A

Absence- If your child is ill, please call the Safe Arrival number (425.822.7450) and inform us of your child’s absence and the reason for it. This is for your child’s safety.

Arrivals- School starts at 8:55. There is no supervision on the playground prior to 8:45. Please help your child have a positive start to the day by arriving on time. If your child arrives late, you will need to go to the office, get a tardy slip, and walk your child back to the classroom.

Attendance- A successful school experience is the responsibility of the child, the parent, and the school. Your child’s progress, both academic and social, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation.  Regular attendance without tardiness is a key. 

B

Backpacks- To help your child carry messages and information to and from school, you are asked to provide a backpack labeled with your child’s name. Please look in your child’s backpack everyday to be sure you are not missing out on important information. No wheels on backpacks, please.

Birthdays- Children are invited to bring a simple treat to share on their birthday. We request that treats be small and low in sugar content. Rice Krispie treats, fruit snacks and small cookies are good examples. Please, no cupcakes!!

Book Orders- Each month you will have an opportunity to order books for your child from Scholastic Books.  An order form will be sent home with a due date stamped on it. This is an inexpensive way to increase your child’s interest in reading and to grow your child’s library.

C

Clothing- Whenever possible, we will be going outside to play, so please have your child dress accordingly.  In order to foster independence, select coats, boots, and hats that your child can handle easily and independently.  Please label all of your child’s possessions.  We recommend that an extra change of clothes be kept in your child’s backpack for unexpected accidents.

Conferences- Parent/Teacher conferences are held in November and, if needed, in March. We will discuss your child’s accomplishments, strengths and overall progress. Please feel free to schedule additional conferences at any time throughout the year if the need arises.

D

Dismissal- There may be times when you will need to pick  your child up before the end of the school day (i.e. medical or dental appointments). Stop by the office first; they will have you sign your child out and will also call down to the classroom to have the teacher send your child to the office.

E

E-Mail- You can contact us via email any time during the day

Juli Hynden- jhynden@lwsd.org

Barb Butler- bbutler@lwsd.org

Kay Flowers- kflowers@lwsd.org

Emergency Cards- Your child will have an emergency card on file in the office; please keep all emergency information current.

Emergency Closing- If schools are closed for a snow day or any emergency, radio stations (KIRO 710, KOMO 1000 etc.) or the local TV stations will make an announcement, generally by 7:00 am.  The district website will also post late starts or cancelled school days: www.lwsd.org

F

Folder- Your child’s folder will come home each day in your child’s backpack. It may contain daily work or important school notices. Please look in your child’s folder EVERY day to be sure your are not missing out on important information!

G

Grades- The Lake Washington School District report cards are standards based. Your child will receive a 1-4 in academic areas and a 1-3 in the area of Life Skills. The first reporting period, ending in November, only assesses the area of Life Skills for kindergarten. No academic areas are graded until the second reporting period.

H

Health Concerns- Please let us know of any special circumstances which may affect your child. We need to be aware of any allergies your child may have-especially food allergies.

Homework- Students will bring home a homework sheet based on the letter of the week. Please give your child an opportunity to write, draw, or cut out pictures of words that begin with the letter. Beginning in October, there will also be a monthly homework calendar that will allow your child to practice at home what we are learning at school.

I

Illness- The question of when to keep your child home from school is often a difficult one, especially when decisions must be made first thing in the morning. If your child has vomited within 24 hours, or has any fever, we ask that you please keep them home.

J

Journey-Childhood is a journey, not a race. Enjoy your child’s journey!

K

Kindness- Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our class as well as others with kindness and respect. Bothering others, bullying , and interrupting learning will not be tolerated.

L

Label- Please make sure and label all coats, sweatshirts, vests, sweaters, backpacks, etc. with your child’s name. Believe it or not, your child will not always recognize their own clothes in the Lost and Found.

Life Skills- Your child will be assessed in the following areas on the November report card: following school rules and directions, effort, getting along with others, showing respect for others, completing and organizing work. 

Lunch- All Day Kindergarten classes will need to bring a sack lunch from home during the first two weeks of school. With all the new routines we will be working on the first few weeks of school, it will help matters greatly if we do not have to deal with the hot lunch issue right away. School lunch includes a drink and is $2.00. Drinks only are $.50. You may set up a lunch account at the beginning of the year by writing a check to AG Bell Elementary. This is preferred over bringing cash to school. You will receive a lunch menu each month.

M

Music- Our music teacher, Mr. Andrew Schmidt, will be teaching the children the basics of music and will be sharing many wonderful songs with our class. We attend music twice a week, but will be singing and enjoying music with the children on a daily basis in the classroom.

N

Name Tags- Please have your child wear his/her nametag through Friday, September 14^th. Thank you for your help with this. Music, Library, Computer, and PE teachers, who only see your child twice a week (and see every child in the entire school), all want to learn your child’s name as soon as possible.

O

Office Staff- Our office staff at AG Bell is Outstanding! They can be reached at 425.822.7450

P

Parties-We will have various parties throughout the year and will contact you to help with our celebrations.

P.E.- All Day Kindergarten classes will have P E. twice weekly with Mr. Haeck. The children are asked to wear sneakers on PE days.

PTA- We encourage you to join and participate in our wonderful PTA at AG Bell. This is a wonderful way to get to know what’s going on during the school year and how to get involved.

Q

Questions- Since some of you are new to Bell this year, we’re sure you may still have some unanswered questions. Please feel free to contact us at anytime. You can do this in a variety of ways: send a note in your child’s folder, call the school, or email us (email is usually your best bet).

R

Recess- The children will be going out for recess 3 times a day. Please keep this in mind when helping your child select clothing for the day. Jackets with hoods are an essential part of a kindergartener’s school wardrobe!!

Report Cards- Students will receive a report card three times a year. The report card will give you an understanding of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. As mentioned before, in kindergarten, the first grading period only assesses Life Skills.

S

School Supplies- We share all of our supplies in kindergarten. Please do not label any supplies brought into the classroom. We may run out of certain items and will ask you to help replace them during the year.

Snack- Snacks are also shared in kindergarten. Please consider bringing in 2 boxes of crackers for our class to share. We will ask you to bring in more snacks as we run low. Thank you for keeping our tummies full during the day! Ideas for snack: goldfish, wheat thins, pretzels, vanilla wafers.

T

Tardies- Students arriving to school after 8:55 are considered tardy. You will need to go to the office, get a tardy slip, and walk your child back to the classroom.

Technology- All Day Kindergarten visits the Computer Lab twice a week. We also use computers on a daily basis in our classrooms. Your child will be familiar with KidPix, Headsprout, the Activ Board, and other programs.

Toys- Have your child keep all toys, stuffed animals, and other play things at home as these things distract everyone’s attention.

Transportation- On occasion, you may need to make a change in the way your child goes home from school. On such days you must send a written note that tells us the specific changes in your child’s method of getting home. We will not allow your child to deviate from the normal routine without written permission from you. Also, please be aware that the school bus may be late the first week of school. Please be patient! 

U

Unique- Kindergartners learn that they are special and unique. Kindergartners have opportunities to describe how they are alike as well as different from one another. They share their culture and learn about different cultures within the class.

V

Visitors- Bell has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) are required to check in at the school office. This is for your child’s safety.

Volunteers- We appreciate help from parents. Your assistance may be used in the classroom working with children, helping to prepare materials and assisting in planning and organizing special functions. Every parent who wants to volunteer must fill out a Washington State Background Check form. This process takes two weeks to be processed, and an adult may not volunteer until the paperwork is returned. Please fill out the paperwork TODAY, even if you are not sure you will be volunteering.

W

Wednesday Dismissal times-

AM Kindergarten hours- 8:55-10:55

All Day Kindergarten hours- 8:55-2:00

Wish List- Throughout the year we sometimes need supplies above and beyond our classroom materials (such as baby food jars, note cards, etc.) We will let you know if and when we need additional items.

X

“X”static- So this is a little bit of a stretch, but “x” is a tricky letter. We certainly are ecstatic about teaching your child!!

 Y

You- You can help to make your child feel successful this year by doing some of the following: Reading to our child is the single most important thing you can do. Ask questions when your child comes home from school like, “What did you work hardest on at school today?”, or “What are you the most proud of?”, or, “What are you getting better at?” These questions cause children to reflect on their learning which in turn helps them remember new information.

Younger Siblings- It is in your child’s and the program’s best interest to have our parent volunteers available without younger children. This not only allows your full attention to be focused on the class, but also allows for some special time between you and your kindergartner. Thank you for making childcare arrangements for younger siblings.

Z

Zzz’s – Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child.  It will help your child be alert and ready to learn each day!

Zoo- We visit the Woodland Park Zoo in June!! We will give you the specifics and ask for chaperones, as the date approaches.