In efforts to make the transition smoother we have visited your child's three potential First Grade classrooms and on the last day of school will have the chance to see the peers who will be in your child's homeroom for an activity. Such visitations help foster confidence and ease any anxiety that may surround such a change.
In Kindergarten we are fortunate to have paraprofessionals who are with your child throughout every step of the day including their first steps on to the school grounds at arrival. In First grade it is still true but the paraprofessionals are often within the school building or outdoors in the back near the playground. So those familiar adult faces will make their welcome in the first few weeks of the school year, but with time will be weaned.
Arrival
Parent Drop Off- after the round about please drop your child off at the first front entrance. From this point your child will go independently through the front doors to the back playground where they will have a brief morning recess time. If your child is participating in the Breakfast program s/he will go down stairs from the front office and eat until class begins.
Bus Drop Off- instead of going with Kindergarten in the garden area, your child will be walking past the gymnasium, up the stairs and out to the back playground. If your child is participating in the Breakfast program s/he will be able to first go into the cafeteria.
Pick Up- is the same as it was in Kindergarten. We recognize that at the end of the day it's very congested so please be patient as we are all doing our best to make improvements to expedite this process safely and efficiently.
Late Arrival- your child will need a note and/or phone call to excuse their tardiness (i.e. doctor's note, etc.), you will need your child to go to the front office where s/he will be greeted by the secretaries and walk to class on their own.
.
Early Pick Up- is the same as it was in Kindergarten. Please send your child with a note and/or notify the front office (413) 243-0336 and the secretaries will notify your child's teacher.
Lunch
Menus/Selections- in Kindergarten the children are given special slips of papers and/or menus to help select their lunch options such as grilled cheese, soup, sun-butter and jelly, or the daily hot lunch special... In first grade and onward your child will select his/her lunch independently at school. For example, when your child arrives in the morning s/he will need to "sign in" and part of that process is choosing which lunch type s/he would like to have later that day.
Student ID Numbers- also your child will need to "punch-in" her/his specific student identification number in order to buy lunch. This is the same number s/he will practice at the end of the Kindergarten year. This ID number will follow your child throughout her/his entire career here at Lee Public Schools. It is also used for checking out library books, records, and other information.
Growing Independence
In Kindergarten at LES we are so blessed to be able to have wonderful paraprofessionals working within each classroom; however, in First grade this is not the case. The ability to have notes, emails and voice-mails responded quickly must be given more time than when it was when your child was in Kindergarten as your child's First grade teacher is the one going to the buses, specials, lunch drop off, recess pick up, etc. Also self-help skill such as shoe tying, jacket buttoning, zipping various zippers, etc. are going to need to be more independent because of the nature of having one less adult in the room. Those few moments when a quick email are less frequent.
We thank you in advance for keeping this in mind with the transition to First grade!
As always please refer to the LES School Handbook for specific details as these are brief summaries.
In Kindergarten we are fortunate to have paraprofessionals who are with your child throughout every step of the day including their first steps on to the school grounds at arrival. In First grade it is still true but the paraprofessionals are often within the school building or outdoors in the back near the playground. So those familiar adult faces will make their welcome in the first few weeks of the school year, but with time will be weaned.
Arrival
Parent Drop Off- after the round about please drop your child off at the first front entrance. From this point your child will go independently through the front doors to the back playground where they will have a brief morning recess time. If your child is participating in the Breakfast program s/he will go down stairs from the front office and eat until class begins.
Bus Drop Off- instead of going with Kindergarten in the garden area, your child will be walking past the gymnasium, up the stairs and out to the back playground. If your child is participating in the Breakfast program s/he will be able to first go into the cafeteria.
Pick Up- is the same as it was in Kindergarten. We recognize that at the end of the day it's very congested so please be patient as we are all doing our best to make improvements to expedite this process safely and efficiently.
Late Arrival- your child will need a note and/or phone call to excuse their tardiness (i.e. doctor's note, etc.), you will need your child to go to the front office where s/he will be greeted by the secretaries and walk to class on their own.
.
Early Pick Up- is the same as it was in Kindergarten. Please send your child with a note and/or notify the front office (413) 243-0336 and the secretaries will notify your child's teacher.
Lunch
Menus/Selections- in Kindergarten the children are given special slips of papers and/or menus to help select their lunch options such as grilled cheese, soup, sun-butter and jelly, or the daily hot lunch special... In first grade and onward your child will select his/her lunch independently at school. For example, when your child arrives in the morning s/he will need to "sign in" and part of that process is choosing which lunch type s/he would like to have later that day.
Student ID Numbers- also your child will need to "punch-in" her/his specific student identification number in order to buy lunch. This is the same number s/he will practice at the end of the Kindergarten year. This ID number will follow your child throughout her/his entire career here at Lee Public Schools. It is also used for checking out library books, records, and other information.
Growing Independence
In Kindergarten at LES we are so blessed to be able to have wonderful paraprofessionals working within each classroom; however, in First grade this is not the case. The ability to have notes, emails and voice-mails responded quickly must be given more time than when it was when your child was in Kindergarten as your child's First grade teacher is the one going to the buses, specials, lunch drop off, recess pick up, etc. Also self-help skill such as shoe tying, jacket buttoning, zipping various zippers, etc. are going to need to be more independent because of the nature of having one less adult in the room. Those few moments when a quick email are less frequent.
We thank you in advance for keeping this in mind with the transition to First grade!
As always please refer to the LES School Handbook for specific details as these are brief summaries.