Katonah Elementary School

AUGUST 2018

Dear KES Families,                                     

Welcome to the new school year!!! We hope you have enjoyed your summer days spending quality time with family and friends, exploring new places, and engaging in some of your favorite activities. It is hard to believe that the 2018-2019 school year is right around the corner! Our office staff and custodial crew continue to work diligently to ensure our building is ready to welcome our students.

The first full day of school for all students, K-5, is Wednesday, September 5th. School hours are 9:15 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. 

On Tuesday, August 28th, we will be welcoming our new families at both the Kindergarten Visitation at 10:00 a.m. and our New Family Orientation at 1:00 p.m.

Bus Transportation: Information about your child’s morning and afternoon bus stops will be posted to your Parent Portal account on Infinite Campus during the week of August 27th. If you have any questions, please contact the Transportation Department directly at 763-7234.

Class Placement: Each year, in order to create balanced classes, a significant amount of time and attention is given to class placement for all children. We appreciate your support of the decisions made by the team of teachers and administration regarding your child’s class placement. If you have submitted the necessary forms, your child’s teacher assignment will be posted to your Parent Portal account in Infinite Campus during the week of August 27th. If the required emergency and medical information is not completed, your child’s placement will become available only after you submit the information and it is processed.  

Accessing Infinite Campus Parent Portal Accounts: To access your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account click on the following link: https://icampus.klschools.org/campus/portal/katonah.jsp. If you have not established an account and/or need assistance, please send an email to parentportal@klschools.org or call 763-7095.

KES Family Handbook: A common understanding of the school’s practices, policies and procedures is helpful to ensure clear and consistent expectations. The KES Family Handbook can be found on our school website, kes.klschools.org, under the ‘Parent’ tab. We encourage you to review the handbook and use it as a resource of general information throughout the year.

School Supplies: School supply lists for each grade level are listed on our school website, kes.klschools.org, under QUICK LINKS. You need to click on ‘SHOW MORE’ because it is the last link listed.

August Mailing: Sometime within the next day or two, you will receive an envelope in the mail with the following material: 

• letter from your child’s grade level team of teachers
• letter from the PTO Co-Presidents
• KES Calendar of Events
• letter regarding arrival and dismissal procedures
• KES Daily Dismissal Plan (purple)

Please read the “Arrival and Dismissal Procedures” letter for information about how to complete, and when to return, the KES Daily Dismissal Plan.

1^st Day of School: Arrival on the first day of school at KES is a wonderfully festive and exciting experience at KES. There is a long standing tradition of students meeting their teachers on the Plaza/Playground between 9:08 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. Classroom teachers will be there holding up signs with their names while other staff members assist and escort students from the buses/cars to their teacher. Teachers then lead their classes to their classroom, which eliminates the need for students to find their own way.

• Kindergarten students will be met by a staff member at the bus/car and escorted to their class line.
• 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd graders will meet their teachers on the Plaza (near the playground).
• 4^th and 5^th graders will meet their teachers on the playground blacktop area.

​If there is rain during arrival on Wednesday, September 5th, all students will meet their teachers in the  Gymnasium. 

1^st Week of School:

• Five-Day Rotation Schedule-attached. All elementary schools will be following a ‘Five-Day Rotation Schedule’ for special area classes using letter names for each day- A, B, C, D and E. This means that your child’s class will be assigned a specials schedule (Physical Education 3X/week, Art 1X/week, and Music 2X/week) that meets on a given letter day rather than a specific day of the week. This five-day schedule is “locked in” for the year, which allows everyone to know which letter each day is well in advance. If there is a snow day and students miss a “B” day, when we return to school, it will be a “C” day.  You can find the calendar on our school’s websites, kes.klschools.org, under QUICK LINKS. Your child’s teacher will send home the class’ weekly specials schedule. 

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• Elementary “Be Your Best!” Code of Conduct. Through backpack mail, each family will receive at home the Elementary “Be Your Best!” Code of Conduct. Please review the content carefully with your children, sign the Commitment Statement on the first page, and return the Commitment Statement page to school by Thursday, September 20th. We will be reviewing the Code of Conduct in classrooms as well as at school-wide assemblies throughout the year to support students to be their best. We thank you in advance for collaborating with us to ensure each child’s emotional and physical safety during the school day.​

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• If your child participated in the Summer Reading/Math Challenge, please have them bring in their sheets and submit to their teacher so that we can celebrate their accomplishments. If you have a picture of your child reading, we would love you to send it in as well. (Please write your child’s name on the back of the photograph and it will be returned to you.)

Save the Dates:

Friday, September 14^th    PTO Welcome Back Picnic 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 20^th Curriculum Night for Parents/Guardians ONLY- Kindergarten, 1 and 2

Monday, September 24^th Curriculum Night for Parents/Guardians ONLY- 3, 4 and 5

Curriculum Nights: These evenings are an opportunity for parents/guardians to learn more specifically about the district and building commitments and initiatives for the upcoming school year.

This year, we will have a new format.  At 7:00 p.m., parents/caregivers report directly to their child’s classroom for a special edition of “Good Evening, KES” presented by the administration and PTO Co-Presidents, Eileen Sullivan and Samantha Holcman.

Immediately following, the classroom teacher will present their grade level curriculum and share classroom routines and expectations (i.e., snack, birthdays, homework, etc.) We anticipate the program will end around 8:00 p.m.

Parent who have children in a Special Education Collaborative program with either Ms. Gill, Mr. Lewis or Mrs. Hirsch or receive ENL services with Ms. DiMarco, are invited to school at 6:30 p.m. in order to meet with these teachers.

Please feel free to contact the office staff or us if you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to welcoming the students on Wednesday, September 5th at 9:15 a.m. and we anticipate a terrific year of growing and learning together! Enjoy the remaining days of summer!

Warmly,

Cristy Harris         

Principal