Holley Elementary School

Kindergarten Handbook

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Dear Parents, Guardians, and Kindergartners:

We welcome you to our school and are thrilled that you will be joining our kindergarten! This is truly an exciting time as you are preparing to embark on the greatest journey of your life. We value each of you as very important learners in our school community and hope this handbook will help you transition into our kindergarten program without difficulty so you can shine at your very best.

This handbook contains information about our school’s policies and procedures. Please take a few minutes to read through this booklet and familiarize yourself with what we do at Holley Elementary School. We believe all students can learn and that this can be enhanced through positive home and school connections. As we value your role in the education of your child, please do not hesitate to call or stop by if you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Karri D. Schiavone, Elementary Principal Kindergarten Teachers

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BIG EVENT COMING SOON!

Is it almost time for your child to begin school? As this will be a second “home” for years to come, let’s plan a great send off.

KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION

Kindergarten begins with a parent and student orientation. This is your opportunity to:

1. Meet your child’s teacher 2. Look around the classroom
3. Become familiar with the building 4. Get on a school bus at school
5. Visit the cafeteria line for snack
6. Put funds on your child’s cafeteria lunch account

SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR KINDERGARTEN

(ALL items should be labeled with child’s name!)

You should have received a supply letter from your child’s individual teacher. If you have any questions, please call the office.

NAME TAGS

You will receive a name tag at Kindergarten Orientation. Your child must wear this tag the first 3 weeks of school to help the teachers, bus drivers, and other school staff, make sure all children get on the right bus to go home in the afternoon. It also helps everyone learn your child’s name.

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LET’S START THE SCHOOL DAY RIGHT BY BEING……..

. . . Rested and well nourished . . . Up early enough to
▪ Eat a healthy breakfast ▪ Wash and brush teeth ▪ Dress in clean clothes
LABELING

Hats, coats, sweaters, boots, blankets, paint smocks, lunch boxes, change purses, backpacks, pencil/crayon boxes, and any other item brought to school should have the child’s name clearly marked on it.

FOR SAFETY REASONS, PLACE LABEL ON THE INSIDE OF ALL ITEMS

About your child’s clothing:
 Please put your child’s name on all clothing.  Clothes should be simple, washable, sturdy,
not too tight, safe, easy to manage and labeled.
 Boots should be large enough so that your child can put them on himself. If your child wears boots, please send shoes or sneakers in backpack already untied.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT BACKPACKS

Backpacks are an essential school supply item to help your child transport items to and from school. In the past year, manufacturers have introduced “backpacks on wheels” to insure that children are not burdened with heavy loads that could put stress on their bodies. From our recent experience, we have found that these wheeled backpacks create other safety concerns for the very young school-age child. Wheels are catching on the steps of buses and on bus seats. Children have
difficulty safely maneuvering these backpacks on the sidewalks or in the hallways. Other children have tripped over the wheels or the straps dragging on the ground. In addition to these concerns, the wheeled backpacks are hard to lift and do not fit into our school cubby storage areas.

For these reasons, we request that when you do your school shopping, you do not purchase a wheeled backpack for your Holley student. At the Kindergarten and First Grade level, children are not regularly transporting heavy items.

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WHAT WILL YOUR CHILD DO AT SCHOOL?

Children will LEARN while they PLAY!

TO GET ALONG with others—to be cheerful, polite, fair.

TO SHARE with others—toys, games, experience.

TO EXPLORE new things and ideas.

TO EXPRESS HIMSELF/HERSELF with words, clay, paint, crayons, music, scissors, toys, etc.

TO PLAY and decide what we will do next?

TO LISTEN to stories and directions.

TO LOOK AT BOOKS and learn how to use them.

TO CARE FOR SELF AND BELONGINGS - tending to bathroom needs, hanging up clothes, returning
toys and tools at pick-up time.

TO COUNT—by relating numbers to specified groups of objects.

TO PLAY OUT-OF-DOORS—developing big muscles and learning to take turns and to follow rules.

TO EAT WITH OTHERS—learning to relax — practicing good manners.

TO CARE FOR PETS AND PLANTS—giving them food and water—keeping them clean.

TO THINK OF OTHERS—gifts, birthdays of classmates.

TO PROTECT SELF—and to know who will protect him or her.

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Is your child ready for Kindergarten? Expectations for Students Entering Kindergarten

The child should be able to:

▪ dress him/herself – put on clothing, shoes, boots, coats ▪ use the bathroom and wash hands without assistance ▪ recognize his/her first name in print
▪ say his/her first and last name when asked ▪ respond to his/her first name
▪ identify the basic colors (red, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple) ▪ follow simple directions
▪ sit and listen to a short story
▪ take turns when playing a game, etc. ▪ willingly share with others
▪ show a sense of beginning responsibility – care for own belongings, lunch money, etc.

The child should have had experiences:

▪ using pencils and crayons ▪ using scissors
▪ spending time away from parents – with a sitter, grandparents, staying with a friend, etc.

The child should have been exposed to:

▪ alphabet letter names ▪ numbers
▪ counting objects
▪ shapes and their names ▪ writing his/her name
▪ places in his/her community

For safety, it is suggested that your child know:

▪ his/her address
▪ his/her phone number ▪ his/her bus number

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PARENT’S ROLE

PARTICIPATE in school activities by attending school functions.

ADMIRE and love your child. Build on strengths by stressing their positive points. Work with them to help them overcome their weaknesses.

READ with your child. Set a goal of spending some time reading together.

ENCOURAGE hobbies and interests such as sports, music, collections, pets, pen pals, or handicrafts. Suggest friendships with children who share similar interests.

NOTE your child’s progress with verbal praise and a pat on the back. Be positive. Recognize each child as unique.

TALK about school, interests, friends, places you go together, and things you do as a family. Encourage your child to participate. Answer questions patiently.

SUPPORT your child. Stress the need to learn for knowledge and enjoyment.

Holley Strong

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Changes in Important Information

ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER, BUS
If there is a change of address or telephone number at any time during the school year, please send written notification to the kindergarten teacher and the school office.

Changes in before or after-school destinations should be made in writing at least 1 week in advance. You must notify the director of transportation and school of this change by filling out the Transportation Request for Child from and/or to Babysitter/Day Care form. Going on a different bus can only be
arranged in case of an emergency, and not to attend a relatives home or to visit with a classmate.

“TRANSPORTATION OTHER-THAN-RESIDENCE”

New York State Education Law obligates the District to transport students to and from their residence in accordance WITHIN THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES. Technically, the School District has no other obligation in this regard. As a practical matter, however, we understand that the baby-sitter’s residence becomes the school bus stop for many of our students. Holley Central School District will therefore honor requests for transportation to/from a point within the District other than the family residence on an annual basis. Said requests must be received by the attending school no later than August 1st	prior to the start of the new school year.

THE DISTRICT WILL NOT ACCOMMODATE DAY-TO-DAY CHANGES IN A STUDENT’S BUS ASSIGNMENT.

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES

Requests for any permanent changes must be submitted one week prior to the change to the appropriate school office! The school District is prohibited from transporting students to after school organizations such as Scouts, 4-H, dancing class, music lessons, or to a friend’s house. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to provide transportation to and from these non-school related activities

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SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS:	8 AM - 4 PM

STUDENT DROP-OFF

8:30 AM	School Opens 8:40 AM	Breakfast starts
8:45 AM	Morning Announcements: Pledge of Allegiance & Birthdays 3:15 PM	Grade K-6 Dismissal – Bus and Walkers

Students who walk to school or are dropped off at school should arrive no sooner than 5-10 minutes before school starts. All walkers arriving after 8:30 a.m. will be directed to the cafeteria until 8:40. Students may not arrive before 8:30 a.m. Students who ride their bikes to school must lock them inside a bike rack. We cannot be responsible for lost or stolen property.

SIGNING YOUR CHILD IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL:

If your child is coming to school late, please sign your child in at the office. The Holley Central School District does not encourage parents to sign their children out early unless it is for an appointment that cannot be scheduled after school hours. If you do need to sign your child out early, please send a note to the teacher indicating the date of early pick up, the person picking the child up, and what time he/she will be picked up.

When you come in to pick up, please go directly to the window in the main foyer. You will be greeted by one of our secretaries who will direct you to sign your child out on the sign-out sheet. You will be asked to provide identification (preferably a driver’s license). A child will only be released to those persons who are indicated on the Student Emergency form, or a written note by the parent indicating who will be able to pick up the child.

RIGHTS OF NON-CUSTODIAL PARENTS

In the case of divorce or separation, a school district must provide access to both natural parents, custodial or non-custodial, unless there is a legally binding document that specifically removes a parent’s rights.

In the context, a legally binding document is a Court Order or other legal paper that prohibits access to education records, or removes the parents’ right to have knowledge of their child’s progress and to discuss with the teacher their child’s school experience.

OUR SCHOOL WILL PRESUME THE PARENT HAS THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE RECORDS UNLESS IT HAS BEEN PROVIDED WITH COPIES OF LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENTS. THE SCHOOL DOES NOT NEED THE PERMISSION OF THE CUSTIODIAL PARENT TO GIVE ACCESS TO THE NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT.

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ATTENDANCE

Regular attendance is a necessary part of the school environment. If absent: Call the school at 638-6318, ext. 2300 to report your child’s absence or utilize the PikMyKid app. The office is open 8-4 daily. Before or after hours you can leave a message by calling the above number. Send an excuse when your child returns that includes the dates and reason for absence. Have your child make plans to make up missed assignments.

Excused Absences •	Personal illness
•	Death in the family •	Medical/Dental
appointments
•	Impassable roads •	Weather
•	Religious observance
•	Required to be in court
•	Quarantine
•     Music lessons •     Attendance at
health clinics
•	Educational trip
•	Planned evidence of an acceptable educational experience

Unexcused Absences •	Visiting
•	Hair cut
•	Overslept
•	Take your child to work day •	Babysitting
•	Needed at home •	Hunting

•	Truancy is absence or other leave from school without parental permission
•	Trip with or without parent- recreational purposes-Because vacation periods are provided with the school calendar, trips taken at other times during the school year will be considered illegal absences and will be subject to penalties enforced when a student is truant, unless the trip is approved by the Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee.

EXTENDED ILLNESS

Students who have an extended illness may be placed on home-tutoring and would not be counted as absent during the extended absence.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS

In case of emergency school closings or inclement weather, information will be given on the following radio or TV stations:

98 PXY, WBEE, WVOR, WHAM, WOKR CHANNEL 13, WHEC TV - CHANNEL 10, Channel 8 WROC, District website and Connect-Ed

Parents also must have a family plan in place and the child needs to know where to go! Do not flood the office with calls. We have only two lines. You and your child need a pre-arranged plan.

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EMERGENCY DISMISSAL

In the event of an emergency, students evacuate the building and go directly to the Jr/Sr. High Auditorium. Our staff immediately sets up a post in the foyer to allow us to sign students out to parents and arrange for bus dismissal. We cannot afford to be lax in securing that students go home with authorized people only. It is best to err on the side of caution. The safety of your children is very important to us!

PARENT RESOURCES

Parenting is the toughest job many of us will ever do, therefore, the more help we can offer to parents, the better we all are at trying to educate our students. There are two resources parents should consider taking advantage of: PTSA (Parent-Teacher-Student Association) and the Parent Library. The PTSA is an organization that supports academic and social programs for students. They organize fundraisers, family activities such as the Ice Cream Social, and sponsor many school programs such as PARP (Parents as Reading Partners), classroom field trips, scholarships for seniors, etc. The elementary school also has a Parent Library for parents to borrow resources. There are articles, books, and videos in a number of topics including helping with homework, learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, and much more.

RtI & PARENT INVOLVEMENT

What is Response to Intervention? RtI is a system used at each school to screen, assess, identify, plan for, and provide interventions to any student in our district. Does every child get the same kind of help? No. The type of help depends on the learning or behavior needs of that student. It also depends on how much help the student needs to be successful. Need is assessed through many sources including state test scores, reading and math benchmarks and/or teacher recommendation. To help organize interventions, RtI is divided into “Tiers”.
Tier 1: The Universal Classroom tier serves 80%-90% of all students through good instruction in the general classroom.
Tier 2: The Targeted Tier serves 10%-15% of all students. Specific instructional or behavioral support is provided in small groups either within the regular classroom or through pull-out sessions.
Tier 3: The Intensive Tier serves 5%-7% of students who need additional support to be successful in school.
What is an RtI support? The RtI Team is a group of teachers and school staff who meet to help design interventions for and monitor progress of students.
What can you do?
•	Expect your child to be successful in school •	Ask your child about homework
•	Make sure your child has a place and time to do homework every night •	If your child is struggling, try to find out why
•	Talk to your child’s teacher
•	Ask to see student work or progress monitoring data

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MORE ABOUT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The Holley Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 530 students.
In addition to our regular classes, our school provides individual or small group services for those children with learning differences. The following programs are available.

RTI support services for reading, math, science, and social studies
Learning Center
Occupational & Physical Therapy Special Education Services Speech Therapy
Counseling
Parent Library (housed in the counseling office) PTSA
Before School Homework Lab

CONCERNS

Please feel free to call teachers at school to discuss any information regarding your child. The office is open between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. As in most business situations, it is always best to address your concerns with the individual that is most closely related to the situation. For instance, if you have a question regarding a special area class (music, etc.) it is best to call the special area teacher directly. If you have a question regarding your child’s classroom situation, please call
the classroom teacher before you confer with another individual, e.g. principal. If, however, additional help is needed after conferring with your child’s teacher, support resources are available in each building. Among these are the school principal, the school counselor, the school nurse and the school psychologist.

www.holleycsd.org @Holley_Elem

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If you have a question about:
	Contact:
	638-6318
	
Special Education Needs Call your child’s special education teacher. If you have a question but your child doesn’t have a special education teacher, call the school psychologist or the Director of Special Programs.
	Stephanie Sanchez, Director of Special Programs

Holly Curtis, School Psychologist
	Ext. 2401

Ext. 2411
	
Medical & Physical Concerns
	Meaghan White, RN Rose Porter, LPN
	Ext. 2404 Ext. 2406
	
Attendance Verification and to report a child’s absence due to illness. If you have an ill child, feel free to leave your message.
	Alexa Downey Chrystal Gantman
	Ext. 2580 Ext. 2300
	
Elementary Technology
	Amy Bennage, Technology
	Ext. 2532
	
Library Books
	Julie Bader,
Library Media Specialist
	Ext. 2550
	
Transportation
	Tammie Beaney, Transportation Director
	Ext. 2200
	
Counseling Information
	Kristina Tese, Elementary Counselor Michelle Palmer, Elementary Social Worker
	Ext. 2408

Ext. 2558
	
Language Development & Speech Services
	Michelle Williamson, Speech Pathologist Kristina Rich, Speech Pathologist
	Ext. 2578

Ext. 2571
	
School Lunches
	Vicki Scroger, Elementary Cafeteria
	Ext. 2566
	
Regular Classroom Program, School Discipline Issues First call your child’s classroom teacher. If, however, you still
need help, contact the Principal.
	Karri Schiavone, Principal
Timothy Artessa, Assistant Principal
	Ext. 2405

Ext. 2500

“Who do I contact if…”

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Every Child	-	Every Chance -	Every Day