Parent Handbook & Important

Classroom Information

Wichita Collegiate School

2017-2018
Mrs. Cathy Gray
Early Childhood Room 9
Dear Parents,

Welcome to Kindergarten at Wichita Collegiate School! I am looking forward to having

your child in class this year. I want you and your child to feel at home here. Please
know that you are always invited to visit our classrooms during the year. If you have
questions or concerns at any time, please feel free to email or call me.

This packet was designed to outline what you can expect from me and provide
information that you need to know about our program. Please read each page carefully
and jot down any questions you might have. I will be glad to address them as soon as
possible.

I will be sharing most classroom information through the class web page and email. I
will also post reminder items and sign ups outside the classroom, and on occasion,
send items home in student folders. All these methods are not meant to bombard you,
rather keep you informed about all the fun learning experiences and special events your
child will be enjoying.

I am so excited that you have chosen to be a part of our program. I am looking forward
to getting to know you and your child. Get ready for an exciting, wonderful school year!

Sincerely,

Cathy Gray

School: (316) 634-0489 extension 514

Email: cgray@wcsks.com

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Teacher Biography

I spent my childhood living in Overland Park, KS, Boca Raton, FL and Austin, TX. I
graduated from Westlake High School in Austin, TX and then stayed in town to attend
the University of Texas. I followed my college sweetheart Addison Gray to the University
of North Texas in Denton, eventually graduating with my Bachelors of Liberal Arts. After
college, we married and settled in Dallas, where we started our family. Our daughter
Paige (now 19 and a student at WSU) and our son Parker (age 16 and a junior at WCS)
bring us immense joy.

In 2002, we moved to Wichita to be close to family. My husband Addison works for

Charles Schwab & Company. In his free time, he enjoys competing in various obstacle
course challenges/running events and charity poker events. We enjoy attending our
childrens school/sporting events and spending time as a family in nature, especially
when we can fish, hike, swim, camp or ski! Our family is complete with our silky terrier
named Phoebe. Shes tiny but doesnt know it. She accompanies me on long walks
(nearly two miles a day) around the neighborhood and always goes with us on family
vacations. Volunteering for our community and supporting those interested in teaching
is very important to me.

Education

University of Texas, Austin 1990-1993

University of North Texas, Denton 1993-1996, Bachelors in Liberal Arts with 24 hours
in Elementary Education

Butler Community College, Andover 2005-2006, AAS in Early Childhood Education

Council for Professional Recognition, 2006, Child Development Associates (CDA)

Credential

Philosophy

I believe that it is my professional duty to nurture and facilitate each childs growth
academically, socially and emotionally. I will provide quality instruction each day and
provide extra help and/or resources, as needed. I will provide a well-organized, positive
learning environment to stimulate and support your child. I will be fair, show respect for
all of my students and continually acknowledge their abilities. I will give my best to the
students each day. With your support, I know we can make this year a positive and
successful one.

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Goals

As a member of the Early Childhood faculty, my goals are to provide an opportunity for
each child to:

develop self-esteem and self confidence

work and play cooperatively
develop respect for him/herself, others, and the environment
develop intellectual curiosity
become self-directed
establish social relationships outside the family
develop physical skills
develop an appreciation for the arts
develop good communication skills

Classroom Management and General Procedures

Classroom management consists of the practices and procedures a teacher uses to

maintain the environment in which learning takes place. The basis of classroom
management lies in procedures that form a management plan and produce the
successful achievement of learning goals. Procedures are a part of life. We follow
procedures in the workplace, when we go to a movie, board an airplane, approach a
traffic jam, and attend a wedding. The reason we have procedures in life is so that
people can function in society knowing the acceptable and efficient ways other people
do things.

There are many procedures in the classroom. These procedures are the foundation
upon which learning takes place. When students can complete a procedure repeatedly
without any prompting or supervision, the procedure becomes a routine. Young
children need lots of opportunities to rehearse procedures so they can eventually
become routines.

Together, procedures and routines establish our classroom culture. Our culture will be
one of academic emphasis, positive attitude, cooperative effort and a safe, supportive
environment that encourages and rewards risk taking. When children are in a well-

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managed classroom, they are engaged. Student engagement leads to a productive
learning environment, fewer behavior issues and a calm, positive climate.

Now that Ive explained the importance of procedures and the role they play in
supporting your childs academic success, please take time to read and understand the
following general procedures. They have been broken down into sections for the
parents, the teacher and the child.

Parent Procedures

Contact Information

It is imperative that we have up-to-date contact information for all people authorized to
pick up your child. Please inform me or the Early Childhood Office about any changes
as soon as possible.

Likewise, it is important that you are able to contact me. During school hours, you can
reach me the following ways:

Personal Email: cgray@wcsks.com

Personal Voicemail: (316) 634-0489 extension 514

Early Childhood Office: (316) 634-0489 extension 247

Arrival and Departure

Classes begin at 8:15 A.M.

Classroom doors will be open at approximately 8:10 A.M.

Departure time is 3:15 P.M.

Great care is put into preparing for your child's classroom experience. To make the
most of each day, it is important that your child arrives at school on time and is picked
up on time. Young children can get very apprehensive or even sad when they are late to
class activities or they are always the last to be picked up.

A closed door to the classroom at the beginning of the day indicates that I am either
involved in a conference or not in the classroom. For your childs safety, children are
not allowed to wait unattended. Please make arrangements for Kids Club if you
cannot wait with your child until the classroom opens. Children and parents can

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wait quietly in the hall together or feel free to visit the EC Library, as available. I like to
greet each child personally and help them get started with the daily routine.

Class will begin promptly at 8:15. Please make every effort to have your child to school
by this time each day. I truly enjoy getting to know each family, hearing stories about
funny things your children say and do, and fun activities youve enjoyed over the
weekend. While daily communication with parents is extremely important to me, I must
request that we reserve our longer conversations for times that the children do not need
my undivided attention. If youd like to visit about something, please ask me to call you
or send me an email. I will make every effort to contact you before the end of the school
day. I am here for you, and will gladly contact you during my planning period or breaks
so I can give our conversation time and careful thought.

Children will be dismissed by the teacher, not the clock or bell. I ask that all siblings and
parents wait quietly outside the door until your child is dismissed from the classroom
instead of coming in to pick them up. Children who are not picked up by 3:25 p.m. will
be dismissed to our after school program called Kids Club. Please call Mrs. Farner in
the EC office or send an email to notify me if you are going to be late. If older siblings
(4th grade and above) are to be picking your child up, please notify me in writing at the
beginning of the school year.

Absences

If your child will not be at school for the day, please call the school (316) 634-0489
extension 247 or let us know in advance if possible. I encourage families to participate
in vacation experiences together but sincerely appreciate knowing in advance if your
child is going to be gone. This will help me coordinate classroom assessments and
activities accordingly.

Illness

Please review all of the information in the EC Handbook under the topic Health and
Medicine. It is essential to keep your child at home for 24 hours after a fever has
broken to prevent the transmission of germs. All children will be going outside each day
and may not be left in the classroom alone; therefore, each child should be well enough
to go outside when they come to school.

Clothing

Comfortable, simple clothing is the appropriate dress for kindergarten. I encourage each
child to keep a lightweight sweater or sweatshirt in their locker in case the temperature

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drops outside or they feel too cool inside. We will take precautions such as using paint
smocks and aprons, but children will participate in other activities that are often messy.

Outdoor play is an important part of each days activity. Please see that your child is
properly dressed for local weather conditions. All clothing such as hats, coats, sweaters,
mittens, etc. should be labeled with your childs name. All clothing should be designed
for self-sufficiency in the bathroom. Shoes with lights and jewelry with musical computer
chips are not permitted. Clothing and shoes with images of cartoon, movie or TV
characters or that are violent in nature (such as skull and crossbones) are very
distracting to our young students and are not allowed.

Daily Folders

One of the most important components of a preschool program is communication

between parents and teachers. In order to facilitate this process, each child will be
given a folder that will go home each day and be returned the following day. The
primary use of this folder will be to send home any finished work of the childs, and more
importantly as a means of sending and receiving notes between parents and teachers.

Your child will be informed that the daily home folders are their responsibility and not
the responsibility of Mom or Dad. It is the parents responsibility to check to see what is
inside the folders once they come home, but not to seeing that the child has it in his
possession once they go out the door each morning. We will use procedures in class to
help your child practice bringing their folder in each morning, reviewing the contents as
necessary and packing it for home at the end of each day. These procedures can be
adapted for home so that reviewing the folder contents becomes a simple nightly
routine.

The folders serve another very important function of developing a sense of responsibility
in the children. Each child needs to feel that he/she is an important part of our
communication system. If a daily folder is forgotten or lost, I will gently suggest to your
child that they rehearse their procedure at home and remind the child to bring it the next
day or, if lost, have you purchase a new one.

Class Web Page

Be sure to visit our class page weekly to read about whats going on in our classroom. .
To visit the class page for the first time, go to www.wcsks.com and click on the
Contacts and Blogs tab at the top right of the page. Select Early Childhood and find
my photo. Little blue bubbles will be at the top of my picture, allowing you to send me an

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email, leave me a voicemail or access my blog. Click on the blog icon. Once you are on
the blog, be sure to sign up to receive updates. Enter your email address in the Follow
by Email and youll get blog updates emailed directly to you! Your suggestions for
improvement and additional content are welcome.

Class Schedule

A copy of our weekly class schedule is included at the back of this information packet.
Blog updates will give parents a sneak peek of upcoming themes and learning
activities. Please note that special events may require us to modify the schedule.

Snacks

At Collegiate, we believe strongly that helping children develop good eating habits
should be an important function of our curriculum. In order to meet this goal, all snacks
will be provided by Sage Dining Services. Snacks will be healthy and chosen to provide
little bodies with needed energy. We have carefully considered common food allergens
and dietary restrictions in our student population. We believe this new menu will reduce
work for parents and teachers alike and will be a welcome addition to our program.
KDHE requirements will be met and exceeded with this plan. Participation is required for
all classes in early childhood, age two through kindergarten. (This replaces the parent-
provided snacks of the past.) Snack time is also an important way to practice good
manners.

Here are some of the foods on the menu:

Fruit: grapes, apples, bananas, cantaloupe, pineapple, oranges, applesauce and

mandarin oranges.

Vegetables: carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli.

(We will serve fresh fruits and vegetables as much as possible.)

Grains: rice, bread, crackers, tortillas, pita bread, rice cakes, Rice and Corn Chex
cereal, (gluten-free alternatives will be available).

Proteins: Sun butter, beans, edamame, hummus, turkey slices.

Dairy: cheddar, mozzarella and American cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, cream
cheese, milk.

Each snack will consist of at least 2 food items, such as fruit with yogurt or a sun butter
sandwich with carrot sticks, or tortilla and cheese roll-up. We will also provide snacks
on party days and will have a special treat for children on their birthdays. If your

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child has food allergies or other dietary restrictions please let us know before the first
day of school.

We are a peanut/peanut product free division.

Birthdays

Birthdays provide a wonderful time for recognizing individual children as being special
and important. The WCS Early Childhood Division requests that birthday party
invitations and party favor bags not be given out at school. Refer to your Collegiate
school directory or instant class directory that I will provide the first week of school for
addresses and email addresses. Sage will provide a special treat for children on their
birthdays, If you childs birthday falls during the summer, we will celebrate their birthday
in the month of May.

School Parties

School parties are usually 45 minutes in length with games and crafts planned and
provided by parent volunteers. Parents may request a specific party to help with or sign
up on the sheets at the beginning of the year on Registration Day. We ask that parties
be simple and games non-competitive in nature. Once the party volunteer lists are
populated, I will ask one parent to take the lead on each party who will contact you
about party plans.

Field Trips

We will be planning field trips throughout the year and will sometimes need your help in
providing additional hands and transportation. You will always need to sign and return a
permission slip in order for your child to go on a field trip. All children are required by
law to be in approved car seats or booster seats. Detailed information will be sent
home well in advance of any outings.

Teacher Procedures

There are a number of procedures that I will follow to ensure your childs safety and
learning experience. Many of these are dictated by the Kansas Department of Health
and Environment Child Care Licensing Regulations, others are requirements of Wichita
Collegiate School.
Medication

I will be glad to administer medications, but MUST have your permission and specific
instructions in writing. All prescription medications must be in the original container,
include dosage instructions and be prescribed for your childs current health condition.
All over the counter (OTC) medications need written, signed instructions as well. For

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your childs safety, only send medication he/she has taken previously with no adverse
reaction.

Accidents

I will let you know when your child has had a minor mishap that requires first aid.
Generally, this means a Band-Aid and TLC (usually a cure-all for this age group).
Please let me know if your child is allergic to Band-Aids. For cuts and abrasions,
children will be asked to wash the wound with soap and water. No medication is
applied. More serious accidents will require an Incident Report that is kept in your
childs file per child care licensing regulations.

Daily Home Folders

I will check the folders each day soon after your child arrives. If you need to let me
know of any particular information about your child such as doctor appointments,
illnesses, etc., just send a note in the daily folder. Please, always send a written note if
your child is going home with a classmate or family friend. This ensures the safety of
your child. We will not release your child to any adult unless we have received written
authorization.

Behavior Issues

Behavior in the classroom is guided through four simple rules. We will use Conscious
Discipline procedures and strategies to follow these rules. All rules, procedures and
strategies are designed to help the children make thoughtful decisions about their
actions before they occur, understand the consequences of their actions, and to take
responsibility for their actions. Children are encouraged to interact positively with those
around them. Most behavior issues are dealt with at school.

Mrs. Grays Classroom Rules

1. Be safe.
2. Be kind.
3. Be responsible.
4. Listen and follow
directions.

Children will be asked to leave class for the remainder of the day in instances where
they are a physical threat to themselves, their classmates, or their teachers. Children
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may be dismissed for profane or inappropriate language or actions. Parents will be
asked to conference with the classroom teachers and/or department head before the
child is readmitted to school.

Child Procedures

Many procedures will be taught the first weeks of school. Posters in the classroom will
serve as visual reminders for the children. Most procedures have a maximum of 3-5
steps. We will follow the format of teaching, rehearsing and reinforcing to learn all of our
procedures.

Special Classes

All children will have the opportunity to attend special enhancement classes in Physical
Education, Music and Library. Remember to check our daily schedule for special class
days.

Mrs. Kathy Wagner is our physical education instructor. We will attend P.E. classes
three times per week. Children are asked to leave a pair of gym shoes at school to be
used only for the physical education period, unless they are already wearing gym shoes
to school on the designated gym days. Any inexpensive pair of tennis shoes will be
fine. Children grow so quickly that it is advised that parents check shoe sizes at the
mid-year break. Children may not wear leather soled shoes, jellies, sandals or even be
in stocking feet for gym class. This is for your childs safety. Velcro fastening shoes are
suggested for those children who are unable to tie by themselves.

Mr. Steve Elmore will be joining us again this year with his delightful music lessons. We
will be attending music classes two times per week and piano lab on Fridays.

Children will go to the library once a week to see our librarian, Mrs. Belinda Mould. At
the library, they may select one book to check out. Library books should be cared for
properly and returned each week. If you child fails to return their book on time, they will
not be able to check out books until they have returned their book or paid for the lost
book.

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Conferences/Parent Observations

Formal parent conferences are scheduled to our calendar three times during the school
year. Our first two conferences are extremely important for you to attend. We will be
setting both academic and social/emotional goals and charting progress in these areas.
I encourage both parents to be present if possible. Kids Club is always available for
your child at no cost during our conference time.

In the fall, we provide Parent Visitation Days. If you would like to visit, set aside 30-60
minutes to observe our classroom on October 1 and 2 between 8:15-10:15 a.m. or 1-3
p.m. Additional information about the childrens activities and procedures during this
visit will be provided on the day of your observation.

Conference times for the 2016-2017 school year are:

End of October: Goal Setting and Progress Reports

Beginning of February: Evaluations and Grade Placement Decisions

End of school year: Optional conference. Written commentaries are mailed home. End
of year portfolios are shared and distributed.

I am always willing to conference with parents any time that they have a concern.
Please feel free to set up other conference times by sending me an email at
cgray@wcsks.com or leaving me a message at 634-0489 extension 514.

I look forward to having these opportunities to visit with you and share information about
your child.

Education is a shared commitment between

dedicated teachers, motivated students and
enthusiastic parents with high expectations.
~Bob Beauprez

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