Greetings Pre-K Families!


It was such a pleasure to meet many of you at our recent Freeze Pop Social!  If you were unable to attend, rest assured this is one of the many opportunities you will have to visit our wonderful program! 

As we approach fall and prepare for our second cohort of Schalmont Pre-K, we want to make you aware of some logistics that will ensure our school days are safe and hopefully avoid any confusion.  In addition to a letter from your child’s teacher and their school supply list, the following information should be helpful to all families as we embark on this exciting new journey. 

Arrival:
The Schalmont Pre-K School Day starts at 8:30 a.m. (if you are not part of our before-care program), at which point we will allow students to enter the school.  We ask that you park in one of our designated spots in the front of the school or our main parking lot.  Please walk your child from your vehicle to the front of the school, where a staff member will check your child in, and bring them into the building to start their day. To help make the transition easier for your child, we recommend goodbyes and final “hugs and kisses” are done before you bring your child to the front of the school so they can smoothly be led into their new school.

Breakfast/Lunch:
As part of the New York State Community Meals Program, all Pre-K students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch!  However, you can certainly still pack your child’s lunch if you prefer.  Breakfast and lunch will take place in the classroom, with meals brought to students.  A menu will be sent home each month and is also posted on our school website, www.schalmont.org.

Breakfast will consist of bagged items available to students each morning, with student lunch orders taken in the morning by teachers and sent to the cafeteria for preparation purposes.  It would be very helpful to discuss with your child the night before what they would like for lunch the following day, based on the menu (if you are not packing your child a lunch).  Snack time will also take place in the classroom, and we ask that you pack your child healthy, easy-to-open snacks for your child.  If your child is in a classroom with allergies, thank you for adhering to snacks that are “safe” (a safe snack list will be provided if this applies to you).

Dismissal:
The end of the school day is 2:00 p.m.  At 1:45 p.m. all students will be brought to the gym, and those staying for the aftercare program will be brought to the library.  Similar to arrival, we ask that you park in one of our parking spots and walk to the front of the building, where you will sign out your child (your child will be brought to you outside or to the vestibule).  If you have multiple people who will be picking up your child, please clearly indicate this on the household information form, which you completed during the initial registration process last spring.  There will be an opportunity to update or change information during your orientation days).

First Day of School/Orientation Days:
The first official day of school will be Wednesday, September 16th.  You and your child will be scheduled for a half-hour orientation with your child’s teacher between Wednesday, September 9th and Tuesday, September 15th.  This will provide you with an opportunity to see the classroom, meet with the teacher, and practice some of the routines that will be part of their regular school day.  This is a great time to share any information regarding your child that will be helpful to their school experience, and a great opportunity to update any contact information with our Main Office Secretary Kathie McKeon (kmckeon@schalmont.net) or our Nurse Jessica Casso (jcasso@schalmont.net). Our Pre-K Open House is scheduled for Thursday, October 8th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.  More information to follow as we get closer to this date.  

Most importantly, should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or me.  It’s going to be a great year!  

With Gratitude,

Dr. Thomas Reardon
Superintendent