Glacier Peak Elementary

Kindergarten Handbook Glacier Peak Elementary

Mrs. States [email protected] A handbook about your child’s Kindergarten experience

720-972-5972

2016-2017 Welcome to Kindergarten!

I want to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to Glacier Peak Elementary School. I am looking forward to working with you throughout this year to make your child’s beginning in elementary school a success. I am committed to providing a quality education for your child. Kindergarten is a time of excitement, wonder, exploration, and discovery. Our curriculum promotes the development of physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth of each child through hands-on experiences. Most importantly, I will do my best to make school a positive place for you and your child.

This packet will introduce you to many of the routines and important information relevant to our kindergarten program. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns. This is such an exciting time in your child’s school career and I thank you for sharing your child with me!

Sincerely, Betsy States [email protected] Arrival and Dismissal: 1. Please line your student up outside his/her classroom door. We will let students in when the bell rings. 2. Children will be dismissed outside the same classroom door. Please meet your student outside the door. I’m going to ask that you stay back away from the doors so your children can more easily find you amongst all of the eager parents. Also, students will not be allowed to cross into the parking lot or street without an adult so you must come up to the dismissal area. 3. Please let us know how your child will go home, especially when alternative arrangements are made that alter the normal routine for your child. Also, it is helpful if daycare providers introduce themselves so we know who they are. 4. Make sure you are prompt in picking up your child. If you are late your child will be waiting for you in the office.

Half-day Kindergarten Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 7:30-10:40 Wednesday: 7:30-10:00

*If you need to pick up your child prior before scheduled dismissal time, you will need to check them out in the office.

Attendance: Daily attendance in school is so important! Please try to schedule dental and doctor appointments after school and on scheduled days off. Family vacations should be scheduled during district vacations. Please contact the school’s attendance line in order to document your child’s absence as excused. Because much of our learning is done in groups and through discussion it is difficult to prepare a “packet” of missed work if you do go on vacation during the school year. So much of our learning in kindergarten comes from group interaction and discussion.

Instruction

Language Arts We will be reading and writing in numerous formats and genres to support all aspects of literacy and District standards. Reading and writing elements include:

Independent Reading Shared Reading Guided Reading/Literacy Centers Read Aloud Interactive Writing Modeled Writing Independent Writing Shared writing Phonological skills, oral language, and comprehension are foundational to each of these literacy elements and their development is supported by instruction within each element.

The Kindergarten Student Writing Rubric will be provided so you will know how kindergarteners are evaluated in writing. Please be involved in your child’s writing to help him/her become a proficient writer.

The students work toward a goal to develop thinking and reading strategies used by proficient readers. These strategies allow readers to decode and understand different texts so they can create memorable interpretations of what they’ve read. They also learn to read with passion and purpose. A combination of teaching children to use these reading strategies, to read critically, and to ask questions promotes independent readers which succeed in ever more challenging texts.

Students will enter and exit kindergarten at various reading levels based on their individualized progress. In general, the reading level expectations are as follows.

Level : 1 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 Mid year kinder end of year kinder midyear 1st

Students will be read to often. Students will read with others in a variety of ways. They will read with the teacher, classmates, and classroom volunteers. They will have an opportunity to select their own reading material from the classroom library. They will also have an opportunity to check out books from the school library. I encourage you to read with your children! A shared book is a fantastic experience. Family enthusiasm and enjoyment of a book creates a growing environment for young readers.

Mathematics We will be using the Everyday Math Program for mathematics instruction. In kindergarten, we focus on developing number sense through games and activities. We also practice counting, coins, graphing, and calendar routines daily. On occasion, math homework (Homelinks) will be sent home in your child’s Friday Folder. Please complete Homelinks with your student, as they support material covered in class. Homelinks do not need to be returned to school.

Science/Social Studies Children will explore and learn about different science and social studies concepts through hands-on activities and whole group and small group projects throughout the year.

Units of Study School Community Friendship Families Seasons/weather Motion Animals/plants and their environments 20 Minutes a Day by Richard Peck

Read to your children Twenty minutes a day: You have the time, And so do they. Read while the laundry is in the machine; Read while the dinner cooks; Tuck a child in the crook of your arm And reach for the library books. Hide the remote, Let the computer games cool, For one day your child will be off to school; You have the choice; Let them hear their first tale In the sound of your voice. Read in the morning; Read over noon; Read by the light of “Goodnight Moon.” Turn the pages together, Sitting close as you’ll fit Till a small voice beside you says, “Hey, don’t quit!” Communication I believe that frequent communication between home and school is important. If questions or concerns arise, please feel free to contact me at school by phone, email, or you can send a note with your child. I promise to be prompt with my return communication.

We do have phones in our classrooms. They will be turned off during instructional time. You can still call my direct line and it will go directly to my voice mail. I will be checking my messages before school, during lunch, after school, and possibly during my planning time. If you need immediate communication for the school day, or if it is an emergency, please call the school office.

I will also be communicating regularly through emailed newsletters to let you know what we have been doing in class and any other important information that needs to be relayed. Your child will receive a take home folder at the beginning of the year. Please look in this folder every day. Anything that needs to be sent home, such as newsletters from the school or information from me, will be included in this folder. Please take time to look through your child’s work and any newsletters. Return the folder everyday.

The Daily Folder might include:  Homework activities/Math Homelinks  Work your child has completed  The Grizzly Gazette: an all-school monthly newsletter  Classroom newsletters to inform you of the kindergarten happenings  The high-frequency reader books we have practiced throughout the week

Homework Each day I will be sending home homework packets. These packets will have assignments for that week. Please work with your child to complete the activities. All homework will relate to what we have been studying in school. Occasionally, your child might have a special project to complete. Homework is due by Friday.

Examples: Alphabet handwriting Alphabet poems Math homelinks Practice connecting to classroom learning

In addition to the weekly homework, I will be sending home daily book folders. Each child will select a book to bring home daily. This book is intended to be read with a parent. In the book bag there will be information on how to read the book with your child. Tip: Encourage your child’s own reading and writing on a nightly basis. Let your child see you participate in these literacy activities. Your child has now joined the exciting world of being a reader and a writer – share the joy of reading and writing together!

Positive Behavior Rewards Our school practices a Positive Behavior Support (PBS) program to encourage good behavior at school. Your child will be rewarded for good behavior and hard work in a variety of ways. I promote an environment that is nurturing, positive, and safe where your child is respected and encouraged. I will foster the growth of the children to help them become independent and self-confident.

Individual Great Grizzlies: Blue cards that are handed out by teachers throughout the school. These are used as a positive reward in addition to class reward systems.

Classroom Expectations: I believe in starting off the year with clear and understandable expectations. Together as a class we will come up with appropriate do-able classroom behaviors. These will be posted and referred to often. A class positive reward system will be developed as the year begins.

Discipline Your child deserves the most positive and safe educational climate possible for his/her growth. I know that together we can make this happen. Our school rules:

Great Grizzlies will Make Safe Choices Show Respect Use Kindness Work Hard

If classroom or school rules are not followed, students may be asked to refocus or take a time out to discuss better choices. Students will become responsible and accountable for knowing what choices they need to make to be successful in school. If continuous problems occur, I will contact you so that we may find solutions that work for your child. Birthdays

We will celebrate students’ birthdays during the last 10 minutes of school on their Birthday or arranged birthday date. You may send treats but please make sure they are self-serving treats such as crackers, slices of cheese, boxes or packages of fruit, etc. (for timesaving reasons.) No beverages or cupcakes, please.

As the Glacier Peak handbook states please do not send in birthday invitations to school for your child to pass out unless the whole class is being invited. This alleviates hurt feelings among classmates.

Snacks Due to the short amount of time we are in school we will not be having a scheduled snack time. I will ask some parents to donate goldfish, animal crackers, pretzels, fruit snacks for occasional selected snack days. Due to the new morning schedule starting early I will allow breakfast to be eaten upon arrival. Nothing with liquids.

Volunteers Our classroom is a child-centered classroom. Using this approach takes a lot of child/adult interaction. I am looking for parent (and/or grandparent) volunteers who can assist in the classroom. For parents who are unable to come into our classroom but would still like to help, you can sign up for take home projects. An email with volunteer sign up information will be sent out when we feel the classroom environment is ready for assistance. This could be as late as October, but likely sooner.

Conferences Conferences are held in October and February. I will send home reminders before the dates. If you have a scheduling conflict, please contact me and we can reschedule. Parent-Teacher conferences are very important communication meetings! Please watch for an email with the sign up information.

Report Cards Report cards are sent home with kindergarten students in January and May. If you are curious about your child’s progress, don’t hesitate to call and set up an appointment with me. We are implementing our port hole online where you will be able to see ongoing learning. This is set up through Infinite Campus. You will need to setup a login to access your child’s progress. Assessment High Frequency Reading Words By the end of kindergarten, all students are expected to be able to read this list of high frequency words by sight. The students are tested in the fall and spring.

Kindergarten Writing Words (also known as No Excuse Words) Students are expected to be able to read and spell the kindergarten writing words by the end of the year. They are graded on the correct spelling of these words in their writing samples.

Writing Rubric This rubric is used to assess a student’s progress with his/her writing skills. Students are expected to have mastered skills in the “Proficient” column by the end of the year.

We also conduct other types of assessments to drive our instruction.

Supplies Many of our school supplies are pooled together to be shared by the class. Throughout the year, we may request donations of materials that are needed for special activities and projects. Please make sure your child brings a regular sized backpack, with his/her name on it, to school daily. Backpacks are invaluable for transporting library books, book bags, and important folders and papers to and from school.

Personal Belongings Please label your child’s personal items, such as their, backpack, coats, hat, mittens, gloves, etc. Please remind your child to leave toys, electronics, and other special items at home so they do not get lost or broken.