GENERAL INFORMATION
Classroom Communication
- Students will designate one of their folders as a “Take Home” folder. This folder will travel between home and school each day. One pocket contains homework; the other pocket contains papers to keep at home. It is important to look over the papers in this folder daily.
- The agenda should be used everyday. It is a great way to teach students organization and a great way to communicate back and forth. Please sign the agenda every evening.
- Weekly newsletters will be sent via email. Please take time to read over them as they will contain important information and dates.
- Gardner Elementary offers breakfast and lunch on every full day of school and breakfast on all half days. Breakfast begins when the building opens at 7:40am and our lunch is typically around 11:15am.
- Free and reduced breakfast/lunches are available for those who qualify. Please visit the district website (or pick up a form from the Gardner office if you would like to apply.
- For more food service information and menus, please visit the Gardner website and click on the “Café” tab.
- Water is great! I encourage you to send in a water bottle for your student.
- Students are allowed to have water bottles at school if they meet the following requirements: plastic, not aluminum, and clear for water only.
- Water bottles will be stored in lockers. We will be able to get drinks many times throughout the day. There are hands-free filling stations that students are allowed to use to refill water bottles!
- I will remind students to take them home on Friday to be washed, but they are welcome to bring them back and forth every day also.
- We would love to celebrate your child’s birthday at school! Feel free to send in a birthday snack if you would like. I will send a more detailed note about this closer to your child’s birthday date.
- Birthday treats must be store-bought and easy for me to distribute. Some common favorites are pre-packaged brownies, rice krispie treats, small bag of chips, fruit snacks, goldfish, or donuts. Remember to plan enough for the entire class.
- We will likely be eating this treat in the same space where we work, so please send in plates/napkins if needed. If your child has a summer birthday, we would be happy to make their half birthday their special day!
- If your child’s birthday is during the summer, we will celebrate his/her half-birthday. Several students in the school have peanut allergies, so please be mindful of this and consider avoiding treats with peanuts if possible. Thank you.
- Your child’s safety is my biggest concern at the end of the day. I want to make sure he/she gets home safely.
- If your child is going home a different way than they normally would, please either send in a note and/or call the Gardner office (618)939-3060 to let us know as soon as possible. I do not always have time to check my email regularly throughout the day, so please do not send transportation changes via email so that it doesn’t get missed!
- Regular attendance is crucial for your child’s success! It is important that your child arrives on time and begins the day with the rest of the class as often as possible.
- If your child will not be attending school, please call the Gardner office (618)939-3060 to let us know.
- When you call to report an absence, you can request absent work. Sometimes students feel better as the day progresses and can complete some of the work that night. This will help prevent an overload of work when your child returns. If your child misses school for any reason, he/she is responsible for making up the missed work. The number of days absent = the number of days to make up missed work.
- If you know in advance that your child will be absent, please complete a “Planned Absence” form, and I will prepare absent work and send it home with them prior to their time away.