Kindergarten Preparedness

The more you can work with your child to prepare him/her for the Classical School kindergarten academic program, the easier the transition will be.

Please take time to work with your child so he/she will be able to perform the following tasks at the start of school if possible:

Math

1. Recognize and write numbers 0 through 10
2. Countbackwardsfrom 10 to 0
3. One-to-one correspondence (Example: When counting 10 items, touch each item one time only as you count it.)
4. Practice asking numbers that come before and after other numbers 0 through 10 (Example: What number comes before 7? What number comes after 4?)

Reading

1. Recognize and name the capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet
2. Be able to print your first name using a capital letter at the beginning and lower case letters for the rest of your name
3. Follow a small series of directions. (Example: Put your shoes on THEN tie them.)
4. Practice recognizing and printing the letters b, d, p, g, and q in smaller case
5. Read stories to your child at home and ask questions during and afterward to help build comprehension skills

Penmanship

Handwriting is very important in kindergarten. It is very important for children to learn how to form letters correctly. It is beneficial for the student’s development in this area if they are practicing skills in the same way at home and school.

With that in mind, we would like to ask you to help prepare your child for school by practicing letters with the following guidelines in mind:

• All letters use a continuous stroke whenever possible.
• Letters do not start from the bottom line.
• Each number represents a lift of the pencil.

For example the capital letter “A” has a 1, 2, AND 3. This means that the pencil is lifted two times while making the letter. The lowercase “a” only has the number 1. This means that there is only one stroke with no lifts. There is another arrow but not another number.

When practicing at home, please do not feel that you must focus on pencil and paper only. There are many different ideas to use when practicing letter/number formation. A few examples include using shaving cream on a table, using a stick and sand at the beach or a backyard sandbox, or using a whiteboard or chalkboard. Different ideas make it more enjoyable for younger children, and it doesn’t always seem like a chore as a result.

Other areas to practice

• Practice tying shoes. Unless your child is 100% independent at tying their shoes, please provide shoes with Velcro closures.
• Practice zipping coats. Please refrain from sending coats with button-front closures.

Kindergarten math and reading placement tests for enrolled students will be administered by the kindergarten teachers. Testing is done to determine the most appropriate skill-level classes for students. More information on testing will be provided.

Parents and members of the community at large often ask if they may visit the classrooms at Classical School to see the program in action. Observations are available through appointment.

If you would like to arrange a classroom observation, please contact our Enrollment Specialist, Sara Schroeder, at 920-852-5525 (x81716) or schroedersara@aasd.k12.wi.us.

To keep disruptions for the students to a minimum, we adhere to the following guidelines for classroom observations:

• The teacherwill provide a seat for you in a designated area. Please have a seat when entering the classroom. At the end of class, please check with the teacher for an appropriate time to have your questions answered during your visit. You may also stop in to see Classical School’s principal or the other designated staff member assisting with the observation with any questions you might have.
• To enable the children to follow the teacher directives, we ask visitors not to interact with the children who are working independently in the classroom. For example, if a child comes to you with a question while you are observing the classroom, please direct the child to the teacher or aide unless otherwise specified.

Kindergarten students and their parents will have a chance to meet with the teacher, see their new classroom, and drop off classroom supplies before the start of school, typically in late August.

Label each item below. At “Meet and Greet,” place inside child’s desk:

• 24 regular crayons– Label each crayon with your child’s name. NOTE: Please buy and bring in a 2nd box of labeled crayons. We will store them and give them out about half waythrough the school year.
• Scissors (Fiskars-blunt)- Label with name
• 1 large pink eraser (no novelty erasers)- Label with name
• Box of 8basic color, thick, washable Crayola markers (not RoseArt)- Label each marker with name 1 set of 8 watercolors (only 8, Crayola or Prang)– Label with name

Names not needed as items will go into shared bins:

• 5 purple glue sticks
• 4 Ticonderoga “beginners” pencils
• 2 large family-size boxes of tissues
• Last name beginning with bins: A-F: One package XL 2/2.5 gallon plastic bags (no easy-fill)
• Last name beginning with G-O: One packageof 1-gallon or quart-size Ziploc bags
• Last name beginning with P-Z: One large container of disinfectant wipes

Other Supplies with names:

• Paint shirt– Label with name
• Inside shoes with Velcro (used for gym and wet weather)- Label with name
• Extra set of underwear, socks, shirt, and pants for bathroom accidents and spills. Place inside a gallon Ziploc bag with your child’s name on the bag.

Teachers and staff at Classical School utilize a variety of means to communicate with parents.

Daily

Completed and in-progress work is sent home daily in a take-home folder. The folder contains papers to keep at home as well as papers to be completed and returned to school. When students reach 2nd grade, a daily assignment notebook is also employed to help students and families keep track of work that is due.

Weekly

Watch for school-wide announcements that are sent home in the take home folder every Thursday. These types of papers are referred to as the Pegasus Flyer.

Monthly

Each teacher produces and sends home a paper copy of their monthly newsletter summarizing classroom news and progress in subject areas.

Classical School also produces a school newsletter, the Classical Columns, which is emailed home each month. The Columns shares important information regarding school events, clubs, the school calendar, and much more. Please contact Linda Kemps at kempslinda@aasd.k12.wi.us with any questions regarding the Columns.

We ask all parents to read both the classroom and school newsletters carefully each month to remain informed and connected.

Ongoing

• Classical School teachers use Infinite Campus(IC) to report student grades. You will receive more information on getting set-up in IC during the summer prior to school beginning. IC is used on a limited basis in Kindergarten.
• Parents are encouraged to email teachers with any questions, and most teachers will also use email to communicate directly with parents as needed. Please ensure your email address is reflected properly in Infinite Campus. 
• The Appleton Area School District and Classical School use a school-wide email and automated call system to communicate with families. This system is typically employed to announce school closures or delays and to remind families of events, deadlines, or scheduled days off.
• The school website contains valuable information regarding the school’s curriculum and links to parent and student resources. Parents may also subscribe to the school calendar on the website.
• Find Classical School on Facebook: Classical School Appleton