24-27 de agosto

 ¡Hola Familias!

I was SO excited today to get into the classroom with your beautiful children! We had a fantastic day together. We spent most of the time practicing routines and expectations, but of course we had fun playing, listening to stories, singing songs, coloring, and making art together as well! Thank you again for your understanding and support as this week turned out to be quite different from what we all were expecting. While Maestra De Leon and Maestra Rodriguez did amazing jobs with the class when I was absent, there's nothing like being "back" in a routine again.

This week the kids also had a great time on two field trips, to Dunton Park and the Outdoor Discovery Center. They also had a BLAST on Thursday being blasted (well, misted) by water from a fire truck on a surprise visit! We are so blessed to be in community together!

Usually in my weekly blog, I'll give you a synopsis of what we've learned and practiced this week. Since the last few days were atypical, I only have a few reminders/notes for you below, as well as an Immersion Tip and Reading Tip of the week.

Snacks

Starting next week, your child will be allowed to choose ONE item for morning snack and ONE item for afternoon snack. Otherwise, we have kids who want to eat their entire lunch at 10:15am! If you are packing snack for your child, there is no need to send more than two items a day. Thanks for your understanding!

Take-Home Folders

Your child should have taken their folder home today. Please make sure you empty it out daily. We will have LOTS of papers every day in Spanish Immersion Kindergarten, and I try to write feedback when needed--so please make sure you're checking. 

Water Bottles

I will also send home water bottles every day to be washed. We do have a drinking fountain, but it is much easier (and hygienic) for each child to have a water bottle. 

Outdoor Learning

As we get into our routines next week (and hopefully it cools down at bit!), we will engage in some outdoor learning activities. Please have your child bring a towel that will stay in his/her locker. We will use them to sit on during outdoor activities.

Parent Helpers

I am thrilled that this year we will be able to accept parent helpers into our classroom! If you are interested in helping out in any capacity this year, please fill out this form. Thank you in advance!

Immersion Tip of the Week

Over the next few weeks, please don't worry if your child comes home saying that he/she learned nothing or didn't understand what was going on in school that day. This is VERY normal! Children this age often aren't able to process or verbalize what they are learning, but their little brains are busy making TONS of connections! Expect your child to be exhausted over the next few weeks, so make sure he/she is getting lots of rest! Above all, keep being a cheerleader for your child! It is a lot of work to learn a new language, but it is an incredible gift!

Reading Tip of the Week

When reading aloud to your child, "track" with your finger under the words as you read. This helps build print awareness and reinforces the concept that we read from right to left. This is an example of the "common underlying proficiency" (see #2 in link), a theory stating that skills learned in one language naturally transfer to the second.

Upcoming Dates

Friday, September 3rd and Monday, September 6th: No School (Labor Day Weekend)

Thanks for reading! Hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy some pictures from this week below...

Tomorrow is the Day!

¡Hola Familias!

What a whirlwind of a few days we have had! I would like to extend my genuine appreciation and gratitude for your understanding in the midst of so many changes. As you know from my previous email, unfortunately I will not be in the classroom until Friday this week. Maestra Perla De Leon (pdeleon@hollandchristian.org) will be with the kids on Tuesday, and Maestra Abi Rodriguez (arodriguez@hollandchristian.org) will be with them Wednesday and Thursday. If you need anything, please feel free to either reach out directly to them or to me. I am here to help!

Here are a few logistical items for this week and as we get into the school routine:

Transportation

I know I had parents fill out a Transportation form at the Ice Cream Social, but since tomorrow and Wednesdays will be half days, I want to make sure everyone is getting home the right way! :) Would you mind filling this form out for me quickly? Thank you in advance!

Also, in case you didn't know, there is a shuttle bus running to and from South Side Elementary for SI students. The morning shuttle will pick up at South Side at 7:55am and bring students to Rose Park. The newly added afternoon shuttle will pick up after school at Rose Park and return to South Side by about 3:30pm. Students will need to be picked up from South Side. For now it will be bus #1 and there will be a "RP Shuttle" sign in the window. There is a $75 fee per child to ride for the year. Email Rose Rodriguez at rrodriguez@hollandchristian.org to sign your child up.

Drop-Off & Pick-Up

Last year due to COVID restrictions, parents were not allowed in the school building. This year, parents are allowed to come inside for morning drop-off and/or to volunteer in the classrooms (yay!).

Children are allowed to enter the building at 7:55am. They will then go out to the playground, where a recess monitor will watch them until 8:10am. At 8:10am, the bell rings and they will go to their classrooms. Students are expected to arrive in their classrooms between 8:10-8:15am to begin their morning work, choose their lunch/milk option, and to pick up a free snack for the day. NOTE: We will NOT have a snack until 10:00am, so please make sure your child has a healthy breakfast at home before coming to school!

You are welcome to drop off your child at the front of the school building, or you may walk him/her inside to the classroom. I only ask that you make your goodbyes brief, since it can be hard for kindergarteners to get started with their day when Mom or Dad is hanging around. ;)

For pick-up, I will exit the side door (C I believe?) with the class at 3:15 or a few minutes earlier. You may either park and walk over to the sidewalk area, or make a line with the other cars. Please make sure I have seen you and your child says "Adiós" to me before running off with you! If you are waiting in the pickup line, keep your hazards on until your child is in the car with you. We will only load kids up to the white line (I believe there is a "loading zone" sign as well), so you might have to wait for the second or third round of cars.

Snacks/Lunch

We get another year of free lunches and snacks--hooray! (Personally, making lunches for my kids is one thing I am happy to do without--ha ha!)

Your child will be offered free snacks upon entering the school building each morning. As I mentioned above, your child should have breakfast in the morning before attending school. Our snack times are 10:00-10:15am and 2:00-2:15pm.

Upon entering the classroom in the morning, your child will choose school lunch or home lunch, as well as white or chocolate milk. We will eat lunches in the classroom this year to minimize the spread of germs. If your child has lots of food left over, I will usually try to send it home. Please make sure you check your child's backpack every day so there is no "extra-ripe" food in there! ;)

Supplies

Here is a list of what your child will need at school:

-pencil box (5 pencils, 3 glue sticks, crayons, scissors inside)

-take-home folder (will go and come each day)

-beach towel for outdoor learning (keep in locker)

-t-shirt for art (keep in locker)

-labeled pair of headphones

Masks

Thank you for your understanding and flexibility as we pivot continually with new mandates and expectations. I know that masks are not fun to wear, but kids are also resilient and will learn regardless. I will also do my best to allow for times of outdoor learning whenever possible to give the kids a mask break.

Field Trips this Week / Popsicles

The students will be taking two field trips this week--on Wednesday to Dunton Park and on Thursday to the Outdoor Discovery Center. Thank you to those who have volunteered to help! Also, if you signed up to bring popsicles in the afternoon, feel free to drop them off in the morning whenever you are able. We'll find a time to surprise the kids with them sometime during the week. :)

If there is anything else I have forgotten to mention, or you may still have questions about, please don't hesitate to reach out! While I will not be present for the first few days, I am always an email, text, or phone call away (339-222-8571). Please let me know if there is any other way I can support your child. I know we are going to get through the hiccups and confusion of the first few days, and we will have an amazing year together!