FAQs

The following is a list of the most frequently asked questions I am asked every school year and their answers.

1. How can I find out how much money is in my child's lunch account?
    You can access your child's lunch account through Mealpay Plus.
 Mealpay Plus can be used to make payments using a credit card, debit card, or check. You can check account balances online at www.mealpayplus.com or by phone at 866-728-6757. Auto-pay your student’s account when it reaches a low balance.There is never any cost to receive notifications when your student’s account balance is low. 

2. My child writes letters and numbers backwards.  Could he be dyslexic?
   Writing letters and numbers backwards is completely normal and common in kindergarten. The conventions of print are very new to your child and they are more focused on forming the letters correctly than whether they are facing a certain direction. When they write a letter or number backwards, you should bring it to their attention and have them correct it - just keep your patience, it's not a big deal!

3. Can I bring cupcakes for my child's birthday?
    Yes you can, but they must be store-bought or you can purchase them from our cafeteria.  Home-made treats are not allowed to be shared with the class per school policy.  Before you buy them, please send me a note or email to check on the number of students in the class.  Also, if your child is in the AM class, donuts are a great alternative since they can be enjoyed as the students arrive in the morning.  (There really is no convenient time for cupcakes in the morning class, unfortunately). 

4. Do you go to recess everyday?
    Absolutely!!!! This means your child will need to wear a jacket/coat to school if the weather calls for it. We only have indoor recess when it rains or if it is below freezing. 

5. When is the class field trip/Christmas party/special program, etc.....? 
    Any dates and times for upcoming events will always be listed in the Friday newsletter.  The newsletter will be in your child's folder. It will also include a list of sight words we are currently working on, what we learned that week, what we're learning the next week, and more. Definitely fridge-worthy material.

6.  How much time should my child spend on her written homework?
    I design the homework to be quick and easy. It should be a review that requires very little help from you. While there are different levels of homework, no level is meant to challenge the student. The challenging should happen in the classroom- not at home where all parties involved begin kicking and screaming.  With that said, the homework should take around 5 minutes each night. It can be divided to be done over the course of Monday through Thursday or your child may choose to do all of it at once. If it is taking longer than 5 minutes, let me know. A different level of homework may need to be sent home. 

7.  I feel like my child is just memorizing the book he brings home and is only using the pictures.  Should I cover the pictures? 
    No. Memorizing and using illustrations are beginning blocks to reading.  But be sure to have them track the words while they're reading. You can ask them to point to certain words to be sure that they understand where each word lies in the sentence. Always let them use the pictures. Right now they are using pattern, sight words, and pictures to read predictable books. As their phonics skills grow, they will be taught to start with the first letter sound of an unknown word and check with the illustrations for more help. This will grow into fully sounding out words and using the illustrations to double check.