Author: HERNANDEZ, ROBYN

Classical School

Welcome to Kindergarten

September 2025

The Basics

Special points of interest:
August 28-Meet and Greet (3-5:30)
Sept. 2 First Day
Sept. 14 (Sun) Fall Fest and Book Fair
September 16– Back to School Night 5:30-6:30
September 25: SMILE! Picture Day

About Classical School
I love Classical School. Of course I am a teacher here, but I am also a founding board member and both of my children attended Classical. I know that you have already made a choice for a Classical Education and I am so excited to share this journey with you and your child. I know there are many different reasons why families choose Classical, but if you haven’t read through the family handbook and the website (classicalcharter.com) please take some time to become familiar with what our school offers. It may be different than what you are used to in education, but I think we could all agree that our school report card with the district/state is wonderful. Together we can continue to strive for the best education possible for all students. AASD is made stronger by giving families educational choice!
About the Teacher I know that many of you have read my biography on the school website, so I do not want to be redundant here. If you have not read my biography and would like to know more about me, please access the website to do so at your convenience. I am really exciting (okay, not really, but I do have a sense of humor). One very recent thing about me is that I hiked the entire Camino Frances, including Finesterra and Muxia last summer! It was awesome!
Classicalcharter.com

Electronic Communication

Electronic Communication
I will be using the e-mails listed in Infinite Campus. Please make sure this information is up to date. If your e-mail is not current you will not get needed information. Most communication will come out on an app called Talking Points. This is new for Kindergarten, but works the same as our old app (seesaw). It will allow you to get correspondence from me quickly on your phone. You will need to download the app. I am also just learning to use this app, so we will be learning together. I will be able to post messages, videos and photos. If there is someone in your family that is not receiving the information needed, it is a problem with what has been entered into infinite campus. The office can help you with this, if needed. I can’t change things for you on my end.

Show and Share
We do not have a formal show and share time other than during a child’s star week. The children may bring something in to share only if it relates to the curriculum being taught during a particular month. I will try to get to every show and share item, but it may not be on the exact day it is brought in.

Daily Folders
Each child should have a yellow folder for daily papers. This is sent home on Meet and Greet night (or the first day of school if Meet and Greet was missed). This is a way that we can get things to and from school with as little trouble as possible. All homework, lunch money, notes, and papers are to be transported back and forth in this folder. Each day I will help the children stuff their folders and get it into their backpacks. This is to be looked at by a parent each evening and returned the following day. We will try to get the papers in the correct location, but please look at any papers carefully and decide what stays home and what gets returned. Any notes to teachers or to the office will be forwarded. Occasionally, work from one child gets into a folder of a different child. Please send it back the following day and we will get it to the rightful owner. We do the best we can, but sometimes papers get mixed up during study time. Many students also choose to do “art” during social skills time and this will also adorn some folders. Please try not to use the daily folder as a “file cabinet” of sorts. Only needed papers should be sent back and forth from school to home and home to school. This folder is also considered the Pegasus Flyer (although we are phasing out that name here at Classical). Do not pay attention to the “Stay at school” or “Stay at home” sides of the folders.

What is considered homework?

Any math or reading paper that does not already have some indication that it was corrected needs to be completed and returned. In kindergarten, children are required to correct a paper until it is at an acceptable level of mastery. Usually daily reminders are sent home if there is any missing work for individual children. Homework may also include an additional paper from a class other than math or reading. We do have a study time in the afternoons when the children are able to ask questions and many times they are able to complete much of their homework.
No homework is collected during study time.
All homework is sent home to be reviewed at home with a parent. All homework is expected to be returned the following school day. Please ask if you have any questions regarding this procedure. Please inform me if your child has a lot of homework (more than 15 minutes) on a continuous basis. We could possibly make some adjustments with homework time at school or with class placement. The fifteen minutes is of actual work, not arguing. I have ideas for that, too. Oral reading from the reading book is required every evening and is not included in the 15 minutes. My reading group (Horizons A) does not get a book until lesson 21. Please review the letters on the homework paper until that time. I do a lot of correspondence on daily homework papers. Please do not take this to mean that your child isn’t doing well. It is just the easiest way to communicate how papers need to be completed. Please save all homework for at least a week just in case I have a question about completion (an error in recording). Some parents save all the worksheets until the end of the year and I think that is fantastic! Also, do not feel defeated if you get a reminder that something wasn’t turned in. This is more of a communication than correction.

Water Bottles
I do not allow water bottles in the room (snack time excluded), but students are given plenty of opportunities to get drinks from either the bubbler (I prefer only water bottles, but this is a family decision) or a personal water bottle kept in the hallway. Remember I said that I like the students to wash hands a lot? Well, a drink is always allowed at bathroom time. Please make sure that water bottles do not leak and have a self closing cap. This will help keep the floor and backpacks dry. Please wash and fill the water bottle every day.

Spanish:
We have Spanish on Mondays, Wednesdays and every other Friday with the Spanish teacher. Her name is Profe Rothbauer. She sends an update every month on what is covered in class. It would be very beneficial to work on these vocabulary words at home, as well.
We also work on Spanish daily in the classroom.
Student Teacher– Miss Schreiber is going to be with us the whole semester! I am so excited that she will be joining us for such a long time. She comes to us from UWGB and she is looking forward to being a part of our class and learning about how Classical teaches reading and uses the Core Knowledge curriculum. She hopes to be a kindergarten teacher in the future.

Discipline Plan

Classical School uses the positive discipline method called Instructional Response to Behavior. We previously used a different approach, so this is a change to those families that are returning to Classical. Our new approach has been proven to assist with positive relationships between teachers, students and families. Classroom and school rules are specifically designed to encourage positive behavior from all students. When expectations are not met, teachers provide class and individual reteaching using brief, respectful feedback. Hopefully, this approach will stay at the first level and be kept between teacher and student. For minor behaviors, if a consequence is necessary, a short time out will be implemented and/or a phone call/note home may occur.. If behaviors become elevated and/or the behavior is major, an office referral will occur and the Classical School Dean will become involved. At teacher discretion, positive rewards will be used such as prize bucket or teacher-chosen individual rewards.

Volunteering
I can always use some help in the classroom. I want everyone to always feel welcome…even if you just want to snoop and see how your child is doing for yourself. At any time that you enter the building, you will need to sign into the office and get a visitor’s badge. I will not have a lot of offerings this first semester because of my student teacher, but I can always use helpers from 12:10-1:15 to help with oral reading. Let me know when you would like to come in.

Reading and Math groups
On the front of this newsletter you should find a your child’s reading and math class listed. Horizons refers to the reading and Saxon refers to the math. I teach Saxon K and Horizons A and Mrs. Baptist teaches Saxon 1 and Horizons A/B. The first few weeks we will be informally reevaluating each child to see if he/she is in the appropriate place. The testing that was conducted in the summer is usually very accurate. Please watch for special notes from your child’s reading and math teacher throughout the year regarding these specific groups.

Handwriting

Attached you will find a sample of the letter writing that we use here at Classical. When helping your child at home, please use the following as a sample of how to form the letters. Please remember that most letters are formed with the least amount of “picking up the pencil” as possible. Handwriting is considered a class in kindergarten and individual grades are given on the report card. I focus more on formation than neatness during the beginning of the year. Please pay very close attention to this. Proper formation of the letters helps with identifying them, specially b, d, and p. It might seem silly that we are huge sticklers on letter formation, but it decreases letter reversals in most students.
For students in Horizons A: The letter “d” is taught many, many months before the letter “b.” This is on purpose. We teach that the “d” starts like an “a.” We say, “d starts like an “a” up, up and down.” We do it this way because students rarely write an “a” backwards. Consistency at the beginning leads to less confusion in the end…like our school motto (finis origine penet… the end depends on the beginning).
We have a “saying” for each letter. When forming a letter, ask your student what we say.

Snack policy
We have a snack time each day (morning or afternoon). Milk is not offered during snack time, but a water bottle may be brought into the room for snack time if it is non-spilling (see water bottle section). K used to do group snack, but we are now changing to each child brings his/her own snack every day. Please make it a snack that is not messy and that your child can handle alone. Please make it as healthful as possible and needs to be eaten within 10 minutes. I have noticed that some parents pack 5 snacks in a baggie at the beginning of the week…No forgetting with this method. If a child forgets a snack, I do offer multigrain cheerios. Please do not pack a snack in a lunch bag. Have a special pocket in the backback for them to know where to get their snack.
Birthdays
Birthdays are always very important in kindergarten. We celebrate full birthdays for students who have a birthday during the regular school year and half birthdays for those who have summer birthdays. I know that it is convenient to send birthday invitations through the school, but that is not allowed by school (not district) policy. Also, no special snacks are allowed on birthdays. We will sing and make your child feel special on a birthday. Please review the school policy on this item if you have more questions or concerns. Here is to a great year.

Lunch

The children will learn the routine in just a few days. The first week or so of school I make sure that the children start eating the main course and then I stay in the lnchroom until everyone is adjusted. The children are not to share food or throw away food from lunch boxes. Children may purchase hot lunch for $2.70 per day. Parents need to send money in an envelope labeled with the child’s name or you may pay electronically. It is easiest to purchase several meals at once rather than day by day. The lunchroom help will send a reminder when your child needs more money. Hot lunch includes milk. If your child brings a lunch from home, milk may be purchased for 35 cents. I find that it is best to tape the money to the inside of the lunch box if there is not a special pocket. The first week I help the students purchase the milk, but after that they should know the procedure. Please do not allow your child to just keep the money in his/her pocket. It will be lost. Money needs to be brought daily for lunch milk if it is to be purchased. The lunch room does allow charges for milk, but the process can be time consuming. **As will be mentioned under the snack section, we have more than one child with severe food allergies in class. Kindergarten students are given a choice of four tables to sit at during lunch time. We will have one "peanut free” table for students that do not have peanuts/peanut butter in their lunch. I will talk to the students about this procedure here at school, but please also have the discussion at home about why this is important.

The children will learn the routine in just a few days. The first week or so of school I make sure that the children start eating the main course and then I stay in the lunchroom until everyone is adjusted. The children are not to share food or throw away food from lunch boxes. Children may purchase hot lunch for about $3.10 per day. Parents need to pay electronically through infinite campus. It is easiest to purchase several meals at once rather than day by day. You are also able to send a check or cash to school for payment. Hot lunch includes milk. If your child brings a lunch from home, milk may be purchased for 60 cents. I find that it is best to tape the money to the inside of the lunch box if there is not a special pocket. The first week I help the students purchase the milk, but after that they should know the procedure. Please do not allow your child to just keep the money in his/her pocket. It will be lost. Money can be brought daily for lunch milk if it is to be purchased. The lunch room does allow charges for milk, but the process can be time consuming. I will talk to the students about this procedure here at school, but please also have the discussion at home about why this is important. Breakfast is an option, too. Students may come into school about 7:35 and the price is FREE.

This newsletter contains very important information. By signing and returning this page I can be assured that you read and understood the information provided. This is not something that can just be skimmed. Thank you for taking the time to read this information. Please contact me with any questions.

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*I have read the information about homework.
I have read the information about healthy snacks.
I have read about no birthday treats/invites.
I have read about how to use the daily folders.
I have read about handwriting and I know that there is a specific way to make each letter. Paper is attached to the newsletter that you will receive at school.
I read about star of the week (and I signed up, hopefully).
I read about the discipline plan.
Parent signature _________________ Date_______
You are awesome! Thanks for playing along:)