Haultain Memorial School

605 Queensland Drive SE, Calgary, AB T2J 4S8

email | haultainmemorial@cbe.ab.ca

t | 403-777-6860 f | 403-777-6863

September 1, 2015
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to Kindergarten at Haultain Memorial School. My name is Mrs. Kristen Olver and I am the morning
kindergarten teacher. I am also the temporary teacher for the afternoon kindergarten class as the teacher, Ms.
Sandra Sims, is on a leave of absence. Ms. Sims approximate expected date of return will be sometime in
January 2016. Please feel free to connect with the School Administrative team, Mrs. Prem Randhawa the
School Principal or Mrs. Dayna McComish the School Assistant Principal if you have any further questions.
Sandra and I look forward to collaborating with you throughout the school year to ensure your childs success.
Please read the following important information below regarding kindergarten routines and procedures.
Communication
Our classroom blog will be one of our primary sources of communication. The blog will be updated daily with
important information regarding upcoming school events, notices and reminders. It will also include samples of
student work and help parents understand what occurs in our classroom each day. The blog will be an excellent
tool for you to start conversations with your children regarding what they learned in school that day.
The blog link is www.kindergartenroom11.weebly.com
Students will also have a red communication folder that they will take home each day in their backpack. This
folder will contain important forms that need to be filled out and returned to the office. Please check the folder
daily and return it to school in your childs backpack. If you are sending money to school, please put it in a
labeled envelope/bag, and indicate your childs name, class, amount and what the money is for.
Ex. Isabella P. - Kindergarten - $3.00 - book fair
Arrival/Dismissal
Beginning on Thursday, September 3rd Kindergarten will operate on regular school hours:
Morning kindergarten will run from 8:20 am 11:14 am
Afternoon kindergarten will run from 12:11 pm 3:05 pm.
Friday morning classes (alternating for AM and PM) will run from 8:20-12:00 (Please refer to the 10 month
calendar)
Kindergarten children and parents are asked to line up at the west entrance doors (closest to the top of the stairs
by the bus stop). When arriving for school please do not use the front doors of the school to come to the
classroom. At dismissal time parents, kindergarten parents are asked to outside the same west doors. Children
will wait beside myself until I have confirmed a parent/caregiver has arrived.
Backpack
Your child will be bringing home forms, assessment pieces, artwork, library books and other treasures on a
regular basis. Please ensure that your child has a backpack large enough to accommodate these items. The red

communication folder (9 X 12) will be sent home regularly in your childs backpack. Please label your childs
backpack with your childs name.
Indoor Shoes
Your child will need a pair of indoor shoes for classroom and gym use. We recommend running shoes that slipon or ones with Velcro closures that your child can put on independently. Please do not send shoes with laces,
as these take quite awhile for the children to tie independently. All students must wear non-skid rubber soled
shoes in the gym for safety reasons. Please clearly print your childs name on the outside of both shoes with a
pen or permanent marker.
Clothing
Children should dress in comfortable clothes, which would be appropriate for a variety of activities such as
running, sitting on the carpet and painting. A complete change of clothes is required for every child in case of
any mishaps. Please label all belongings and put in a zip lock bag in the bottom of your childs backpack. Also,
please remember to dress your child in appropriate outdoor clothing that they can put on and remove
independently.
Snacks
Please send a nutritional snack for your child to eat while they are at school. There will be approximately 10
minutes allotted for snack time in our day. Please do not send juice boxes with your child. Instead send a small
bottle of water that your child can manage independently inside a plastic bag in your childs backpack. The
children will be able to help themselves to their water bottles when they are thirsty. We often have children with
severe allergies, so please NO NUT OR PEANUT PRODUCTS at school.
Birthdays
Birthdays are loved and celebrated in our classroom! On or near their birthday, your child will be able to select
something from our special birthday box. Due to allergies amongst our students please refrain from sending
any birthday treats to school.
Parents often ask what the best way for them to send invites to their child birthday party would be. You are
welcome to send the birthday invites to school with your child, but I request that they be dealt with privately
through the communication folder. Please send the invitations in your childs communication folder with a note
for them to be handed out to addressed students.
Absences or Lates
In order to ensure the safety of all the students in our school, we use a careful procedure to deal with absences
and lates. When a child is absent I let the office know within the first 5 minutes of school. The office assistant
will then phone you to confirm the absence if you have not contacted the school. However, in order to help her
out we would ask that you call the office after 7:45 a.m. If your child will be absent or if he/she is going to be
late that day. If you know in advance that your child will be absent or late please send me an email or note a
day or two beforehand. If your child is late please bring him/her in through the front doors, stop at the office to
inform the staff that your child is here so that he/she can be marked late rather than absent. Your child will then
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bring me a late slip. If you have to pick your child up early for a medical appointment, please stop at the office
and ask to sign your child out before picking them up at the classroom
Volunteers
The Calgary Board of Education requires that all volunteers complete a Volunteer Screening Form that includes
a police clearance. If you think that at any time during the school year you (or your spouse, grandparent, etc.)
will be interested in volunteering in the classroom or on a field trip we strongly suggest that you complete the
form early in the school year. All forms must be completed, signed, submitted and approved before you are able
to volunteer. It is required that you complete and sign the forms in the presence of office staff and have your
drivers license photocopied at our school office.
I will have a Parent Volunteer Coordinator (Homeroom Parent) for each classroom. Once all your volunteer
forms are completed and approved, my Homeroom Parent will be responsible for organizing monthly volunteer
schedules for our classroom.
Kindergarten Fees
There is a kindergarten fee for each student. Throughout the year, you may be asked to send additional fees for
field trips or special projects. Please check the schools information packet for more information on fees and
payment procedures. Occasionally, I may also ask the students to bring some small craft or cooking supplies
from home.
Reporting
In kindergarten, you will receive 2 written report cards and you will attend 3 parent/teacher conferences. Our
first parent/teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, September 24th from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Friday,
September 25th from 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. This conference provides the teacher and parents with an opportunity
to share information about your child and the kindergarten program. Bookings for interviews will be done online through our Haultain Memorial School website and interviews will be booked for 15 minutes for each
student. More information will follow in September on the blog.
Ice Cream Social
Families are invited to attend an Ice Cream Social on Thursday, September 3rd from 6:00-7:00 p.m. outside on
the school grounds at Haultain Memorial School. Our school parent council sponsors this evening. Come
enjoy some ice cream and conversation with families and friends from Haultain Memorial School.
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me by emailing kaolver@cbe.ab.ca or by
phoning the school at (403) 777-6860.
I look forward to working with you all.
Sincerely,
Kristen Olver
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