Welcome to Kindergarten!

1. Welcome to Kindergarten! With The Kindergarten Team… Mrs. Jeanne Cano Ms. Stephanie Casper Ms. Nancy Randolph Ms. Mary Seaman August 2012 A new adventure begins!

2. 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.

3. On School Nights Kids Should… • Do their daily reading • and/or homework. • Eat a healthy dinner. • Tell grown-ups about 2 • or more things he/she • learned or did. • Go to bed in time to get • at least 9 to 10 hours of • sleep.

4. On school mornings… • Get up early enough to not • be rushed. • Make sure you have needed • items (library book, homework, • snack) in your backpack. • Eat a healthy breakfast. • Turn your brain on high!

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

6. These things should not be in your backpack: • Old papers • Toys • School supplies • Non-school folders • Personal money • Electronic games (e.g. • Gameboys, etc.)

7. 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, coughing

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

9. Healthy Snacks • Snacks are optional.Some children are • fine waiting until lunch. • Remember that our breaks are short and • 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 • morningand keep in the snack bin for our • break/snack/recess time. • NO NUTS!! - We have students with • severe food allergies!!

10. Healthy Snacks(Snack for morning break is optional.) Cheese sticks Fruits or vegetables (cut up) Pretzels Wholegrain crackers Dry cereal Granola bars Etc. • Please NO tree nuts, candy, chips, • or cake. • P.S. We do not have refrigeration. Snacks are kept in the classroom.

11. 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.

12. Lunch… • Bring lunch from • home. • Milk may be • purchased for $0.50. • Buy student lunch from • cafeteria for $2.50. • Send in lunch money • in the morning OR… • Pay online at mylunchmoney.com. • Practice opening • containers at home. • Allow children to help • with lunchbox prep. • Talk about doing a good • job at lunch. • Limit treats to one.

13. Classroom Wish List • Elmer’s disappearing purple glue • sticks (always needed! ) • BOXTOPS for EDUCATION stamps • Ticonderoga brand pencils • Crayola crayons (16 or 24 count) • Small gift cards to Wal-Mart, Lakeshore, • Target, or office supply stores • --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- •  Check the newsletters or class website for the updated lists or needs throughout the year.

14. Kindergarten Motto I am safe. I am kind. I am a helper. I’m a GREAT Kid & let’s have a GREAT DAY!!

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

16. 3 B’s of Good Behavior Be safe. Be respectful. Be responsible.

17. Special Areas Schedule * Children need to wear athletic shoes in order to participate safely in P.E.

18. Drinks and Bathrooms • Before school • Exploration time • Quiet work time • Playground time • If you have an “emergency” (Student water bottles remain accessible to students.)

19. 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.

20. 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 at home. Please save all • games and other learning tools from • school together in the bag. • Homework comes home • M-Th & is due the next day. • Please, contact us if you have any questions. • (Confusion is a curable condition.) • 

21. Homework Tips • Set aside homework or skill practice • time daily. • Work in a quiet place without • distractions (if possible). • TURN OFF THE TELEVISION! • Keep homework & library book in • your backpack or in another safe • place. • Parents should assist but not do the • work. • Always closely supervise handwriting • practice. • Divide work time into several sessions if • frustration ensues.

22. 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 will 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.

23. Writing Notes • Please do not spell • words for your child. • For free writing tasks, • accept phonetic • approximations. • Praise effort. • Kindergarten writing • looks different from grown- • up writing & that’s okay. TOOLS: • letter chart • spacers • Word Wall • brain power!!!

24. Math Notes • Recognizing and creating • patterns • Numbers as representing • quantity • Emphasis on the process • Comparing and contrasting • length, value • Sorting and identifying by • attribute • Predicting outcomes and • analyzing data • Number sense – deep understanding of our number system and how it works • Being fluent; “seeing it”

25. 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!

26. 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.

27. 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/mseaman • Phone (room 7) 541-5507 (Mrs. Cano voice mail) • Phone (room 8) 541-5508 (Ms. Casper voice mail) • Phone (room 9) 541-5509 (Ms. Seaman 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 (Ms. Seaman) - mseaman@kyrene.org