Pre-Kindergarten
Parent Packet
Nikki Parks
[email protected]
Save this for reference this year.
Dear Parents,
I am very excited to start this new school year with each of you. This will
be my 15th year of teaching in Wichita Catholic Schools. I started working
with preschool-aged children while in college. After graduating from WSU,
I taught 2 years at St. Joseph. I then taught at St. Mary’s in Derby in the
preschool, kindergarten and first grade classrooms for 7 years. That brings
me here to All Saints where I will be starting my 6th year.
I am a wife and proud mother of three young and busy boys. Being a mother
has made me a far better teacher than any formal education could have! I
have learned about the true love for a child and have come to an
understanding for their own special needs and desires.
I am looking forward to a wonderful year. You will be so proud of how
much your child will grow! I hope to guide them into this school journey
with a spirit for learning and a fondness for friendships.
Please be sure to talk with me about any concerns you may have for your
child. I will do the same. Email is a great way to contact me. I will be
sending newsletters out on Fridays. If you prefer paper, please let me know
and I can send notes to you, as well.
Also, be sure to check the orange folders for notes. Please make sure your
child has this with them every day. Be sure to clean this out daily. Most
papers that go home in the folder can stay home unless otherwise noted.
Here’s to a Great Year!
Curriculum
We have received a grant for a comprehensive (all subject areas) preschool curriculum
called, Literacy Express. The activities and lessons will build upon each other as the year
progresses. Your child will learn about rhyming, letters, numbers, counting, shapes,
syllables, compound words, etc. It is also an excellent tool for vocabulary and speaking
skills. I will explain what skills we will be working on in our class newsletters.
For our religion curriculum, we will be using the excellent Catholic program, Seeds. It is
geared towards the weekly Gospel readings at Sunday Mass.
We will be attending Mass on the first Friday of each month starting in October. If my
lights are off and it’s a Friday after 7:50, we have probably already left for Church. You
will need to meet us there.
Be sure to look over and save the list of prayers attached. We will start with the Morning
Offering and the Angel of God prayer.
I have attached the new diocesan-wide Preschool Curriculum Guide for you in this
packet. This will give you a good idea of the many skills we will be working on this
year.
Procedures
Our school day begins at 8:00. The front main school entrance will be unlocked at 7:50.
You can enter through this main entrance on the west side of the building under the
awning. Let your child take care of their own folder, backpack, jacket, etc. as they enter
the room. Dismissal for the morning class will be at 11:00. If we are on our playground,
please come inside the gate to pick up your child. If we are not on the playground,
please enter the front main entrance to pick up your child from our classroom.
Our full day group will be dismissed at 3:00. You can meet us inside our playground
gates located near our north door. For parking lot safety, please wait inside these gates
for your child. I will be talking to the kids about not running out to meet you, they must
wait for you to come in and get them.
At 3:05, I will be walking the remainder of children to our Extended Day Program which
is located north of our school building. You can follow the sidewalk outside of our gates
directly to the north towards a marked entrance for your child.
Classroom Discipline
I believe in a consistent routine in the classroom. Your child will know what is expected
here at school every day. If misbehavior does occur, I will first remind them that the
behavior is not appropriate and redirect them towards a better choice. If it continues,
they may take some “Thinking Time” away from others for a few minutes. We will
discuss what happened together and decide if we need any other consequences at that
time.
I also believe in self-responsibility. Your child will be asked to solve their own problems
in class or work as a team to find a solution. I may be there guide, but they will take
pride in taking care of themselves!
Birthdays
We love celebrating in Pre-K! Please feel free to send special treats for your child
whenever works for their birthday. If you can, try and avoid frosting cupcakes. The
messy factor is a bit much. Please and thanks!
Daily Schedule
7:50-8:15-
Table Time- activities to practice and review skills: puzzles,
patterning, coloring, etc.
8:15-8:30
Meeting Time-prayer, flag salute, calendar, alphabet, songs
8:30-9:15
Whole Group Learning
9:15-9:30
Music and Rhyme Time/Fine Motor Activities. Wednesdays are Music Class
with Miss Conry.
9:30-9:45
Story Time with Vocabulary
9:45-10:00
Snack Time and Load-Up
10:00-10:30
Center Time- skill review games, building centers, art,
numeracy, fine motor, stamping, play dough, computers, etc.
10:30-11:00
Outside Play- Recess
11:00
Morning Class Dismisses, All Day Class washes hands for lunch
11:10-11:40
Lunch
11:45-12:00
Wash hands, brush teeth
12:00-12:30
Choice Time
12:30-1:00
Recess
1:00-1:30
Show and Tell, Story Time
1:30-2:30
Rest Time
2:45-3:00
Prayer and Snack Time
3:00
Dismissal
Mark These Dates!
September 7th- No School, Labor Day
September 21-No School, Teacher Convention
October 22-Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
October 29- No School, Parent-Teacher Conferences
October 30- No School, Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 20- Day of Thanks Program in the classroom, 10:30 a.m.
November 23-27-No School, Thanksgiving Break
December 8- No School, Immaculate Conception
December 18- Gingerbread House Activity, Christmas Party
January 5-School Resumes
January 18-No School, MLK Day
February 9- Class Party, 2:30 p.m.
February 12-No School, In-service
February 15-No School, President’s Day
March 10- 1:30 Dismissal, Parent-Teacher Conferences
March 11-No School, Parent Teacher Conferences
March 14-18-No School, Spring Break
March 25 and March 28-No School, Good Friday and Easter Monday
April 7- Children’s Theatre Production, 11:30 Pizza Show
April 14- School in session, Kindergarten Round-up in the evening
April 22-No School, Kindergarten DIAL Screenings for 2016-17
May 20-Last Day. Graduation Celebration, 10:15 a.m.
Show and Tell
Show and tell is an excellent way to improve your child’s verbal language skills. It’s
also great for listening and detailed learning. It is especially good for children’s
confidence in their own unique self.
If your child goes all day, they will have show and tell once a week. It will always
be on their same day.
Please refer to the newsletter for the specific show and tell request for the week.
Mondays:
Tuesdays: Ellie, Joey, Beyonca
Wednesdays: Leo, Madeline, Olyve
Thursdays: CJ, Cameron
Fridays:
If we do not have school on your child’s day, please make
note that their day will be the following day of school.
If your child forgets on their day, they miss their turn and
can have show and tell the next week.
Weekly Chef
We will be cooking up
some wonderful recipes
in pre-k this year. Our
Weekly Chef will be
leading us through a
tasty recipe of their
choice. They will be leading our class through the steps of a simple recipe
in which we will be making, too. I will send home a recipe book with your
child the week before their turn. Feel free to add or create your own and
send a copy for me to help. If you are unable to do this project for any
reason, simply return the book for the next child’s turn.
NO FOOD CONTAINING NUTS PLEASE!!
It’s important to send enough ingredients for 10 children to participate in
making this recipe along with the chef! Don’t forget utensils, if needed!
Thanks!
September 11-CJ
September 25- Cameron
October 16- Madeline
November 13-Beyonca
December 11-Leo
January 15-Joey
February 5-Olyve
March 4-Ellie
April 8
May 6
Weekly Scientist
Your child will get a chance to perform an experiment for the class. An
experiment notebook will be sent home over the weekend before your
child’s turn. Please feel free to use one from the book or try another one
you may have found elsewhere. Simply make a copy for me if it isn’t in
the book. Then, send in all materials needed to demonstrate the
experiment along with the notebook.
The class will observe the scientist, so you only need to send in materials
needed for your child to demonstrate the experiment.
September 18-Leo
October 2-Joey
November 6-Olyve
December 4-Ellie
January 8-CJ
February 26-Cameron
April 1-Madeline
April 29-Beyonca
May 13
Please send a crib sheet, small blanket and a small cuddly toy for
rest time. Keep the blanket and toy small so they can fit in their
cubby. I have a few extra crib sheets if needed. Let me know. I
will wash the sheets weekly. I will send home blankets every
other week.
A tooth brush is
needed for your child. It needs to
have a thin handle so we can store
it in our holder and keep it clean.
Thanks!
Contact Information
Please stay tonight and fill this in or at the latest, return tomorrow. I
would like to be able to send our first newsletter this Friday through
email. Thank you!
Your name_____________________ Your child____________________
Your email__________________________________________________
Another parent or relative that would like to receive class emails?
Other (name, relation)____________________________________
Other email __________________________________________________
Your child needs to learn one current address and one current phone number this
year. Fill in one of each for us to practice this year, please.
PHONE NUMBER _____________________________________________
STREET ADDRESS_______________________________________________
________________________________________________
Your child also needs to be able to recite his/her parents first and last names.
Mom’s first and last name__________________________________________________
Dad’s first and last name___________________________________________________
Your child also needs to recite their whole name; first, middle and last.
Your child’s first name __________________________________________
Your child’s middle name________________________________________
Your child’s last name___________________________________________