PARENT HANDBOOK

21 SMITH CLOVE ROAD CENTRAL VALLEY, NY 10917 (845) 460-6300 WEBSITE: mw.k12.ny.us/smith_clove SMITH CLOVE YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcRDSyqjYuEUeHxyR507_A

2021-2022

1 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 MONROE-WOODBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION Mrs. Elsie Rodriguez – Superintendent of Schools Mr. Patrick Cahill – Assistant Superintendent for Business and Management Services Dr. Eric Hassler – Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Mr. Matthew Kravatz– Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Bhargav Vyas – Assistant Superintendent for Compliance and Information Services

BOARD OF EDUCATION Mrs. Staci McCleary, President Mr. Michael Ciriello, Vice President Mr. Anthony Andersen Mr. Don Beeler Mrs. Suzanne Donahue Mr. Jamell Evans Mr. Daniel A. Ezratty Mr. Sergey Koyfman Mrs. Dawn Tauber Omer Mosker, Student Representative

SMITH CLOVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Mr. Christopher Berger – Principal Ms. Nicole Cook – Assistant Principal

MAIN OFFICE Ms. Akemi Hunter - Secretary Mrs. Sharon Drumgoole - Typist Mrs. Mary Ellen Rodriguez - Typist

2 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 Table of Contents ABSENCE NOTIFICATION 4

DISMISSAL NOTIFICATION 4

ARRIVAL / DISMISSAL 5

BUS PASSES 5

BLC 5

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH 5

FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH 5

CLASSROOM PARENT PARTICIPATION, LUNCH VISITS AND PROCEDURES 6

SNACKS 6

PHOTOGRAPHS 6

BIRTHDAY INVITATIONS 6

CLASS PARENT 6

CLUB KID 6

EMERGENCY NUMBERS 7

ILLNESS 7

HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS SPECIFIC TO 2021-2022 7

PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS 9

HEALTH 9

HOMEWORK 9

INCLEMENT WEATHER AND SCHOOL CLOSINGS 10

EARLY CLOSING 10

SCHOOL DAY AND SCHOOL OFFICES 10

SIGN-IN PROCEDURE FOR STUDENTS 11

SIGN-IN PROCEDURES FOR PARENTS 11

SIGN-OUT PROCEDURES FOR CHILDREN 11

SPECIAL SERVICES 11

PROGRESS REPORTING 11

3 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 SMITH CLOVE PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) 11

SPECIAL SCHOOL ACTIVITIES 12

SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS 12

KINDERGARTEN PHILOSOPHY 12

KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM OUTLINE 13

FIRST GRADE PHILOSOPHY 13

FIRST GRADE PROGRAM OUTLINE 13

CHOOSE LOVE 14

CODE OF CONDUCT 14

ANTI-BULLYING MISSION STATEMENT 14

ABSENCE NOTIFICATION If your child is going to be absent, email your child’s name and teacher along with the reason for the absence to: [email protected] An email is the most convenient way to report your child’s absence. It serves as both notification to the school and an excuse note. If you call in your child’s absence, a handwritten absent note must come to school upon your child’s return.

You will receive an automated phone call and email if the office has not heard from you on any day that your child is marked absent and is scheduled to be physically present in the building, to ensure the safety of your child. DISMISSAL NOTIFICATION At your earliest convenience, please email [email protected] with your child’s dismissal plans for this school year. Students taking the same bus to and from school, whether home or daycare provider, do not have to notify the school. Please notify Smith Clove if your child’s dismissal plan falls into one of the following categories: ● Pick-ups ● Kids Korner ● Club Kid/YMCA ● UMAC ● SMA On the first day of in-person school, we will send home a form for you to fill out your child’s emergency early dismissal plans. This important plan will be implemented if an early dismissal occurs, including but not limited to a weather related emergency, or if your afternoon day care provider cancels.

Any changes to the routine can be emailed (by 10:30 a.m. whenever possible) each day to [email protected]. Again, an email is preferred to ensure the office and teacher are notified promptly. A confirmation that your email was received will be sent to you by 11:00 a.m. If you do not receive a confirmation email by this time, please call the school at 460-6300 ext. 6304.

Dismissal reports are given to all teachers and staff daily before 11 a.m. Notifying the school as early as possible ensures a smooth dismissal for your child. We do realize that plans change and late notice to the school may be unavoidable. However, please be cognizant that in this event, the teacher will be notified after our dismissal reports have been disseminated, which interrupts class time. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and understanding with this process! 4 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL

Arrival (drop offs only): 8:15 - 8:30 AM ● Do not bring your child to the main entrance. For safety precautions, parents are not permitted in the building. ● All vehicles should drive down Still Road and turn right onto Laura Lane (the first right) ● Security will direct you to park. A staff member will meet your child at the car and escort him/her into the building

Dismissal (pickups only): 2:20 - 2:30 PM ● Notify the main office ([email protected]) as soon as you know your dismissal plans, preferably 24 hours ahead of time. If you do not get a response to confirm receipt by 11am, call the office at (845) 460-6300 ● Park in the Education Center parking lot ● Bring your ID (and umbrella if it is raining) and stand on the first available yellow dot painted on the sidewalk in front of the building ● There will be two lines going in each direction in front of Smith Clove ● fA staf member will ask you who you are picking up, check your ID and have you sign the pick up sheet ● fThe staf will radio into the building. Another staff member will bring your child out to you ● We ask that you immediately proceed to your car and exit the parking as we prepare for the departure of the buses

BUS PASSES During Hybrid and Remote learning, bus passes will not be allowed. BLC Building Leadership Committee – Each year a committee of parents and teachers, along with the building principal, meet to identify ways to improve learning and the learning environment for all students. This will be done remotely for the 21-22 school year. Please contact the main office if you would like to join this committee. BREAKFAST AND LUNCH Breakfast and lunch are offered to children on a daily basis through the Food Services Department. Menus are posted on the District website. The Monroe-Woodbury CSD will be serving breakfast and lunch under the SSO of the National School Lunch Program for the 2021-2022 School Year. This program allows all children attending MWCSD to be served breakfast and lunch at no charge. Please refer to the information from the Food Services Department. FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH To access Free and Reduced School Meal opportunities, go to the Food Services link on the district website or ask for a 2021-2022 application from the main office staff. Only one application per family needs to be completed and sent back to any of the district’s cafeteria managers. Note that all families must submit this application every year. To have this benefit in place prior to the start of the school year, please submit the application as soon as 5 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 possible. Contact Mr. Ansons, Director of Food Services, at 845-460-6200 x6249 if you have questions regarding the application process. CLASSROOM PARENT PARTICIPATION, LUNCH VISITS AND PROCEDURES Due to the current pandemic and safety regulations, lunch and classroom visits will not occur during the 21-22 school year until further notice.

● Parents are welcome to visit for lunch up to four times per year. ● Parents are permitted to go to the lunchroom - not to recess or back to the classroom with the students. ● We encourage healthy eating habits so we prefer that parents refrain from bringing in fast food. ● Students must have adequate room to sit at the lunch table. They take priority over visitors. ● Parents must follow any directions from the lunch monitors.

In addition, throughout the year, parents will be invited to visit school for classroom celebrations and classroom parties. In order to devote full attention to your “Smith Clover” and to allow ample space for family members of all students, siblings are not allowed to attend full class events at Smith Clove.

For safety reasons, in order to give full attention to the needs of students, parents volunteering within the classroom are required to leave siblings at home. SNACKS Parents are encouraged to send in a nutritious snack with their child to school for classroom snack time. Snacks should be non-sugared and follow the district guidelines in the Healthy School Initiative. Since many students have severe allergies to certain foods, all classrooms will be designated, “Nut-Free.” The sharing of snacks is not permitted. Any foods containing or manufactured with nuts will only be available for consumption in the cafeteria’s designated area.

If you are sending in a class snack, please adhere to the District’s Health and Wellness policy and coordinate the snack in advance with your child’s teacher. Due to student allergies, we ask parents to refrain from sending in homemade baked goods and goody bags containing candy. All baked goods should be sent to school in the original store bought packaging. To ensure that snacks are nut-free, we encourage you to download the “Safe Snack Guide” http://snacksafely.com/safe-snack-guide/ provided by snacksafely.com PHOTOGRAPHS Due to the privacy and safety of others, please refrain from taking group photographs on school grounds. Only individual photographs of your child are permitted. Due to student privacy rights, please refrain from taking photographs and/or recordings of Google Meet sessions during remote learning. Posting pictures and/or recordings of other students on social media platforms is not permitted. BIRTHDAY INVITATIONS In order to avoid any hurt feelings, birthday invitations should not be handed out in school unless all of the children are invited to the party. CLASS PARENT Teachers may invite a parent to help coordinate classroom activities. Class parents may not for any reason collect money from students. CLUB KID Extended day care is a before and/or after-school child care program sponsored by the Middletown YMCA. Children can enjoy a safe and pleasant atmosphere, at a cost, to parents. Contact the Club Kid Director, 6 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 Middletown YMCA, at 344-9622 ext. 237, for further information. Although housed on-site at Smith Clove, please be aware this is not a Monroe-Woodbury program and, therefore, we need a note from home if your child will be attending. EMERGENCY NUMBERS When a child is sick or injured, it may be necessary to contact an adult other than the parent/guardian who can assume responsibility for your child. It is essential that this person be within a reasonable distance from the school and can drive. It is necessary to update the name and telephone number of that person(s) each year. Please make sure your child is aware of who you have chosen as the emergency contact person.

If your home telephone number, cell phone number or work number should change, please update this information through Parent Portal. If you do not have internet access, please send a note to the Main Office. ILLNESS Children who have colds should be kept at home until well. Please notify the nurse if your child requires special attention or consideration due to some temporary or permanent disability, illness, or medication. We welcome suggestions you can give us to help keep your child comfortable and happy during his/her time at school. Please inform the nurse of any unusual physical condition, communicable disease or other illness or injury even if you have been told it is unlikely to reoccur. This information will be kept confidential.

Most childhood diseases start with symptoms similar to those of the common cold and are contagious in the early stages. It is advisable to keep your child home when any of the following symptoms appear: headache chills runny nose nausea sore throat swollen glands vomiting diarrhea discharge from eyes or ears coughing temperature of 100° or over

If your child becomes ill, you will be notified and requested to pick him/her up at school. If your child is experiencing COVID like symptoms, you should contact your child’s doctor immediately. HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS SPECIFIC TO 2021-2022 The district has developed resources to educate parents/guardians and staff members regarding the careful observation of symptoms of COVID-19 and health screening measures that must be conducted each morning before coming to school. The resources include the requirement for any student or staff member with a fever of 100°F or greater and/or symptoms of possible COVID-19 virus infection to not come to school. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list of Coronavirus symptoms was used to develop these resources.

The Monroe-Woodbury Central School District will implement the following practices to conduct mandated health screening:

Hand hygiene

Students and staff will be instructed on proper hand hygiene. The district will provide hand sanitizer stations in all school buildings as well as in the classrooms. Students will have access to sinks and instructed on proper hand washing techniques in health education lessons. CDC hand washing posters will be placed throughout the building (https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/posters.html ) as reminders to students and staff. Emails to families will include information on hand washing from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/pdf/family_handwashing-508.pdf

7 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 Social distancing

Students and staff will be instructed to maintain a physical distance at all times. The importance of physical distancing in controlling the spread of COVID-19 will be emphasized in emails to parents.

Students, staff and visitors to our schools will be expected to wear face coverings indoors and on the school bus. Students will be allowed to remove face coverings during meals and for short breaks so long as they maintain appropriate social distance.

Proper face covering procedures

● Students will be instructed on how to wear their face covering correctly: ● Wash your hands before putting on your face covering ● Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin ● Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face ● Make sure you can breathe easily ● Hands should be washed before and after applying face coverings ● Face coverings should be washed daily

Please read Pediatricians Answer Top 10 Questions about Children in Masks

If students/staff become ill

If students or staff become ill with symptoms of COVID-19 at school, the district requires students or staff with a temperature, signs of illness, and/or a positive response to the questionnaire to be sent directly to a dedicated isolation area where students are supervised, prior to being picked up or otherwise sent home.

If your child requires medication in school, the nurse will coordinate with your family physician and the parents. The parent MUST submit a written request together with a written request from the family physician, which indicates the diagnosis, the name of the medication, exact dosage, time of administration and length of administration. The nurse will then administer the medication during school hours if necessary.

● ALL MEDICATION taken in school must be brought to the Health Office by an ADULT in its ORIGINAL CONTAINER. Medication is taken under the nurse’s supervision.

OTHER COVID SPECIFIC INFORMATION FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE:

We all agree that children learn best when physically present in the classroom. School is more than academics, students receive mental health support, meals, and exercise. Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must re-open in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff and that should be done using a data driven approach based on the demographics of our district.

We ask parents to assist us in a collaborative effort to keep our students, faculty and staff safe.

● Check your child each morning for signs of illness. If your child has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, they CANNOT attend school. These are the list of symptoms taken from the CDC, regarding COVID-19: Cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. We ask that students stay home and call their physician if they have these symptoms.

8 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 ● In addition, our school nurses will ask that a student be picked up to go home from school if they have the above symptoms while attending school and our recommendation will be that they remain home until they are symptom free for 48 hours and that they get a note from their physician/medical provider to return to school. ● sAll nurse’ office staff will have appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) to care for students and staff that may be ill. ● If your child has had close contact with a COVID-19 case, they should not go to school. Follow CDC guidance on what to do when someone has a known exposure. ● Make sure your information is current at school, including emergency contacts and individuals authorized to pick up your child(ren) from school. ● When students are picked up from school due to an illness, the nurse will escort the student to the nearest exit to be picked up. Parents will be directed to the nurses entrance to meet their child. ● Make sure your child is up-to-date with all recommended vaccines. ● Review and practice proper hand washing techniques at home, especially before and after eating, sneezing, coughing, and adjusting a face cover. Make hand washing fun and explain to your child why it’s important. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/pdf/family_handwashing-508.pdf ● Hand sanitizer (that contains at least 60% alcohol) will be available in classrooms and throughout the school. ● Spaces will be disinfected and sanitized in accordance with CDC guidelines and routine cleaning of high touch surfaces will be done each time a student arrives and leaves the health office. ● Medication administration and routine care of injured students will be done in the “well area.” PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS State Education Law requires that each child entering school has a physical examination and certain immunizations. Our nurse will answer any specific immunization questions you may have.

Our school physician will give a health examination if a family is unable to provide a physical examination by their own physician. The school cannot provide immunizations. A list of Orange County sponsored immunization clinics is available in the Health Office. HEALTH We want children to enjoy school and to get the most out of their school experience in order to be well-adjusted and healthy human beings.

Daily Routine - Children should know, respect, and observe good health and safety practices. Plan your child’s day so that there will be time for sleep, meals, schoolwork, rest and play. Arrange it so that your child has ample time to wash, dress, eat, brush his/her teeth, use the toilet, and make an unhurried trip to school.

Clothing - Appropriate school clothes fit well and are comfortable; neither too tight nor too large. Dress your child according to the weather. Coats, sweaters and boots should be such that your child can put them on or remove them easily. School clothes should be suitable for an active primary program, such as painting, block building, etc. Heavy shoes or outdoor boots cause problems in a primary classroom where children are frequently expected to move to music, participate in dramatic activities, sit on a rug for story time, etc. HOMEWORK The following guide for homework at the kindergarten and first grade levels is the result of blending teacher recommendations, parent input, and educational research.

It is recognized that young children have a wide range of interests and attention spans. For some, homework

9 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 is an eagerly awaited activity each day. For other children who may be tired or easily frustrated, homework is a struggle. For this reason, it is essential at the primary level for parents and teachers to communicate whenever homework becomes an issue. Homework does vary somewhat from teacher to teacher at any given grade level; however, the expectations and purposes are agreed upon among teachers. The following is a summary of recommendations regarding homework:

● Purposes ○ To reinforce classroom instruction ○ To establish early study skills ○ To share with parents their child’s level of performance ○ To provide extension activities for those children requiring additional challenge ● Frequency and Duration ○ Kindergarten daily homework is not an expectation. Some tasks might take place over a period of time while other brief assignments may be due the next day. ○ First grade homework expectations are greater than kindergarten. There is increased frequency especially during the second half of the year. ○ Kindergarten tasks should be no more than 15 minutes and 1st grade no more than 20 minutes. Additional time should be set aside daily for reading. ● Parent Assistance ○ Parent involvement in homework demonstrates to children at an early age the value and importance of school. It is a means of teaching responsibility. ○ In order for students to complete a task, parent participation is assumed at the kindergarten level. ○ Parent involvement in first grade is also required although an increased degree of independence should be encouraged. ● What to do if your child refuses to do the assignment? ○ Check to see if the directions were inadequate. ○ Is the child tired or ill? ○ Is the child struggling with their learning? ○ Once the difficulty has been identified, please communicate with the teacher. ● When your child is absent? ○ When a child is ill, it is the parent’s judgment whether the child is well enough to complete any assignments. Usually, children can easily catch up on any homework after they return to school. If, however, the parent would like the child to complete work while at home, the parent can call the school before 10:30 a.m. and the classroom teacher will gather the necessary materials. The assignments can be picked up at the end of the day (3:00 p.m.). ○ Completed homework is important, but no child is penalized for not completing assignments because of illness. Teachers will always provide extra time for catching up and advise parents which assignments need not be completed. ● General Homework/Recommendations ○ Set a standard place and time for homework such as right after school, at the kitchen table or right after dinner. Limit other household distractions such as TV, etc. ○ Have supplies available: paper, pencils, crayons, erasers, etc. ○ It is more important for the teacher to know if a child is struggling with a task than to have the task completed. Please don’t do your child’s homework. ○ LimitV T viewing, computer use and video games, and encourage active and creative play. ○ Reading to and with your child is a powerful reinforcement to the learning taking place in school, and should occur daily. INCLEMENT WEATHER AND SCHOOL CLOSINGS In case of inclement weather, a delayed opening or school closing will be announced via phone call, email, and text Power Announcement. It will also be broadcast on the radio. Occasionally, due to weather, there could be 10 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 delayed openings of our schools for up to three hours. If the weather is hazardous, please continue to listen to radio stations for possible school delays, updates or cancellations. Also check the website at www.mw.k12.ny.us or the district’s Facebook page. Radio/television stations announcing school closings and delays: WALL M1340 A WGNY 1200M A WHUD 100.7M F WRKL 910M A WPDH M101.5 F WCZX M97.7 F WSPK M104.7 A WRRV 92.7M F RNN Ch. 8 EARLY CLOSING In the event of an early closing, parents/guardians will be notified via Power Announcement. Please have a plan in place to ensure adequate supervision of your child in these circumstances. If no one is home to greet the bus, the student will be returned to Smith Clove to await pickup. SCHOOL DAY AND SCHOOL OFFICES School hours for children are from 8:30a.m. to 2:50p.m. School offices are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day that school is in session. Please call if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child. Often questions can be answered over the telephone. However, an appointment to discuss any matter can be scheduled. SIGN-IN PROCEDURE FOR STUDENTS Parents driving children to school must remain with their children until a staff member meets you. Children may not be left at school before 8:15 a.m. If their arrival is after 8:30a.m., the parent must sign the child in and the child will receive a late pass which will be given to the teacher for attendance purposes. This will be done from outside the main entrance. DO NOT, under any circumstances, drop off your child in front of the school. Wait for a staff member to escort your child into the building. SIGN-IN PROCEDURES FOR PARENTS Due to the current pandemic, parents and visitors are limited to essential visits until further notice. Masks must be worn indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Meetings with staff will be done remotely when possible and must be arranged in advance. All parents and visitors to our school must stop in the lobby, show ID, and sign in. You will receive a name badge/visitor pass to wear while on school grounds. Please return to the lobby and sign out when you leave. SIGN-OUT PROCEDURES FOR CHILDREN All children leaving school, except by their regular school bus, must be signed out by their parent or guardian. If a child is being picked up early or at dismissal, the parent is requested to send an email to [email protected] or send a note in with the student. Unless otherwise specified in a note, pickup time is approximately 2:25 p.m. If emergency circumstances prevent you from sending a note, please call the main office prior to 2:00 p.m. to allow for notification of teachers. IF SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE PARENT/GUARDIAN IS PICKING UP YOUR CHILD, WE NEED TO HAVE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION SIGNED BY THE PARENT/GUARDIAN. ANYONE PICKING UP A STUDENT, INCLUDING A PARENT, MUST BE PREPARED TO PRESENT PICTURE IDENTIFICATION. SPECIAL SERVICES Our school has a number of specialists to evaluate children and deliver additional services as needed. Some of these staff include: School Psychologist Speech-Language Pathologist Reading Specialist Occupational Therapist Math Specialist Physical Therapist School Nurse English as a New Language Teacher

11 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 PROGRESS REPORTING Parent/Teacher conferences are one of the most important ways in which to exchange information about your child’s progress in school and factors at home which may be affecting your child’s school experience. Our teachers welcome opportunities to discuss concerns and/or suggestions with parents.

Parent/teacher conferences will be arranged by utilizing our on-line “Pick-A-Time” scheduling program.

Report cards will be sent home three times a year, December, March, and June. Progress reports will be sent home in between report cards for students who are performing below the benchmark expectations at that time of year. SMITH CLOVE PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) PTA is an organization of teachers and parents who work together to enrich our children’s school experience. The PTA provides many programs that benefit our children, such as cultural programs, nutrition day, field day, etc. All are welcome and encouraged to join the PTA. SPECIAL SCHOOL ACTIVITIES Learning takes place in a variety of experiences as follows: ● Videoconferences - to provide children with concepts and virtual experiences to enrich their knowledge base. ● Cooking projects - to provide concrete experiences in measurement; to provide opportunities for scientific experimentation; and to learn the value of proper nutrition. ● Special assemblies - during the school year, children will be involved in virtual and in person special programs, which will enrich the experiences taking place in the classroom. SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS Parents have found their children have benefited from the following: ● show an interest in the things your child brings home ● listen to stories of his/her school day ● read stories and poems to your child ● get to know his/her school friends ● visit places of interest ● become acquainted with the school routine ● if you help your child write his/her name, use a capital letter only for the first letter ● carry through on self-sufficiency taught at school ● help your child to identify his/her clothes by labeling them ● help your child learn his/her entire name, address, telephone number and bus number ● above all, let your child know he/she is accepted and loved KINDERGARTEN PHILOSOPHY Our philosophy is based on the needs of kindergarten children. Kindergartners are open, eager, curious, and alive with a sense of wonder. Their reality lies in what can be seen, heard, tasted, smelled, and touched. Their needs are to experiment, to explore, and to discover – so they may further understand their world.

Inherent in all children is the desire to learn. How and where they experience this learning makes a significant difference in their lives. For this reason, our kindergarten program is strongly rooted in their developmental growth processes and is committed to the needs of children.

We believe all aspects of the child’s development are sequential – we build on skills. We believe in guiding 12 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 the child in learning – strengthening all areas of the developmental process.

What the child experiences during this first school year provides the strong foundation needed for further growth and development.

The Monroe-Woodbury kindergarten program will strive to help each child feel good about himself/herself as a worthwhile, growing person with a positive attitude toward school. The Smith Clove Elementary School program will: 1. Foster self-confidence, self-reliance, self-discipline; and learning skills 2. Help each child get along with others 3. Build communication skills through development of listening and speaking abilities 4. Stimulate curiosity, encourage questioning and exploration 5. Create attitudes and develop habits that foster good health and safety 6. Offer a variety of activities to enhance the development of small and large muscle coordination 7. Help parents understand developmental growth patterns of children 8. Encourage partnership between parents and school 9. Detect possible physical, emotional, or intellectual needs 10. Provide an atmosphere that stimulates creativity KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM OUTLINE ● READING READINESS AND LANGUAGE ARTS - Letters, visual and auditory perception, beginning sounds, sentence building, concept development, and many opportunities to show thoughts, stories, and feelings are prerequisites for good comprehension and reading skills. Students will be instructed in Guided Reading and Balanced Literacy as they are developmentally ready to do so. ● MATHEMATICS - Counting, one-to-one correspondence, shapes, colors, measurement, comparisons, likenesses, differences, time and numerals are concepts inherent in all logical mathematical thinking skills. ● SOCIAL STUDIES -A basic awareness of self, family, friends, school/community environments, holidays, customs and safety is the underlying topic for all experiences. ● SCIENCE - An awareness of living and non-living things, our environment and understanding of the forces of nature are taught using a “hands on” approach. ● HEALTH - Nutrition, general hygiene, the five senses, and safety at home, at school, on the bus and during play will be emphasized by the health teacher and reinforced in the classroom. ● COMPUTER LITERACY - Students will become familiar with a computer and its uses through classroom and computer lab experiences. ● LIBRARY/MEDIA - Stories, poetry, comprehension development and creative expression through various media. ● ART - Experiences with clay, crayon, paint, and other media to develop visual perception, fine motor skills, and creativity. ● MUSIC - Children imitate and create using singing and playing rhythm and recreational instruments combined with movement. These activities correspond to the developmental growth process and correlate with units being studied in the classroom. ● PHYSICAL EDUCATION - The ultimate goal of the physical education program is to deal with the neuro-muscular, sensory and intellectual growth and development of the child. ● ADAPTED PHYSICAL EDUCATION -Adapted physical education is provided for children who need to work on hand-eye and eye-foot coordination as determined by a district physical educational test or children who are unable to attend regular physical education. ● LARGE MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT -A learning experience which places emphasis on individual developmental physical fitness through body movement and play. Children are encouraged to dress appropriately for an active day. ● FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT - Eye/hand coordination skills taught sequentially - tearing, cutting, pasting, gluing, working with clay and small manipulatives and developing coordination to begin writing 13 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 skills. FIRST GRADE PHILOSOPHY Children come to first grade at different developmental levels. It is the responsibility of the first grade teachers to assess this level and proceed accordingly. We have records from the kindergarten teachers who have suggested a starting point in the two major academic areas, reading and math; and have been made aware of students’ strengths and/or areas in need of improvement, including large and small muscle development, social and emotional development, etc. We reassess continuously throughout the year. The range in reading spans from some children being well established in reading and others needing continued review and strengthening in letter recognition and sounds. FIRST GRADE PROGRAM OUTLINE ● LANGUAGE ARTS – ○ Reading – The goal of the reading program is to develop life-long readers who can decode and comprehend what they read. Concepts and skills include phonics, sentence building, concept development, study skills and many opportunities to discuss thoughts and feelings, which are prerequisites for good comprehension and reading skills. Literature is extensively used to motivate students to read and as an instructional tool. ○ English/Writing – Composition, grammar and usage, vocabulary development, speaking and listening are an integral part of our program. The process of writing is taught in three steps: pre-writing, composing, rewriting (editing and proofreading). ○ Spelling – Practice is integrated into the total language arts program using a systematic approach, which involves seeing, saying, hearing and writing words. ● MATHEMATICS - Counting, one-to-one correspondence, addition, subtraction, fractions, problem solving, shapes, measurement, time and numerals are concepts inherent in all logical mathematical thinking skills. ● SOCIAL STUDIES -A basic awareness of self, family, friends, school/community environment, holidays, customs and safety is the underlying topic for all experiences. ● SCIENCE - An awareness of living and non-living things, our environment and an understanding of the forces of nature are taught using a “hands on” approach. ● HEALTH - Nutrition, general hygiene, the five senses, and safety at home, at school, on the bus and during play will be emphasized by the health teacher with reinforcement in the classroom. ● COMPUTER LITERACY - Students will become familiar with a computer and its uses within the classroom, in computer literacy classes, and in the computer lab. ● LIBRARY/MEDIA - Stories, poetry, comprehension development and creative expression through various media. ● ART - Experiences with clay, crayon, paint, and other media to develop visual perception, fine motor skills, and creativity. ● MUSIC - Children imitate and create using singing and rhythm and recreational instruments combined with movement. These activities correspond to the developmental growth process and correlate with units being studied in the classroom. ● PHYSICAL EDUCATION - The ultimate goal of the physical education program is to deal with the neuro-muscular, sensory and intellectual growth and development of the child. ● ADAPTED PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Adapted physical education is provided for children who need to work on eye-hand and eye-foot coordination as determined by a district physical education test or for children who are unable to attend regular physical education. CHOOSE LOVE Smith Clove believes that all children learn best in an environment where they are surrounded by love, respect, and acceptance. To that end, we will use the Choose Love Curriculum to address the Social-Emotional Needs of our students. Daily messages, Lessons, and whole school activities will be embedded into the curriculum.

14 Parent Handbook 2021-2022 More information about the Choose Love Program can be found here: https://chooselovemovement.org/ CODE OF CONDUCT The Monroe-Woodbury Code of Conduct can be found in its entirety at this website: https://www.mw.k12.ny.us/district-services/school-safety/code-of-conduct/ Please contact the main office if you would like a copy. ANTI-BULLYING MISSION STATEMENT The Monroe-Woodbury School District strongly supports a school climate that is safe and welcoming to all students. The district recognizes that physical, emotional and social bullying, harassment or intimidation can jeopardize students’ academic achievement and undermine their physical and emotional well being and may provoke retaliatory violence.

For these reasons, Monroe-Woodbury School District is committed to working toward eliminating bullying/harassment with a strong immediate response to any bullying/harassment incident, taking disciplinary action, providing emotional and psychological support for the victim, counseling intervention for the bully, maintaining procedures for conflict resolution, publicizing reporting procedures, monitoring school climate and ensuring that curriculum and pedagogical strategies foster respect.

15 Parent Handbook 2021-2022