students), faculty and parent volunteers will be working the carpool lane every morning, and are there to provide traffic control as well as open doors and help the kids exit the car safely. Check out the Circle Drive: http://mediacast.risd.org/url/109904

• The first bell rings at 7:40am; kids who arrive at school before 7:40 will need to wait outside with a parent or go to the Cafetorium to wait for the 7:40 bell before they head to their classroom. Staff members are in the Cafetorium to supervise the kids and help them get to class. Kids need to be in the class and sitting in their seats by the 7:50am bell. If they arrive at school after the 7:50 bell has rung, they will be tardy and will need to get a tardy slip in the office. It is VERY IMPORTANT that kids get to school on-time.

• It’s recommended that you don’t eat lunch with your child for the first 2 weeks of the school year; non-kinder parent volunteers will be in the lunchroom to assist the kids with their lunches.

• Consider making your child's lunch for first few weeks (vs. buying).

• Put money in your child’s lunch account even if they don't buy their lunch because Kinder is allowed to purchase ice cream on Fridays only. You can start a PayPams (www.paypams.com) account or deposit money at school in the cafeteria for their lunch accounts. Each child will be given a lunch account # that will be used for all of their years at BFE.

• Pack a simple snack and water bottle every day; your child will get to eat a snack with water during morning recess (make sure your child can open their snack...ziploc snack bags work great.

• Bobcat Folders go home with your child every Wednesday and contain their class work, homework and school/PTA flyers. Sign your child's Bobcat Folder (on the back) and return the next day in your child's backpack.

• Each class will be assigned 2 room reps (parent volunteers) who will email you every Monday with classroom information; they will be a great source of information and can answer any questions you have.

• In your weekly class emails, look for sign-up opportunities for Thursday Helper (helping teachers with work in or out of the classroom); Bobcat Folder stuffers (parents stuff folders every Wednesday at 2:30); and Mystery Readers (parents read stories to the class on a designated day). This is a great way to get involved!

• Read the PTA e-newsletter: the Bobcat Bulletin, for school wide news...also very important! You will need to create an account thru the PTA website  www.brentfieldpta.org) in order to receive the Bobcat Bulletin.

• Wear tennis shoes on ALL PE days; please don't have your kids wear flip flops (tough to climb, run and play on the playground).

• The weather is still very hot in August, September and October. Please consider this when helping your child select clothes for school. Kindergarten will have a morning and afternoon recess, as well as PE on PE days.

• In the cooler months, please send a jacket to school with your child (labeled with their name) every day. If you are missing a jacket, please look in lost & found outside of the school office.

• School is dismissed at 3:00. Pick up can be a little stressful for the kids and parents. We recommend you get to the school around 2:45 to find a parking space. Parents are not allowed to park in the Faculty/Staff parking lot. You can park along the sidewalk and across the street at Parkhill Jr High (they are dismissed at 3:30). If you pull into the circle drive for pick-up, DO NOT park and leave your car. You must stay in your car in the circle drive.

• Please do not park in the white crosswalks in the circle drive or in the street at drop-off or pick-up.

• The teachers will not dismiss the kids until they see a parent or approved caregiver. You will need to walk up to your child's outdoor classroom door and wait for the teacher to open the door and escort the kids outside.

• Please do not try to conference with your child's teacher at pick-up. They will be focused on making sure all of the students are getting picked up. Please email your child's teacher and schedule a time to meet if you have any questions or concerns.

• If you are not able to pick up your child, please send a note to school, or call the school, or email your child's teacher no later than 1:30pm to let them know who will be picking up your child. They will need to show a picture ID to the teacher before your child is released.

• Please do not distribute birthday invitations or thank you notes in the classroom, unless every child in the class is invited. Electronic invitations are encouraged, because they can be sent directly to the parents, avoiding any hurt feelings. You will find email and physical addresses in the PTA online directory, for families who have approved for their information to be made public. Room Reps are not allowed to share class lists for privacy reasons.

• Each child will be able to celebrate their birthday with a simple birthday treat at the end of the day. The best birthday treats are easy to pass out and clean up. Treats like cookies, doughnuts, brownie bites are all easy to manage and they don't leave a huge mess to clean. Please coordinate with your child's teacher on what day works best.

• If your child is absent from school, a note is required within 3 days of the absence to be excused. If a note is not received in the office within 3 days, the absence will be unexcused. If a child is absent for 3 or more consecutive days, a doctor's note is required.

• We have a wonderfully active PTA, and offer a lot of opportunities for parents who work inside and outside of the home to get involved. Please join the PTA and sign up to volunteer at www.brentfieldpta.org.