Arete's Birthday Treat Policy

Birthday Treat Policy

Celebrating birthdays is a good way to show the students in our school that they are special and loved.  There are many different ways to mark the occasion, but we want to be careful about students eating too many sugary, processed snacks.  If each child were to bring in cake or donuts for his/her birthday, that would mean 30 unhealthy lunchtime desserts every year.  Some parents would rather their child not eat this type of food and the effects of these sugary snacks can disrupt the learning environment.  In fact, we strongly suggest a non-food item if parents wish to mark the occasion. Pencils, books, or other souvenirs can be just as special, don't require clean-up, and won't affect whatever diet parents wish for their children.  Some teachers may allow a healthy snack for their classes as an exception (to be eaten in the lunchroom), but please reach out to the lead teacher for details.  Make note that sugary treats will not be served to students, and will be sent home with the child that brought them in.

The academy suggests non-food items or healthy snacks for birthdays. Please see your child’s teacher for acceptable treat options, as well as alternatives to food items.

·         Food must be in its original packaging with the ingredients listed.  Fresh fruit is the exception.

·         No peanuts or other nuts

·         No cupcakes, cakes, cookies or other treats with frosting

·         No pop-culture references

First Week of School

Happy Sunday! I hope you all had a fantastic last weekend of summer break! Just a couple reminders before we begin tomorrow. It has been very hot outside and our kiddos need to stay hydrated. Please remember to send your child to school with their own water bottle and don't forget to label it! Please place your child's morning snack in the front pocket of their back pack. If you haven't had a chance to watch me read "The Night Before Kindergarten" you can share this link with your child.
  

 I look forward to seeing everyone's smiling faces tomorrow morning as we start the school year. Remember to have your child here no later than 7:40. You are welcome to park and walk your child to the MPR for the first day. Each week on my blog I will post the topics we are covering and any other important information. I also like to add pictures of what we did the previous week. I am anxiously awaiting our first day together! Here is what we have planned this week:

Spalding: This week we will explain clock letters, short lines, and tall lines. We will practice making the line strokes to get us ready for proper letter formation. Students will learn how to sit in "scholarly position”, (Heads high, back straight, hips back, feet flat) and understand the importance of Spalding. 

We will hold a Phonics Night on August 22.  We highly recommend you attend. It will be a great way for you to learn the phonograms, how we are teaching them and how we teach words.  It will make homework time much easier if you attend, many parents have come back to us and said how helpful this night is for them!

Literature: This week we will explore the story “Three Billy Goats Gruff.” This is a classic story of how 3 brother goats outwit a mean troll. We will learn the job of the author and illustrator and even practice making our own book cover. Our weekly poem will be “Rain,” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Math:  For our first week of kindergarten, we will review numbers, shapes, and colors.  We will also introduce our calendar time discussing the month and day.  We will begin using our math books next week.

Science: To kick off our school year in science we will be exploring living and non-living things and what it means to be alive.  We will begin a unit exploring healthy habits. This week we will learn all about nutritious eating and our favorite healthy foods. 

Welcome!

Dear Kindergarteners and Families,

I am so excited and honored to be your Kindergarten teacher! I am eager and curious to learn more about each of you, as I’m sure you are of me. So here’s a little bit…

My name is Renee Connor and I was born and raised as the middle child of a big family in a small farming community in Wisconsin. After receiving my Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, I moved across the country to this amazing sunny state! I began my career as a preschool teacher for two years and I fell in love with teaching! This is my fourth year teaching Kindergarten at Archway Arete and I am looking forward to our year together!

Some of my favorite things include running, reading, Broadway Musicals, cooking, hiking, or anything that keeps me active! I am the proud owner of two adorable four legged friends; a chocolate lab fur baby named Adonae and a stray we rescued named Cooper. They bring so much joy to my life! I recently got engaged to the most amazing man and my best friend!

Visiting my beautiful family this summer. :) 

Jay and Renee visiting family in Wyoming. 

I would also like to introduce you to our amazing teacher assistant, Mrs. Cardinal-Kiss;

My name is Josephine Cardinal-Kiss, and I am a second generation Arizonian. I grew up as the only child with my family in the East Valley area, and I attended Arizona State University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in English in 2015. Before coming to Great Hearts to teach Athenaeum in 2016, I worked at a preschool, as a nanny to a three-month-old, and at a writing tutoring center.

In my spare time, I love to read, practice yoga, and eat great food. I have a wonderful husband and a fuzzy gray cat at home that keep my life entertaining and full of joy.

I truly love to see young people make new discoveries about themselves and about the world around them! I am so excited to start this new journey as a kindergarten teaching apprentice with Ms. Connor, and to begin our school year in KB! I  am looking forward to meeting each new student, and discovering their unique personality traits and insights.

 

Mrs. Cardinal-Kiss on her wedding day! 

This school year is going to be filled with rich learning experiences both in our classroom and out, and I cannot wait to be a part of it!  My hope is that our classroom will be a safe, comfortable and joyful place of discovering, sharing and learning. :) 

Much love,

Ms. Connor and Mrs. Cardinal-Kiss