Lunch and Snacks

Snack
Students are welcome to bring a fresh fruit or vegetable snack to school for the morning and/or afternoon. I recommend peeling or cutting hard-to-eat foods. Please pack the snack separate from your child's lunch, as lunches go down to the lunchroom first thing in the morning. Water bottles are also welcome.
Lunch
Kindergarten did very well today eating their lunches! The hot lunch menu can be viewed on the district website. Please let your child know if you have a milk account or not so they know if they should or should not be getting milk each day. Please check to make sure your child likes what is being served, either for hot lunch or in a packed lunch. The lunch staff encourages children to eat all, or almost all, of the food in their lunch. Consider planning your child's lunch with your child so he or she has the right amount of food, as well as a variety of nutrition. Throughout the year, the lunch staff generally tells kindergarteners to sit at their tables for 20 min. We encourage them not to rush through their food, but to eat at a healthy pace. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Say Cheese!

This coming Monday, August 31st, is Picture Day at school. An order envelope will go home tomorrow (Wednesday.)

Welcome!

It was great to see some of you at the open house this afternoon. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone tomorrow morning at 8am! We line up at door 6W in line #12. From there, we'll walk down to our classroom door and enter the building right into our room. I will dismiss students from that door as well. I will make sure all students are with an adult (or older sibling if you let me know) - I won't just send them out. If someone different than usual ever picks your child up, please let me know ahead of time.
The best way to reach me is by email: svietzen@op97.org Provided I have a working classroom computer soon, I almost always see an email within an hour, and try my best to respond within a day.
Our classroom is air conditioned, (your student may even want a sweatshirt to keep in the room)though not all parts of the building are. Students are welcome to have a water bottle in the classroom, preferably with a sports top to prevent spills (reusable bottles are even better!) Students are also welcome to bring a fresh fruit or vegetable snack in the morning and/or afternoon. Many students may need you to peel or cut hard-to-eat food.
Mondays and Fridays are our P.E. days, starting this week - don't forget your gym shoes!

Come on in!

Did you miss Popsicles on the Playground? Are you anxious about the first day? Do you want to check out your classroom? I'll be in the room on Monday, August 24 from 4-5pm if you'd like to stop by and see the room. Parents, feel free to have sitters or other family members bring your children if your work schedule doesn't allow it. If you'd like to bring your supplies, you can; otherwise just bring them the first day. If you have older students, you may know my room as the old reserve room. Enter through the front doors on Highland, but our classroom faces the playground. It is on the first floor, right next to the mini-gym on the north end of the building.

Please email me

The easiest way to ensure I have your email address is to email me at svietzen@op97.org

If you are in my class, please fill out the forms in the bar to the left (one for you, one for child.) I'll get your email address this way. Please feel free to email with questions or concerns at any point in the year.

Important Dates

This Thursday, August 13th: Popsicles on the Playground, a kindergarten meet and greet. Please join Principal Dolezal and all the kindergarten teachers for a cool treat on the Longfellow playground from 5:30-6:30. Students and parents will meet their '09-'10 teacher. I hope to see you there!
Thursday, August 20th: New Parent Meeting
Tuesday, August 25th: First Day of School! Our first day is a half day; the hours are 8-11am.
Wednesday, August 26th: Wednesdays all year are shorter days; the hours are 8am-1:55pm.
Thursday, August 27th: Our first day with "normal" hours - 8am-2:55pm.
Tuesday, September 1st: Kindergarten Curriculum Night for parents only from 6-7pm.
Friday, September 4th: "Welcome Back to School" Family Picnic from 5:30-7:30pm on school grounds.