Greetings Patti’s Families,
Thank you to everyone who was able to come to the Parent Orientation & Social Evening and the Open House. It was wonderful to meet our new families and see how much our returning kiddos have grown over the summer!
We are excited about the first week of school and welcoming everyone to Patti’s! The first week is a busy one, so I wanted to send some information that will be helpful, as well as some questions that will help our teachers better serve your children.
There is a lot of first week information so please read through all of it, we want the first week to go smoothly for everyone.
Registration Forms:
Please make sure you have filled out and turned in all the required paperwork. I have attached the forms to this email again in case you need them. A printout from your pediatrician’s office or the state registry are accepted instead of the vaccination form. Your child cannot attend Patti’s until all of the paperwork has been turned in. For our returning families, we are required to collect updated paperwork each year so please fill it out even if nothing has changed since last year.
If your child has any allergies, especially any food allergies, please email me directly to make sure we have this important information. I have not received all the paperwork yet and it will take a few days to go through everything.
What to bring the first day:
If your child is in diapers, please bring at least a week’s supply of diapers (2 per day) in a Ziplock labeled with your child’s name.
If your child is potty-trained, or in the process, please make sure you bring in your Emergency Kit, which includes a spare set of clothes, ideally two sets of underwear and bottoms. Accidents, or sometimes just toileting mishaps, are common in the first few weeks. We have spare clothes, but children are often more comfortable with their own clothing.
Emergency Kit: The bags and a list of required items will be available at drop-off if you did not receive one during last weeks’ orientation or open house.
Labels: It is important to label all spare or removable clothing (sweatshirts, sweaters, jackets, hats, etc.) Outerwear especially is often similar it is difficult for teachers to remember which navy blue or flowered jacket belongs to which child (and children often just claim one they like ). If clothing is not labelled, I will write the name in sharpie on a tag or the collar.
Water Bottle: Please bring a spill-proof water bottle labeled with your child’s name. Water bottles will be sent home at the end of each day. If a child forgets their water bottle we will provide a cup of water during snack. Please place water bottles on the cary between the two hook shelves.
Parking and drop-off:
This year Patti’s and EDS will both be using the entrance by the playground to access the building. We are again able to use the south parking lot of the Emmanuel Church Campus on 86th Ave SE, but parking is also available in the other two lots, just make sure you respect any parking signs for church events or tenants.
The building doors will open at 8:55am for both EDS and Patti’s.
Our classroom has four doors to the hallway, we will enter the classroom via the door furthest down the hallway, closest to the bathrooms. Each child has a name card beneath their hook under the white shelves. Please help them hang their coat and/or backpack, on the hook. Please make sure their coats and backpacks are labeled with their name.
Before coming to the classroom please go to the bathroom and help your child wash their hands with soap and water. Please encourage children who are potty trained to use the toilet before washing hands and entering the classroom.
Teacher Michelle, Teacher Cathy, or I will greet you at the door and let your child in. If your child is having trouble saying goodbye, please let the teacher help them into the classroom and guide them to an activity.
We are no longer taking temperatures at drop-off. Please help us by keeping children home if they are exhibiting symptoms or not feeling well. Please see our health procedures and the attached COVID-19 procedures form for more details.
If your child will be absent, please email pattisplaycentermi@gmail.com, or call Patti’s , so the teachers know not to wait for your child. If you will be late or someone else will be picking up your child please text me, I cannot keep up with emails during the school day or answer the classroom phone when we are on the playground so text is the best way to relay time sensitive information. Please note that this is my personal cell phone so I would appreciate it if texts were only used for same day inquiries or information. If you have general questions or want to make sure we are aware of upcoming vacation plans, etc., please email pattisplaycentermi@gmail.com.
Pick-Up:
We will be dismissing children from the classroom at 12:00. Please make sure to check the shelf for your child’s water bottle. Please help us by being on time for pick-up, after the first late pick-up we will begin charging late pick-up fees. If there is an emergency or you know you will be late please call Patti’s .
Please let us know if your pick-up person changes.
Lunch Bunch:
We will begin offering lunch bunch on September 11th if there is enough interest. Please fill out and return the attached questionnaire. Once lunch bunch is established, then drop-ins will be available.
Separation Anxiety:
For many of our students Patti’s is their first group learning experience and separation anxiety is natural for both children and parents. Our teachers are experienced with helping with this. We want to support your family and your child in this new experience and have attached a questionnaire about separation anxiety. Please return this by email or bring it with you on your child’s first day.
Please feel free to email me at pattisplaycentermi@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
We can’t wait to see you all at Patti’s Play Center!
Cheers,
Jennifer Cathey
Director, Patti’s Play Center