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@808love: i think my LOs school does have quiet time and some kids will fall asleep. But for July and August, his current preschool moved him up to the kindergarten room (different school than he will be attending in September) and they don't do any nap or quiet time where they get to lie down. So he has been transitioning to no nap which is not all bad, but some rough days. He is going to bed a lot earlier which is great.
I believe most of the public schools here (at least around me) have full day kindergarten now - so he will be in school from 9:15am to 3:45pm. It is actually shorter than what he was doing in daycare when i worked full time for 2 years. I was just frustrated at first because i am currently on mat leave and my only option was to send him to free public school with those full time hours OR pay for expensive programs if i wanted him to go part time (and then it would cost even more when i go back to work to extend the hours). In the end, we opted for the public school as it seems like a good school and i will pull him a day here and there to spend more time with him while on mat leave until February.
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@californiadreams: no nap seems crazy. My girl was in a full day public pre k last year at 4, but state rules they were mandated a rest period. Same at her daycare this summer. But at 5 in kinder that goes away. She will still nap for at least an hour, I don't look forward to the nap change.
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Just wanted to bump this again as the school year approaches. We have new parent orientation next Tuesday and meet the teacher next Thursday. I'm going to revisit this thread to make sure I have my list of questions ready!
http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-to-ask-at-kindergarten-orientation
I was happy to get her lunch account set up relatively painlessly. I went ahead and put $50 in her account and it will roll year to year. At least she will have money in case she forgets her lunch. The lunch menu didn't look all too terrible either but Ive heard its hard for Kindergarteners to navigate the line, tray, selection, paying and still have time for eating so we plan to pack mostly. I'm not sure about what to pack for drink for lunch, but to start I picked up those organic milk boxes since she's used to getting milk at lunch.
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@T.H.O.U.: That's how much $ I started with as well. Our lunches look pretty decent too. I circled a lot more lunch menu dates than I thought. I will have LO get cafeteria lunch the first day and home lunch the second day. I figure the teachers will be heavily monitoring and assisting on those dates and I want her to have the experience with both. LO doesn't take milk so I have to make sure she gets water with every meal, either way.
Also reposting this interview from @mamaof2: http://www.somewhatsimple.com/first-day-kindergarten-interview/
LO starts tomorrow!! Unfortunately, she has been sleeping in about a half hour past the time I need her to get up. Hopefully she will be excited to start tomorrow. I sure am! I just found out her teacher for next year and am happy with her group. She will have a lot more girls in the class than boys. She plays with several boys in our neighborhood so I would prefer a balance of girl playing time during the school day. -
@T.H.O.U.: Last year for lunches we did the organic milk boxes, small water bottles, our own water bottle, or the capri sun waters (not juice).
About halfway through the year LO decided she really wanted hot lunch and she ate it almost exclusively for the remaining part of the year. I know for her Pre-K program the teacher helped them out in the line, I'm not sure what the expectation is for Kinder. I need to ask that question.
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We did registration last week and somehow the PTA took all my money
. We ordered our supplies from the PTA, bought a spirit shirt, pre-ordered her yearbook and joined the PTA. We have meet the teacher on 8/18 (her birthday!) and start school on 8/22.
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@MamaG: My DD has meet the teacher on her birthday too! Plan is to do doughnuts for her preschool class that morning and then pick her up early for meet the teacher (which is at an odd 2-3:30 time) and then we will do her birthday dinner at home. Should be a VERY busy day!
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@T.H.O.U.: Our meet the teacher is from 5:00 - 6:00 in the evening. There's a good chance I'll pick her up from daycare, run to meet the teacher then go back to daycare to get the younger and all meet Dad at home for dinner. That week is crazy with appointments. Having your birthday right before school starts and getting the well visit done.... ugh!
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Glad to see this thread bumped up, not much is happening right now. I've ordered all the clothes, the backpack, and most of the school supplies on the list. We have a meet and greet playdate this weekend in town, should be fun. Then that's really it until school begins. I am trying to be nonchalant about it, not too excited, in the hope that my son has an easy transition. He's beginning to come around to the idea that he's going to another school (we've been at this one for three years) and he has a really special community there.
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Any nappers? Does your kindergarten nap? If your kiddo isn't napping what are their sleeping hours? We will need to ditch our nap as their isn't one in kindergarten which I think is going to force an earlier bedtime.
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No nap. My son hasn't napped since he was about 4...he dropped it in preparation for an afternoon preschool program.
He currently sleeps from about 7:30pm -6 am.
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@MamaG: no nap since December. She sleeps 7ish to 6ish. I anticipate needing an earlier bedtime once school starts because she'll be tired.
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@MamaG: This is us too. She still naps at preschool (even if its just short, they say she totally is out). But last night she was up and wide awake until 9pm. Woke up happy at 7.
I guess I need to think about what time we need to leave for school. Maybe I will ask that at new parent orientation. School starts at 8:30, but I have no idea how the drop off line works (I obviously will walk her in the first week or so).
I'm assuming we will probably push her bedtime earlier (hopefully aligned with her brother which is about 7:30).
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@808love: good luck today! Let us know how day 1 goes!
We have K orientation on the 23rd and then school starts on the 31st.
Bought all the supplies yesterday - K is only 1/2 day here so she will do K Enrichment at her old DCP for the rest of the day (they pick her up)
@MamaG: DD has been off and on with her naps and starting in June I told them she was not allowed to nap anymore - lights are out at 7:30 and she wakes btwn 6-7am. We wont need to leave the house until 8:10 so that gives us plenty of time in the morning to get ready
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Our school starts at 7:50. Our routine last school year was basically this:
6:40 - wake DD
6:40 - 7:00 - fight about eating breakfast as she was still sleepy
7:00 - 7:30 - get ready (bathroom, clothes, hair, teeth, shoes, etc).
7:30 - load everyone/thing in the car.
7:40 - drop DD2 at daycare
7:50 - drop DD1 at school for 8:00 start. We were only tardy one day all year and it was because her shoes came off in the parking lot and we had a particularly slow moving morning at home.This year the start time is moved up by 10 minutes and I will drop DD1 off at school first and because I'll have DD2 still with me, I won't be walking her in each morning. We couldn't do the drop off line last year because she couldn't get herself out of her seat and they don't allow for parents to get out of the car in the drop off line. So since I was parking to get her out, I just walked her in.
We aim for in bed with lights out by 8:15, but she's really been struggling with falling asleep lately. She's often not falling asleep until after 9:00 and I'm waking her up at 6:50. She's eating breakfast at daycare this summer.
The really hard part about all of this is we don't get home until 6:00pm. Dinner is often not over until closer to 7:00pm and then it's bath/shower time and DD2 goes to bed. We spend about 30 more minutes with just DD1 reading books until she goes to bed.
If we could get home earlier, everything would be so much easier to manage.
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It is 5am and LO doesn't have to be up until 6:30ish. I'm ready! I just hope I didn't hype things too much. I was trying to be low key about it but I'm too darn excited and I talked about it at least once a day this week. I wish I kept to my word to just downplay it to avoid any anxieties. My extended family came over yesterday and I didn't breathe a word to them about kinder starting the next day bc I didn't want them to say some crazy stuff. (They are anti-school.) Anyway, LO is pretty easygoing when it comes to school so I think she'll be ok. She went to sleep right on schedule last night. Bedtime at 8, read a few books and crashed out at 8:15. That was the earliest she has slept in a looooong time. Let's hope she wakes up on schedule. Our dismissal is at 2:00. I think it will be a nice day. I hid some snacks/drinks in my desk for when I pick her up afterschool.
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Our update is that we got a G&T spot a couple month ago. The school seems good but slightly overwhelming and super institutional after coming from a small preschool. I've been holding off on getting uniforms etc because we might be moving. I know he'll do great wherever we are, but it makes it hard to plan.
@MamaG: No nap. He sleeps about 8pm-7am. Your routine made me LOL. We were basically late every day for most of the winter months in pre-k. Start time was 8...and we got there 8:45 on a good day. Luckily it was just before circle time so at least we weren't disruptive.
@808love: First day? nice! Hope all goes well!
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It was a great day! I had to drag myself away at drop off. The goodbye happened so fast! I looked back 2 times and then a teacher waved me on so I had to leave.
As for lunch, if they needed help they were to raise hand and a cafeteria supervisor would come by.
I know and have always liked her teacher. There is a cool little app for parents that enables teachers to write messages and send pictures of their day. So she did that at night so I could see a little peek. The kids are given lots of information on procedures. She didn't learn anyone's name on the first day but she did on the second day. She was able to tell me about the (vice) principal visit though.
Kinder tires kids out. LO crashed out at 5:15pm and stayed asleep until 6am the next morning. So if I were to do it all over again, I would feed and hydrate as much as possible afterschool before getting into the car!
Funny story- We have student monitors who are assigned to do jobs like help in the cafeteria or monitor the hall, greet the students. LO asked, "Why are kids working at the school? They do everything. They guard the streets and they serve the lunch. When I get big, I just want to be able to go to the bathroom by myself!"
(They go in 3s!) -
@MamaG: no nap. Kinder is full day. My son hasn't had daycare naps since he was 3.5, so I think he'll be fine. He sleeps 11-12 hours at night.
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Question: What do you use to label individual supplies, like bottles of glue and glue sticks?
I had the idea to use my PTouch Label Maker, but I've only ever used it for things like labelling files (paper), so I have no idea if it will hold up. Thoughts?
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@looch: I have a ton of labels left over from DCP days so I am using those - they were from label daddy
I think what you have would work just fine too! For DS's scissors I used a fine tip sharpie and wrote his name on the blade since it was too small for a sticker
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@808love: yay! So glad the 1st day went well!!
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@MamaG: Napper here. Still like 2-3 hours each day and goes down easy (like in bed and asleep before my 2 year old DS is in bed!)
She currently sleeps 7:30 p.m. to 6/6:30 a.m. plus the 2-3 hour nap, so I am interested to see what this does to her without the nap!
We got a phone call last week from her teacher, we are pumped to have gotten the teacher we hoped for! She then sent us an email inviting us to a park play with the class at the school August 30 (they start Sept 6th). She asked in the email a whack of questions about DD and I asked about the napping. Friends of mine were shocked we weren't going to try to cut them before she starts, but I don't see the point when she so willingly goes down and no point putting her into school sleep deprived, think the shock of the new routine may kick them. Teacher said between her going home for lunch (she will go "home" to daycare that backs onto the school, she's a slow eater and we all think it'll be better for her to get out for an hour) and quiet time after lunch she should ease out okay. Any kids she does have that still nap in class usually cut them by end of October.
School day is 8:55 a.m. to 3:15 dismissal. Lunch 11:35 to 12:30.
We don't have much for supplies, just backpack, marked ziploc bag with change of clothes, indoor shoes and am and pm snacks daily. She asked for kleenex and wipes for the classroom whenever it could be given as they can never get enough of those. There are apparently two sets of twins in the class, and two families with a kid in JK, and the other in SK in the same class.
We are still pretty nervous, and working on printing her name! She has up and down days of excitement for school. I hope the park play on the 30th really helps.
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First day of school is today! We drove through carpool and she hopped out of the car and waved bye to us with a huge smile on her face! She was super excited and it made the first day so much easier for us. I didn't cry! Lol!
Pick up is at 3 and I cannot wait! I miss her and can't wait to hear about her day!! -
@chopsuey: Oh I adore that sign, did you make it?
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@looch: this reminds me that I need to order labels! We have to label EVERYTHING and my penmanship is so bad I can't imagine doing it by hand.
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@chopsuey: Cute! I need to go hunting for a sign, it's been on my list of things to do for too long.
@looch: I've found similar ones in the past on pinterest that are free printables.
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@looch: @MamaG: thanks!! Haha no, I ordered a printable from etsy. frame is from Joann's!
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I can't believe Kinder has started for some of you already!!
@808love: @chopsuey: Sounds like both your first days went really well! I keep hearing Kinder knocks kids out. We'll see about N because she has a younger brother that loves to keep her up. Sigh.
Kindergarten in our district is only for half a day, so you get assigned either the morning or afternoon session. We don't get to find out our assignments until the day before school starts... how are parents supposed to plan for that??
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@chopsuey: I didn't even think of that!
Awesome, thank you! -
@chopsuey: yay!! Hope her first day is awesome!
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@chopsuey: cute sign!!!
We met her teacher today! We don't know anyone else in her class.
I was very happy to see lots of "play" stations still like a dollhouse and work bench and light table.
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@Mrs. High Heels: first day went well and she was chatty as usual and energy was high as usual. Haha! She did look tired, but she woke up at 5:40 this am (excited much?!) so she had a long day.
Went to bed at normal time and was passed out at 6:47!Love that you guys have half days for kinder! I went to half day kindergarten too! Crazy that they don't tell you your assignment til the day before?! I would just take the entire day off
@Mamaof2: thanks!! She had a great time! Her teacher emailed with an update earlier and DD went to bed excited for school tomorrow -
@chopsuey: glad she had a good first day! How long is her school day?
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@lamariniere: 8:05am-3pm! (M, T, Th, F)
8:50-3pm on Wednesdays. -
@chopsuey: So cute!
Coming up on the first week of school down. LO had a homework meltdown midweek which was worrisome, but she bounced back the next day and is doing it better than ever. What went down from my doing was: supporting, insisting, reasoning, reminder she will get a consequence from teacher if not done. Allowed her to stop completely. When she asked to watch tv later, I said not until you finish your homework and she snapped to it.
I just started a really good book called The Parent's Backpack. It is for K-5 written by a parent who has worked with the schools for 20 years as PTA parent/school mom. I like it a lot but I wish I read it before the homework meltdown.
I think it will help me be a better teacher for my students' parents as well. #bookclub!
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@808love: Awwww yay for a great first week!!! TGIF!!
Will check the book out!! Thanks!what type of homework is she getting?
No homework for us this year! -
@chopsuey: Just a name trainer, copy your name four times and a different letter of the alphabet to draw and practice a day. She also has a math one which is five number dot to dot. It takes her five minutes to do everything in theory. Reality is ten. Meltdown day was twenty before stopping.
LO did a similar letter-a-day sheet since she was three. I think she hates being corrected on writing her name because she has been writing certain letters any old way for years and now has to practice the correct form. I would get frustrated too if someone (thank goodness she did it in front of me, not the teacher) was correcting letter formation of my own name that I had been writing for years in preschool. Maybe they should have started with something neutral
🙃@chopsuey: I want you to start a book club thread if you get it!
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@808love: I just dropped the book in my Amazon cart
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@808love: in K we only have homework on Wednesdays - but for DS who finished 1st grade where homework is Mon- Thurs I found it was best to have a schedule/ make it routine. The schedule is up to you but for us it was easiest to do it as soon as we came home - He sat at the kitchen table and I made dinner - once it was done he was free for the rest of the night!
. We ordered our supplies from the PTA, bought a spirit shirt, pre-ordered her yearbook and joined the PTA. We have meet the teacher on 8/18 (her birthday!) and start school on 8/22.
I think it will help me be a better teacher for my students' parents as well. #bookclub!
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