Footsteps Newsletter

Footsteps Newsletter

vol 5 Issue 4

During the second and third week of school children will often demonstrate a switch in attitudes toward school. The child who was fearful now walks happily into class, the child who was content last week may be realizing how long the day is and has become apprehensive about coming into school. This is all typical and expected. With encouragement and support, the vast majority of children adjust to school! Linked below are some things you may already do at home or may want to try to help your child develop the skills needed for Kindergarten. Many of these approaches are used at school!

At Home Ideas

School Cancellations and Delays & Notifications

1. Look for "Washington Local" delays or closings on the news or via news station alerts.

2. Sign up for Remind to have alerts sent to you via text or email about delays/closings, event reminders like picture day, field trips, special activities etc.

3.. Check FB for updates

*Remind will also be used to notify you if there is an emergency or concern that you need to be made aware of immediately.

REMIND APP

Snacks- Reminder! If you are choosing to send in snacks, please choose a healthy option as we will not serve fruit snacks, fruit roll ups, chips, cookies etc.

V egetables and Fruits

* Any fresh fruit (apples, oranges, b a n anas, grapes, pears, plums, clementine ' s, strawberries, melons, berries , etc . ) * Applesauce cups or fruit cups * Raisins, Craisins and other dried fruits (please avoid pineapple) * Fresh vegetables (baby carrots , celery sticks , grape tomatoes , cucumber slices , broccoli , etc . )

Cheese/Dairy * String cheese or other cheese * Kraft Handi - snacks with cheese (with red sticks) . *Yogurts , Go Gurts

**Be careful with any other type of pre-packaged cheese and cracker sandwiches, most contain nut s/ traces of nuts, but you can al w ays check other brands or even store brand ingredients listings to see if they are nut free.

Other Snack Items * Triscuits, Wheat Thins, V egetable Thins (all flavors)

* Saltines, Oyster crac k ers * R itz crackers / dinosaur s/ sticks (NOT Ritz bits or sandwiches) * Goldfish crackers * Ritz Crackerfuls (Classic cheddar, Four cheese, Garlic herb)

* Annie's Bunnies * Town House, Club, To asteds

* Saltines, Oyster crackers * Cheez-Its, Cheese Nips, Better Cheddars

* Vanilla wafers * Graham crackers, Graham cracker s t icks

*Fig Newtons (all flavors) * Teddy Grahams or Teddy Graham character brand

*Tortilla Chips * Animal crackers ( Austin Zoo, Barnum)

* Crispix *Cheerios (NOT Honey Nut or Frosted) * Chex (Rice, Corn, Wheat)

* Wheaties * Frosted Mini-Wheats

* Popcorn * Life (Not Vanilla Yogurt Crunch)

* Pretzels * Nabisco Toasted Chips Ritz snack mix

* Cheez-It Party Mix/Munchie Party Mixes * Rice Cakes (NOT Quaker brand) *Lightly Sweetened Cereáls: Corn Pops, Fruit Loops, Captain Crunch (reg.), Apple Jac k s

* Kix

Please note: Food labels / ingredients may change over time , so it is always recommended that you read the label before purchasing snacks. Please read labels carefully to make sure that products are nut free.

We encourage healthy, natural snacks for the children and encourage families to avoid high fructose corn syrup and food coloring when making snack choices. The snack list above is made up of nut-free, healthy suggestions.

Each snack item needs to be enough to provide snack for 25 children.

W e do not have the means to cook, reheat, or cut / prepare snacks. So please do this ahead of time. If you have any suggestions for other healthy snacks let the office know and we can add it to the list. Thank you!

Tuition Payments are due by the first Friday of each month. You will be sent an invoice through the yellow folder that is sent home weekly. Some families chose to make smaller weekly payments. How you pay is up to you. We accept cash, check, credit card, money order, automatic deductions through Tuition Express, direct pay through your bank account. Payment for school is a set amount broken up over ten months August-May. If you enrolled later in August, just prior to school starting, you may choose to break payments up over the ten months beginning with September and ending with June. Please notify the office if you are taking that option due to later enrollment.

Allergies, Medical Conditions and Medication

If your child has an allergy, medical condition or medication that needs to be administered at school, please contact the school office so we can be sure to prepare the faculty to meet the needs of your child. All medications must be hand delivered to a faculty member (do not send in backpacks) with the appropriate permissions and forms. Medications must be in the original bottles. Some medications require physician instructions and permission for us to administer.

Please review, sign and return the Illness Policy which can be found in the yellow folders!

Enrollment Paperwork

All students must have a complete file within 30 days from the first day of school. Items in BOLD below must be completed on the first day of school.

1. current physical (valid for 12 months)

2. immunization records

3. registration paper (please fill out ALL portions of the dentist, physician and

emergency contact information including addresses and phone numbers )

4. baptismal or birth certificate

5. any custody paperwork that we need to be made aware of

6. Dentist form -Does not need to be signed by a dentist

7. Publicity Form

8. An emergency care plan for any children diagnosed with severe asthma, food or insect

allergies requiring an EPI-pen, medical concerns requiring medications to be administered at school or other health related concerns that would require our faculty to have a plan in place in the event of an emergency. Please ask your doctor for a form or call the school office. Please attach a picture of your child to the form.

Forms can be found here!