My name is River Eubanks, and I will be your child’s teacher. The first day of school is always exciting for me, and this year is no exception. Since I will be spending a lot of time with your child, I would like to take the opportunity to tell you a few things about myself, both personally and professionally. This is my 20th year of teaching in the Walled Lake Schools and 14th year teaching kindergarten. I was awarded Pleasant Lake’s “Teacher of the Year” three times. I received my Master’s in Reading and Language Arts from Oakland University. I have a specialized endorsement in reading, which qualifies me as a Reading Specialist. In 2018, I graduated with my second master’s in English as a second language
I first realized I wanted to be an educator while I was in Honduras, Central America. Personally, I am married to a University of Michigan Professor, and this summer, our son, Asher, turned fourteen. He will be in eighth grade and goes to Novi schools. Asher went to Pleasant Lake Elementary from Kindergarten to fourth grade; it is an exciting time. I know and understand the anxiety and excitement a parent feels when dropping off your child for the first time.
Teaching is more to me than a job. I take my commitment as a teacher very seriously. My goal is to provide an environment that will meet individual needs, develop positive attitudes and behaviors, and provide opportunities to become independent learners.
I promise to work for your child to provide the best education that I can give. I will be I promise to work for your child to provide the best education that I can give. I will be an advocate, an educator, a reader, and a teacher who will help your child. I use positive reinforcement to boost their self-esteem grow, and I will work with you, the parents, to give a fantastic learning kindergarten year.
I am a hard worker and want to apologize in advance that the classroom will not be “perfect” when you see it for the first time on Monday. Usually, I would be in the school setting up our classroom; however, there was a tiny window where I could return to Israel and visit my family. So, right now, I am writing you from Israel and will return to the USA on Saturday. The classroom will be perfect by Wednesday when the students start school.
This year we have an exciting opportunity to have a teacher intern (sometimes called a student teacher) with us all year long. Her name is Katrina Tracz. I will still be the primary teacher; I will teach Ms. Tracz how to be a teacher. She is an MSU graduate student working with me to gain experience and earn her teaching certificate. Soon, I will send home her introduction letter.
If you need to get in touch with me, I will be available before and after school, and my email address is rivereubanks@wlcsd.org. TEXTING is the best way to reach me and the fastest way to receive a reply. (To allow me to text you, please sign up with remind.com and follow the instructions. See below) I want to be in contact with you at all times. I am a teacher who is dedicated to my students’ needs. If you have a question, please feel free to text me. I will receive an email and respond as soon as possible.
I highly recommend this and use it often! Remind.com is an easy way to stay informed and up-to-date with what’s happening in our class. By joining our class on Remind, you’re choosing to receive class messages via push notifications, SMS, or email. This way, you will be able to text me, and I can text you reminders. Don’t worry; your phone number will not be shared with the teacher or anyone else in the class. This will help you keep up with a large amount of information you will receive.
I feel that contact with families is critical. A person once told me, “In kindergarten, if you are not talking to parents as often as you are talking to the children, you are doing something wrong!” There may be some nights where your child is upset, and by speaking to me in the evening, we can solve the problems before the next day. You might want to talk to me because something is upsetting your child, and you would like my input. You might have a question about something that happened during the school day. Any number of things could come up. A teacher spends much of the day with your child, and I feel that I need to be available for anything that might come up. If there is a way that I can make your child have excellent school experience, I will do my best to accomplish this goal!
Thank you so much for the supplies. I know that these supplies can be expensive. Our kindergarten team will specifically pick supplies so that your child can have a successful and safe year with specific lessons in mind. We do many arts and crafts projects that help students with fine and gross motor skills and provide dramatic play and comprehension skills. Applying art to a lesson increases student’s high level of understanding. It is an essential way to learn problem-solving skills.
Please put an extra change of clothes in your child’s backpack. If there is an accident, it is effortless for your child to quickly change in the office without being uncomfortable. This would also mean that you will not be called and asked to bring in a change of clothes for your child. Many parents put the extra set of clothes in a small bag and let their child know where it is. These clothes would stay in your child’s backpack all year.
There are three parties throughout the year: Halloween, Winter Holiday, and Valentine’s Day. There are also many other celebrations: Open House, Sing and Share, Author’s Celebration, and more! The party and cooking money is deposited in the office. Some of the assigned party money went to a special “Leader in Me” folder that every child in the school will use to transfer homework, graded papers, and notes from home.
Kindergarten Meet and Greet on
Monday, August 23rd from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Incoming Kindergartners and their parents are invited to attend our Kindergarten Meet and Greet. Students with the last name beginning with the letters A-M are invited to participate from 5:00 pm-5:30 pm and N-Z from 5:30 pm-6:00 pm.
Come meet your child’s teacher and participate in a fun Pleasant Lake Elementary Scavenger Hunt to become familiar with our school and their classroom. You can also drop off your child’s classroom supply money during the Kindergarten Meet and Greet.
Important Dates:
Monday, August 23- Meet and Greet! You will be able to visit your child’s classroom and bring in the supply money. If your last name begins with A-M to please come at 5:00 – 5:30 and if your last name begins with N-Z please come at 5:30 – 6:00.
Wednesday, August 25th – Friday, August 27 First Days of School- STAGGERED START-Half Days! If your child’s last name begins with A-M, they will only have a ½ days in the morning. If your child’s last name begins with N-Z, they will have a ½ days in the afternoon. Due to the staggered start, Kindergartners will not have lunch on Wednesday, August 25th.
Monday, August 30th – The First FULL day of school for Kindergarten
Bus pick Bus pick up times and locations will be emailed to families a week before school starts. If you have questions regarding the staggered start, please call the main office at 248.956.2800. Any issues regarding busing can be answered by calling our Transportation Department between 5:30 am-5:30 pm at 248.956.3090.
The 2020-2021 Walled Lake School’s Calendar
Snacks and Lunch
We have snack time two times a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. It would be most helpful to have the snacks separate from each other, so your child knows the difference between them and lunch. Please send in healthy choices such as fruit, cheese, and crackers! I will not be providing any snacks. You may send a lunch with peanut butter. We do have lunch every day. It makes the transition easier if you pack your child’s lunch for the first week of school. There is lunch on the first day of school.
I am not able to microwave or store anything in a refrigerator or freezer. Please remind your child each morning if he or she is “bringing a lunch” or “buying lunch.” There are people in the lunchroom that will help your child open any drink or food product.
School times
Drop off: 8:50 AM Start: 8:55 AM Dismissal: 4 PM Departure: 4:07 PM
School begins at 8:55 and ends at 4:02. The Pleasant Lake Elementary drop off time is at 8:50 am. During the transition into Kindergarten, if you bring your child to school, please allow him or her to walk inside the classroom, hang up the backpack, and find their seat, independently. I know this might be a hard task; however, it will be a smoother transition for your child and their classmates in the long run. Parents are not allowed in the classroom until all children can successfully transfer to school without being upset. Once your child can walk away independently, I have an open-door policy. If there is any problem, please contact me (many children cry, do not worry if this happens).
I am looking forward to a wonderful, positive kindergarten year!
