Classroom Two

Staff contact information:

  • Little School main number – (415) 567-0430

  • Teacher email: teacherscr2@littleschool.org 

Drop-off & Pick-up Info: 

  • We meet in Classroom 2 (CR2) in the Little School Main Building.  The morning program meets Monday - Friday from 8:45am-12 noon (drop-off window 8:45-9:00am). Children staying for afternoons can be picked up any time between 12:00-5:30pm, except during rest time for children who nap (1-3pm).

We look forward to supporting each child's transition into Little School and recognize that staying for a full day may, at first, be overwhelming for some children at this age. Feel free to consider what duration of time at school best suits your family's needs. You may find that initially your child benefits from shorter days as they acclimate to their new environment and routine.  Feel free to reach out to the CR2 teachers with any thoughts or questions about your child’s phase-in plan.

Additional Notes from Lisa, Sam and Asia:

Welcome to the Classroom Two (CR2) summer class!  This letter is meant as an addition to the Little School parent handbook, which will give you a sense of our basic program, philosophy, and approach.  If, after reading this, you still feel unclear about anything, please bring your questions to our (adults-only) summer parent meeting on Thursday, June 4, from 6:30-8pm.  We hope to see you all there, even if you have had a previous child go through a Little School program! 

Please join us for an optional short orientation visit on June 8th. Then, we request that a parent or caregiver accompany your child on their full first school day (June 9th) to help them acclimate to school and teachers. At the end of their first day we will work together to discuss an individualized separation plan that supports your child. 

Please note that if you cannot attend during your assigned time, you may come to one of the other designated time slots - but please check in with your child's teachers first. Please see your child’s scheduled time for the daytime orientation:

PHASE IN AND SEPARATION

We look forward to a summer of fun, excitement, discovery and connection!  But first, we have a golden opportunity to help your child work through the developmental milestone of separation.  It can be challenging and a little scary, but handled sensitively, learning how to separate can be a source of tremendous growth and pride. Please note that we have a parent (or another trusted adult) join us for at least the first full class session (Tuesday, June 9th), to help their child acclimate to school and teachers. We will cover separation (and much more) at our parent meeting on June 4, so we ask that you make every effort to attend.  If you are not able to attend, we suggest that you email us before the first day of class (teacherscr2@littleschool.org) and that you review these separation guidelines:

Before School . . .

  • Talk about school a few times

  • Give specific information – teachers’ names, songs they may sing, routines of the day

  • Emphasize that you will always come back

  • Acknowledge any feelings your child may show

  • Remind your child that, even with the above feelings, you know they will learn to say goodbye

  • Remind your child that the teacher will keep them safe and help them feel comfortable

  • Try to remain confident yourself

  • Make a clear, definite departure even if your child resists

Parents often feel apprehensive about leaving their child, and that’s okay. We look forward to getting to know your child well and supporting them through this new challenge. And, we’ve found that even within our short summer program, most children master a large chunk of this big task and move on to the serious business of FUN!

A TYPICAL DAY IN Classroom Two includes:

  • Open Choice Time:  All parts of the classroom are available for open exploration (art, sensory play, manipulatives, blocks, playdough, books, science, pretend play, etc.) 

  • Clean Up time 

  • Snack time

  • Circle Time (Music and Movement) During Circle Time, we sing, dance, move, play group games, act out stories, etc.

  • Yard time  We all know how valuable outdoor time is for children’s motor development, connection with nature, spontaneous and authentic play opportunities, social learning, and independence.

  • Afternoon Program (if enrolled):  Lunch, naptime, snack, and additional Open Choice and Yard time.

BACKPACKS

Every child should bring a backpack to school every day. The backpack should be large enough to hold a set of extra clothes* (in case your child’s clothes get wet or soiled), a jacket, items from home, and any items we send home from school (artwork, wet clothes, etc.). 

*Please keep a plastic, ziplock bag or wet bag with a full change of clothes for your child in their backpack every day, and check it often to see if anything needs replacing. Feel free to include a bathing suit for water play on hot days. No need to provide diapers or wipes. 

Additionally, please label with their name all items of your child’s clothing and any comfort objects they may bring.  (Mabel's Labels is a fundraising partner - Visit http://campaigns.mabelslabels.com/ and choose The Little School!)

WATER BOTTLES

Please send your child to school with a clean water bottle every day, labeled clearly with their name. It's ideal if your child's backpack has an outer pocket that can hold their water bottle for easy access.

SNACK AND LUNCH

Little School will provide morning and afternoon group snacks. If your child has dietary needs or allergies, please feel free to communicate that to us in multiple formats (forms, an email, and/or at our parent meeting). We are always grateful for your collaboration to make sure we are best meeting your child’s needs!

If your child stays for the afternoon program, please send them to school with a lunch box and a water bottle. We’ve found that bento style lunch boxes work best. Some options that families have had success with include: Bentgo, Lunchbots, and Yumbox. A thermos is also great to keep food warm, as we are not able to heat up children’s lunches.  

FAMILY PHOTO ALBUMS 

We will send home an empty “family photo album” so that you can fill it with photos and return it to school, where it will live. Photos should reflect your child’s home life: pictures of family members, friends, pets, favorite places, birthday celebrations… whatever is important to your child. Please place a headshot of your child in the front window. Please try to return the photo album by the beginning of the second week of the summer program. These albums will help bridge home and school, learn about and celebrate each child’s individual identity, find comfort from separation anxiety, and connect with friends.  

DIAPERS AND TOILETING

We provide diapers and wipes for children who are not yet using the toilet. We check diapers frequently and change when needed. We encourage each child in underwear to try to use the potty throughout the day, as necessary. Having a diaper changed or going potty at school for the first time often makes children feel nervous or vulnerable. So, until we have formed a trusting relationship with your child, if your child is only enrolled in the morning program and strongly resists a diaper change at school, we will likely follow their lead and wait for parents to return and change wet diapers.

We are happy to partner with you to support your child as they make the transition to underwear at school. Once your child is toilet-trained, we encourage you to develop a routine of helping them use the potty at school before you say goodbye.

DRESS FOR WEATHER AND MESS

We will plan to play on the yard in most weather conditions. Please apply sunblock to your child in the morning before arriving at school for drop off. Please send warm layers as needed. Please send a raincoat and rain boots to school with your child on rainy days. 

We do lots of messy activities at LS, and children often get dirty, especially in the yard!  So that your child feels free to take part in these valuable learning opportunities, please dress them in clothes that they and you will feel comfortable getting messy.

PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION

We will share a Google Photo album with you that you can access at any time, and we upload photos each school day. We will also send a “Photos and News of the Week” email weekly, and will sometimes also send ProCare messages about classroom happenings. These photos and messages are intended to be a window into your child’s school morning, and looking at the photos with your child is a great way to start conversations about their school life. We often include important developmental and logistical information in our communications, so please make sure to read them as they are sent.

If your child is not going to be at school, please email or Procare us to let us know. If you need an earlier pick-up for your child, please email or Procare us ahead of time to let us know. Please note that while we do often read email outside of our work hours, we primarily respond to emails during our off-the-floor work hours.  For time-sensitive issues, ProCare Messenger is a great way to get a message to us while we are with the children. Of course, brief check-ins at drop-off and pick-up are also great.  We are always happy to communicate at greater length over the phone, email, or via Zoom. Connecting and collaborating with families about their children is one of our very favorite things to do! 

We look forward to a wonderful summer together, 

Lisa, Sam & Asia :)