Welcome to Ovid-Elsie Kindergarten

1. Welcome to Ovid-Elsie Kindergarten! Kindergarten Visitation May 14, 2010

2. NEW CHANGES TO O-E KINDERGARTEN!

3. Your child will be in GOOD HANDS each and every day they come to school. They will be in a nurturing, supportive, and challenging learning environment with highly qualified teachers and staff. A school environment based on ROAR expectations: Be Respectful, an Outstanding citizen, Always safe, and Responsible. They will be encouraged to be role models of these behaviors daily. Your child will come home full of excitement and stories about what they did at school. Enjoy this! Ask them questions and encourage them to share their learning journey with you! The home-school connection is full of constant communication and opportunities to work together. Please feel free to contact the school, your child's teacher, or Dr. Cunningham with any questions or concerns. In working together, your child will be provided with every support tool possible! What Can You EXPECT As A Kindergarten Parent?

4. In Kindergarten, READING is an important step for each student. There are a lot of skills that they will work on throughout the year that lead to becoming an emerging reader. Working with your child at home is an important step in helping their learning process. Alphabet- Kindergarten students will be introduced to, practice, and continue to perfect their recognition of the letters of the alphabet. Sounds- Kindergarteners students will take the next step with the alphabet and be able to identify the letter that matches each sound. They will also be able to provide the sound when given the letter. Sight Words- Kindergarten students will be able to read, write, and recognize a list of high frequency words. This list will be given out to you at the beginning of the year to work on at home. Concepts of Print- Kindergarten students will be able to use a book correctly. They will learn to read from left to right, front to back, and end of a line to the beginning of the next line. They will be able to locate the title, author, spine of the book, front and back cover, and words in the book. Story Elements- Kindergarten students will begin to identify the parts of a story. They will be able to identify and discuss characters, setting, plot, moral, and climax. Becoming A Reader- Kindergarten students will use their skills simultaneously to begin reading. At their level, they will be introduced to and progress through materials at their own level. No student will be held back- they will continue to be challenged as they grow! What will my child be learning in Kindergarten?

5. In Kindergarten, WRITING is a big step for a child. They are anxious to be able to do more and get excited about the progress they are making. Give them every chance at home to write in any way! Holding A Pencil- The hardest part for a young writer is breaking their habits of holding the pencil incorrectly. It creates frustration. Kindergarten students will be able to hold the pencil in the correct way to form proper letters. Letter Formation- Kindergarten students will be practicing and perfecting the correct way to write each letter. They will be able to write the letters of the alphabet, both upper and lower case letters. Stages of Writing- Kindergarten students will make transitions as they become more developed writers. Although it may seem like nothing, kindergarten writers will start with scribbles that they can explain. The scribbles will lead to isolated words and eventually, they will be able to put their words together to form sentences. As these young writers progress, they will work on their spelling of words and formation of sentences. Writing Process- Kindergarten students will be able to work through the writing process as a group and will begin to do so individually. They will be able to brainstorm ideas, draft their writing, begin to conference about their work, and make corrections. Concepts of Print- Kindergarten students will be able to write from left to right, top to bottom, and use spaces between words. They will also be able to begin writing sentences. What will my child be learning in Kindergarten?

6. In Kindergarten, MATH is a fun area of exploration for students. They are beginning to learn how to count & apply their understanding of numbers to real world experiences. Numbers- Kindergarten students will be able to read and write numbers up to 30. Of course, we will challenge them to reach for higher numbers! Counting- Kindergarten students will be able to count orally. They will be challenged to count to 100�s by ones and count to 30 by twos, fives and tens. Comparing- Kindergarten students will be able to compare numbers to each other to understand value. They will be able to compare objects to describe weight (lighter, heavier) and length (shorter, longer, taller). Patterns- Kindergarten students will be able to create, describe, and extend a pattern. Grouping- Kindergarten students will be able to make groups of objects. They will be able to sort, classify, and identify objects using different descriptions. Time- Kindergarten students will be able to make connections between telling time and their daily schedule. They will be able to identify calendar time (yesterday, today, tomorrow, last week, next week), parts of the day (morning, afternoon, evening), and hourly time. 3D objects- Kindergarten students will be able to relate and identify 3D objects to real world examples. What will my child be learning in Kindergarten?

7. Kindergarten SCIENCE is a fun time for students to ask questions and be curious about the world around them. They have the opportunity to learn with a hands on approach & in a group of their peers. Scientists- Kindergarten students will have the chance to become scientists at their level. They will be able to share their questions and inquiries with their peers while conducting science experiments. They will be able to make conclusions at the end and apply them to their world. Pushes & Pulls- Kindergarten students will be able to observe, describe, and demonstrate the effects of a moving object. They will understand push, pull, and fall. They will learn the affects of shape and mass on an object. Living vs. Nonliving- Kindergarten students will be able to distinguish between living and non-living things. They will identify the needs of a plant and an animal in order to survive. Earth Materials- Kindergarten students will be able to identify and describe materials in nature. They will be able to discuss the characteristics of sand, rocks, soil, and water. 5 Senses- Kindergarten students will be able to describe and define the uses of their five senses. They will make connections to their world. What will my child be learning in Kindergarten?

8. In SOCIAL STUDIES, kindergarten students will focus on their world and those that surround them. "Myself and Others" is the theme for the kindergarten level. Me- Kindergarten students will be able to create a personal timeline of the events in their life. They will be able to identify the seasons and time of year. Patriotism- Kindergarten students will be able to identify the US flag and symbols that represent our country. They will exhibit and discuss fairness and responsibility. Maps and Globes- Kindergarten students will be able to use and understand maps and globes. They will be able to describe location and environment of an area. Specific to the area, they will also be able to share needs and wants. Economics- Kindergarten students will learn about trading, goods and services, and economic factors such as needs, wants, and choices. They will be able to describe each of these and give examples. Involvement- Kindergarten students will be part of a community project to get them involved in their surroundings. They will discuss community and class issues and devise ways to help solve these problems. They will also take action. What will my child be learning in Kindergarten?

9. Physical Education- twice/week Music Education- once/week Library- once/week (computers included) �Hands� with Miss Paige, the Occupational Therapist- once/week Teaming with Mr. Wilson, our School counselor, as needed Recess- DAILY! Snack- DAILY! What Special Activities & Classes Do They Have?

10. Isn't It A Long Day For My Child? For most kindergarten students, it is a difficult transition to come to school and be �on their game� for the whole day. To help with this transition, we offer a rest time in the middle of the day giving them a chance to take a break. This may be a nap time or just a quiet time, and will slowly decrease in length and change as the students become more adjusted to a full day of school.

11. Nuts and Bolts of a Classroom

12. Name Tags Students will wear name tags for the first two weeks of school. This helps us, but also other staff members when talking with your child.

13. Bus routes and pick up procedures are set up by the bus garage. Bussed students will be released through the west doors of our school & parents can park in the south parking lot. We do not dismiss students at the classroom, they are either released by us personally or signed out at the office. Please plan to wait outside the glass doors under the awning. We must see your face before we release students. Busing & Pick Up Info

14. If there is a change how your child is getting home, you MUST let the school know in writing. NOTES or PHONE CALLS to the office are essential! The word of the student and email is not reliable! Busing & Pick Up Info Con�t

15. Snacks & Supplies You will receive a letter from your child's teacher as the school year approaches to let you know the snack procedures or schedule, as well as the supplies that your child may need. We encourage drinking water for snack-time. Your child�s homeroom teacher will let you know what the classroom procedures are for daily doses of water. Each classroom is equipped with a drinking fountain.

16. Friday Folders Folders containing all your child�s work and weekly newsletters will be sent home frequently. This folder is a key element in communication back and forth from school to home. Please look for this!

17. Parent Responsibilities Backpack everyday Large enough for a 9 X 12 Friday Folder please no framed/wheeled backpacks. Backpacks need to be checked daily. Children learn best when they feel good about themselves. Students need to be clean, fed, and dressed appropriately for the weather. We go outside for recess everyday unless it is raining or the temperature is below 10 degrees. Parents need to keep emergency contact information up-to-date.

18. School Dress Code We have an indoor/outdoor shoe policy Comfortable clothing that children can fasten on their own. No hats in school Shoes with heel strap/backs only No tank tops, spaghetti, or thin straps Shorts/skirts are to be fingertip length No skulls

19. Self-Care Practice self-care dressing at home, learning how to tie shoes, snap, button, zip, etc. Students will need to be able to get dressed by themselves. We will offer assistance, however with 20+ students to help and only a few minutes of recess, children can get frustrated. Inside shoes need to be sent in right away for PE classes. PE begins the first week or school, so send them in the first day of school, please. Please let us know of any health problems we need to be aware of and how to handle the situation. We need to know about food allergies, insect bites, asthma, seizures, or anything else requiring attention during the course of the day.

20. Parent Volunteers Yes!!!!! Please!!!!!! Parties & field trips We like to schedule you, if possible. Everyone needs to sign in at the office.

21. Class Parties & Birthdays We have three parties (Halloween, Christmas & Valentine�s Day) One Celebration: 100th day of School Your classroom teacher will send out information regarding who supplies what and when for class parties and how birthdays are celebrated.

22. Field Trips We generally have one Field Trip per year. It is an all-day field trip. We purchase class t-shirts for field trips and other special events. Student T-shirts, bus trip, snack and daily event is approximately $20.00 per student.

23. What Do We Do Over the Summer???? Practice self-care Provide experiences Join the reading program at the library Create good habits Establish routines Love on them! Practice alphabet (flashcard style-out of order)? Practice name writing, proper formation & grip Practice Word Wall Words Begin collecting Campbell�s Soup Labels & Boxtops for education. Our parent group collects and redeems these coupons to purchase playground equipment and other supplies.