The ABC S of Kindergarten s1

The ABC’s of Kindergarten

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to our class. Beginning August 24, 2015, your child will be completing one of the most important milestones in his/her life---the first day of Kindergarten! We are looking forward to a wonderful year of learning together! Kindergarten is an exciting time as children embark upon new adventures in the world of learning. We are truly blessed to be given this opportunity to get to know you and your child. It is our desire to instill a love of learning that will last throughout your child's years of schooling.

We understand that you and your child may meet this day with excitement or apprehension (or a little of both), and we hope that this handout will help you to know what to expect this year, and answer any questions you may have. We are looking forward to establishing the best possible learning environment for your child, helping him/her to achieve their full potential. Each child will progress at his/her own rate, acquiring skills as he/she is developmentally ready. Maintaining each child's self-esteem and building a secure foundation for future growth will always remain a priority in our kindergarten. With teamwork and cooperation among parents, teachers, and students, we will have a successful year!

Please read through the following ABC’s of Kindergarten. The information is specific to our classroom and may vary from the other Kindergarten classes. Please refer to it throughout the year when questions arise. I hope it is beneficial to you.

A – ATTENDANCE – Your child's regular and punctual attendance at school is crucial to his/her success. They need to be in school all day and on time every day. I can't emphasize this point enough! In case of illness or emergency please send a written and dated excuse for absence within three school days after returning to school. ABSCENCES WITHOUT NOTES WILL BE CODED UNEXCUSED (review student handbook). If a child arrives late or needs to leave school early, you must sign in/out at the school office BEFORE coming to the classroom. School hours are 7:40a.m.-3:00pm. ASSESSMENTS – The North Carolina K-2 Assessment and Reading 3D will be used to assess your child’s reading and math skills throughout the year. This assessment tool will be used along with the report card to inform you of your child’s progress during Kindergarten. ACCELERATED READER – The AR program is a computer based reading comprehension program. Students will be allowed to read books and complete reading comprehension questions on the computer. Students will begin this program as their reading levels evolve to the independent level. B – BREAKFAST – Breakfast is served each day beginning at 7:40a.m. in the classroom and is free for all students.

BOOK ORDERS – Book order forms will be sent home periodically to purchase books at discount rates. This is a great way to build a home library for your child. However, you are in no way obligated to purchase books. C - COOPERATIVE LEARNING – Cooperative learning activities will be used on a daily basis. This means that students will be working in pairs or in small groups during the day. Cooperative learning teaches students to share their ideas and teamwork. COMMUNICATION – I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success. Throughout the year I will communicate with you through notes, telephone calls, newsletters, your child's daily folder, progress reports, report cards, a mass text notification system, and parent-teacher conferences. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You may call me at school (671-6035), send me a note, or email at [email protected] (this is the easiest way). I am available for conferences regarding your child's progress by appointment. Please do not interrupt our instructional time (8:00-3:00) except in case of an emergency. D - DISMISSAL – Please notify me in writing if your child’s mode of transportation changes. The office will not accept a telephone call to change transportation modes except in an emergency. DISCIPLINE – Tanglewood School uses the PBIS Model for school-wide discipline. This model emphasizes positive behavior. Students will be given tokens each day for various positive behaviors. Students will be allowed to redeem tokens for items from the treat box when they have collected ten tokens. Periodically students will receive school-wide rewards when they reach 50 tokens. As the year progresses the goals will increase. Students are given a verbal warning if inappropriate behaviors occur. If the behavior continues the child will not receive a smiley face stamp at the end of the school day and a note informing parents of the inappropriate behavior will be sent home. Please check your child’s hand each day for a SMILEY face indicating a GREAT day! E – EMERGENCIES – Please complete the student information sheet completely. Please list at least two working phone numbers for emergency purposes. EDUCATIONAL FAMILY TRIPS- We know Tanglewood families like to travel! If you are planning an educational family trip during the school year, please submit a letter in writing prior to the trip explaining where, when and how the trip will have educational benefits in order for the days to be excused. You will be allowed one excused family trip during the regular school year. F - FIELD TRIPS – We will take several educational field trips during the year. A permission slip will be required anytime students leave campus during the school day. If we do not receive a permission slip, your child will not be allowed to go on the trip. FOOTWEAR – Students should wear comfortable shoes each day. Sandals should strap to the foot and not be of the flip-flop variety. Mr. McGirt requires that tennis shoes be worn on PE days. Students will not be allowed to participate if they are not wearing appropriate shoes. G – GUESTS – Guests are allowed to visit or eat lunch with students. Please sign in at the office and obtain a visitor’s badge. If you are eating lunch you may wait at the office until we arrive at the cafeteria. H - HOMEWORK - Kindergarten homework lays the foundation for good work habits in later years. I will be sending home a monthly homework calendar. Please initial the calendar as the homework is completed. Please help your child with their homework but do not do it for them. The calendar will be kept in a homework folder which should come to school each day with your child. All correspondence to and from the teacher should be placed in the folder not in the book bag. Handbook- A copy of the Tanglewood handbook can be found on the school website. Please read and be familiar with our procedures and make sure to sign and return the parent Verification letter located in this folder. Headphones- Each child will need a set of headphones to use in the computer lab. I - ICE CREAM – Ice cream can be purchased on Fridays in the cafeteria. The cost of ice cream is 60 cents. ILLNESS - Please do not send your child to school if he/she has a temperature or is feeling ill. J - JOURNALS – Students will write in journals on a regular basis. Journal writing will help build writing skills that will be assessed on the K-2 assessment during the second semester of school. K- KISS AND GO – please make the transition to school easier by dropping off your child with a kiss and quickly leaving. This will help our morning routine greatly. L - LUNCH - Students will be assigned a lunch number. All students will be receiving lunch at No cost this year. The lunch account may be used to prepay for ice cream and any extras your child may wish to purchase. Students may also bring lunch from home. We do ask that you do not bring in soft drinks for your child to drink at lunch. LEARNING STATIONS – Learning stations will be used in our classroom. Stations will be assigned and rotated on a regular basis. Learning stations give students hands on experience with different curriculum areas. We will have teacher-led stations in which a small group of students works with the teacher or assistant while the others are working independently or in small groups. M - MEDICATION – Medication cannot be administered to students without the written consent of your child’s doctor. A medication form is located at the office. Please DO NOT send cough drops to school with your child as they can be a choking hazard. N - NEWSLETTER – A weekly newsletter will be sent home at the beginning of each week. The newsletter will highlight upcoming events, learning objectives and school updates. O - OPEN HOUSE – An Open House will be scheduled in the FALL. This is an opportunity for you to visit the classroom and view your child’s work. Individual conferences cannot be held at Open House for confidentiality purposes, but one can be scheduled at a later time if needed. P - PARENT INVOLEMENT – We love Parent Involvement! Please be involved in your child’s Kindergarten year as much as you can. PROGRESS REPORTS – Progress reports will be sent home during the middle of each nine-week period. PTA – All parents are encouraged to join PTA. Dues are $5.00. Please help our class reach 100% participation!! Q - QUIET TIME – Students will be given a few minutes of quiet time following outside time. This time will allow students to unwind. R - READING LOGS - Reading logs will be placed in your child’s folder. Please list all books you read to your child or they read to you. Please keep reading logs in the folder at all times. The logs will be used for the McDonald’s Reading Program. Twenty five books should be listed for each nine week period during the year for a total of 100. Try to read at least 15 minutes each day with your child. This will help build reading skills and foster a love for reading. Remind 101-We will be using a mass texting system for the class. Please sign up to receive reminders about the class happenings. To sign up simply text @mrselk to 81010. *Text/Data charges may apply through you cellular plan. REPORT CARDS – Report cards are sent home each nine weeks. S - SNACKS – Please send a healthy snack with your child each day. We will have a short snack time in the morning. SIGHT WORDS – We will focus on sight words throughout the year. Sight words are important for your child to recognize quickly. Kindergarteners are expected to learn 53 sight words by the end of the year. T - TOYS – Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school. We cannot be responsible if toys are lost or broken. Students are encouraged to bring books to school to share. Please label books with your child’s name so they can be returned home after they have been shared. TAKE HOME BOOKS – Students will be bringing home simple books to read at home as the school year progresses. These books are part of the Kindergarten reading series and will have to be used for several years. Please have your child to take care of the books and return them to school each day. U – UNITS AND THEMES – We will have many different units and themes throughout the year. You may be asked to contribute simple household items or materials to assist us with these units. V - VOLUNTEERS – You are welcome to volunteer in our classroom as much as you can. Regular volunteers are needed to listen to students read, help with art projects etc. The PSRC requires that a screening form and background check be completed on all volunteers; please see me for a volunteer form. If you volunteer please make sure you sign in at the office. W – WRITING - Students should be praised for all their writing attempts. Writing begins with scribbles and progresses to lines, circles, letters, words and eventually sentences. Please provide your child with tools for writing such as; pencils, crayons, and markers. X – We are very eXcited about this school year! Y – YEARLONG CALENDAR – A calendar for the 2015-16 school year is available on the county website. www.robeson.k12.nc.us Z – ZZZZZ – Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest each night so they will be ready for a great day in Kindergarten!!