Frequently Asked Questions
Drop Off and Pick-Up
Morning drop off is between 7:45 and 8:00am for students. It is important not to drop off earlier than that because we don't have staff on duty to ensure that students are safely on the playground. You should use the main office building for drop off and pick up. There will be two lanes of traffic. Please use the right lane to drop and go. If you need to talk to me please park and come in. I will be waiting at the curb for students at the beginning of the year. Later on I will be supervising on the playground. They will leave their backpacks in front of our classroom door (against the wall) and will walk over to the K-3 playground with supervision. We line up at 8:00am and start our morning exercises and you are of course always welcome to join us.
Students are dismissed at 3:30pm and may be picked up until 3:45pm. Please be prompt to pick up your child after school as they will be anxious to tell you about all of their exciting adventures. If you are late picking up (after 3:45pm) your child will be in the office. Pick up will be done from the right hand lane of the main lot. Again please plan to park and come in if you need to talk to me.
If your child needs to go home a different way occasionally please send an email or text to make me aware of this.
Daily Schedule
Kindergarteners will have P.E. and music for the 2016-2017 school year. More on the schedule will follow as the information becomes available.
Website/Newsletter
Please check my website weekly for updates. I try to have all information updated weekly by 3:30pm on Fridays and spend much time communicating there so check it regularly.
And if you have suggestions on how I can make the website more user friendly please don't hesitate to shoot me an email.
Volunteering/The Giving Tree/Donations
My experience has been that the more parent involvement we have, the more successful our learning adventure. I am big on parent involvement and you are welcome in my classroom at any time. There are lots of ways to help by volunteering (see the volunteer checklist in my classroom). Some parents are unable to spend time volunteering in the classroom due to life or work logistics. I understand this! Please do not despair. Grandparents, aunties and uncles are also welcome. There is also a giving tree located just inside the classroom door. On it you will find Owls with items listed that will help our learning year go more smoothly. Feel free to grab one of these and contribute in this way. Please know that I ask that you participate at the level you are able. If you have ideas on other ways you can contribute please contact me and let's discuss them.
Have a grandparent or other relative that lives far away and wants to support our classroom financially? They are welcome to make a donation to the DCS Foundation and earmark it for "Miss Lisa's Kindergarten" on the memo line (http://www.dcslvfoundation.org/). Please be sure to email me if this takes place so I am able to account for it and apply it to ongoing project learning in our classroom.
Projects
DCS is a project based learning school so this is a very big part of our learning model. The students will be assigned 3 independent learning projects; one per quarter. I suggest that you make these family learning projects if possible. Your job as a parent is to facilitate and assist but all project work itself should be that of your student. We also have plans to complete 4 whole class projects this year. These will come organically from student interests and learning that we engage in together in our classroom. Last year we turned our whole class into an an art museum and DCS students were able to learn about Pablo Picasso and show their art. We also performed and staged the 3 Piggy Opera. It made quite an impact and I am excited to see what we come up with this year. This year I am experimenting with the use of main lesson blocks and having children create their own text books using art and nature and fairy tale based stories. We will also be piloting a Big buddy/Little buddy project with Mr. Harms' 3-5 class one day a week. If projects are making you feel stressed don't fret. We will work together to become more educated on what a project is and how to execute them successfully. I will also be posting examples on my website within the first few weeks of school.
Also please remember that Fridays are not meant to be a day off of learning. We are promoting the concept that learning is happening all the time not just at school. Please incorporate learning activities that work for your family and your logistics. Fridays are great days for field trips, library visits, travelling, cooking, nature walking, visiting with grandparents, performing service or taking special lessons, etc. If you need ideas or suggestions on how to better utilize this day please talk to me. Friday are also a good day to facilitate project work.
Birthdays and Celebrations
I am a big believer in celebrating as many "kinderbrations" as possible. In fact, I will often make up things to celebrate because I believe we should sing and dance more not less. With this in mind, however, I do not allow any edible treats for birthday celebrations because many of my students have food allergies and this year I have a student who is seriously medically sensitive. I recommend birthday treat bags with items like stickers, tattoos, balls, small games, etc. Please be sure to provide a treat bag for every friend so no one gets left out. Or you are welcome to donate your child's favorite book to our classroom library. We do have many celebrations in our classroom. I will normally request healthy foods/snacks and try to stay away from junk food and sugary drinks that are not 100% juice. Typically any sort of holiday celebration will be potluck and will happen mid day.
Homework/Home Learning
Studies have shown that homework does not necessarily increase a student's academic performance. Additionally because so many students often have many after school activities homework time can often be a stressful time for parents. I don't typically assign formal homework. If you have concerns or questions about homework please don't hesitate to reach out to me.
Staying in the Know
Want to stay in the know and get reminders via text messages for our classroom? Follow these steps to join:
1. Download the Remind app - it's free on Google play or the apple app store
2. Enter the class code - @misslisask
or you can visit this link: www.remind.com/join/misslisask
or you can join via SMS - enter this number (702) 728-4210 with this message @misslisask
Parent Partnership
Thank you for sharing your child with me for part of their day. I am always in awe of how sparkly my students are and how much "knowingness" they come with. I can't do my job well without you. I view us as a learning team, individualized for your family and your student. What works for one doesn't work for another. I realize that I often ask much of you. If you have any concerns or questions please don't let them fester but reach out to me so we can make sure you feel confident about the direction we are moving in together. I look forward to a great school year and feel blessed to be part of your team.