Welcome to Kindergarten!

1. Welcome to Kindergarten! With The Kindergarten Team… Mrs. Jeanne Cano Ms. Stephanie Casper Ms. Nancy Randolph Mrs. Satya Kennedy A new adventure begins!

2. Principal/Parent/Teacher/Student Contracts: • All parents must have a signed contract on file in the office. • Parents/guardians may choose to sign the form and turn them right back to the teacher TONIGHT!  • [Third Graders will also receive a letter about MOWR for folks at home. ]

3. 3 B’s of Good Behavior Be safe. Be respectful. Be responsible.

4. Behavior & K “Token system” • Students have one green, yellow, red token on their desks. • Daily goal is to keep all tokens. • We don’t expect perfection, but look for efforts to maintain & to comply to reasonable requests. • Behavior is marked each day on Homework Report. • SPARC room… (See handbook for more information.)

5. Rewards… • Verbal praise • Stickers and stamps • 3 B coupons • Special privileges • Extra explore time • Extra computer time • Fun Friday Activities

6. Morning Class Responsibilities • Empty backpacks at table independently. • Student puts water bottles & snacks in proper place. • Student gets out lunchbox for lunch count & place lunchboxes in basket/bin. • Put library books in basket/bin. • Take out daily blue KTA folder to be reviewed (with completed homework). • Zip backpacks & put away backpacks in cubbies.

7. Arizona College and Career Readiness Standards • Increased academic rigor • Goal setting & tracking progress • Helps to identify learning styles & strengths • Promotes independence & responsibility as well as cooperation & collaboration skills • Promotes communication skills • Preparation for Standardized Testing

8. Spalding • Daily Oral Phonogram Practice (OPR) • Students will receive phonogram practice cards to use for homework at home (keep in your “kit.”) • Daily Written Phonogram Practice (WPR) • Grammar and Language Use • Text Structure and Literary Appreciation • Quizzes on Friday on phonograms and dictation words (beginning around Nov.) • In class spelling notebooks will be used

9. Reading Notes High Frequency ,“Sight” Words plus frequently used words Flash cards will be provided & daily Spalding notebooks are important! Identify in print, read & use in personal writing Phonemic Awareness -playing with and recognizing patterns in language. Phonics - understanding how oral language is represented in written form. Decoding-applying phonetic knowledge to decipher text -- sound, sound, blend. Comprehensionunderstanding, and interpreting read text. Scholastic Book Clubs: Flyers may come home with homework. Option to order online  with a credit card. This is not a fundraiser, only an easy way to get cheap books. Couldn’t be easier & is an optional choice. Library books may be kept for a full week but are due on the assigned library day. Your child may return his/her book early if desired.

10. Helpful Hints for Reading at Home • Listen to your child read the text 3 times. • Help with tricky words: many can be sounded out. • Keep the paper books & revisit them to help with fluency. • Celebrate growth (e.g. HFW acquisition, fluency, & comprehension) • Review front cover, title page, the jobs of author & illustrator. • Have your child retell the story in his/her own words. • Let your child see you reading for enjoyment & a purpose.

11. Writing Notes • Please do not spell words for your child. • For free writing tasks, accept phonetic approximations. • Praise efforts. • Kindergarten writing looks different from grown- up writing & that’s okay. • End of year goals for students: • Writing in complete sentences • Writing with supporting detail TOOLS: • letter chart • spacers • Word Wall • brain power!!!

12. Math Notes • Numbers as representing • quantity • Emphasis on the process • Comparing and contrasting • length, value • Sorting and identifying by • attribute • Predicting outcomes and • analyzing data • Analyzing and solving math problems in more than one way • Number sense – deep understanding of our number system and how it works • Being fluent; “seeing it”

13. Math Curriculum Saxon Investigations Spiral curriculum: Content repetition allowing application/deepening of concepts over time Process oriented – variety of methods to get to right answer Use of manipulatives to go from concrete to abstract Mastery achieved by doing – applying, using basic skills in higher order problem-solving • Specific, explicit lessons • Emphasis on rote, drill, & practice for basic skill mastery • Spiral curriculum: Content repetition with new learning introduced • Use of manipulatives to go from concrete to abstract • Performance based assessment + pencil & paper

14. Fluency Expectations Grades K-6 • Kindergarten • 1st Grade • 2nd Grade • 3rd Grade • 4th Grade • 5th Grade • 6th Grade • K.OA.A.5:Fluently add & subtract within 5 • 1.OA.C.6: Add & subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition & subtraction within 10 • 2.OA.B.2: Fluently add & subtract within 20 using mental strategies. By end of grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers. 2.NBT.B.5: Fluently add & subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, &/or the relationship between addition & subtraction. • 3.OA.C.7.: Fluently add & subtract within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication & division or properties of operations. By end of grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers.. 3.NBT.A.2.: Fluently add & subtract within 1000 using strategies & algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, &/or the relationship between addition & subtraction. • 4.NBT.B.4: Fluently add & subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm. • 5.NBT.B.5: Fluently multiply multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm. • 6.NS.B.2: Fluently divide multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm. 6.NS.B.3: Fluently add, subtract, multiply, & divide multi-digit decimals using the standard algorithm for each operation.

15. CGI – Cognitive Guided Instruction • Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) is guided instruction that promotes problem solving skills as well as the understanding that there is more than one way to come to an answer to a problem. This also include being able to articulate one’s thinking and sharing “how” the problem was solved with others.

16. Instructional Resources & Approaches: • Science, Social Studies, & Health use current Kyrene resources • Writing is a focus to support Spalding reading program & across all content areas • Handwriting is manuscript, aligned with Spalding. • Recitations are required by quarter for ALL grade levels.

17. Technology • Smartboard interactive presentation tool • 5 laptops in classroom + stand alone • Computer lab time each week + Your child will login using a username & password, access approved websites, practice skills, word process, create a slide show presentation, & more. Cool, Cool, Cool!

18. HOMEWORK • Readto, or with, your child for 10-15 minutes, every night. • Check the weekly newsletter, e-mails and homework folder for additional assignments and practice opportunities. • Homework Kit is a kindergarten resource for you to keep & use at home. Please save all games & other learning tools from school together in the folder. • Homework comes home M-Th & is due the next day. • Please, contact us if you have any questions. • (Confusion is a curable condition.) • 

19. Homework is Identified in KTA folder: Teachers are looking for: • Parent signature daily on Homework Report.  • Work completed to best of ability – including a quality effort AND all colored. • Student writes name on ALL work to receive credit. • “Kit” work completion. (Let’s check it out!) Content areas/subjects are designated by days of the week… Parents are asked to check completed work for accuracy Parent signature is required dailyfor acknowledgement of homework & student behavior

20. “Word of the Week” samples… • HFW: • Type on computer: they they they they theythey

21. “Number of the Week” samples…

22. PLEASE,WRITE YOUR CHILD’S NAME ON ALL THINGS THAT COME TO SCHOOL!(Snacks, lunchboxes, water bottles, backpacks, homework, jackets, etc…)

23. Absences… • Call the absence line. • Keep sick kids at home. • Schedule vacations & doctor appointments around school hours as much as possible. • Missed Kindergarten Spalding practice & review needs to be “made up” when returning to school. • Parents may need to assist with support of missed work needing to be completed by the student.

24. Back Pack TipsThese things should be in your back pack: • Blue daily KTA homework folder with completed homework, &/or library book • Lunch box or lunch money • Snack (tightly closed & with name on it) • Water bottle (with name on it) • Notes going to & from school • Jacket or sweater, if needed

25. Personal Skills to Practice • Independent bathroom use • Blowing nose effectively • Opening/closing snack & lunch containers • Tying or fastening shoes • Zipping, buttoning, • snapping, buckling • Putting on jackets, • sweatshirts, coats, • & sweaters • Covering mouths when sneezing or coughing

26. Healthy Snacks • Snacks are optional & should be separate as well as marked with student’s name.(Some children are fine waiting until lunch.) • Remember that our breaks are short & snacks should not be a meal, but just a little something to hold the child over until lunch, If needed. • Please choose nutritious items. (NO cookies, chips, candies, etc.) • Choose snacks that your child can eat without much adult assistance. • Label the snack with your child’s name. • We will collect snacks first thing in the morning& keep in the snack bin for our break/snack/AM recess time. • NO NUTS in class or at AM recess!! We have students with severe food allergies!!

27. Lunch Reality • Kids choose their entrees when buying lunch. • Children sit, eat, & clean up their own messes. • It can be loud. There are approximately 100 children eating in there & not all speak quietly. • The assistants do their best to organize lunches, assist children, in an orderly fashion. ** If you have any questions about pricing, please see the school website

28. Drinks and Bathrooms • Before school • Exploration time • Quiet work time • Playground time • If you have an “emergency” • There is a bathroom in each Kindergarten classroom (Student water bottles remain accessible to students.)

29. TALK! TALK! TALK! Talk with child about: • school • friends • stories • songs & poems • class work • homework • numbers • patterns • family • interests • goals • With Oral language development, parents are the best teachers of language skills. • Be patient, help & encourage your little one to express complete thoughts & ideas by speaking & responding in full sentences.

30. We LOVE Volunteers! • Kindergarten in class volunteers will start in October. • The PALS program (Parents Aiding Learning in School) is happening NOW! Feel free to sign up TONIGHT! • P.T.O.Events sign up is in the hallway near the MPR. First meeting Thurs., Aug. 20th. • Per the Handbook, each family is expected to complete a minimum of 5 volunteer hours.

31. Follow KTA On Social Media: • Facebook: facebook.com/ktasureno • Twitter: @KTASureno  Pull out your phones & follow us!

32. More Information • COLLECT BOXTOPS for EDUCATION stamps • Kyrene School District: www.kyrene.org • KTA Main Office 541-5400 • Our Kindergarten class webpages: • www.kyrene.org/staff/jcano • www.kyrene.org/staff/scasper • www.kyrene.org/staff/nrandolph • www.kyrene.org/staff/lsine • Phone (room 7) 541-5507 (Mrs. Cano voice mail) • Phone (room 8) 541-5508 (Ms. Casper voice mail) • Phone (room 9) 541-5509 (Mrs. Kennedy voice mail) • Phone (room 11) 541-5511 (Ms. Randolph voice mail) • E-mail (Mrs. Cano) - jcano@kyrene.org • E-mail (Ms. Casper) -scasper@kyrene.org • E-mail (Ms. Randolph) - nrandolph@kyrene.org • E-mail (Mrs. Kennedy) - skennedy@kyrene.org