Welcome, Kindergarten Knights! Please fill out a yellow card.

1. Welcome, Kindergarten Knights!Please fill out a yellow card.

2. Health Concerns Your child’s safety and wellness is important to us! • Please notify the school nurse at Back To The Castle (Monday) of any special health concerns (food allergies, asthma, seizures, etc.) or dietary restrictions. • When your child is ill, please notify the school by phone, by email, or through Skyward Family Access. The school is required to verify each absence by phone if notice has not been received. • Each absence requires a signed note from a parent/guardian or doctor upon return. The signed parent note or doctor note must be returned to school within 3 days. • Following an illness, children must be fever free and diarrhea free for 24 hours (without medication) prior to returning to school.

3. Responsibility & Independence • Kindergarten helps foster responsibility in children. Children will be learning and practicing new procedures starting with taking care of their belongings. Allowing children to have age appropriate responsibilities helps them to learn independence and will increase their self-confidence! • Age appropriate skills we will be working on include: opening lunch items, packing and unpacking their belongings, zipping, buttoning, shoe tying, bathroom procedures, completing an academic task independently, time management and responsibility for own actions/choices. • Kindergarteners are very capable of doing many things on their own and we encourage them to do as much as they can for themselves both in the classroom and at home. Independence builds self-esteem and self-confidence, and also helps children with problem-solving and initiative.

4. Personal Hygiene • Students should be able to take care of all bathroom needs on their own. • Please discuss with your child the importance of asking to use the restroom and taking advantage of all restroom opportunities to avoid accidents. • Because all toilets at Norton are automatic flushing, it would be helpful to practice using an automatic toilet at Back To The Castle. • Please keep a change of clothes in your child’s backpacks at all times. Seasonally appropriate clothing is important, so please update the clothing throughout the year. • Students should know how to properly use tissues to blow their nose. Please continue to practice at home.

5. Backpacks and Personal Items • Please be sure your child has a backpack large enough to accommodate a jacket, change of clothes, lunch bag, etc. • Please do not send toys, make-up, stuffed animals, blankets, money, “treasures”, etc. to school. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

6. Shoes and Clothing • We recommend choosing comfortable clothing that is appropriate for physical activities, art and the weather. • We ask that all students wear shoes they can put on and fasten independently. If your child cannot tie their own shoes, please continue to work on this skill at home. • It is recommended that girls wearing dresses or skirts wear a pair of shorts underneath. • Spaghetti strap shirts are not allowed. • It is always helpful to have a light jacket in your child’s backpack each day due to fluctuating temperatures throughout the building.

7. School Supplies • If you ordered school supplies through the school, then your child’s supplies have been delivered to the classroom. • If you did not preorder supplies, please plan to bring them on Back to the Castle (Monday). PLEASE do not write your child’s name on these supplies as they are shared among the class.

8. Our Kindergarten Day(sample schedule) 7:35-7:45Arrive/ Unpack 7:45-8:00 Announcements/ Attendance/ Lunch Count 8:00-8:15 Calendar/ Morning Message (ELA Skills) 8:15-8:45 Word Work 8:45-9:30 Reader’s Workshop 9:30-10:00 Writer’s Workshop 10:00-10:15 Social Studies 10:15-10:40 Morning Recess 10:40-10:50 Restroom/Wash Hands 10:50-11:20 Lunch 11:20-12:50 Math 12:50-1:15 Science 1:15-1:20 Restroom/ Walk to Specials 1:20-2:05 Specials 2:05-2:35 CASTLE 2:35-2:50 Afternoon Recess 2:50-2:55 Dismissal

9. Arrival Procedures • Use the second entrance on Seeport for drop off and pick up. Drop off will occur curbside with staff assistance. Please do not get out of your vehicle. • School begins at 7:45 and students should be dropped off no later than 7:40 to allow them to reach their classroom by 7:45. Your child is expected to be in their classroom at 7:45 when the tardy bell rings. If students arrive after 7:45, they will need to check in at the front office to receive a tardy slip. • Students should not arrive at school prior to 7:15. Students arriving between 7:15 and 7:35 should report to the Castle Cafe. Teachers will be on duty to supervise these students. Students arriving after 7:35 should proceed directly to their classrooms. • Your child may purchase breakfast, however this option is only available from 7:15-7:30. Please plan accordingly to give your child time to eat and proceed to the classroom on time. ***Parents may walk their children into the building the first 3 days of school only. You will be required to check in at the office with your driver’s license on Friday.

11. Dismissal • When planning for your child’s dismissal from school, routine is critical. It is recommended to start your dismissal routine from day one. Please select the way your child is to be dismissed on the yellow card. • Dismissal is at 2:55 • If you arrive late for dismissal, please pick your child up from the front office.

12. Carpool Parents will remain in their vehicle. • You will be provided with a sign with your child’s name to be used for Carpool. Please have this in your vehicle everyday. • Please stay in your vehicle and someone will assist your child into the vehicle. Children will only be loaded on the passenger side of your vehicle. • The carpool lane is located in the back of the building off of Seeport Drive. • Older siblings may meet their younger siblings at their dismissal location.

13. Walkers/Park and WalkParents will walk up to the door to pick up students. • Park your vehicle and walk across the crosswalk. • Students will be dismissed from the side office door (closest to Kindergarten rooms) via Newport Dr. To ensure the safety of your child, please carry your dismissal sign. • Older siblings may meet their younger siblings at their dismissal location.

14. Kids Club After school care on campus • Students will be dismissed by the teacher and escorted to the gym by Kids Club staff. Bus Riders/Daycare • Students will be escorted to the cafeteria to be checked in and loaded onto their designated bus. • Check for eligibility and bus number/route information through the Transportation tab at www.allenisd.org Change in Dismissal • If your child’s dismissal plan changes, you MUST notify your teacher via a written note at the beginning of the school day or by email/note in the prior days. • If something unexpected comes up during the day that will impact your child’s dismissal, you MUST notify the Norton office. Teachers don’t always have the flexibility to check emails throughout the day for any changes.

15. Lunch • Kindergarten classes go to lunch at 10:50. • Your child must memorize their number before making their initial lunch purchase. Your child’s school identification number is also their lunch code. This number can be found when you complete your back to school forms in Skyward Family Access. • Money must be prepaid into the student’s lunch account. No cash will be accepted during lunch. • Daily lunch cost is $2.45 for students. • If you want to meet your child for lunch, please be prompt. Remember that it takes time to sign in at the office. Parents will need to remain on the stage to eat lunch with their child. • Please contact the cafeteria manager if you have any questions at Darlene.Allen@allenisd.org We ask that you DO NOT meet your child for lunch during the first 2 weeks of school. Learning the routine and practicing lunch room procedures is important during this time.

16. Snacks10 minute afternoon snack • Please send a SIMPLE, NON-PERISHABLE snack with your child each day. Please pack snack separately from lunch. • Please make sure the snack is labeled with your child’s name and does not require utensils or refrigeration. • We encourage each child to bring a water bottle labeled with their name. This is for classroom use and should be separate from their drink for lunch. Water fountains are also available in each classroom.

17. Specials Schedule Cole Monday-Music Tuesday-PE Wednesday-Art Thursday-PE Friday-Fitness Friday (PE) Esposito Monday-Art Tuesday-PE Wednesday-Music Thursday-PE Friday-Fitness Friday (PE) • . Savitch Monday-PE Tuesday-Music Wednesday-PE Thursday-Art Friday-Fitness Friday (PE) Tate Monday-PE Tuesday-Art Wednesday-PE Thursday-Music Friday-Fitness Friday (PE) Please have your child wear tennis shoes for the first three days of school.

18. Million Acts of MORE • Norton is excited about continuing this successful program this year! • Norton teachers and staff will serve as coaches with student-leaders to inspire the Norton community to live out our motto of “doing more than we have to, to be the best that we can be.” • #MORE2020 will encourage students to positively impact their peers and community with a goal of completing a ‘MEGA MILLION’ acts of "more". We can all use a little more kindness (perhaps ensuring that classmates aren’t left out at recess), put forth a greater effort (doing our homework to the best of our ability), or practice more thoughtfulness (walking down the hallway without disrupting other classes). • The goal for staff and students is to foster a strong sense of community and reinforce positive habits that will contribute to making Norton a great place to learn and grow. • You will hear much more about the MEGA MILLION Acts of More initiative throughout the year. Get ready for #MORE2020!

19. Norton ExpectationsKindergarten Knights must follow the Norton Code of Honor. • Keeps hands, feet and objects to self. • Never disrupts learning. • Interacts positively with others. • Gets attention appropriately. • Hears and follows instructions. • Takes responsibility for their own actions and learning. • Strives to make good choices and be the best that they can be.

20. Student Recognitions King/Queen of the Week Eachkindergarten teacher will pick a student to celebrate each week. The appointed child will come home with a letter announcing their upcoming week. Some of the special activities your child will participate in for the week include: bringing an All About Me poster, taking home the class mascot for the weekend, being line leader, calendar helper, office messenger, etc. #MORE2020 Students will have the opportunity to earn points and reach goals everyday. They will receive positive reinforcements along the way.

21. Kindergarten Birthdays • Birthdays are always an exciting time for our students. If your child is planning to pass out party invitations at school, please make sure to include an invitation for all of the girls, all of the boys, or everyone in the class. We don’t want anyone to feel excluded. Otherwise, please handle invitations outside of school. • If your child would like to celebrate their special day at school, you may send in a treat OR a goody bag for every child in the class. Make sure they are individually wrapped so they can be passed out at the end of the day and taken home for kids to enjoy. Summer birthdays will be celebrated in May.

22. Communication • Each child will be issued a Norton Knight EVERYDAY FOLDER. This folder is for all communication between school and home. Please check it everyday, clean out the contents, and respond to notes if needed. PLEASE RETURN EACH DAY! • A weekly newsletter will be sent to you every Friday via email. If you don’t receive this email after the first week of school, please notify your teacher to ensure we have your correct email address. • The best way to contact your child’s teacher is through email. Please remember we don’t always have time to check our email until the end of the school day.

23. Conferences • Parent Conference day is Monday, October 28th. • An opportunity to sign up for a conference time will be sent home at a later date.

24. Volunteers • If you plan on participating in classroom parties, going on field trips, or volunteering at Norton…. *YOU MUST COMPLETE A BACKGROUND CHECK ON-LINE at www.allenisd.org; Volunteer Registration Volunteer applications must be completed yearly and may take up to two weeks for clearance.

25. Contact Information Front Office Phone Number: 972-396-6918 Nicole Cole: Nicole.Cole@allenisd.org Maggie Esposito: Margaret.Esposito@allenisd.org Tracy Savitch: Tracy.Savitch@allenisd.org Jill Tate: Jill.Tate@allenisd.org

26. Kindergarten Questions