Parent Handbook

Wichita Collegiate School

2017-2018

Traditional Pre-Kindergarten
Four and Five Year Olds
Full Day
Miss Maisy Ritter, teacher
Miss Kasey Criser, assistant teacher
Arrival and Dismissal
Classes begin at 8:15 A.M. Classroom doors will be open at
approximately 8:10 A.M. A closed classroom door means that I am in
a conference, preparing for our day, or out of the room. If our
classroom door is closed, students should wait quietly in the hallway
with a parent or guardian until 8:10 A.M. Kids Club is available free of
charge beginning at 7:15 A.M. in the Early Childhood lunchroom
(Room 7). Please check with Junilda Farner in the office for
availability.
Departure time is 3:15 P.M. I will dismiss the students when we have
finished our activities for the day. If your child has not been picked
up by 3:25 P.M., they will be taken to after school kids club. On days
where I have an after school meeting, I will need to leave the
classroom as close to 3:15 as possible.
Absences
If your child will not be at school for the day, it would be helpful to
call the school or let me know in advance (if possible). Our Assistant
Director of Early Childhood, Junilda Farner, can be reached at 771-
2247.
Backpacks
Please send backpacks with a LARGE opening each day. Make sure
it is big enough for any art projects we may be sending home.
Please include a change of clothes (including socks)! Remember to
label backpacks with your childs name.
Birthdays
Birthdays give children an opportunity to be special and important.
Our food service company SAGE will provide a birthday treat for
each child and their classmates. Parents will not need to provide any
other food items. You are welcome to bring your childs favorite
book to be shared with the class or special napkins or cups.
Class Parties
If you would like to volunteer to help with our class parties, please
contact me. Parents may plan party games, crafts, or a story to
read. Snacks for parties will be provided by SAGE, our school food
service company. NO outside food or drinks will be allowed. Thank
you for helping us maintain a nut-free environment!
Clothing
We love to do messy things in our classroom and outside, too! Please
send your child to school in play clothes that your child does not
have to worry about keeping overly clean. I will take precautions
such as using paint smocks and aprons, but children often use the
body in learning and somehow turn up messy anyway! We have a
rock/sand playground and PE, so the best footwear choice is sports
or tennis shoesand at this age, Velcro is preferred. Please be sure
your child has a change of clothes that include: a shirt, pants,
underwear and socks that can be kept in his/her locker or
backpack. Childrens clothing items with TV, movie, or cartoon
characters are discouraged.
Communication
1. Classroom blog (mritterwcs.blogspot.com)- Our classroom blog
will have class photos and a weekly newsletter detailing
specific activities and curriculum focus. To receive blog posts
directly in your e-mail inbox, you can subscribe to the
classroom blog by entering your e-mail at the top right of the
webpage. You will then need to go into your e-mail inbox and
confirm your subscription.
2. Daily Folder- Each child will have a blue daily folder that allows
communication between the school and the parents. Children
will use their daily folders to bring home art projects, work, or
paperwork from the office. You may also use the daily folder to
send notes to the teacher.
3. Email- I will send out e-mail reminders prior to special events or
changes in our daily schedule.
4. Remind- Remind is a wonderful parent/teacher
communication tool. This allows me to remind you of important
events- sent straight to your cellphone as a text message. To
subscribe to our classroom remind updates, text our class code
(fgb9h3) to the number 81010.
Conferences
There will be two yearly conferences, one at the end of October
and one in February. Optional parent/teacher conferences are
available upon request in May. I am always willing to conference
with you any time you have a concern. Please feel free to set up
a conference time by sending me an e-mail.
Conference times for the 2017-2018 school year are as follows:
1. October 30th or 31st: Goal setting and progress reports
2. February 1st or 2nd: Evaluations and grade placement decisions
3. May 29th: Optional parent/teacher conferences. If you elect
not to meet, your childs final progress report will be mailed to
you.
Contact Information
Miss Ritter- mritter@wcsks.com
Miss Criser- kcriser@wcsks.com
The best way to contact me during the school day is through e-
mail (mritter@wcsks.com) or by calling Junilda Farner in the Early
Childhood office at 771-2247. You may also call the classroom
phone at 634-0489 ext. 517. I will return your call during a time
when the students are out of the classroom. To reach me on
evenings or weekends, please send me an e-mail. I have my
school e-mail forwarded to my cellphone, so I am generally able
to respond in a timely manner.
Curriculum
The curriculum will provide a range of relevant experiences for
your childs intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth.
Learning experiences will be organized around themes related to
special events in the childrens lives and their interests in the
natural and physical world around them. The concepts,
knowledge and skills associated with the academic areas will be
interrelated with the themes and taught in ways that meet the
interests and learning needs of each child. Children will have
opportunities to work in groups and individually in all areas.
Emphasis will be placed on:
Facilitating language development
Cultivating the childrens natural curiosity about their world
Promoting mathematical concept development
Developing social skills
Encouraging independence
Fostering creativity
The Traditional Prekindergarten classes at Wichita Collegiate
School utilize Everyday Math, Handwriting without Tears, and
Neihaus Phonemic Awareness.
Emergency Card
I keep an emergency card for each child by the phone. Please
be sure the information on this card is correct. If you have a new
phone number, a different babysitter or have moved please be
sure the information is given to me and the Early Childhood office.
Fieldtrips
Advance notice will be sent home regarding field trips. You will
always need to sign and return a permission slip in order for your
child to go on a field trip. Parent volunteers are always needed as
chaperones to provide transportation as necessary.
Illness
As a general rule, students with a fever, nausea, or diarrhea will
not be able to attend class until the symptoms without medication
have subsided for 24 hours. If your child becomes ill at school with
any of these symptoms you will be notified immediately. Please
be prompt in picking up your little one. Please report all
communicable illnesses to the school office so we may quickly
inform all children who have been exposed. With everyones help
we can keep the spread of illnesses to a minimum.
Injuries at School
We will try to let you know about bumps, bruises and falls that
occur at school, which may require a little extra TLC. Our basic
first aid routine includes simply cleaning the area with soap and
water if necessary and applying a bandage. We are required by
the health department to fill out an accident report form anytime
your child bumps their head.
Library, Music, and P.E.
Once a week your child will have the opportunity to visit our library
for story time. Two times a week, your child will attend music class
in the annex and P.E. class in the south gym. Athletic shoes with
Velcro closures are required for P.E. (It is a good idea to keep an
extra pair of these shoes in your childs locker.)
The schedule for enhancements is as follows:
P.E & Music: Tuesday and Thursday
Library: Monday
Lunch
The cost of lunch is included in tuition for pre-kindergarten
students. We believe that children function best and achieve
good physical growth with a well-balanced healthy diet. Menus
are planned in accordance with the guidelines set by the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment and will include proteins,
fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy.
Parent Volunteers
You are always welcome to share in our classroom experiences
and our learning explorations. Check with me if you would like to
help in the classroom or with special events such as Pioneer Day
or Read and Romp.
Recess
Students will play outside everyday weather permitting. Please be
sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. It is a
good idea to keep a zippered front jacket in your childs locker.
Be sure it is labeled with your childs name.
Snacks
Healthy snacks are served mid-morning daily according to KDHE
guidelines. Our school food service company, SAGE, prepares
snacks. This helps us care for children with food allergies and
dietary restrictions. We serve water at snack time daily to keep our
children well hydrated.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment requires that
each snack includes two of the following:
A. milk, milk product or food made with milk;
B. fruit, vegetable, or full-strength fruit or vegetable juice;
C. meat, or a meat alternate; or
D. bread, bread product or cereal.