Dear Parents,
We would like to welcome our new families to full day Kindergarten (FDK) and welcome back our returning families! My name is Nancy Harrison and my teaching partner is Diana Araujo. Together we will be your child’s educators. We look forward to getting to know your child as we learn and grow together!
School times
8:30 am – Free entry- drop your child off at the gate & he/she will be met by the ECE at the gate.
8:45 am – Morning bell
8:50 am - Instruction Starts
3:20 pm - Afternoon Dismissal
School Absence: If your child is going to be away you must call the safe arrival program at the school and leave a message at 905-257-7102. If you know in advance that your child will be absent for appointments or vacation, please send a note to school in your child’s mail folder.
End of the Day Dismissal: We must be notified in writing of any changes to a student’s dismissal arrangements. Dismissal arrangements should be kept as consistent as possible. This helps eliminate confusion and ensures your child’s safety.
Walkers: If you are picking up your child at the end of the day, please remain outside the kindergarten playground. If you are driving you MUST park your car in the parking lot. We will dismiss only to those people that have permission to pick up your child. Our dismissal gate is the main gate in the kindergarten parking lot. If it is raining or too hot/cold at dismissal, we will dismiss directly from the classroom. Please remain outside the side door.
Bus Students: If your child takes a bus, they will be put on the bus by teaching staff at the end of the day. Please do not send older siblings to the class to meet your child, they will meet on the bus.
YMCA Students: If your child attends the YMCA, they will be met by YMCA staff at dismissal.
Mail Bag: Each child will be given a zippered mail bag to use for the school year. It will be used for notes that go between home and school. Please send it to school each day, even if it is empty.
Class Blog:. In an effort to be as paperless as possible, most class information will be communicated through the class blog. We are an environmentally friendly school and are dedicated to being “Stewards of the Earth". Please bookmark the address and check it often:
http://harrison102.blogspot.ca/
http://harrison102.blogspot.ca/
Food for Lunches and Snack: We are a peanut/nut free school. All snacks and lunch items can not contain any peanuts or nuts. Even the slightest traces of peanuts/nuts are not allowed. We have numerous children who have life threatening allergies. There is a law in Ontario called Sabrina’s Law. An overview is below.
“ Act to Protect Anaphylactic Pupils: Sabrina's Law came into force on January 1, 2006, and is the first legislation of its kind anywhere in the world. This law ensures all school boards have policies or procedures in place to address anaphylaxis in schools, which includes providing instruction to staff and guidance on the administration of medication.” Ministry of Education.
Please refrain from sending in look-a-like products such as WOW BUTTER, Sun butter, Golden Pea Butter etc. These products are almost identical in colour, consistency, smell and taste to peanut butter. Schools cannot be expected to monitor for student safety when it is impossible to differentiate between these products and peanut butter. Thanks for your cooperation in this matter.
Every day your child must have one morning snack, one lunch and one afternoon snack. Please ensure that these lunches are litter-less and all items are in reusable containers or zip-lock bags. Although there is a water fountain in the room you are encouraged to send a reusable water bottle that your child can keep in their lunch bag. Please number your child’s food in the order that they are suppose to eat it. For example, morning snack would be labeled 1, lunch food labeled 2 and afternoon snack labeled 3. This will help your little one eat the proper food at the right time.
Parent Volunteers: We LOVE having parent volunteers in the class room and on field trips. There are a few things that have to be done in order for this to take place. You MUST have a police check which can be done at the local police station. It usually takes from 3-6 weeks. Once you receive the paper work, please bring it to the front office. Only then will you be allowed to volunteer in the classroom and go on field trips. We will begin requesting parent volunteers in October. This allows us time to establish strong routines.
Backpacks: Please provide your child with a large backpack. It must be large enough to carry a large picture book, mailbag and lunch bag. Your child should be able to open and close the backpack without assistance.
Extra Clothing: Please send in a full set of clothing (shirt, underwear, socks and pull on pants) in a zip-lock bag labeled with your child’s name. Accidents happen and we do not make a big deal about them. If your child has an accident we will send home the wet clothing and ask that you send in a replacement set of clothing for their cubby the next day.
Indoor Shoes Every child will need to bring a pair of indoor shoes to school. They must be rubber-soled and Velcro or slip on. NO LACES PLEASE. They are to be left in your child’s cubby.
Birthday Celebrations Birthdays are special. We ask that you do not send in any food treats to the class. Every child is given a birthday hat and gets to choose a prize from the birthday box. We do a beautiful birthday blessing and sing Happy Birthday as a class!
Toys: All personal toys are to be kept at home. It is devastating for a child to have a favourite toy lost or broken at school. Please help us avoid this situation.
Thank you for entrusting us with your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please call us at the school at 905-257-7102. We look forward to a wonderful year of faith development, intellectual growth and open communication.
God Bless,
Mrs. Nancy Harrison, OCT
Miss Diana Araujo, ECE
