WELCOME

Dear TISA Kindergarten Families,

WELCOME TO A YEAR OF NEW ADVENTURES AT TISA!

If this is your first message from me, welcome, welcome, welcome to our kindergarten class community at TISA! Hope you are enjoying the last bit of summer. Please read this message attentively as there is much to share.

First off: CELEBRATE!

There will be many milestones and moments to cherish on your child's path. This rite of passage from cradle to kindergarten is a teary-eyed one for many families. To ease into this transition, why not make it a precious memory for all? 

How about 

• going on a special walk/hike 
• making first day jitters-away goo 
• looking at your old school photos and sharing an (upbeat!) school story
• starting a scrap book of kindergarten
• tucking in a special note for the first day
• planning on a fun activity after the first day of school
• taking an "off-to-kinder" photo

THE NIGHT BEFORE ...

• Prepare lunch box together (include utensils and washcloth/kitchen towel/cloth napkin)
• Set out first day of school clothes+shoes together
• Relax with a favorite book/bath
• Tuck in early! For a happy first day, get a good night's sleep (my prescription: start bedtime routines by 7:30, snuggle in bed by 8:30pm, get 10 hours of shut-eye)

COMMUNICATION
cell: 779-1952 (Please text me and I will respond as soon as time allows.)
email: jutkatisa@gmail.com 
Kinder blog: tisakinder.blogspot.com (This is your hotline. Kinder newsletters and announcements will be published here in "Hoot." I suggest that you bookmark it right now.)
TISA home page: http://tisataos.org/
Follow us on Facebook: TISA on Facebook
Please let me know if you would like to have a paper copy of the kinder news. 

TISA'S TWO CAMPUSES 
Lower elementary: K-3 campus (building by DRAGON FOUNTAIN downtown)
119 Manzanares St, Taos, NM 87571  
Middle school and main office: 4-8 campus
212 Bendix Dr, Taos, NM 87571

MONDAY 

• drop off: 8:30 (Grown-up folks are welcome to stay until 9:00am on the first day. On a regular day thereafter parents will be most welcome if they pre-arrange it with me to volunteer with activities.)
• pick up: 3:30
• aftercare: 3:30-5:30 (free of charge)

WHAT TO BRING ON MONDAY

• DO NOT BRING all school supplies yet 
• we will only need crayons and sketchbook (see specs on blog supply list) -- please label
• full set of extra clothes and long sleeves in backpack (and tuck in a wash cloth too)
• lunch, snack, big water bottle! (label)
• clothing for rain/shine, sunscreen/sunhat (we'll be spending lots of time outdoors)
• contact information on a piece of paper to leave with me (phone, email, emergency contact, pick up folks contacts)
• any paperwork you might have for the office
• photos of your family/adventures to share 
• your schedule/calendar so you are ready to sign up for classroom help -- THANK YOU!

PARENT VOLUNTEERS: I am setting up our brand new classroom and need volunteers to help. Please devote a few hours this week and sign up. Your support will make a world of difference.

CONVERSATION SEEDS (= hints that may help you connect with your child and find out more about the wonderful days they have at school) 
Did you meet a new friend at school? Do you know their name?
Did you learn a new game to play? Can we play that at home?
Were you able to open your food containers?
How do you know that it's time to line up at the end of recess?
Was there anything that happened at school today that concerns you? Does Miss Jutka know?
Do you know your teachers names? 

CURRICULUM to kick off a fabulous year:

• welcome to our new TISA family 
• "Me," and my new friends
• life cycle of a butterfly 
• nursery rhymes and traditional stories
• art/elements of design: self-portraits 
• small motor skills: prewriting and using lines
• literacy: working with names and letters in child's own name
• math: sorting, measuring and comparison

Aftercare and Friday Enrichment Programs

Many Parents have inquired about the Programs TISA offers. We are happy to announce that children who participate in the Aftercare Program and Friday Enrichment will be able to do so at no cost. Yes, these programs will be free to students who need to utilize them, all we ask is that you send an extra snack for your child for the Aftercare Program and a lunch with snack for the Friday Enrichment. The Aftercare Program will run Monday-Thursday from 3:30-5:30 and the Friday Enrichment Program will run from 8:00-5:00. Both programs will be held at the Manzanares campus where the kids can utilize the playground equipment. No, we do not have transportation to get students from the Bendix campus to the Manzanares campus. In the past, we had parents carpool. If you are interested in carpooling, please reply to this email so that I can help find a parent who travels to the Manzanares campus.

TISA Clubs

We are currently working with teachers to come up with a schedule of clubs. Clubs will start after Labor Day, and will be at both campuses. Once a schedule is in place, an electronic copy will be sent out.

HOMEWORK: Practice independence! 

• opening/closing lunch containers and water bottles 
• putting on/taking off shoes 
• doing regular chores at home (feeding pet, setting table, watering plants)

Read 20 minutes with family every day/evening.

See you on Monday!

Miss Jutka  (say: you-t-kah) 

(However, I will respond to just about any name you come up with, not excluding "Miss Onion!")