Orientation for Kindergarteners
Our Kindergarten teachers visit each student at his or her home about two weeks before the school year begins. This is an opportunity for your Kindergartener and the teacher to get to know each other and start building their relationship.
We also host a Kindergarten open house the Friday before school begins. The open house is a time for you and your child to come in to Golden Pond School and see the classroom. You have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss Golden Pond School policies, and get an introduction to the curriculum. The teacher also describes the general routine of the class. Please look for the particular dates regarding home visits and the open house in the orientation letter included in the July mailing.
Snacks and Lunch
Golden Pond School Kindergarteners eat morning snack and lunch together daily, both of which are provided by Golden Pond. Snacks are provided by Golden Pond. Breakfast and afternoon snack are provided to children enrolled in the Extended School program. Breakfast, lunch, and snack menus are posted throughout the building and are also available on the website for parents to download. Golden Pond is a NUT-FREE school.
Conferences are scheduled throughout the school year so that you and the teacher may share information and plan educational goals for your child. Parent-teacher communication is an important component in the educational process. This conference is a crucial step in planning together for your child’s education.
Parents receive a written report of their Kindergartener’s progress four times during the school year. These written reports describe the teacher’s evaluation of the student’s progress and development in such areas as critical thinking, academic/content areas, social interaction, speaking, listening, and following directions.
Our parent handbook is given to all parents upon registration for Kindergarten and will provide answers to questions regarding medication, snow, injury, school safety, discipline, holidays, and confidentiality policies.
The children at Golden Pond School are given the opportunity to visit various places of educational interest in the Washington area to enrich their classroom experiences. Our Kindergarteners also visit the library every other week to check out books and have a special story time. The field trips are taken in the Golden Pond buses under the supervision of the teachers and parent chaperones. Parental permission is required before any Kindergartener is taken on a field trip.
Our Kindergarten Program generally follows the Loudoun County School calendar. Kindergarten children do not attend on days when county schools are closed. Our Extended School program also generally follows county school closings. Because our program is full day, there may be a few additional days of closure. Such days will be specified on the school calendar, which is distributed the summer before school begins.
Kindergarten children benefit from attending the program regularly. Punctuality and regular attendance will play an important role in your child’s academic and social adjustment. Instructional hours for Kindergarten are 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Since classes begin promptly at 8:30, we recommend using carpool, which starts at 8:10 a.m. When your child must be absent, please call Golden Pond and notify the school that morning. If the parent does not call the school, Golden Pond will attempt to call the parents. We must make sure that all children are accounted for.
Supporting Your Kindergartener
- Read to your child everyday
- Listen to your child and show interest in what is being said
- Teach good health and safety habits
- Give your child some responsibilities such as putting away toys at clean-up time
- Emphasize that school is a good experience and that what he or she is doing there is important
- Screen television programs and plan family activities
- Establish a bedtime schedule, which ensures that your child will have at least 10 hours of sleep a night
- Always be positive! The early years are so important to building healthy self-esteem
- Together we can build a bright future for your child. Please let us know if we can be of assistance in answering any further questions