IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES

Nov 25 - 29 - Thanksgiving Break

Dec 7 - PTOMB - Skate City Holiday PJ Party

Dec 18 & 19 - Holiday Parties

Dec 20 - Jan 6 - Winter Break

Jan 7 - Back to School

PTO STOCK THE FRIDGE NOVEMBER

First off, a HUGE thank you for all the snacks and drinks you all have been providing to our teachers! We can't express enough how much those quick snacks and caffeinated beverages are appreciated!

The PTO does a wonderful job of spoiling the teachers.  One of the things they do is accept donations of snacks for the teachers so they can keep up with children throughout the day. They have asked me to share the sign-up; therefore, if you would like to donate here is the link to sign up to bring certain items for STOCK THE FRIDGE SIGN-UP NOVEMBER. There will be a new sign-up for each month.  If you choose to donate, please bring the items to the KindiePrep front office to drop off. Finally, please know how greatly appreciated these donations are to the teachers and staff. A kick of caffeine or a bag of Doritos can go a long way to keep the energy level up.

PARENTS WITH KP STUDENTS GOING TO KINDERGARTEN NEXT YEAR

A message from the Registrars, "We are thrilled to welcome you to Full-Day Kindergarten at American Academy! An official Welcome Letter email with online registration instructions will be sent to your family in December 2024.If your student attended KindiePrep at Lincoln Meadows or Motsenbocker, they will be enrolled at the same campus for kindergarten. If you would like your student to attend kindergarten at a campus other than the one they attended for KindiePrep, please Contact A Registrar.  A campus switch cannot be guaranteed, but will be considered based upon availability. If your child will not be attending Kindergarten at American Academy in the 2025-2026 school year, please Contact A Registrar."

COOLER TEMPERATURES

The weather is an ever-changing adventure this time of year. Please make sure to send your child with a coat everyday. The classes go out for recess unless it feels like it is below 28 degrees, so the littles need jackets.  Also, make sure to update the extra clothes they have in their cubbies. 

AFTERCARE SNACKS

If you are utilizing aftercare please make sure to send your child a snack for that time. The students are always super hungry at that time.

----REMINDERS--------

SIGNING YOUR CHILD IN-AND-OUT DAILY

You must sign your student in at drop-off and out at pick-up! This is super important for many reasons.  This is how we find out if your child does or does not need hot lunch each day.  The state also requires that we maintain attendance records. Most importantly, it's for safety!  We need to know who is in attendance so if something happens we know exactly who is here, where to find them, and who to contact.  Also, all the QR codes are the same, so you can utilize any of them, or you can use the kiosk/iPad with your PIN number at the front desk.

KP BAGS AND THE THINGS THAT GO IN THEM – NO BACKPACKS PLEASE

All the students will receive their KindiePrep bag at Open House.  The children will need a snack, a water bottle, a change of clothes, crib sheet, and a small blanket. Your child will also need to bring lunch unless you plan on ordering a hot lunch for them.  The children will also need 1 to 3 snacks depending on their classroom, and if they will be in aftercare. The 3-year-old classes have 2 snacks a day, the 4-year-old classes have 1 snack a day, and the aftercare program has a snack, so please plan appropriately.  Every child needs a water bottle every day! The children will also be resting daily.  They will need a crib sheet for their mat at rest time and a small blanket.  Please label all your child’s items.  Please make sure to have a labeled change of clothes for your child because accidents do happen; however, please remember – All KindiePrep students must be potty trained!  Everything should fit in the blue bag the children will be receiving from their teacher at Open House.  

SUNSCREEN 

If you signed the sunscreen document saying you wanted the teachers to reapply sunscreen please make sure you bring in the sunscreen labeled with your students first and last name.  If possible, the stick sunscreens work really well, and are way easier for your child and the teacher.  Getting sunscreen on 12 students is time consuming.  If you opted to not have us reapply you have no further duties pertaining to sunscreen. 

KINDIEPREP HOURS

The KindiePrep school day hours are from 8:30am to 3:00pm.  It is important for your child to be at school on time.  Students arriving at school on time have the advantage of settling in, preparing their class materials, and focusing their minds on the day to come. Being late can also cause children to miss important information for the day.  The doors to KindiePrep open at 8:15am giving families 15 minutes to get their student signed and settled in for the day.  

In the afternoon families have from 3:00pm to 3:15pm to pick up their children, unless they are signed up for extra-care.  If children are not picked up by 3:15pm they will be put in extra-care and you will be charged $18.00 for their care.  We will also call to inquire about your pick-up plan.

SMARTCARE SYSTEM & APP

SmartCare is how families not only pay their tuition; but also, how families sign their children in/out of the school every day.  Therefore, we need every family to download the SmartCare App and log in using the previously established information from when you enrolled your student. Some of you may already have the SmartCare app on your phone, if that is the case just make sure everything is up to date. You will need your phone to scan the QR code to sign them in at drop-off, let us know if they need a hot lunch, and to sign them out at pick-up. There is also an option to sign in using a 4-digit personalized PIN number.  It should be located in the app, under your profile information. 

SCHOOL LUNCH

We do offer a hot lunch option here in KindiePrep and this year it is free for all students.  The school district provides the meals, and they are prepared in the school cafeteria.  We let the cafeteria staff know how many hot lunches we need in the morning, and then we go pick them up around 11:30am.  Lunch is at 11:45am in KindiePrep. The lunch menu is out each month, and can be found outside each classroom or on our KindiePrep webpage.  If your child is going to be having hot lunch you will need mark it in the SmartCare system. You also have the option to send your child a healthy sack lunch. Suggestion: If you know you have a picky eater please think about that when making lunch decisions. Hungry children are unhappy children! If you would like to purchase milk only for your child to go with their home lunch that is also an option; however, it is not free.  You will need to set up an account in the My School Bucks System.

HEALTH APPRAISALS AND SHOT RECORDS

We need your child’s most up to date physical and shot record.  Thank you if you have already turned yours into Laura.  If you haven’t please email them to Laura Starrett as soon as possible.  We need copies of those or your child will not be able to start school on time.

EXTRACARE

We offer a before and after school program for those families that need more care than 8:30am to 3:00pm each day.  Our morning program runs from 7:00am – 8:15am, and our aftercare program runs from 3:15pm – 5:30pm.  If you would like to utilize this program you will need to fill out a calendar each month and turn it in to Assistant Director Laura Starrett. Calendars can be found in the KP front office. We do have limited space so it will be filled on a first come first serve basis. (5 full day families that purchased the package deal do not need to fill out a calendar, and those students are first on the list.)

PLAYGROUND SANDBOX

Many of our families utilize the playground before and after school, and that is wonderful. We just ask that if the sandbox is closed/covered up it stays that way. Thank you!

KINDIEPREP DRESS CODE 

If you have questions about the dress code please review the KindiePrep Dress Code Policy. We will be checking for dress code compliance, and you will be notified if your child is out of compliance. The last Friday of every month is a Dress of Choice day which means the children have the option to wear any school appropriate outfit. (See Dress Code Policy) All other Friday’s are Spirit days.  This means the children need to wear their navy-blue bottoms, but they can wear an American Academy spirit shirt. These shirts can be found in the Spirit Gear Store or they can be t-shirts the children receive from the school for special events like Fun Run or Field Day!

FOOD AT SCHOOL

I always like to remind families about our Food at School policy at the beginning of the school year.  We have these rules in place for the health and safety of our students. 

• NO FOOD BIRTHDAY TREATS allowed at school.
  Other non-food treats are welcome, per teacher discretion! This is not a change from last year, just a continuation of what you’ve already been doing. We know kiddos love birthday sweets but it just gets to be too much sugar at school with so many birthdays to celebrate year-round. 
• NUTS IN THE CLASSROOM
  This is always a concern.  We are not a nut free facility; however, we do take precautions.  If your child is in a classroom with a student that has severe allergies we will restrict nuts in that classroom.  Your teachers will let you know if this is the case in your child’s room.  
• FOOD IS OK for classroom parties and classroom learning events.
  You can bring in food items to eat as well as food items for crafts and games. However, we ask that parents work with teachers to ensure that any food allergy concerns are addressed in the planning process. We want to be sure ALL students can participate in the fun safely.

SCHOOL DISMISSAL MANAGER PROGRAM

KindiePrep DOES NOT utilize the SDM app.  That is for the K-8 part of the school only.