St. John the

Baptist

Kindergarten

Handbook

2015-2016

Miss Tara Nelson

Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Vicki Marotz

Principal

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MISSION STATEMENT

St. John the Baptist School provides an education that is centered in

Jesus Christ and on the Gospel values through the intercession of St.

John the Baptist. Our school is dedicated to knowing our faith, teaching

our faith, and living our faith, while creating an environment that

maximizes learning in all academic areas. Our students are provided

with the necessary education to become faith-filled, independent, critical

thinkers who are prepared to be active, responsible members of the

Catholic Church and society.

PHILOSOPHY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST SCHOOL

We accept Jesus Christ…

We challenge ourselves and others to live the Gospel.

We see the person of Christ in each and every individual…

We promote respect, acceptance of all, and the total development of

human potential.

We challenge all to be ready to live like Christ…

We foster spiritual, moral, psychological, mental and physical

growth, strength and security.

ACCREDITATION

St. John the Baptist School was accredited by WRISA on November 17,

2011.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST SCHOOL PRAYER

Dear St. John the Baptist, thank you for being the patron of our school.

Please ask God our Father to bless St. John the Baptist School, with

many, many students and an abundance of financial resources to help

our school grow. Help me, my family and all of us to grow in holiness

every day. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

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Dear Parent/Guardian,

Welcome to St. John's Kindergarten! Your child’s first formal school

participation is an essential step in the whole ladder of educational

experience. For this reason, it is imperative that we make this year a

happy and successful journey for your child. In order to accomplish this,

we must all work together to instill in your child a love for school and

learning. We will provide your child with challenges that stimulate

growth and enable him/her to develop the ability to succeed in life. We

will create a learning environment that will encourage curiosity and

provide meaningful, hands-on experiences.

Our goals are to help your child to:

* learn to truly love and respect himself/herself. * understand God's love for all of us. * promote a positive feeling about his/her personal abilities and

worth in society. * understand his/her rights and responsibilities as a member of

society. * develop appropriate gross and fine motor skills. * learn basic concepts and skills related to the fine arts, social

studies, sciences, mathematics, language arts and physical education.

* appropriately make and carry out choices and to solve problems for himself/herself.

This is a handbook that should be kept for easy reference throughout the

year. Thank you for choosing St. John's. We are looking forward to

making this a wonderful school year!

Sincerely,

Miss Tara Nelson Mrs. Donna Hansford

Kindergarten teacher Kindergarten Aide

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GOAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN

PROGRAM

Our goal is to provide each child with a variety of opportunities to build a

strong foundation and develop a love for learning. We will provide a

place where each child feels respected, has freedom to pursue individual

interests, and to express ideas, feelings, and his/her imagination.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

A child must be five years of age on or before September 1st of the year of

entrance to kindergarten. Immunization, medical, and dental forms

must be received prior to October 1st of the year of entrance into

school.

WE ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO HELP CHILDREN ENTERING

KINDERGARTEN TO MASTER THE FOLLOWING SKILLS:

1. First and last name, parents names

2. Address

3. Phone number

4. How to print first name (first letter capital, all other letters small)

using WILSON style (see sample)

5. How to tie shoes

6. How to button or zip a coat

7. How to make the Sign of the Cross using correct hand/motions

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Please see Appendix A

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ATTENDANCE

Habits of regular attendance and promptness are formed at the

kindergarten level. If your child is absent, we do require a verbal excuse

via a phone call to our school office (434-3822 ext. 224).

TIMES AND WHERE TO ARRIVE AND DEPART:

All K-4 Students: 8:05 to 2:55 (lunch/recess from 10:50 – 11:40)

All kindergarten children being bussed to St. John's will observe the

following:

� The students will exit their bus on Glendale Avenue and proceed to the playground to enter through door number 4. During the first week of school, we will use student ambassadors to help the children become oriented to this system.

� At afternoon dismissal, the students being bussed will exit out the link doors facing Glendale.

� All bussed children will ride the bus home unless a note is received from a parent/guardian indicating otherwise. Thank you for your cooperation with this.

* Parents who are providing transportation will drop-off and pick-up their

child by entering from Cardinal Lane, driving through the parking lot

using the correct lanes, dropping off their child the near the door number

2 entrance, continue through the church parking lot, and exiting on

Glendale Avenue. Please do not park and bring your child to the

playground as this makes the transition into school for your

kindergartener more difficult. These students will follow the same

guidelines as bused students for entering school. Upon dismissal these

students will exit the school out door #2.

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HEALTH

All children entering Kindergarten are required to have a physical and

dental examination. Forms for these exams are given to parents by the

school and become part of the child's cumulative health record. Vision

and hearing screenings are conducted in the fall of the year. State law

requires that all children entering elementary school for the first time be

immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, mumps,

measles, rubella and Hepatitis B.

Children entering kindergarten must also have received the Varicella

(chickenpox) vaccine or provide history of having had the chickenpox.

There is an immunization Check Point Law for kindergarten children.

The law states that in order for your child to enter school, the

immunization card must be completed, signed, and on file prior to

admission at the school your child will attend. State law requires that

the names of students not complying with the immunization mandate be

submitted to the Department of Health by the 30th school day. These

requirements can be waived only if a properly signed health or religious

exemption is filed with the school. All communicable diseases should be

reported to the Health Department and school. You will be told when

your child can return to school.

HOMEWORK

Homework is a valuable element of our kindergarten curriculum.

Kindergartners will be expected to complete homework on a daily basis.

These simple activities allow students to apply the lessons from class, as

well as give parents a chance to see what their child is learning in

kindergarten. Homework assignments should take no more than 5-10

minutes per night. Please make sure your child has a designated space

to work on their homework. Students will need access to a pencil,

crayons, scissors and glue to complete their assignments.

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COMMUNICATION ENVELOPES

As joint partners in the home-school adventure, we like to keep you

informed about all the activities going on at school. This is accomplished

through the Communication Envelope. Each week, this envelope will

come home with your child. Please read the information and return in

the envelope anything that is to be sent back; you may keep all other

contents not requested back to school. On the outside of the envelope,

there is a date stamped.

After removing all items, please sign your name next to the date and

return the envelope the next day.

KINDERGARTEN COMMUNICATION

Please be sure to check your child's school folder every day. Please

return it each day with your child. This helps them learn good

organizational habits that will help them their entire lives. Our

classroom website will help to keep you informed about what is

happening in the kindergarten room. I will be updating our website

every Friday. www.sjbhschool.org

FIELD TRIPS

Information about field trips will be included in the newsletter.

Permission slips must be signed and returned to school in order for your

child to participate in the field trip experience. Verbal permission is not

a legal option.

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PROGRESS REPORTS

A progress report will be given all three trimesters. The final progress

report will be sent home after the school year ends. Mandatory

conferences will be held during the first trimester and optional

conferences will be held during the third trimester.

ENCORE CLASSES

On a weekly basis your child will have:

• Art twice per week

• Computers once per week

• Physical education twice per week

• Music twice per week

• Spanish once per week

• Guidance once per week

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KINDERGARTEN SNACKS

Good nutrition is stressed throughout the school year. Each child is

asked to bring one box of any variety of crackers each trimester. Three

days a week the children have crackers with their milk; two days a week

the snack is provided by a host or hostess child. You will be provided

with a schedule detailing your days to send a nutritious snack. One of

your snack days will be around your child's birthday. Children with

summer birthdays will also have a chance to celebrate their birthdays!

NO NUTS PLEASE! Our classroom is NUT FREE! Please check labels

to make sure there are not any peanuts, tree nuts, or coconuts,

including nut oils.

Here are a few snack ideas:

Fresh Fruits: apple wedges, orange slices, fresh or canned pineapple,

dried fruit, applesauce, bananas, fruit kabobs.

Vegetables: vegetable strips, veggies with dip, celery with cream cheese or

cheese spread.

Dairy Foods: yogurt, cheese and crackers, Gogurt.

Breads: quick breads (no nuts!), muffins, granola, cereal mixes.

We ask that you send spoons and cups or whatever else may be

necessary for serving.

If a snack sharing day is forgotten, you will be asked to send in a box of

crackers to help replenish our supply.

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PARENT INVOLVEMENT AT SCHOOL

We strongly encourage parents to be involved in their child’s school

experience. There are many ways in which you can do this. For

example, each class will have a room parent, parent library helper,

fieldtrip chaperones, cutting items for projects, or having lunch with your

child. If you would like to help out, please let the teacher know what

works with your schedule. We also require that all volunteers working

with children take the Virtus training through the Diocese as well as

complete a background check. This takes a while to complete, so please

get your paperwork in ahead of time. You can find the information about

training workshops on the Green Bay Diocese website,

http://www.gbdioc.org, click on the Protecting God’s Children icon.

Once it is completed, you will not be asked to do this again next year.

Thanks for understanding that your children’s safety is important to us.

Also, notice when you are visiting the school you are required to sign in

at the front office. You will be issued a visitor’s badge in the office. This

is for safety reasons, as well as for emergency situations, so we are aware

of who is in the building at all times.

WEEKLY MASS

We will attend mass each week starting in September. We have each

student assigned to a buddy in fourth grade that will sit with him/her in

church. This older “buddy” will be helping your child, along with the

teachers, to learn proper church participation. We also welcome parents

& grandparents to attend liturgies with us. You are welcome to sit with

our class during mass.

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SHOW AND TELL

Kindergarten "Show And Tell" is a great way for your child to gain

confidence sharing in front of a group, speaking clearly, and answering

questions from their peers. Here are a few guidelines for "Show And Tell"

in our room.

1. Each child will have Show and Tell on a designated day.

2. Children should have a big part in deciding what to bring, however it

must fit into the show and share bag.

3. Encourage discussions with children concerning what they can "tell"

about their choice. Some rehearsal at home might be a good idea.

4. Try to encourage your child to bring informational, educational, and

worthwhile objects.

5. We ask that your child not bring a toy that would manifest a violent

society or anything fragile.

THANK YOU!

We thank you for taking the time to go through this handbook and

become better acquainted with the procedural aspects of our program.

Please do keep it handy for easy reference and always remember: if you

have any questions or concerns, we are only a note, email, or phone call

away. Do not hesitate to contact us. The entire staff at St. John’s is

looking forward to working with your family during this wonderfully

exciting time in your child's life.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR CHILD HAVE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE

IN SCHOOL

1. Encourage reading. Read aloud to your children every day when they

are small and read together when they are older. Surround them with

stories, poems, riddles, and plays. It is a great inspiration to a child to

live in a home where books are held in high esteem.

2. Talk to your child. Discuss what you see, hear, smell, think,

remember and feel. Talking about everyday things is the single most

important way you can help your child's language development.

3. Writing with your child is another means of encouraging growth.

a. Write stories as your child dictates them and bind them into simple books.

b. Let your child participate in writing letters and thank you notes. c. Allow your child to help write shopping lists or fill out orders for

merchandise. d. Write notes to communicate tasks.

4. Exposure to many varied life experiences provides a child with an ideal

foundation upon which to build his/her education. Numerous learning

experiences are possible in any setting.

5. You can help your child achieve by helping him/her learn to solve

problems and be responsible. Help your child to develop self-discipline

by having him/her make personal decisions and be responsible for the

outcome.

6. Show a genuine interest in all your child's school experiences.

Children need to know that their parents are genuinely interested in

what they say and do. Your positive attitude toward your child's

kindergarten experience is essential! Join the SAC, be active in school

affairs, confer with your child's teacher regularly, look at the papers

brought home, and interact with your child on any work to be completed

at home.

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APPENDIX A

Kindergarten Students with Last Names beginning with A-N

The following items can be ordered through SchoolKidz:

Additional Items needed, which are not included in the kit:

□ 1 box of crackers to share

□ Gym shoes to be left at school

□ Beach towel for rest time

□ Reusable shopping bag to store towel

□ Headphones for iPads (personal use)

□ Sturdy backpack

Please choose 2-3 of the following items:

*paper toweling *Cray-Pas

*wooden clothes pins *cotton balls

*sticky back gemstones *sticky back

googly eyes *white paper lunch bags

*baby wipes *dot art *Mr. Sketch

Markers *sticky back Velcro dots

*magnetic tape

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Kindergarten Students with Last Names beginning with O-Z

The following items can be ordered through SchoolKidz:

Additional Items needed, which are not included in the kit:

□ 1 box of crackers to share

□ Gym shoes to be left at school

□ Beach towel for rest time

□ Reusable shopping bag to store towel

□ Headphones for iPads (personal use)

□ Sturdy backpack

Please choose 2-3 of the following items:

*paper toweling *Cray-Pas

*wooden clothes pins *cotton balls

*sticky back gemstones *sticky back

googly eyes *white paper lunch bags

*baby wipes *dot art *Mr. Sketch

Markers *sticky back Velcro dots

*magnetic tape