Frequently Asked Questions!

What if my child is absent?

* Our school day begins at 8:10 each morning. If your child is going to be absent, please call the Safely At School line and leave a message about your child's absence. The SAS phone number is 814-231-4119. Remember to send in an excuse with your child when they return to class. Or, please feel free to email Mrs Engle about your absence. You may also add absence or early dismissal information in ParentVue

* If you know that your child is going to be late arriving to school, also call the SAS phone line and let us know. Please tell us which lunch your child will order for lunch that day.

* If you need to sign your child out early, please let us know the day before or the morning of so that we can help your child's transition be as smooth as possible.

How do I send in my child's lunch money?

* The food service department offers a direct deposit system for online payments. Please refer to the district website for more details about this process.  https://www.scasd.org/Domain/108

Do you celebrate birthdays in kindergarten?

*Yes, if you wish! We love to be able to celebrate special days with the members of our class. We will sing special songs for the birthday child, make a Happy Birthday book and also serve a special snack, if you care to send one in.

* Please give us a few days' notice that you will be sending in a special snack. We do encourage a healthy treat, but we do not insist on any particular type of food. We may ask that you select a treat that takes special food allergy or diet considerations in mind. You can send the treats in with your child, or drop them off at the school main office. Please include an ingredient list/nutrition label so that we can confirm ingredients in case of food allergies. We will serve the birthday treats to the class during our morning snack time or after lunch.  Also, please keep in mind that our ability to send in special treats may change over the course of the school year.  As you know, so many things will depend on the current district Health & Safety Plan.

* Please don't send invitations to birthday parties or celebrations to be delivered at school. This often creates an uncomfortable situation for the child/children who do not receive an invitation. The only exception, of course, is if you intend to invite every child in the class.

What is a Friday Folder?

* Your child has a special folder to bring home each Friday. In it, you will find notices from the school office, PTO notes and any other notes from the classroom. We will also include any work that your child has completed. Please take all papers out and keep them at home. Send the Friday Folder back to school the following Monday morning so that we can use it to organize your child's mail throughout the week.  

Will my kindergartner have homework?

* In the spring of 2018, our School Board of Directors adopted a new homework policy for Elementary Students.  Kindergarteners will not have formal homework, although we strongly encourage you to create your own family routine of reading with your student!

How do I get on the Parent Volunteer Schedule?

* We LOVE and appreciate parent volunteers! Our school district requires that all volunteers are registered with our Central Office.  Please visit the district page that explains the process.  Let us know if you need any assistance!  ttps://www.scasd.org/Page/23125

How do I contact the teachers if I have a question?

* You can call the school's main office at 814-231-4119. The office will forward any messages to your child's teacher. You may also call the classroom line at 814-272-4391.  The line will ring in our classroom, except between 8:30-3:00.  During that time, it would go directly to Mrs. Engle's voicemail.  We have it set up this way so that there is no disruption, from the phones, during instructional time.  If you have an urgent message, please call the main office line.

* If you wish, you can e-mail Mrs. Engle at gle11@scasd.org

What are my child's daily routines or activities?

*Arrival Time: The buses and walkers arrive between 7:50 - 8:10. During those 20 minutes, your child will take care of his or her backpack, jacket, bathroom visits, lunch order, eat breakfasts and attendance. If your child accomplishes these jobs quickly, they may choose a learning activity to work on while waiting for the day to begin.

* Circle Time: At 8:10, the bells will ring calling all the children to get ready for our morning meeting. This is when we place our class lunch order, send our attendance and any notes from home to the main office. We read a morning message from our class mascot, Franny, and review our day's schedule. This is also when we say our Pledge of Allegiance and listen to patriotic songs. When time allows, we will greet one another and do other fun movement activities to warm up for learning.  We will also complete our Number Corner activities for the day.