EES held a kindergarten information night on April 7. If you were not able to attend, you can view the slides that were presented here and also read the frequently asked questions section below.
Bus-Related Questions:
Is there a cost to ride the bus?
No, the busing is provided by the school district and funded as a part of the budget.
Is there a cutoff date to sign up for the bus?
Although bus sign-ups can happen at any time throughout the school year, there is a lag time from when the request is made until when the child can be scheduled on the bus. It is best to sign up for the bus in the summer before August, when the transportation department first sends out their survey to families, if you plan to send your child on the bus at all.
Do teachers help children find their buses at the end of the school day?
Yes, the school follows a great dismissal process where teachers and staff members assist children with finding where to go to meet their bus.
Kindergarten children all wear special tags with a big letter K on their backpacks to help staff guide them.
Classroom-Related Questions:
How many kindergarten classrooms are there, and what are the class sizes?
Six classrooms at this time, with about 16-17 kids per classroom.
How many students are there in total at EES?
There are about 350 PreK - 2nd grade students at EES.
How does placement work and can students be placed with their friends?
Information from multiple sources is used to create classrooms that are as balanced as possible. Preschools sometimes provide peer suggestions.
School-Related Questions:
What are the school hours, and will there be a Wednesday early release again?
School starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. except on Wednesdays when yes, there is a one-hour early dismissal and school ends at 1:30 p.m.
Family drop-offs and bus arrivals are between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. and drop-offs are not allowed prior to 7:15 a.m. We ask that families wait for the EES employee outside to receive the students being dropped off before leaving their child.
Students start the morning on the playground from 7:15-7:30 a.m.
Families can choose to park in the parking lot and walk their child to the front of the building, or if their child can get out of the car independently, families can pull up through the bus loop for drop off.
Do morning and afternoon snacks come from home?
Yes, typically, some snacks are brought to school from home, and there is also a share bin that items can be chosen from if needed. These items are usually non-perishable and only come from the cafeteria at school, not from home. There is always food for children to eat.
What is the Smart Start and PTO Playdate?
The K Smart Start happens just before school starts and is an opportunity for kids and parents/guardians to come in with about 1/2 of their class for a one-hour session to see the classroom all set up, have some play time, and ask questions.
The PTO playdate happens just before school starts and is usually paired with the whole school ice cream social. About an hour prior to the ice cream social, the K PTO playdate offers an informal setting for kids to find their classmates through colors and symbols on name tags that they wear.
What time are children considered tardy to school?
7:31 a.m. is considered tardy.
Can parents join their child for lunch?
There are sometimes special events when families are invited to join their children for lunch.
Parents/guardians can let the school know in advance if they would like to join their child for lunch on a different day.
EJRP Rec Kids-Related Questions:
Can students be picked up prior to the 6 p.m. end time?
Yes
What is the size of the K group and ratio?
There are usually 34-35 students on any given day, with up to 38 students
The program is licensed and has a 1:13 ratio