ARRIVAL The first day of the 2019-1920 school year is on Wednesday, August 14 th .

2. ARRIVAL The first day of the 2019-1920 school year is on Wednesday, August 14th. School hours will be 7:45am -2:55pm. Students will need to be IN the classroom at 7:45.

3. Back to the Castle This school wide event takes place on Monday, August 12th from 4:30-6:00. Your child will have the opportunity to meet their teacher and explore their new classroom. This is also the time to drop off school supplies. Backpacks Backpacks help your child carry folders, notes, projects, and books to and from school. Please make sure the backpack is big enough to hold at least 3 standard size folders, their lunchbox, a small snack, a change of clothes and water bottle. We ask you to not send backpacks that have wheels. Standard size backpacks will allow your child more ease when packing and unpacking their items independently. Bedtime It will be beneficial to get your child into a good bedtime routine a few weeks before school starts.

4. Communication It is imperative that your child is able to communicate their needs, ideas, thoughts, and feelings to adults other than their parents. Clothing Plan to send your child to school in comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting soiled. Girls will need to wear shorts under their dresses and are not allowed to wear shirts or dresses with spaghetti straps. Also, comfortable tennis shoes are needed on most days. Calendar Please make sure to look at the calendar on the Allenisd.org website and plan vacations and trips when we are on breaks from school.

5. Data The more data we have on your child, the better we can plan for their instruction. Please fill out the Student Inventory Profile sheet today. This confidential questionnaire will help us to know more about your child before they arrive in our classrooms.

6. Expression Help your child to learn to express themselves appropriately, practice self-control and understand the process of conflict resolution. Emotions are abstract for this age and teaching your child to talk about their feelings is very helpful. Experiences Give your child as many experiences as you can (visit the zoo, museums, library, etc.) over the summer. This develops vocabulary and helps them make connections with future lessons in school.

7. Follow Directions The best thing you can do to help your child is to insist that they follow directions. They need to be able to understand and follow multistep directions. Give them opportunities to practice this skill at home to help them transition to school. Practice, practice and more practice.

8. Goodbye When dropping off your child at school those first few days, a quick goodbye is often better than lingering. We promise to take great care of them. They feed off of your emotions so keep it brief and positive.

9. Hands On Learning Kindergarten age children learn best by doing hands-on activities. At home, try to involve your child in counting household objects, sorting groceries, etc. Handwriting Prior to school starting, have your child practice writing their first name using upper and lowercase appropriately. Help to reinforce proper (tripod) pencil grip when your child is writing at home.

10. Ice Cream Social PTA will be hosting an ice cream social for upcoming kindergarten students on Saturday, August 3, 2019 from 10:00-11:00 at the Watters Crossing Park. Independence Children need to learn how to take care of their own bathroom needs, unpack and pack their backpacks, open bags at lunch, zipper, button, etc.

11. Join PTA Parental involvement is what makes Norton great. Consider getting involved in PTA and make a difference in your child’s education. Look for more volunteer opportunities at Back To The Castle.

12. Kindergarten Readiness -write first name -recognize first name -recite full name -count to 10 -recognize basic shapes -recognize basic colors -attend to bathroom needs -wash hands -cut simple shapes with scissors -request help -clean up their own mess -hold a pencil or crayon -follow safety rules -share with others -sustain attention for at least 5 min. -follow 2 or 3 part instructions

13. Labeling Prior to school starting, please label all your child’s belongings- backpacks, jackets, coats, lunchboxes, etc. Please DO NOT label your child’s school supplies. Lunch Students who choose to purchase a hot lunch at school, need to practice using serving utensils. Students will need to memorize a 6 digit code issued to each child, which they will type into a keypad to pay for their lunch. For more information you can visit paypams.com.

14. Math Practice rote counting, sorting, shape recognition, building or finding patterns, touch counting, etc. Motor Skills Fine Motor Skills can be practiced by allowing opportunities to write, color, use scissors, mold playdough, build with small blocks (Legos), bead jewelry, etc. Gross Motor Skills can be developed by running, jumping, skipping, swimming, climbing, swinging, biking. Get your kids outdoors and exercising!!!

15. Nurse Please inform the school nurse of any medical conditions or allergies your child might have prior to school starting.

16. Orientation A Kindergarten Parent Orientation will be held on Wednesday, August 7th at 5:30. This meeting will help answer many specific procedural questions that you might have to help your child in the first weeks of school. Please make sure to arrange childcare for your child that evening and that at least one parent attends this informative meeting.

17. Potty Trained We know accidents will happen from time to time, but please make sure your child is pottytrained and can independently take care of their bathroom needs at school. Problem Solving Skills Give your child the chance to problem solve issues in their daily life. Allow them time to think through situations and come up with solutions. Then discuss the outcomes. Problem solving skills need to be taught and children learn these best when are coached through this process and given the opportunity to solve real-life problems.

18. Questions Please practice asking your child “wh” questions (who, what, where, why) during read aloud time. This will help your child pay closer attention to details of the story. It will also help in listening and reading comprehension. Questions from Parents Please don’t hesitate to ask questions now or throughout our year together. We are a team and work best when we are all on the same page.

19. Routines Children thrive on routines. Children perform at their best when they have regular routines that they know to expect. These include routines to get ready for bed, consistent sleep and wake times, expectations for getting dressed and ready for their day. Read At Home Reading at home is vital to your child’s school success. Please make it a habit to read to your child daily.

20. School Supplies Bring your child’s school supplies to school on Back to the Castle night. Please help us by not labeling your child’s school supplies. We have community supply buckets at each table that get replenished throughout the school year. If you pre-ordered school supplies through the school, they will already be delivered to the classroom. Screen Time Children who have limited amounts of screen time tend to communicate more efficiently, have longer attention spans, develop better problem solving skills and are more creative. Play is important at this age for brain development.

21. Teacher Be on the lookout for a letter from your new Norton Kindergarten Teacher in early August. You will find lots of information regarding the school year and your teacher assignment in your special letter.

22. Unique In Kindergarten we view every child to be a unique individual. We strive to develop their individual strengths and areas of interest. We meet the child at their developmental level and move them forward at their own pace.

23. Visitors When visiting Norton please enter and exit at the main front door. You will need to use the doorbell to gain access to the front desk for check-in with your drivers license. Volunteers There will be volunteer opportunities sign up sheets on Back to the Castle night. Please know that a background check is required for any school volunteer position. This must be renewed each school year.

24. Websites The Norton Webpage has a wealth of information and is a great tool to answer many of your questions. Weekly Newsletter The kindergarten team will send out a weekly newsletter to help you stay connected through the 2019-20 school year. You will also start receiving a school wide newsletter that will be sent out to the email address you provided at registration.

25. Xtra Special Norton is an “Xtra” special school that has many “Xciting” activities and events throughout the year. Some of these activities are grade level specific and some are school-wide.

26. You You are your child’s first and most important teacher. We can’t do it without your help and support. It takes a village….

27. Zoom Be amaZed as your child’s skills zoom to new heights in Kindergarten!