Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
- What should I do if my kindergartner is upset when I leave him/her?
- Should I walk my kindergartner to class?
- When may students arrive at school?
- Why do the students go to the D-wing from 6:45 to 7:05?
What should I do if my kindergartner is upset when I leave him/her?
It is best to let me know that you need assistance and leave as quickly as
possible. Staying longer only prolongs your child's anxiety. Once the
parent leaves, the child is usually no longer upset within minutes or
seconds. Some parents have stayed in the hall and peaked in our door again.
When the student saw the parent peaking in, the entire episode of being
upset started all over again.
Should I walk my kindergartner to class?
We encourage parents to walk their kindergartners to class during phase-in
and for the first few days of school to orient the students on how to reach
our room. I invite the parents into the room during phase in and during our
open house. I ask parents to say goodbye in the hallway by our door
starting the first full day. The students need to come into the room on
their own and hang up their own backpack. Each morning, they unpack 4
things: their spiral agenda book, their folder, their snack, and their lunch
box(if they have one). The students have learned where to place each of
these items as they arrive. Please do not do this for them. Our goal is to
have parents drop the kindergartners off in the car line as soon as they are
ready.
Readiness will vary depending on the student and the circumstances.
Some students with older brothers and sisters are ready to be dropped off
the first full day. Others may need to be walked to the door a few days and
then start saying goodbye at the end of our hallway. After a few days of
saying goodbye at the end of the hallway, they will probably be ready for
car "drop off". Show your child where they will sit with others in the D-
wing if they arrive before 7:05 a.m.
When may students arrive at school?
The doors open at 6:45 a.m. Any kindergarten and 1st grade children
arriving betweeen 6:45 and 7:05 need to sit with K-1st students in the D-
Wing hallway(across from the cafeteria). A teacher is stationed there for
bus duty from 6:45 to 7:05. That teacher comes in earlier that other
teachers for his/her bus duty. The children are supervised and monitored by
that teacher the entire 20 minutes. I will have 13 days of bus duty this
year with the K-1 students. Each day, a kindergarten teacher will pick up
the students at 7:05 and walk them to the room. If your child arrives at
7:05 or after, they may walk straight to the room.
Why do the students go to the D-wing from 6:45 to 7:05?
The teacher work hours for our school are 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.(even though
all teachers work long beyond these hours before or after school). Students
may not go to their classrooms before 7 a.m. because there may not be a
teacher there. The classroom door will be locked, and students should not
be in the hallway unsupervised. The teacher who has bus duty came in 20
minutes before his/her required arrival time to supervise children. I
usually arrive just a few minutes before the required time of 7 a.m. and
prefer to stay late in the afternoon to prepare for the following day. At 7
a.m., I sign in at the office and check my mailbox. I am always in my room
by 7:05 when the students arrive.