Dear Incoming Kindergarten Parent:
We hope your summer is going well and that you are looking forward to your child’s kindergarten experience at Rooftop. We invite you to join us for our Kindergarten Parent Orientation (no children, please) on Wednesday, August 15 at 4:00-6:00 p.m. in the Burnett Multipurpose Room located on the second floor of the Campus. You will meet our school administrators, the Kindergarten teachers, and discuss how to prepare your family for the first day of school. If you cannot attend this very important meeting, please call the school. The secretary will be in the office starting August 9. The office will be open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (M-F) following that date.
If you have not submitted the required immunization forms to Rooftop, please make sure you come by and drop them off to the secretary at the Burnett Campus after August 9. As mandated by California Education Code, your child may not be allowed to begin school on August 20 if the immunizations and TB test data are not on file. If you are requesting a waiver of this requirement for medical reasons, your doctor must submit the appropriate waiver forms.
We are eager to get to know your child, and have a great year planned for kindergarten! Enclosed you will find:
1. Kindergarten Checklist
To help you make sure that you have filled out necessary paperwork etc. for the first day of school.
2. Kindergarten Forms
Please complete the following forms and bring them with you to the orientation. If you cannot attend the Orientation, please mail these forms to the school before the first day of school. The forms include:
- Kindergarten Survey- Getting this information early really helps us get to know your child
- Directory Permission – This gives us permission to use your name, address, email, and phone number in our school-wide Directory.
3. First Days Instructions
You will need these things for the first day of school, including:
- Name Tag – Your child will need to wear a name tag for a couple of weeks to make sure we know where he /she is to go after school. Your help in making sure the name tag is complete (bus information and name tags will be distributed at the Orientation) will be appreciated.
- What to Send To School Instructions
- Pick-Up Drop Off Instructions
School starts at 7:50 a.m. on Monday, August 20. Please arrive early, as parking is difficult. Check-in at the “Kindergarten Welcome Table” located in the kindergarten yard area. Walk your child to his/her room, say goodbye, and go to the Multipurpose Room (second floor of the building) for refreshments with the Principal and PTA.
We understand leaving your child on the first day of school may be difficult. However, to ensure a smooth transition, please do not linger. We are very experienced at calming nerves, tears, and fears. We will do our utmost to make your child feel very comfortable. You may be tempted to come and check on your child. Please resist this impulse since it is really best to make a clean break.
We have an orientation period during the first four weeks of school. During this time, we will evaluate all students and possibly change class assignments to create a successful learning environment for all kindergarten students. Throughout the years, we have found that this flexible orientation period has been very helpful. It allows us to make any adjustments feel seamless. We will provide you the name of your child’s initial teacher at the Orientation.
The Kindergarten Team works very closely together. We meet weekly, plan core curriculum, go on many of the same field trips, and team-teach for science. This means your child will be taught by each of us and we each get to know all of the children.
Our next meeting will be at Back to School Night, a parents only evening, sometime during the third week of school, (we will notify you of the specific night). At Back to School Night, we will discuss the curriculum, classroom happenings, and other important things. In the meantime, check your child’s backpack every day for school/home communications.
We appreciate and depend on parent participation and eagerly await your help. However, we request no volunteers in the class for the first few weeks so we can establish procedures. We will have volunteer sign-ups at Back to School Night. We look forward to our parent community as partners in providing a quality educational program for all students. Rooftop needs you! We will find a volunteer activity which accommodates your work schedule.
Here are a few dates to be aware of in August:
- The Kinder Playdate: Saturday August 18, 10 am – 12 pm on Rooftop play yard- Come take a look at your new school and classrooms. The Kindergarten teachers will be there to meet your kids.
- Welcome Coffee on 1st day of School: Monday, August 20, 7:50am-9am, Multi purpose Room, Burnett Campus
- Meet & Greet for new families: Thursday, August 30, 7:50am-9am, Burnett Library
We look forward to meeting you at the Orientation on August 15.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Cruz, Lissa Gould and Laurie Winship
Rooftop’s Kindergarten Teachers
