PS Mabel's Labels

THIS IS FROM THE SCHOOL WEBSITE...

Just in time for next school year we will be restarting our Mabel's Labels fundraiser. Mabel's Labels are durable labels that stay on even when put in the dishwasher, washer and dryer. 

Please order from this special website dedicated to our school fundraising efforts, www.cce.mabelslabels.com   Thank you!

And as a teacher, I have seen these labels last the entire year without fail, including the inside of gym shoes (which is a REAL accomplishment).  They really are GREAT labels!  Thanks again!

WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN!

IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!!! (Or for some, FIRST TIME TO SCHOOL!) It is hard to believe that our summer holidays are over and that school is ready to begin. I hope everyone had a restful and happy summer. I also hope that everyone is excited about the start of our new school year. For those of you who had children in my class last year but are still receiving my blog updates... HELLO!!! I'm sure everyone is THRILLED about starting Grade One (and having their OWN desk) but please do tell your child that I missed them! They truly were an amazing bunch and they set the bar high in the fun department (I'm sure our new Kindergarteners are up for the challenge!). As for these blog updates, I'm quite sure there is a way to 'unsubscribe' and then 'subscribe' to Miss Da Cruz's blog-I just don't know how...haha! For all our new Kindergarten families who are reading this, WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME! I hope for it to be a happy and educational year together and I look forward to getting to know everyone better in the next few weeks.

As for the next few weeks, you should have received a note in the mail, explaining a few things. If not, the office may have the wrong address so we should double check that with them. But as mentioned in the note and at our orientation meeting, our first day of school is unlike the other grades as it is more like an Open House. You should come into the classroom with your child (anytime between 8:50am until 11:00am for approximately 30 minutes) and there will be a list of things to do so that you all can become a little more familiar with the classroom. This does help to ease the children into the idea of coming to school and last year, every child was able to walk into the classroom without any support the following morning. I ask for parents and families to say good-bye to their child in the Kindergarten line-up (which will be marked on the cement outside the primary doors). Mrs. Lewis and myself will always help all the students if they need it with their jackets, backpacks or any other items and we do not start our day until every child is seated on our carpet together. If you do need to come into the school, please note that you do need to have a visitor's tag from the office. That being said, I do LOVE for families to come and visit or help in the classroom throughout the day. There is a sign-up sheet by our Kindergarten door if you are interested...please just note your name and what time you plan on coming so I can have things ready for you if you wish to help. If you want to just come and watch, pop on by anytime (although I will probably try to make you do something for me...hahaha!) Oh yes-students should be in full uniform the first day as well as for the rest of the year. (If you are waiting for something from the uniform company that has not yet arrived, please send your child in something as close to the uniform as possible).  Please send their red sweaters to school each day also-they do not need to wear them if they are hot but we need to have them for Assemblies, Masses and other occasions so it is a good routine to always have it with them (or in their backpack).

As for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, please note that students should be in the line-up at 8:50am and then we will dismiss at noon. Students are ONLY dismissed if there is a person who is there to directly pick them up. This is our routine for the entire year so please tell anyone who you may ask to pick up your child to come directly to me to identify themselves and who they are picking up. Please help me as the beginning of the year is always a little crazy and some parents will come to pick up their child and I will simply look blankly at them. You may need to tell me which child is yours to jog my memory but I promise I will try my best to get to know your faces quickly. Even parents who have known me for years, I tend to have 'Back to School Brain' the first few weeks so it is slow...very slow! Again, please be patient with me :o)

I have asked for a few items to be brought to school by Friday, September 6th although it would be great to have them in sooner than later. Students should bring their gym shoes the first day to put in their shoe cubby. I also asked if students could bring in a family photo, a favourite stuffie that can be left at school and a blanket or a towel to lie on the floor during quiet time. It is also REALLY HELPFUL to have a ziploc bag with a pair of socks, underwear and red shorts in case of any accidents that often happen in Kindergarten. Sometimes the line-up to the bathroom is too long or someone slips in the mud at recess - having emergency clothes at school really helps us deal with the situation easily in the classroom (and helps avoid any embarassment).  And we would love it if every child had a water bottle that stays at school in our classroom.  Again, please remember to label all items (including those extra socks, underwear and shorts...they tend to get mixed up over the year otherwise).  Thank you!!!

I think that is it for now (although I'm sure there are a million other things...so much happening the first few weeks of school). I hope to use this blog throughout the year as a means to communicate, especially to send out messages and reminders as they come up. Some weeks I am better at updating the blog than others so please be patient with me and if you do ever have any questions, please email me at anytime. I do check my school address lsaharchuk@ccsunited.ca but I am more likely to see your message sooner if you use lvanderk@hotmail.com . Thanks again and wishing everyone a most wonderful year at C.C.S! We are so blessed to have such an amazing school! God bless!