September 14th, 2022
Happy Wednesday KindiePrep Families,
I hope that you are having a wonderful week. It is week four of your children being in school and they are settling in to the school routine very well. We couldn't be more proud of them!
It is hard to believe with these 90 degree days, however, Fall begins next Thursday. Time is going very fast and the school has lots of fun activities planned for the children. This email has a list of upcoming dates and important information. As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Important Dates:
Constitution Day- This Friday, September 16th is Constitution Day and Kindie Prep will be celebrating with some fun activities. Our children will hear a preschool-friendly story about the Constitution and make some fun crafts. Our teacher assistants have been working hard to make this a fun and educational day for our students. Please feel free to have your child wear Start/ Stripes/ Red/White and Blue shirts or socks with uniform bottoms to help celebrate the day!
Prospective Parent Presentations and Campus Tours- American Academy will be offering campus tours at each campus. Please feel free to share this information with friends or family who may be interested in American Academy for their child. https://www.aak8.org/apps/news/article/1649009
DCSD Training and 60 Minute Late Start on October 11th- American Academy has a planned late start at each campus so our staff can take part in important security training. The Douglas County School District (DCSD) Security Team visits schools in Douglas County to do important Standard Response Protocol Lock Down training and drills (and we are thrilled to once again have them at American Academy)! Our entire staff is required to participate in the before-school training session and then, with the help of DCSD Security, we will all (including students) be running through a Lock Down drill. There will be no AM care on this day.
Fun Run- October 7th- Save the Date. More details to come.
August 29th, 2022
Hello and Happy Monday.
It has been a whirlwind of a week and we have had so much fun getting to know your children. Their smiles and laughter bring such joy and are a constant reminder as to why we love our jobs.
A few reminders as we move into the second week of school:
Drop off and Pick Up: Please remember that if you arrive at school during active carpool, you may NOT skip it. Our carpool attendants are there to assist you and happy to help if you have any questions.
Physical / Health Appraisal: Please make sure that we have an up-to-date physical /health appraisal on file at the school. The State of Colorado Department of Early Childhood licensing requires that we have the physical within 30 days of your child beginning school and will require disenrollment of any child not in compliance.
Spirit Days / Dress of Choice: Spirit Days are every Friday (except for the last Friday of the month which is Dress of Choice) and children are welcome to wear an American Academy spirit shirt and uniform bottoms. Spirit Wear is available for purchase using the link below or at the KindiePrep front office.
The last Friday of the month is Dress of Choice. Please remember that children must be in school appropriate street clothes; pajamas and costumes are not allowed on Dress of Choice days.
Back to School Night: Back to School night will be next Tuesday, September 6th from 5:30-6:30. This is an opportunity to visit the classroom, meet with teachers and answer any questions that you may have. Teachers will cover curriculum and classroom information, as well. Please note the date and time change.
Upcoming Dates:
As always, thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us and please let us know if there is anything that we can do for your family.
July 15th, 2022
It is hard to believe how quickly time has gone and that we have less than 35 days left of summer before our first day of school on August 22nd We are very excited to welcome back our returning families and can’t wait to meet our new families!
This email is information-packed and will answer many of the questions that you may have regarding the upcoming school year. I would suggest printing this email out for future reference. We will also be available to answer questions at Registration on August 11th and Open House on August 18th
Dates to Remember:
First Tuition Payment- August 1st
Registration- August 11th, 10 am-12:30 pm (Must sign up for a time to attend. More information below)
Open House- August 18th, 4:30pm-6:00pm
KP-8th Grade Picture Day-August 19th 10 am-3 pm
First Day of School-August 22nd (5 full-day and M/W/F)
First Day of School- August 23rd (T/TH)
Back to School Night- September 6th, 5:30pm-6:3:30pm
SmartCare Account
American Academy KindiePrep uses SmartCare for our registration paperwork, billing, and student check-in/check-out procedures When enrolling your child into the KindiePrep program, you utilized the SmartCare system and an account has already been established. Please ensure that all of your information is current including billing information. It is important that you do this from a computer and not the app.
https://enrollments.smartcare.com/registrationforms
Please make sure to download the SmartCare app to your phone (or uninstall/ reinstall if you are a previous family) as soon as possible. The app is the most efficient way to sign your child in/out of the facility and will also be needed to order school lunches. A four-digit code is also assigned to each pick-up/drop-off person listed on your child’s registration and this code may be used at one of our kiosks for sign-in. You will find this code listed on the app and under your profile. If you do not have your phone available at the time of drop off or pick up, you may use the four digit-code and one of our kiosks. To ensure that your family is ready for the first day of school, the check-in/check-out QR codes will be available at registration.
First Tuition Payment
American Academy tuition is based on a yearly amount depending on the number of days your child attends school. For your convenience, we provide three options for payment.
*If you choose the monthly payment plan, tuition will be billed on the 25th of each month and charges will occur on the 1st business day of the following month for a total of 10 monthly payments. The first payment will be due on August 1st. Please ensure that “auto-pay” is enabled.
*The KindiePrep Parent Handbook has specific information regarding tuition refunds and withdrawal from the program, however, in most situations, refunds for unused days are given with a 30-day notice.
Registration
Registration will be on August 11th from 10 am- 12:30om. This is a time to make sure that all paperwork has been completed and answer any questions that you may have.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090845A4A82CA20-kindieprep1
If you are unable to attend registration please email me at [email protected] to let us know that you are unable to attend registration and we will plan to see you at the Open House on Thursday, August 18th. You are welcome to bring your children to registration, however, please note that classrooms will not be open and teachers are unavailable as they typically do not attend registration.
Physical / Health Appraisal
The State of Colorado Department of Early Childhood licensing requires an up-to-date (dated within one year) Health Appraisal (also known as a physical) AND an immunization record to be on file at the school. The Health Appraisal must state that your child is in good health, may attend an early childhood program, AND signed by a physician. Unfortunately, the State of Colorado licensing does not allow a “Summary of Visit” in place of a Health Appraisal. Both the physical and immunization record must be submitted before a student can attend school.
Open House
Open House will be held in KindiePrep on Thursday, August 18th from 4:30 pm-6:00 pm. This will be an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, see the classroom and drop off school supplies and sunscreen. If your child has any medical needs, please bring the appropriate documentation at that time as well. You will receive your child’s KindiePrep bag at that time and receive specific classroom information from your child’s teacher. PTO typically has a school-wide social event during Open House.
Picture Day
This year student school pictures will be taken before the school year starts. You will need to bring your student(s) into school on August 18th or 19th between the hours of 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. Please report to the Main Office and they will direct you where to go for the pictures. Your student(s) will need to be in the proper dress code for the picture.
Teacher/ Classroom
You will be notified of your child’s teacher and classroom at registration on August 11th. Your family will be invited to meet your child’s teacher and see their classroom at Open House on August 18th. All classroom-specific information will be covered by your child’s teacher at Open House.
School Supplies
Order online or shop locally - the choice is yours.
The deadline for online ordering is July 28 to ensure enough delivery time; parents will need to shop locally after July 28.
Download the school supply list below for your campus, find your grade level, choose your favorite local store, and enjoy. Shop Local
Dress Code
Students in the American Academy K-8 program are required to wear uniforms supplied by our K-8 uniform vendor, Dennis Uniform. KindiePrep students are NOT required to wear the K-8 uniform. Instead, KindiePrep students follow a KindiePrep “dress code”.
The above dress code items may be purchased from any vendor.
Outdoor Recess
Students will play outdoors daily provided the temperature is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit and below 90 degrees Fahrenheit and must be dressed appropriately each day for outdoor play.
Carpool
Morning Drop Off
The KindiePrep school day starts at 8:30 and ends at 3:00. Families with siblings in the K-8 school may drop off at 8:10 and our doors open to all other students at 8:15. Parents will take their children directly to the classroom where the teacher will be ready to greet your child for the day. Please place all of your child’s personal belongings in their cubby, sign your child in with the app on your phone, ensure that you have applied sunscreen to your child, and use the app to sign your child in for the day and choose a lunch option.
KindiePrep Tote Bag
Every child will receive a KindiePrep bag at Open House for their personal belongings. These bags fit perfectly in our cubby system that each child will use while at school. The following items should be in your child’s KP bag every day. (If your child is attending 5 full days, you may leave some of these items in their cubby until Friday) No backpacks, please.
Extra-Care
KindiePrep offers AM care which runs from 7:00 am-8:30 am and PM care which runs from 3:00-5:30. If your child is on the 5 full-day with extra-care tuition plan, they are automatically enrolled in both AM and PM care. If your child is not enrolled in that plan, you will need to complete a monthly calendar indicating the days that you will be needing extra care for your child. Due to state licensing, we are unable to accommodate drop-in childcare and we do require a 30-day notice in order to secure a spot for your child in extra care.
Extra-care calendars are due by the 1st of the month for care needed the following month and can be found at the front desk. Please note that extra care is first come, first served and there are no refunds or transfers. AM care is $10.00 per day (7:00am-8:30am) and PM care is $15.00 per day. (3:00pm-5:30pm)
Lunches
KindiePrep students may choose to either bring a lunch from home or purchase a school lunch. AA KindiePrep participates in the Douglas County School District school lunch program at a cost of approximately $3.50 per lunch. Families will be responsible for setting up a “My School Bucks” account through Douglas County School district for payment. Lunches are served in the classroom between 11:10-11:45. KindiePrep students are offered (a) one meal choice for the day or (b) a vegetarian option (only offered if the meal for the day is non-vegetarian), or (c) milk only option. A monthly lunch menu is posted outside of every classroom. As you scan your child in for the day, we ask that you please follow ALL of the sign-in prompts to ensure that lunch is ordered for your child. You will need your student’s ID in order to create a My School Bucks Account. New families will receive this at registration.
*The vegetarian option typically consists of a peanut-free butter sandwich, string cheese, packaged fruit, and a veggie.
My School Bucks- Lunch Account
Snacks
Families are asked to provide a healthy snack from home for their children. The three-year-old program has two snack times scheduled throughout the day and the four-year-old program has one snack time scheduled. Your child will need an additional snack if they are staying for after-care.
Food at School
Rest Time
Licensing requires that we schedule a rest time into our day. Rest time is right after lunch and lasts for approximately 1 hour. We ask that parents supply a crib sheet and a small crib-size blanket as they fit well on the school-provided resting mat.
Emergency Communications
It is of vital importance that you complete the emergency communications opt-in so that you will receive notifications from the school. Please follow the link below.
Emergency Communications Opt-In
Again, welcome to KindiePrep and please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.