Welcome to Kindergarten

1. Welcome to Kindergarten Mill Creek Elementary School

2. Help your Student be Prepared Each Day • A good day at school begins by being ready to learn. You can help your student be ready each day by helping with the following items... • Get a good night’s sleep • Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch • Bring backpack to school every day • Folder in backpack • Dress appropriately for the weather •  Send them off with a hug and a smile!

3. Ways we can help your student be successful: • High expectations for students and teachers • Positive classroom environment • Learning from mistakes • Meeting standards and curriculum • Form a partnership between the student, parents, teacher • Set up appointments with us ahead of time so that we can • be prepared to communicate effectively. Email preferred.

4. Classroom Rules: Be respectful Be responsible Be safe

5. Classroom Management Plan • Ms. Ogura’s Behavior Plan • One, Two, Three Chart • Mrs. Barnett Behavior Plan • Color card system

6. Behavior Goals in Kindergarten • Respectful/Kind • Learn to work independently • Work cooperatively with others • Become responsible for own behavior. • Use self-control • Be safe

7. Academic Goals • Increase self-expression through oral language experiences • Become observant and imaginative thinkers • Understand that reading is important and enjoyable – They see themselves as readers • Bridge the gap between readiness, reading, and writing • Understand beginning mathematical ideas

8. Projects & Papers • The projects and papers your kindergartner brings home are very important. • Be sure to look over the work and make some positive comments (a little praise works wonders and will increase your child’s self-esteem and self-motivation). • If you are having trouble recognizing objects in the pictures, have your child tell you about them.

9. Units of Study in Science Fall Science: Animals 2X2 Kindergarten students will observe and compare various pairs of animals Winter Science: Wood & Paper Students will observe the properties of wood and paper while comparing similarities and differences. They will investigate how wood can be processed and recycled. Spring Science: Balls & Ramps Students will learn about motion along with cause and effect.

10. Balanced Literacy Program • Read/Write Aloud – Teacher models reading and writing to the whole class, modeling what good readers and writers do. • Shared Reading/Writing – Using enlarged text, the teacher involves the students in the process of reading and writing. While modeling reading and writing, the teacher explicitly demonstrates and teaches strategies that students, with practice, will be able to utilize. • Guided Reading/Writing – Later in the school year, small group instruction will begin. • Independent Reading/Writing – Students will work on reading and writing with increased independence.

11. The Wright Skills • The Wright Skills is a comprehensive program that addresses a variety of phonemic skills. • Phonemic awareness is the ability to manipulate sounds, rhyme, segment, blend, and identify sounds at the beginning, middle and end of words. • The Wright Skills program develops: • Letter name, form and sound • Manual dexterity • Perceptual awareness • Listening skills • Direction following • Comprehension • Auditory discrimination • Sequencing • Blending • Hand-eye coordination

12. What does kindergarten writing look like? • Students use pictures and print to convey meaning. • Students learn to form letters and show increasing knowledge of letters, sounds, and patterns. • They draft simple sentences, often with the same structure repeated within a piece or used in several pieces. • As they choose to write for their own satisfaction, much of their writing will be about themselves, their families, pets, and friends.

13. Writing • Modeled Writing • Teacher “thinks aloud” and models how those thoughts can be written down. • Shared Writing • Teacher records student’s verbalized thoughts • Interactive Writing • Teacher shares the pen with students • Independent Writing • Students write independently but with support, as needed Students are encouraged to use developmentally appropriate inventive spelling

14. Handwriting This year we will utilize the Handwriting Without Tears program, as appropriate. • Big curve, little curve, big line, little line • ________________________________ • _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ • ________________________________ • No letters should start at the bottom!

15. Math • We will use enVisions math curriculum. There will be many “hands-on” experiences, using math manipulatives. • Students will work individually, in pairs and small groups. • Units of Study: • Who is in School Today • Counting and Comparing • What Comes Next? • Measuring and Counting • Making Shapes & Building Blocks • How Many do you Have? • Sorting and Surveys

16. Kindergarten Conferences and Report cards • Report Cards come home twice per year. We are on the semester system • Conferences are in October and March (See school calendar)

17. Art activities help your student express thoughts and feelings. Students will devolop fine motor skills with activities such as painting, cutting, pasting, outlining and coloring. Musical activities will allow your child to experience music vocally and rhythmically. Physical Education is intended to develop muscular coordination and teach students the importance of health and safety. Your child will participate in large muscle activities such as running, skipping, galloping, and jumping. Your child will learn the basics about our school library and be able to check out and take home one library book per week, when they are on the Library rotation. Art, Music, P.E., Technology and Library

18. Birthdays • The teachers will have a mini celebration to celebrate a student’s birthday. • Please no edible treats since both classrooms are peanut/tree nut free rooms. • Celebrated as close to or on the actual day. • Summer birthdays will be celebrated in June. • The birthday student will have a birthday crown and birthday book from the whole class • Birthday invitations should not be handed out at school unless the whole classis invited.

19. Lost and Found • Don't forget to write your student's name on personal items, i.e. backpack, coats, sweatshirts, sweaters, or any removable clothing. • If your student doesn't come home with something, they either left it in their locker or it is in the lost and found box located in the entry to the cafeteria.

20. Volunteers • We will be pleased to utilize volunteers beginning sometime in October. • Completed volunteer applications must be submitted online. • To go on a field trip with us, your volunteer application must have been already cleared and on file at the Everett School District office! • At-home/workroom volunteers are also important to the success of our classrooms. Please let us know if you are interested in this type of work.

21. Your Students‘s Health/Absences • Please advise us if your child has an allergy or other health problem that requires special consideration at school. • Please do not send your child to school if there are symptoms of sore throat, vomiting, earache, diarrhea, fever or head lice. • Please call the school (425-385-­6805) each day your child will not be at school. If you have not called the school, office staff calls the home/work numbers supplied by the parent to verify the child's absence from school.

22. Contact Information : We strongly believe in having an open line of communication with parents. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us. Email is the most efficient means of communication. Julie Ogura jogura@everettsd.org Diane Barnett dbarnett@everettsd.org These addresses will always be found at the end of the newsletters we send home.