Absence Please report absences by 8:00 A.M. to the School office (408-264-2345). This is for your child’s safety. Never send another person to pick up your child without informing the teacher, preferably with a handwritten note, if possible.
Attendance A successful school experience is the responsibility of the child, the parent and the school. Your child's progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation. Regular attendance without tardiness is a key.
Arrival Children should arrive between 8:30 – 8:45 AM. Students should not arrive prior to 8:30 AM, unless they have been signed up for Student Life.Drive to the gate in front of room D-2 and the supervising teacher will help your child out of the car so there is no need for parents to get out.
Back to School Night Back to School night is an important informational time as well as a “get-to-know you” time. Please plan on attending as we will be going over classroom procedures, expectations, and school calendar.
Birthdays Birthdays are very special to us so we want them to be as meaningful as they can possibly be in our classroom. We will celebrate your child’s birthday on his/her special day. If the birthday falls on a weekend or holiday we will pick a date as close to the actual birthday that is convenient. We will celebrate summer birthdays in May. When it is time to celebrate your child’s special day, we invite you to send a treat for the class. It would be best to bring a treat that can be easily served on a napkin: examples would be cookies, strawberries, doughnuts, prepackaged fruit snacks or brownies.
Book Orders Approximately every other month, you will have the opportunity to purchase excellent books at great prices through educational book clubs. If you wish to order some of these books, please fill out the order forms when they come home and send them in with a check made out to the book club. You will receive the books within two weeks. More information will come home with the book order forms.
Conferences There are three scheduled conference days during the school year, in October, January and June. If you wish to have a conference with us at any other time, please send a note and we will set up a convenient time to meet.
Dismissal Half day dismissal is at 1:00 – 1:15 pm. Pre-K children should always be picked up in the lane closest to the building (left lane). PLEASE BE SURE TO HAVE THE SIGN WITH YOUR FAMILY NAME/CARPOOL NAMES VISIBLE WHEN IN THE PICK UP LINE. A teacher will open the door and help your child into the car. If you are running late for your normal, your child will be waiting for you in the office.Full day pick up is at 3:45 – 4:00.After school Student Life is available until 6:00 pm.
Extra Clothes Children sometimes find it hard to break away from play to use the bathroom. When they finally decide to go to the bathroom, they can’t always get there in time. We also have art and juice accidents occasionally. Please send a complete extra set of clothing for such emergencies. Please put these items in a large Ziploc bag or shoebox and label with your child’s name.
Fire Drills Fire drills are held on a monthly basis throughout the year. All students will participate and are expected to walk quickly and quietly to their designated exit. We will practice and become familiar with procedures before our first scheduled drill.
Grandparent's Day Achiever sponsors a lovely day for Grandparents to come and visit our campus. Please see the yearly calendar for exact date.
Hands on Learning In Jr. K we believe that the best way to help children learn is to make learning fun. Important concepts can be learned by doing meaningful hands-on activities. Our classroom will be an active learning environment.
Health Please let us know of special circumstances which may affect your child. These could include medication that may make him sleepy, a death in the family, etc. Also, please let us know of any allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. We sometimes cook or do food activities to complement lessons and it would be helpful to know when we plan our recipes.
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. It is important, however, to keep your child home if he/she is ill. This helps to make them more comfortable and prevents others from becoming ill. Children function more effectively in the classroom when they are healthy.
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 permitted.
Lunch We will eat lunch in our classroom each day. Children will need to bring a packed lunch from home. We ask that the children eat half of their sandwich or most of their main course first, fruit next, followed by their salty and sweet treats.
Math The Jr. K mathematics curriculum provides students with mathematical experiences that help them develop number sense and a positive attitude towards mathematics that will continue through their school career and their lives. We employ a hands-on, problem solving approach, and follow each lesson with a coloring page to reinforce what we are learning.
Newsletter Every month I will be sending home a newsletter and calendar explaining the events occurring in the classroom This will keep you informed about what is happening in our class.
Parent Involvement Your support of school activities makes your child feel important and sends the message that you value school! We are always happy to have your help for special activities in the classroom. I have sign-up sheets for parent helpers and for party day helpers.There is also a sign-up sheet for Cooking, Bible Verse Parties, and Cutting.Please let me know if you can help.
Parties & Celebrations There are two main parties each year---Christmas and End-of-the-Year as well as our Spring Sing performance. All are welcome to participate in the festivities! We have other celebrations such as, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day and Easter that are for the children only.
Rest Buddies The full-day children have a nap time each day. If your child would like to bring a "rest buddy" (stuffed animal) to snuggle with, please keep in mind its size. Preferably, it would be small enough to pack away with your child's rest mat.
Report Cards A report cards is issued three times a year. These reports reflect the progress your child has made toward various pre-kindergarten objectives.Parents will sign and send it back to school until the June reporting and then can keep it for reference.
Restrooms The children have access to the bathrooms in the classrooms. They are allowed to go whenever needed and encouraged to go throughout the day. Please make your child's teacher aware of any medical problem that might require more frequent restroom trips. Jr. K children should be trained to independently be able to use all the facilities.
Student of the Week Each child will get a chance to be "Student of the Week." During this special week your child will bring in photos of family and share his/her favorite things. A poster will be sent home before your child’s turn to prepare and return.
Science The focus of the Jr. K. science curriculum is on developing an awareness of the world in which we live. Through scientific inquiry, concepts will be presented in the life and earth sciences, including the study of animals and plants, the five senses. general health and the four seasons. These areas will be explored utilizing a literacy based, hands-on approach.Please check the Science page for a more detailed description.
Sing Along/Music Every day the children will gather for a time of singing. We will sing traditional songs such as "If You're Happy and You Know It" and learn new fun favorites such as "Rags."We will also sing religious and Bible songs.Props, movements, dance and hand signing will be a big part of our Music time.
Social Studies The pre-kindergarten social studies curriculum focuses on the students and how they relate to others in their families, classroom, school, and community. Holiday celebrations will also be highlighted. Activities will help the children engage their natural curiosity for the world around them.
Toys Bringing toys to school is discouraged because they distract the children from learning. If a toy is accidentally lost or broken, feelings will be hurt. Students may share toys when they are Student of the Week and any theme related toys although they will not be able to “play” with them during the day.
Vacations If you are planning a vacation that takes place during regular school sessions. Please let me know so that I can prepare curriculum materials to send home with you.
Visitors At Achiever, ALL GUESTS are required to check in at the school office and wear their parent badge at all times. It is important to remember that while this may seem inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is the goal and responsibility of the school to create a safe learning environment.