Becoming a Kindergartner
As a school, Cambridgeport has high expectations for our students, and we believe that the social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum. We are providing you with a list of our expectations for kindergartners. Some of these expectations are family responsibilities, such as getting to school on time. Some should be taught by families and reinforced at school, such as using the bathroom and dressing independently. For some children, these expectations will come easily, and for others, the expectations will be challenging. We are sensitive to the fact that children grow and learn at different paces, but we always encourage children to give their “best effort!” We will also spend much of our time during the first two months of school modeling and reinforcing routines, transitions, expectations, and Cambridgeport’s Core Values (Be Kind, Be Responsible, Be Reflective, and Aim High) so that children will know them, practice them, and ultimately become successful.
Family-Teacher Communication
Communication
is a vital part of building a positive school-home relationship. We
have several methods for keeping you informed and ways for you to contact us.
Mail Folder:
Your child has a mail folder that will go between school and home every day; as best as you can, please check the folder daily. We will send home school and classroom notices, as well as student work, in this folder. Likewise, if you have a note that needs to reach us, please place it in the mail folder because teachers will check the folders every day (but not every backpack so please remind your child to put their folder in the home folder bin when they arrive each day!). This is a dependable way to ensure that we receive information from each other during the school week. Children in Lorna’s JK and Diane’s K classroom will use classroom mail-slots for the same purpose.
Newsletter:
Newsletters provide information about the activities children are doing in school, notes and reminders, wish lists, and important dates. Kindergarten classroom teachers write a newsletter sent home on Fridays.
Phone/Email:
We check our email messages before and after school each day. If you have important messages that must reach us during the school day, please speak to the school secretary, Maria Bermudez, who will let us know. Also, if you have a topic or concern that takes more than a few lines of an email or more than a minute on the phone, we would very much appreciate discussing the matter with you in person and are happy to schedule a time to chat.
Cambridgeport Front Desk: 617.349.6587
Justin Cravens: x301, [email protected]
Lorna Holland and Alden Griggs: x304, [email protected]
Diane Griggs and Valerie Christophont x300, [email protected]
Liz Barlock and Maya Walter x303, [email protected]
Conferences:
We feel that the ideal relationship between families and teachers is a true partnership. We have information with which to provide you, but you are experts on your child; you are a resource for us to help your child have success at school. Your partnership is key. Children who know that their teacher and parents are on “the same page” may monitor their behavior more quickly and effectively and enjoy more security and comfort at school. Formal conferences occur in fall and spring, but at any time, families or teachers may need to schedule a meeting about a child’s progress. We enjoy connecting with families during arrival and dismissal times briefly but please understand the students are our first priority during these times. If you or we have an important or sensitive topic to discuss that requires each other’s full attention, it is best to schedule our conversation.