Hello from your JK Team!

“It’s almost time for school!  Can’t you just feel it?”

I welcome this opportunity to say “hello” from all of the Junior Kindergarten teachers.  My name is Eileen Beane, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Junior Kindergarten team.  We are anxiously awaiting the first day of school when we will meet the young members of the class of 2029 and will finally be able put names with faces. This year will be a magical journey for all of us as, through purposeful play, our days will be filled with exploration, wonder and discovery.  Our classrooms will come alive with the excitement of busy children learning to solve problems, work collaboratively, and develop independence and a love of learning.

2015 marks the year of Collegiate’s Centennial Celebration and how fitting it is to be making history already for the next 100 years! We look forward to embracing your young children as they enter our learning community and to providing them a strong foundation as their educational journey begins.  

Below you will see the teams of JK co-teachers for each classroom.  This structure will provide two co-teachers in each classroom throughout the day.

Co-Teacher Structure in each classroom:
     One teacher: all day
     One teacher: morning to 1:15
     One teacher: 12:45 to end of school day, transition to KinderQuest and stay til 6 pm

Our JK Teams: 
Eileen Beane, Rives Barksdale and Kelly Givens
Ann Woods Cutchins, Tia Owen and Paige Archer
Wendy Wilson, Nicole Ligon, Kim Turner 

Below you'll find a few photos from our "Get Ready for JK" Summer Quest camp.  We look forward to doing more fun things with all of your children this fall!  It is an honor indeed to be a part of this new, exciting endeavor. 

Sincerely,

                               

Eileen Beane and the Junior Kindergarten Team

Hello from Martha Proutt, your Parents' Association JK Representative

Hi, and welcome to the Collegiate community!

My name is Martha Proutt, and I am the Collegiate Junior Kindergarten New Families Representative this school year.  My daughter Betsy is a rising JK student, and I have two other children – Robert, a rising 2nd Grader, and Ford, who is in pre-school.  I am here to assist with questions that you may have during the year, as well as to provide you with brief reminders for fun school events.  Much of the information may be familiar to parents of current Collegiate students, but may still be helpful reminders.

I know it is still July, but the start of school is just around the corner and our little ones will be off to start their "school career"!  In their sweet little minds and lives, this is probably one of the biggest events thus far.  You have prepared them for this amazing journey they are about to embark on, so hopefully I can provide information to better prepare you…..

Speaking of starting school, here are some helpful reminders -

•   Collegiate tote bags are provided in lieu of backpacks for all JK students. Most of you picked up your child's tote at the spring play date; if you did not, you may pick it up anytime in the LS Admission Office.  If you gave your child's tote to the Cougar Shop to be monogrammed, you may pick it up after Aug. 17 from the Cougar Shop.

•    Be on the lookout for any Collegiate emails from the Business Office regarding forms you have yet to complete (i.e. lunch order form, health forms etc.) and other pertinent information.  Also, the Back to School Website will launch soon and will be sent to you directly via email.  It's got lots of good information, so be sure to read through it. 

•    Classroom assignments will be distributed mid-August!

Now, let's have our kiddos meet again to get to know each other more - if your fun summer plans allow, as well as if the weather permits, please join us at First Presbyterian Church’s playground Thursday, July 30, from 4-6 pm.  I sent an email invitation to everyone, I hope you got it!  Also, be on the lookout for a Mom's Night Out evite in August and Parents Social in the fall.

So, for now, I urge you to explore the Collegiate website, enjoy your summer and contact me with any questions. Please feel free to email me with any questions at marthaproutt@gmail.com.   Otherwise, see you soon!  Until then, I hope you and your children enjoy these remaining long, hot, lazy days of Summer.

Best,
Martha Proutt

Hello from Kathryn Heidt, our new Lower School Nurse

Hello to all of our newest Cougars!  My name is Kathryn Heidt, and for those of you who don’t know me, I am the Lower School nurse and new to Collegiate as well. After working for six years as an Itinerant RN in schools all over Henrico County, I am happy to be back at my alma mater. I am here every day during the school year from 7:45 - 3:30. My office is just down the hall from the Lower School front desk.  Please stop by and say hello! 

Just a couple of reminders as you complete your checklists over the summer.  I know sometimes all the forms and paperwork can be overwhelming!

Regarding Health Forms:  All parents of Junior Kindergarten students need to have completed two different health forms --

• The online "student health update" that was sent to you via email --- this form is completed by all parents annually.

• The four-page state health form that includes immunizations, child physical and a pediatrician's signature.  This form is available on our website under Lower School Health And Counseling. It is required no later than the first day of school by state law.

Please refer to the Collegiate website under LS Health and Counseling here for suggestions about when to keep a child home, medical action plans and health policies. Collegiate does enforce a 24-hour fever free policy. There will also be a great deal of information in the Lower School Handbook and on our Back to School website.

Some other basics:  Any medication, prescription or OTC, must be given to me in the original container...no "loose" pills can be administered.  Medicine permission forms are required for children receiving medication at school.  Action plans (signed by an MD) are required of students with diabetes, seizure disorder, food allergy or asthma, and are available on our website. Students who have life-threatening allergies must have an EpiPen or Auvi-Q, as well as, a food allergy action plan on file each year.  Please be sure you touch base with me if your child has any of these health concerns, or if you have any questions at all. I can be reached at 741-9787 or via email: kathryn_heidt@collegiate-va.org. 

I look forward to meeting you and taking care of all of your children!

Best,
Kathryn

I wanted to let you know that all new parents (those of you who are brand new to Collegiate this fall) have now been assigned a "Parent Log-In" to access the "Parents" section of the Collegiate School website.  

Here’s what you do:

• Click here to go to the Parents section of the website. 

• In the top left corner, click Login to enter your username and password. Your username is your REAL first name (as you submitted it to Collegiate) + your last name, and it is case sensitive. So Peggy Smith would be MargaretSmith ... Cathy Wall would be CatherineWall, etc. After you've entered your user name, click "Log in help" to get your temporary password. 

• The user name for any parent who is ALSO an alum of Collegiate will contain your class year at the end: for example, AndrewMiller91.

If you have any trouble or questions, please email Dianne Carter in the Communications office at dcarter@collegiate-va.org, and she will help you out!

Enjoy the Parents section of the website.  I encourage each of you, new or "old," to peruse the website occasionally over the summer....it's chock full of great information and is updated constantly with current news, reflections, and summer faculty activity.

As always, please let me know if I can answer any questions for you!

Anne Bruce

Hello from Debbie Miller, Head of the Lower School

Happy Fourth of July weekend, and welcome to Collegiate's very first class of JK!  I am thrilled to be stepping into the Head of Lower School position the same year as our new JK program launches! It will certainly be a wonderful year for all of us.

Everyone at Collegiate is excited to have your precious children join us in the fall for a year of learning and growing together.  With purposeful play at the core of our JK curriculum, your children will have multiple opportunities to explore, to be inspired, and to solve problems creatively alongside their new friends. Fabulous plans are in place and everyone eagerly awaits the bright smiles on the faces of our youngest COUGARS! Thank you for the opportunity to get to know your child well, and we welcome you and your family into our Collegiate community!

Enjoy the special gift that summertime brings to your family and embrace every minute with your precious children, for time slips away so quickly!

See you this fall!

Warmly,

Debbie