Question for parents of kindergarten students

[Anonymous]

Question for parents with kindergarten students coming up. What are your feelings on that first day of school for your child? What would you like for YOU on that first day that the school could provide in terms of a program? Information on the coming year? Information on de-stressing for the coming year? How to deal with separation anxiety? Love to hear some ideas, suggestions on what could be helpful, or not helpful, for all of us.

[Anonymous]

Back to school night happens around the second week of school. You'll learn all about what to expect for the school year. I recommend that you not miss it.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like OP is a teacher or administrator looking for input to improve on the fact that "back to school" night is two weeks after kids actually go back to school. Or TO school for the first time in the case of kindergarten. I think it's considerate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like OP is a teacher or administrator looking for input to improve on the fact that "back to school" night is two weeks after kids actually go back to school. Or TO school for the first time in the case of kindergarten. I think it's considerate.

You got it. Not looking at the stuff the teacher will cover at Back to School Night but more on the overall personal-social/parenting side of things, what will make it easier from that angle for the children, and parents, have a successful year.

[Anonymous]

My son is about to start at a small private school. He's been in day care for 5 years, so that means I'm going from 5 years of being able to chat briefly with teachers at pick-up/drop-off, see the inside of the school, see a bit of interaction with other kids to......absolutely nothing.

So the idea of almost no communication with the teacher is a little unnerving. We are having a meet and greet with the teacher the week before school starts, and these are some of my questions:

1) When will we hear about grades/progress/problems? How? e-mail, phone call, note home?

2) Do you want volunteer help from parents? If so, in what way?

3) Will we get some idea of what the kids are doing/learning? Or will that mostly be covered during quarterly conferences?

4) If my child misses days due to illness, what is the procedure for making up missed work, etc.?

5) How do field trips work? Parent chaparones? How much advanced notice?

6) What else can I do to make my son's kindergarten experience a good one?

What they've already covered and I was glad to find out:

1) Kindergarten can be an exhausting transition for many kids, even those who have been at full-day care. Try not to enroll them in other activities, at least for the first quarter, until they get acclimated to their new schedule.

2) There is no homework in this particular kindergarten.

3) Information about drop-off and pick-up and how to make it easier and run smoothly as all parents drop off in front of the school.

4) Information on how food allergies are handled, how epi-pens are kept in the class room.

5) This particular school prefers it if children do not take vacations during the school year.

6) Discipline issues are rare, but when they occur, the school uses 1, 2, 3 Magic as a way to calm and redirect behavior.


Mostly, though, I just want to find out their method of communication with parents, so that I know what to expect.

[Anonymous]

I want to know the logistical stuff as early as possible - what time the bus comes, when class starts, when they eat lunch, what they need to bring, what they can't bring, pickup details

My DC is super anxious about starting K. The orientation we went to in May (?) was helpful, but it's been too long and the warm fuzzy feelings he got from doing the art project wiht other kids are long gone. I"d LOVE to have a few open-houses, playdates or something in the weeks leading up to school - anything ot help make DC less anxious/uncertain about what was ahead. WE have a 'sneak peek', but it's the friday before school starts - and she's been worrying all summer

Finally, I want to know how many kids will be in the class, and if the two kids DC already knows is in her class or not. Probably not somethign that is even figured out early, but it'd really help to be able say "You're going to be with Jane"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back to school night happens around the second week of school. You'll learn all about what to expect for the school year. I recommend that you not miss it.

And for us, Back to school night for K is the week before school. THANK GOODNESS - if i had to send DC to school not having talked directly to her teachers, heard the schedule for the day, etc., I"d really be freaking out!

If other schools do the K night when the rest of the school's night is, that's definately somethign to consider changing

[Anonymous]

We have a parent orientation night next week. Then the day after the kids go in and meet their teacher. Then 2 weeks later we have back to school night.