The beginning of the year can be overwhelming for both you and your child with many new procedures. Learning how to be independent and responsible students is of the utmost importance if we are to maintain a suitable learning environment for all children. We will begin learning about rules and procedures on the first day. I will model and explain the rewards and consequences of appropriate and inappropriate choices.

Some of the things planned for this year are:

• Nursery Rhyme Unit
• Traditional Holiday Celebrations
• 100th. Day Celebration
• Field Trip and Field Day

Please read the following procedures. This will help you in the hectic weeks to follow.

Arrival – The cafeteria will begin serving breakfast from 7:15-7:30. Kindergarten students may enter the kindergarten door at 7:30.   If your child should arrive past 8:01 please have him/her go throught the front entrance.

The first week of school will be spent learning classroom procedures, where to go before school, after school and all about being a “big kid” and the responsibilities that they now have. We have very caring teachers and paraprofessionals that will be available to assist us and your children. The best thing parents can do to help us is to give a quick kiss and hug at the car or door and send them in. If your child is a bit apprehensive try a diversion technique. For instance, “I can’t wait to hear about the new friend you’re going to meet today “ or “I wonder what story your teacher is going to read today” then send them in- somebody will be around to help them find the right place.

Dismissal – Kindergarten car riders with siblings in 2nd grade or below will dismiss out the kindergarten door. Please stay in your car and drive around. We will put your child in the car. Kindergarten students with siblings in 3rd grade and up will be dismissed outside the front of the school. Please stay in your car. We will put your child in the car.

Bus, Daycare and ROCK will be walked to the cafeteria at 3:00 where they will be dismissed. Walkers will walk out the cafeteria doors and just beyond the crosswalk. We ask parents to wait just beyond the crosswalk for their walker. 

Red Plastic Folder – This is our lifeline. I will send red conduct folders home daily. Please return red folders daily. I will include notes from me or the office as they are needed. However, daily work will come home on Thursday's. Please take a minute and review their work, talk about what they did that was good and what they could have done better. Thanks so much.

Discipline – I will begin teaching school rules, procedures, rewards and consequences the first day. We use CHAMPS as the framework for our discipline. If I need to remind your child of appropriate behavior I will put a note in their folder. A green "star stamp" means your child had a great day. To save time I give everybody a green star stamp first thing in the morning. If I need to remind your child of appropriate behavior I will mark through the star stamp and write a small note on their folder or on the page behind the conduct card.

Birthdays – You are allowed to send class sets of individually wrapped birthday treats (does not have to be food, can be small trinkets) for your child to give their classmates. These items will be passed out at the end of the day. We will sing Happy Birthday, I have a bracelet to give each student and I will spray them with Silly String.

Volunteers - We love our volunteers. Kindergarten has a basket in the teacher workroom and we will leave work there if you can help. I have cutting, coloring, stapling books and various projects throughout the year. I would also be happy to gather work and supplies that can be done at home after the kids are asleep. Just send me an email. Thanks!

Take Home Readers – I will begin sending home “readers” as soon as I have a DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) on each child.  Please understand that these are books your child will read to you. It would still be good for you to continue reading to your child but we need to take some time every night to listen and prompt them through reading books on their independent levels. Books will be sent home in a "book bag" with a sign sheet EVERY MONDAY. Please write the date, title of the book, any comments you might have and initial. Books will be changed out every week so they need to be returned every Thursday. Books do not come home when I have a substitute. Thursday night's are dedicated for istation or imagine math. I will explain these e-learning tools later. I'd like them to spend at least 20 minutes on each throughout the week.  Books DO NOT come home on Friday's.

Snacks- Please send a healthy snack DAILY  for your child. Please make sure they do not need forks or spoons. Please show your child how to open packages. 

I know this is a lot of information at one time. I understand how it can be overwhelming. As always, I am available to answer questions or clarify anything that was not clear. I am here to help your child have a very successful year in kindergarten!