What are the kindergarten hours?
Kindergarten is a full day program. Buses/students arrive beginning at 8:00 a.m. Classes begin promptly at 8:25 a.m. School ends at 3:00 p.m.

How many students are there usually in each kindergarten class?
In recent years, the number of students in each of our  kindergarten classes has varied from 17 to 22. This number depends on the total number of students enrolled.

Will my child use computers at school?
Each kindergarten classroom has a computer. The school also has a computer lab that students will have a chance to use for instruction with their teachers.

How much Physical Education will my kindergartner have?
Kindergarten classes have 120 minutes of physical education weekly (3 days per week). Students are required to participate in PE unless they have a note from a parent. Any student who cannot participate in PE for an extended period of time will require a note from the doctor. Kindergarteners are not required to have tennis/athletic shoes for PE.

Are there art and music programs for kindergartners?
Students will visit the music and art classrooms for instruction throughout the school year. Kindergarten classes perform during the Christmas Program each year.

Does Newburg offer special programs for gifted/high ability students?
A challenging core curriculum is the foundation of the services available for gifted students at the elementary level. Classroom teachers modify the core curriculum for gifted and other high ability students and teach advanced content at a faster pace and in greater depth. Flexible grouping practices and cross grade level groups are utilized to maintain appropriate academic challenge in the classroom. Testing for the gifted enrichment program at the kindergarten level is not done until spring. Additional information is available through your child’s teacher or the Gifted Resource Teacher.

May my child use the Elementary library?
Kindergarten students will visit the library weekly with their class to receive instruction, check out books, and enjoy some great books that are read out loud. Students can check out new books at anytime once their previous books have been returned. In addition, your child’s teacher will send home book order flyers from different book companies (Scholastic, etc.) throughout the school year. This is an optional activity. If students wish to place orders, they may return the order form with payment to the teacher. Books usually arrive within 2-3 weeks. Teachers will send them home with your child.

Does the school provide snacks?
No. A snack calendar is sent home once per month with your child’s name marked on the day your child is to bring snacks. We request that healthy items such as cheese and crackers, vegetables, fruit, raisins, peanut butter crackers, fruit rolls ups, etc.  are sent for snack. Your child will have the opportunity to purchase milk for snack – regular or chocolate. The snack calendar is also posted on the Class Pages.

How should I send money/other items to school?
We strongly suggest that you label every item you send to school with your child’s full name. We may have several children with the same first name so last names should be included. You will be surprised to see how full our Lost and Found Box (located outside of the office) will be by mid-October. Please send all money to school with your child in an envelope clearly marked on the outside, “Milk Money = $x.xx” or “Lunch Money = $x.xx” or you may enclose a note as to how the money should be applied. Also, please be sure your child’s name is marked on the envelope, too.

How do breakfast and lunch programs operate?
Newburg offers a hot breakfast and lunch program. Breakfast runs from 8:00 a.m. until 8:25 a.m. in the cafeteria. Students who will be eating breakfast at school should report to their classroom prior to going down to the cafeteria. After breakfast, they should report directly to their classroom. For the current school year, breakfast (including milk) costs 75 cents. A hot lunch program is available each day for $1.00 for elementary students and $1.25 for junior & high school students (this includes milk). Menus are sent home every other week. You can also access the menus from this website. The breakfast choices for each day are also listed on the menu. Prepaid lunch accounts can be set up for students. Just because a student has an account set up does not mean they have to purchase a lunch. They are always able to pack a bag lunch or bring a lunch box with a thermos. If they bring a bag lunch, students can purchase a milk to have with their lunch for 20 cents.

May I send medicine for my child to school?
The Newburg R2 School District’s Policy regarding administering medication to students at school is discussed in detail the Student/Parent Handbook. Information can also be found on this website in the Nurse’s Pages.

May I pick my child up from school myself?
Yes. Students who do not ride the bus and do not attend the After Bell Care (ABC) Program should be picked up between 3:10 p.m. and 3:15. It is helpful to send a note to your child’s teacher if you plan on picking your child up from school early or at the end of the day. The school will only release children to the people you have listed on your emergency card. The After Bell Care Program also has a list they will work from. If anyone else (other than people listed on the emergency card or the after school list) will pick up your child from school, please send a note with this information. See also Newburg R2 School District’s transportation information.

Do kindergartners go on field trips?
Kindergarten students will participate in one field trip in the Spring. Field trips are scheduled during the normal school day using school buses. Parents will be notified in advance of field trip dates and destinations. We can always use volunteers to go along! Permissions slips will also be required to be on file prior to the field trip. You can download & print a permission slip from the website and send it to school in the backpack.

Is the school prepared to handle emergency/crisis situations?
Events across the country have raised our awareness of the need for increased security and increased awareness on the part of staff to handle crisis or emergency situations. During the course of the school year, students will be informed of the emergency procedures when a fire or tornado drill is announced. We will then periodically practice drills for building evacuations as well as a severe weather drill. Teachers will prepare students in advance for these drills and will do so in a calm, instructional manner to reduce concern.

Schools are also required to practice fire drills once a month for  the school year. Your child’s teacher will review the fire exit plan with your child prior to the first drill. Bus evacuation drills are also required by law twice a year. This is like a fire drill on the school bus. Students practice using the front door as well as the emergency door located on the side of the bus or the rear of the bus. These are usually held at random, at the discretion of the each bus driver.

Is the school involved in development of good character in students?
Newburg R2 School District has chosen to implement the nationally recognized Character Counts Program. The Character Counts program is based upon the premise that development of good character is a lifelong process in which families, communities, and schools share in the responsibility to help young people develop good character. It is based on the development of six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and friendship. You will be hearing more about this program during the school year.

I am afraid my little kindergartner will get lost riding the school bus!
Rest assured, we make take every stride to not let that happen. Bus schedules are mailed to parents in the middle of August and given a bus number, list of roads, and bus pick up times. Bus drivers will establish stops as they make the bus run. Students should be at the bus stop at least 5 minutes prior to the pick up time. If the stop needs to be changed, the bus driver will let you know. There is additional transportation information available online under our transportation procedures. In the mornings, for the first week of school, we will have teams of staff members boarding the buses to get kindergarten and new students off the bus. After things settle down in a few days, the bus drivers will announce for kindergarten students to unload from the buses first. At the end of the day, teachers announce bus riders at 3:00. Kindergarten classes are called first. The kindergarten teachers walk their students to the buses each day throughout the school year. Parents are encouraged to read the bus guidelines with their child. Students should not to eat or drink while on the school bus.

May my child ride a different bus or come home with a friend?
If your child needs to ride a different bus home, such as riding the bus home with a friend, please send a note that morning informing the teacher and the office. The friend your child is riding home with MUST ALSO bring a note stating your child is to come home with him.

How does the After Bell Care Programs operate?
The After Bell Care Program runs from 3:15 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Students must be registered in advance of starting this program and must prepay for the days they attend. Parents are responsible for picking up their child from the program. Registration forms to enroll in the After Bell Care Program for the coming year will be mailed to kindergarten parents who register prior to the middle of June. Fees for the program will be listed on the registration form. Any change in your child’s regular after school schedule needs to be sent in writing to your child’s teacher in advance or the day of the change.

How can I find out about happenings in the classroom?
Kindergarten teachers will send home weekly newsletters. These will help keep you up-to-date on academics in the classroom as well as upcoming events and news. The newsletters are entered onto this website under their respective Class Pages. Parents should always log into this website, as specific information pertaining to the classrooms is hidden to the general public.

How can I find out about events and activities at school?
The Lil Howler is sent home every two weeks. This newsletter gives a listing of upcoming events, PTO events, activities that each grade is involved in and other pertinent information that parents need to know. Please review these carefully when they are sent home each month.

Are class pictures and yearbooks available?
Flyers and instruction sheets will be sent home during the year with information and fees for school pictures. Usually, individual pictures are taken at school in October and arrive back prior to the winter holiday. Yearbook order forms are sent out in late-January or early February. Yearbooks are distributed to students about 2 weeks prior to the end of the school year. Spring pictures are usually taken in March.

How may I find out how my child is doing at school?
Conferences and report cards are used to report student progress to parents throughout the school year. The school operates on 9 week cycles for conferences and report cards. Usually, the kindergarten teachers have conferences with parents at the end of the first 9 week period. This occurs around the first of November. Parents are always welcome to call and arrange conferences anytime during the school year.

How may I communicate with my child’s teacher? May a special conference be arranged?
Parents can leave messages in the office for teachers to call them. Parents can also send teachers an email. A teacher’s email address can be found on the class page or under the District Info section on this website. It is difficult for teachers to talk with parents or return calls during the school day since they are with the children from 8:00 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. Teachers will return your call after school dismisses or during their free hour, if time permits. They will also be glad to set up conference times after school.

What are the required forms that I need to submit for my child?
At Open House or the first day of school, you will receive a packet of forms to complete for your child. Forms in this packet will include: an emergency card (which can be updated on this website if a parent is logged in), bus regulations, parental responsibility statement, internet usage policy, etc. It is important that these forms be completed accurately and returned in a timely fashion.

How can I learn more about the school’s policies and procedures?
Check the Parent/Student Handbook. Copies of the handbook are sent home with students by early September.

My child is feeling sick today and is not able to go to school. What should I do?
Whenever a child is going to be absent from school, the parent needs to call the school at 762-WOLF (9653) by 8:30 a.m. (or send a note in advance) informing the school of the absence. According to state law, the school is required to contact the parent to verify the absence from school if the parent has not already taken care of this. See also the section on attendance in the Student/Parent Handbook.

My child will be late to school today. What do I need to do?
If your child is going to be late to school, please call the main office by 8:15 a.m. and let them know. When you bring your child to school, you must check into the main office and sign your child in.

My child has a complicated afternoon schedule. How should I handle it?
It is important all year to keep your child’s teacher informed about your child’s schedule at dismissal time – are they going to after school, riding the bus or being picked up? With everything being “so new” for the first few weeks, it is especially important that everyone is clear on afternoon schedules. A note giving a schedule for the week (sent in on Mondays) is helpful until everything falls into a routine.

Who may pick up my child from school?
The school will only release a student to persons authorized to pick him/her up listed on the student emergency card. If a situation arises where someone else needs to be pick your child up, the parent is responsible for sending a note to the school or calling to inform the school. It is also important that information on the emergency card be kept up-to-date throughout the school year as situations may change. Custody issues should be brought to the attention of the office staff prior to school starting (if custody has already been established) or as soon as a change is made. We will need to have the appropriate documents on file for custody situations.

How could I help in the school?
The Newburg PTO is a very active parent volunteer group. Each classroom also has a room parent that assists with planning the school parties and field trips. When coming to the school to volunteer, ALWAYS SIGN IN at the main office – do not go directly to the classroom.

How should my child be dressed for school?
Inappropriate dress can be a source of disruption or a threat to health and safety. School guidelines with regard to dress should be observed. The Board of Education expects student dress and grooming to be neat, clean and in keeping with community standards, so that each student may share in promoting a positive, healthy and safe atmosphere within the School District. This expectation includes the school day and school sponsored extracurricular activities. Shirts should cover the waistline (no tummies showing), no cut-off shorts, shorts & skirts should be to the end of the child’s fingers if the child is standing with his hands to his side.

Will my child be exposed to secondhand smoking while at school?
No! The school is a tobacco-free school system for students, staff and members of the community. Newburg R2 School District prohibits the use of tobacco products in school buildings and on school grounds including school parking lots, athletic fields, and in vehicles owned, rented or leased by the school. This prohibition includes the use of all tobacco products at outside activities such as sporting events, PTO events, etc. The policy applies at all times, day or night, and to all students, employees, and visitors on school grounds.

How may my child celebrate his/her birthday at school?
Your child’s birthday can be celebrated at school in a SIMPLE fashion. You may bring a small treat for each class member such as cupcakes, cake, donuts, or cookies (when bring a cake, please remember to bring plates, forks, napkins and something to cut the cake with.) We discourage party favors of any kind being distributed. Please save those for home. Birthday treats can be shared in the classroom, not in the cafeteria. It presents a problem when having it in the cafeteria since all kindergarten classes eat lunch together and only one class receives a treat. Many times your child’s teacher will assign your child’s snack day on his birthday. This will allow for the afternoon snack be the birthday treat.

Is there counseling for students?
Yes. The elementary school counseling and guidance program is a planned, sequential set of interrelated services designed to help address the academic/educational, social/emotional, and career/vocational domains of child development. It supports the educational process by helping children master the development tasks of childhood and learn effectively and efficiently. Emphasis is also placed on the early identification of factors that interfere with learning and on planning interventions to address those factors. The goal of the program is to help students acquire the knowledge and skills essential for academic competence, responsible behavior, and successful living in society. The counseling and guidance program services are available to all students. Ms. Rose Blair is the elementary counselor. You can access the Guidance section of this website to read about Mrs. Blair’s programs and assistance.

May I call my child at school?
Students are not called to the phone for calls except in the case of an emergency.

How can I find out more about the kindergarten curriculum?
At the beginning of the school year, you will receive a copy of the kindergarten curriculum brochure. This will give you an overview of the kindergarten program. The brochure will be discussed in more detail at Back-To-School Night held for parents in August.