Featuring: Room 2- Kindergarten With: Mrs. Newton

1. Welcome to:Back to School Night Featuring: Room 2- Kindergarten With: Mrs. Newton

2. Tonight’s Agenda • Attendance • Typical Day • Daily Work Folders vs. Thursday Folders • Literacy • Math • Enrichment • Behavior Policy • Volunteers • Miscellaneous • Contacting Mrs. Newton

3. Attendance • I want to see your child’s smiling face! • 3 Hour day • Come every day! • Send a note, email, or call about absences • Absentee Number: 703.957.4391 Ellen Austin: ellen.austin@lcps.org (She needs to know too ) • The standard and patterns we set in kindergarten transcend through the remainder of their schooling

4. A Typical Day in Kindergarten • Socializing and play time upon arrival. Some work. • Morning/Afternoon Meeting: calendar, jobs, days week/months year, date, money, days in kindergarten • Read-Aloud: listening to a story • Shared Reading: daily routine, big poem, sight words • Literacy Groups/Centers: daily, small group reading/ individual work focusing on: fine motor skills, writing, creativity, ABC’s, etc. • Math: Investigation- 1/week, whole group lesson Centers- 2/week, exploration

5. A Typical Day Continued… • Science/SS: 2-3/week, theme based. Whole group/individual/hands-on, etc. • Recess/Milk: 15 min. NO food snacks! • Specialties: -Library & Computer Lab: 1/week -Guidance/SEARCH: 1/every other week • Class schedule- available online!

6. Daily VS. Thursday Folders Folders • Come home every day! • Include daily work • May be a note/reminder • Empty all contents • Return every day! • Come home on Thursdays • Important papers from the school/county • Monthly newsletter/Important weekly reminders • Please return Friday (with signed papers)!

7. Literacy • Consistency in K-2 • Alphabet/Chunk Charts • Components: • Shared Reading/Big Books • Daily Literacy Centers • Guided Reading Groups • Daily Read-Alouds • Independent Reading • Writer’s Workshop

8. Pre-Reading Skills… • Letter Identification • Sound Identification • Rhyming • Recognizing words with the same beginning sound • Recognizing environmental print • Inventive spelling • Left to right, top to bottom, spaces, etc. • Use picture clues

9. Math • Investigations • Student discovery • Hands-On • Patterns, shapes, counting, time, measurement, money, addition, subtraction • Math focus: once week, 30 min. lesson • Math centers: two days week, 30 min.

10. Enrichment • No homework in kindergarten • Enrichment Calendar -be sent home in Thursday folders & available online -connections between home and school -not mandatory • Sunshine Math -enrichment worksheet -begins end Feb./beginning March -not a requirement! • Curiosity “Cave” -once month, educational games

11. Behavior Policy • My Expectations- signed classroom rules, school rules, & lessons beyond the classroom walls • Positive reinforcement • Chutes & Ladders Behavior Board: • Pink: Star Student  Reward jar! • Purple: Role Model. 1 round of Operation • Light Blue: Showing Pride. Earn a sticker! • Ready to Learn! • Yellow: I need to SLOW DOWN and focus on my work • Orange: Logical Consequence/ kindness jar • Red: Parent Contact -note home, sign and return the next day *What if this doesn’t work for my child?

12. Volunteers! • Room Parent • 1 per class • organize a class directory in September, plan class parties, assist in coordinating events with the PTA, work as a point of contact between PTA and classroom parents, decorate, collect information, etc. • Party Parents • 2 per class. 3 parties for year • Donate supplies, help set-up/decorate, participate in activities during party • Computer Lab Assistants • listen to teacher explain computer lesson , help students as needed as well as printing each student’s paper (if applicable) • Guess Who? Mystery Reader • 1 per month. First Friday of each month • 3 clues; come read a story! • Other Opportunities • Field trips • Sight word/literacy centers • Creating things for our room (centers) • If you want to be a part of our room, I want your help!

13. Miscellaneous • Birthdays • "In an effort to keep all children safe and healthy, Loudoun County Public Schools has recently produced guidelines that do not allow any food to be brought in for a child's birthday. Additionally, non-food gifts of any kind, including pencils, stickers, balloons, floral arrangements, etc. should not be brought to school for a child's birthday. Parents are encouraged to purchase books for the classroom, donate a book to the library, provide games in your child’s name to his/her class or curiosity cave, or make a donation towards our courtyard gardens as a way of celebrating. In addition, each child will continue to have his/her name announced on the Morning News Show and will get a birthday pencil from the office. We recognize that this is a significant change, but please realize that it is for the safety of all students. Your cooperation in following the new LCPS guideline is appreciated."

14. Miscellaneous Continued.. • Bring in favorite book, pencil, and choose their job for the day! • Dress • Girls: shorts/stockings under skirts, no flip flops! • Field trip information coming soon! • At home: • READ, READ, READ!! • Ask daily questions

15. Contacting Mrs. Newton • Email: lindsey.newton@lcps.org *Please be patient with emails. I will reply to you as soon as possible, but I rarely have an opportunity, if any, to check my email during the school day. • School Phone:703-957-4390 Absentee Line: 703-957-4391 *I look forward to an amazing school year!

16. THANK YOU • Thank you for your time tonight! • Our collaboration will be key in creating a successful year. • Please remember to sign up for Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences and any volunteer opportunities you are interested in!