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Transitional Kindergarten Questions:
What are the transitional kindergarten hours?
Monday - Friday 8:00-12:15
TK students are not to be on campus until supervision begins at 7:45. At that time, students can hang up their backpacks and come into the classroom for free exploration time. At 8:00, the second bell rings. If your child enters the classroom after this time, they are considered tardy, and it will be marked on the daily attendance. If your child arrives at school after 8:05, they will need to go to the office to receive an admittance slip. Attendance and lunch count in the classroom have already been completed and sent to the office.
What should my child bring to school each day?
Please bring a full sized, non-rolling backpack, the yellow folder supplied by Mrs. Hobson, a small snack labeled with your child's name, a lunch labeled with your child's name or let your child know to order a lunch from me, closed-toed shoes, a labeled jacket if it is chilly, and a reusable water bottle labeled with your child's name.
What should my child do when he/she gets to school each day?
Please help your child remember to come directly to the classroom. They can unpack their lunch box under their backpack, put their folder in the folder tub, and place their snack in our snack tub. Students should not be lingering in the hallways. There is no supervision and it is a safety concern.
How do I pick my child up after school?
ALL TK and KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS will be picked up from their classroom door by a designated adult or family member. Please understand this is for the safety of our smallest Falcons. We know it will take a few extra minutes at the beginning of the year as we get to know each family, so please be patient, but it will quickly become a quick and easy procedure. ** If your child goes to our Extended Day Program, they will be escorted to the program during dismissal. It is just around the corner from our classroom.
How will I receive communication from the teacher?
Each day your child will bring home a yellow folder. Please remove all papers from it nightly and return it the next morning emptied of all work. I send out emails each week regarding any upcoming events and I also keep our class website current.
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A few years ago, I started an Instagram account so I could quickly share photos of the cool stuff we are doing for our families and friends. Just click "follow" and enjoy the pictures! Last year's families loved it!
Here's the room 21 handle: fantasticfuertekinder
How do I contact the teacher?
My email address is hobsonh@cajonvalley.net
You can also call the office: 588-3134
Mornings in kindergarten can be very busy. If you have a concern about your child, it would be best to set up an appointment for us to talk. Then, I can give you my full attention. Mondays are our staff development days in the afternoon from 1:30-3:30, but I can happily meet with you any other morning or afternoon if we’ve planned ahead.
Can I send a snack with my child?
Yes. We have a snack time during our morning recess. Those reusable snack bags work great as your child can easily identify their own bag, especially if they are clearly labeled with their name. Please consider a healthy option like cut and peeled fruit or veggies, yogurt tubes, pretzels, granola bars, nuts, or half of a sandwich. Remember, we want them to have time to go and play. This is a snack, not a meal.
Can I send a water bottle with my child?
Yes. We've found the best option to be the metal, insulated bottles. They last all year, can be labeled, and don't sweat onto the kids' papers. However, if you choose to use plastic bottles or single-use bottles, I ask that you do not chill it before sending it in and do not add ice cubes. The condensation creates wet spots on the desks that frustrate students when their papers become wet. It must have a secure top. Please, no Gatorade, juice, milk, soda, etc. Water only in the classroom!
How does lunch work?
I would recommend sending a sack lunch for the first week or two…it takes a long time to get through the lines the first weeks with the little guys. Also, be aware of packing food in hard to open packaging. Consider cutting the fruits and veggies into small pieces and using bento boxes to reduce waste for your family. Perhaps practice eating a typical lunch you would pack to see what your child can open independently. For example, Capri Sun pouches are very tricky for 4-5 year olds. There are a lot of kids and not many supervisors to help, so the kids end up waiting if they need help opening packages.
How can I help or get involved even if I work during the school day?
Our PTA at Fuerte is amazing! They support our students in incredible ways. All assemblies, field trips, and events like Jog-A-Thon and Field Day, are fully funded by the PTA. Which means we do not have to ask you for extra money throughout the year. They also sponsor other activities like Round Up, Trick or Treat Night, and an incredible adults-only silent auction in the spring. There are many non-school day volunteering opportunities during these events. We always need help setting up, taking down, running a booth, chairing a committee, or just helping out. Click for the Fuerte PTA website.
Do students still go to the library?
Yes! We go to the library every other week. The students are allowed to choose one book to check out. I have the students keep in the classroom until we go to the library again. When they are in first grade, they will be able to take the books home.
Scholastic Book Orders
I send home book order forms each month. This is such a great opportunity to get books that meet your child’s ability and interest level in your home for a reasonable price. And, every time a family orders, the classroom receives points that I use to buy new books for us to use in the classroom. This program made a huge impact in the classroom last year.
Label, label, label!!
Make sure you put your child’s name on their lunch box, snack, sweater, water bottle, and backpack. Many items look alike and when backpacks and lunchboxes are new, kids are not yet familiar with which one belongs to them. This is especially important if you buy a Fuerte hoodie…there are always 57 of them in the lost and found that look identical with no names in them.
Birthdays
We love to celebrate birthdays. You are welcome to send in a small treat or trinket. We eat our birthday treats at snack time around 9:30. Please send the same treat to everyone. It can seem fun to give them flavor options, but when one choice runs out, there can be many disappointed kids still waiting. So, if your child loves chocolate donut holes, send a chocolate donut hole for every child instead of sending in a variety pack. Also, kindergartners do not each much and throw a lot of food away. Mini-cupcakes and mini-donuts are better than regular-sized ones. Kids also love things like pencils and stickers. The birthday goodie does not need to be food.
Dresses
If you have a child that loves wearing dresses to school, please note that we spend a lot of time sitting on the carpet singing, listening to stories, playing games, doing puzzles, swinging, riding trikes, etc. I would recommend that your child wears shorts under their dress each day. Also, we participate in recess and pe activities daily. Dress shoes and sandals (especially with open toes) can be unsafe.
College and Career Wear Wednesday
Each Wednesday, we encourage children to wear shirts from a college of their choice or that represents a future career. Most of the staff do this as well! It is never too early to get those kids thinking about college and careers!
Falcon Friday
On Fridays, we encourage unity by wearing our Falcon tshirts and hoodies. Kids can also wear blue and yellow. PTA sells the shirts all year. Order forms are on the Fuerte website