You’ve shopped for a backpack, new sneakers and the untouched box of crayons that’s ready for the first homework assignment of the new school year. Your child is ready for Kindergarten, but are you?

 

Learning About Kindergarten

By Alison O’Leary Murray

You’ve shopped for a backpack, new sneakers and the untouched box of crayons that’s ready for the first homework assignment of the new school year.

Your child is ready for Kindergarten, but are you?

Parents readying to send their eldest off to school for the first time may be confused and anxious. Sure, your son will be fine: he’ll make friends and you’ll soon be juggling after-school playdates. But how will you as a parent know whom to call at the school if there’s a problem?

You may hear how things work in other districts from friends or relatives, but school administrations and procedures may vary from town to town, making that information irrelevant to you.

“Schools are not necessarily of uniform structure across the board,” said Heidi Guarino, spokeswoman for the Mass. Department of Education. “Some have one teacher per classroom, some have more depending on the district. We suggest that parents talk to their children’s teachers or principal to learn more about the school.”

A good place to start learning is at a Kindergarten orientation session that allows parents to visit their child’s classroom and meet the teacher before the beginning of the school year.

“Orientation is not a good time for a long discussion with the teacher, but it’s when a parent should ask what is the best way to contact the teacher and what time of day is good to speak to the teacher,” said Rosalind LaRocque, assistant director of the educational issues department for the American Federation of Teachers.

LaRocque said information gathering in the first week of school should include:

• the school’s attendance and homework policies;

• the school’s policies and procedures for picking up a child, or having a friend or relative pick up a child after school;and

• how the school handles things like payment for meals, whether there’s a dress code or uniform, and the attendance policy.

• The school’s policies on managing food allergies.

Key at kindergarten age is checking the child’s backpack in the evening for notices about school activities, notes from teachers and opportunities for parents to get involved, LaRocque said. A parent’s involvement in their child’s school can make a big impact on the child’s academic success.

“Try to be involved, to volunteer,” said LaRocque, who also trains teachers. “Model for your child how important you think school is, and that will translate into the child’s interest in things like homework and projects.”

Local mom Erin Kane of Ashland got involved at her son’s school the hard way last year. Her son, then in Kindergarten, was rambunctious on the school bus and the driver warned her that he wasn’t staying in his seat.

“It was the first time he hadn’t been strapped in, sitting in a booster seat or something,” she said, acknowledging that he misbehaved. “A lot of the boys his age on the bus were in trouble.”

Kane’s first experience with the school administration was when she called to suggest that someone go onto the bus to talk to her son and the other boys about bus safety and the importance of staying in their seats. Instead, an administrator went to her son’s classroom to reprimand him for his behavior.

“That was my first run-in with the school administration,” she said. “There was definitely no communication between the bus driver and the administration and no collaboration on what the solution should be. So I decided I needed to start going in to the school to get to know the key players, and that’s my advice for other parents.

“There are a lot of unknowns for first-time parents,” said Kane, co-founder of the Manic Mommies (manicmommies.com). “If you’re used to daycare where they give you daily reports on how often your child went to the bathroom and then you’re in Kindergarten and not hearing anything until conferences in October or November, you really feel out of the loop.”

Tip: Buy a portable filer to keep all the paperwork organized. You can label sections such as need signature, special dates, important school information.

Tip: Familiarize yourself with your school district and stay in touch with your child’s teacher.

Tip: Know policies regarding bringing food into the school. Even if your child doesn’t have allergies, you must respect the parents who are dealing with this often life threatening condition. Food allergy prevalence has increased 55 percent in the last five years. Forty to fifty percent of those persons with a diagnosed food allergy are judged to have a high risk of anaphylaxis* (a life-threatening allergic reaction).

Tip: Talk to your child about school bus rules. After all it’s the first time they won’t be in a booster seat and seat belt. Remind them to speak up if the bus driver goes by their stop accidentally at drop off. If they’ll be going to a caregiver after school, your child should show them what the house looks like from the road so they won't get confused.

Who’s Who?

By Heather Kempskie

Teacher: Teachers design a variety of activities to teach children the basics of reading, writing, and math in a structured, yet fun, environment.Parent-teacher conferences are typically held twice a year (late fall, early spring) but parents are encouraged to contact the teacher with any pressing concerns. Don’t wait for the conference. Most teachers have e-mail and more and more of them are posting classroom information online.

Reading Specialist: Another person who is typically part of every school staff, this individual assists the teacher in classroom reading activities and offers individual and small group support for struggling readers, particularly in grade one, where the big push for learning to read occurs. Schools also have a Special Education teacher to help students with additional learning disabilities. For a primer on special education, visit our advice column on page …

School Nurse: With the rise in food allergies and more children being diagnosed with asthma, today’s school nurses have far more to deal with and today’s parents need to be more involved than ever. The school nurse at South Elementary School in Bellingham requires a 24-hour notice if a parent would like to bring in a snack to a classroom. There is also a designated peanut-free table in the cafeteria. You should share any medical information with the school nurse as soon as possible.

Principal: The principal, often in conjunction with the school board, makes the executive decisions that govern the school, as well as having the authority over the employment of teachers. The principal is often the chief disciplinarian of the students. “Parents are always strongly encouraged to first bring any issues directly to the teacher,” says a retired principal in Mansfield. “Parents usually want to see the principal if there's an issue with a teacher, or if their child is having on going issues academically or socially.”

Superintendent: Generally, public school district superintendents are selected by a school board of a local school district. They are typically given overall responsibility for personnel selection and appointment, preparation of operating budgets, and implementation of school policies and regulations. Parents at the elementary level may go to the superintendent if they feel they are dealing with a concern that the teacher and/or principal are not handling to their satisfaction.

PTA (Parent Teacher Association) or PTO (Parent Teacher Organization): This educational organization seeks to unite the forces of home, school, and community “Anyone can become a member. I joined because I wanted to be a part of my children’s school community,” said Maura Renzella, co-president of the PTA at Hardy Elementary School in Wellesley. Expect to pay dues and do lots of fundraising. The roles are endless like serving as a room parent or organizing events.

School Committee: These elected citizens review educational goals and policies for their school district. Earlier this year, Walpole’s School Committee approved a five-year strategic plan to enhance and expand professional development; form better relationships with the community; and plan for school facilities. This June, a $2.8 million Proposition 2 1/2 tax override in Franklin failed and School Committee members must now face cutting 47 teachers' jobs, classes, and the late bus, among other things at the schools.

School Counselors: These individuals work to promote school success for every child, fostering healthy development in academic, personal, social and life planning domains. “Wearing many hats, they counsel children individually and in groups, offer consultation to help parents and teachers best address challenges, provide growth-focused classroom lessons, and help students effectively plan for adult life,” says Dr. Kathleen Barrett of Massachusetts School Counselors Association.