Welcome Newsletter

Welcome again to kindergarten and Cabot School! I enjoyed meeting your children last week, and look forward to a stimulating school year together. Beginning a new school year is always exciting, especially for kindergartners and their parents, as it represents a milestone in your lives. I want to make the adjustment to kindergarten as comfortable as possible for you and your child. If you have any concerns about your child in school, please feel free to discuss them with me. Communication between home and school is very important. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read through this information.

The kindergarten day begins promptly at 8:35 and ends at 12:30 every day in September. Group A and B full day schedules begin on Monday, October 1, 2007. On all Tuesdays (and some specially designated early release Thursdays) dismissal time is 12:30 for all students K-5.

*****PLEASE send a written note to us if the after school arrangements for your child are different than usual. This way I will be sure that everyone is safely accounted for, and that no child gets upset because he/she thinks pick up plans may be different than usual.

Cabot School does have a traffic plan in place, because parking around the school grounds is severely limited. Please be sure to carefully read and adhere to any information you receive about Cabot’s drop off/pick up plan (alias THE BLUE ZONE) to ease the traffic flow around Cabot and make drop off/pick up SAFE for ALL children (and also to prevent yourself from getting an unwanted ticket!).

Your child’s first few weeks of school will be spent becoming familiar with our classroom rules/routines and getting acquainted with classmates, specialists, and teachers. Our schedule of specialists is as follows (same schedule every week.)

When the children come into the classroom they will go to a specified table for morning explorations. Each table will have some type of material with which the children will explore and play for the 15 minutes before school officially begins at 8:35. Your child will remain at the same table for five school days, but the materials to explore will change each day. In addition to a broad range of learning experiences, this time helps children settle in for the school day and allows them to get to know and interact with all classmates throughout the year. Explorations begins as soon as the children arrive at 8:20 and lasts until 8:35.

Though arrival time is 8:20 to 8:35, I would encourage you to arrive as close to 8:20 as possible so your child has time to explore the materials for a few minutes before morning meeting. If you arrive after 8:35, you must go to the office with your child first to get a tardy slip.

Morning meeting begins at 8:35. It is most helpful for all children if parents have said their goodbyes between 8:20 and 8:35, before morning meeting begins. Thanks for your help with this request.

Time for a light snack will be given every day. If your child is bringing lunch and snack,(for afterschool or 3:00 dismissal beginning in October), it will be easiest if you pack your child’s snack and lunch separately. Snack should be one item to eat and a drink. Please, no glass containers or CANDY.

It is important that your child get into the habit of bringing a backpack or tote bag to school EVERY DAY. All classroom and school information is communicated to you via your child. Loose notices, papers and cherished projects are less likely to arrive home safely than those stored in a backpack. A SPACIOUS bag will be helpful to your child when packing his/her belongings each day. Your child has been given a TAKE HOME FOLDER. When she/he brings the folder home, please remove and read the papers, and RETURN the folder to school the next day. Communications that need to be returned to school, such as signed permission slips, should be returned in the folder.

Your child will be visiting Ms. Gerson in the library on Wednesdays. Your child will be checking out one book from the library each week. When your child brings a book home on Wednesday, she/he may keep that book at home until the following Wednesday.

Each book must be returned before another may be signed out. (If by chance you forget to return the book on Wednesday, bring it back as soon as possible...your child will save a book at the library that can be checked out once the other is returned.)

**If you are interested in volunteering at the library, speak to Ms. Gerson. (our library time is from 10:20-10:50 every Wednesday) You can call Ms. Gerson at 617 559-9406 or , volunteer coordinator at 617 527-3670.

Please, please, please completely fill out (front and back) the emergency card you receive and return it ASAP. This information is crucial if an emergency arises or if I ever need to contact you during the school day. Thanks for your prompt attention. (Mrs. Driscoll, the school secretary and Mrs. Kerrigan, our nurse, thank you, too!!)

On the day your child celebrates his/her birthday at school, the class will color a special birthday banner commemorating the event. Your child will bring the decorated banner home at the end of the day. We will NOT be sharing any special snacks on birthdays,

If your child’s birthday falls on a weekend, over a vacation, or in the summer, please let us know which school day you would like to use to celebrate. Thanks for your help in implementing this plan.

Dr. Quarcoo and Mrs. Driscoll will also be acknowledging children's birthdays in the main office. Birthdays will be announced each morning and birthday certificates will be distributed.

All of you will soon receive the Cabot Student Conduct agreement. Respectful behavior is highly valued at Cabot School to ensure the best, safest learning environment for all students. Dr. Quarcoo has requested that all families sign and return the agreements to their classroom teachers as soon as possible.