EXTENDED TEACHER ABSENCE
Beginning Tues 9/27 and for a full two weeks, Kristin will be absent from school. She is traveling to Seattle with one of her children. In her place will be a dear friend of ours, a former co-teacher of Amanda’s, and Kristin’s current Parent-Tot Monday co-teacher, Byl (pronounced “Bill”). We are very happy to have Byl with us. He will likely sub other times this school year, so it’s great for the kids to get to know him now!
ASSISTING
Assisting is an opportunity to be with your child in the classroom, and can only be done by a parent. These days can feel stressful and challenging, as you and your child try to navigate such a novel event. Some children are really excited about having a parent join them at school, and others are overwhelmed by the idea. Some children want to spend every moment together, and others would rather go about the day as they might on any other day, while their parent attends to tasks and observes or plays with other children. All of these are okay experiences to have. Parents, too, have different ideas about assisting days: many feel most comfortable with a list of jobs to take care of, while others really like to settle into play with a group of kids, or take some time to read a book with their own child. Again, all of this is okay. We will help you balance the assisting responsibilities with your child’s needs and your hopes for the day. There are plenty of tasks we ask for your help with, but we also see assisting as an opportunity for you to get a look at the classroom, to observe how teachers relate to children, and how a large group of your child’s peers interact with one another.
When you arrive at school on an assisting day, please come 20 minutes early. Head upstairs to the classroom with your snack, so teachers can confirm that it is okay to serve. We will be working on setting up the classroom and the gym, but at least one of us will be available to help you get started. Take some time to help your child adjust, take off coats, wash hands, and put on an apron. Then, you’ll head down to the snack prep kitchen to begin preparing things. Wash and cut your produce, fill pitchers with drinking water from the filtered water tap, and put food items in serving bowls.
At 8:25 you’ll need to assist with arrival, so be sure to come back to the classroom to get your jacket before then. During this time, you will be greeting children and walking in with those who are ready to say goodbye to their caregivers outside. When you come back to the classroom, we will be having a short play time. It is primarily a time for you to be with your child. Follow their lead, and try to get a look at what they’re interested in here at school. Keep in mind, however, that assisting days are not typical days for your child. They might be shyer, more temperamental, and clingier to you; as teachers, we’ve seen it all. While perhaps surprising to you, we think these behaviors are honest responses to a novel experience (even if you’ve assisted before!) and it is okay for you to take some time alone with your child as needed throughout the day. Alas, fear not! We will help you through any bumpy moments. We will also walk you through your responsibilities for the day when you arrive each time, so do not feel like you have to commit this all to memory right now.
Please keep in mind a few final items – do not use your cell phone in the classroom. If you have special circumstances requiring you to be on-call during your assisting day, please tell us when you arrive. Then, if you must answer your phone, step out and let someone in the office know so that someone can replace you in the classroom. We also ask that you do not use your phone to take photos or film video throughout the school day – this can be obtrusive to children’s play and can also be a violation of families’ privacy wishes. Teachers and the room parent will form a plan together to have photos to use for the class yearbook and specific projects that necessitate a photo. That said, we are more than happy to snap a photo of you and your child in your aprons either before or after class!
Children are not allowed to use the spray bottle with the bleach solution. If they want to help with a job, you can suggest they take the cubby tags down (it doesn’t matter if they stay in order!) Children cannot roam the hallways unattended. After class, it is your responsibility to know where your child is.
This is a lot of information, but rest assured, we will help you each and every time. We also have a timeline/checklist available for your reference.