Welcome to Kindergarten Curriculum Night!

1. Welcome to Kindergarten Curriculum Night! Judi Rivera Kyrene de la Estrella *This will be available to view on my webpage.*

2. About Mrs. Rivera • Raised on a small ranch in New Mexico. • My Family: Robert (EE @ Intel), John (Domino’s Pizza/Football Coach), ReyAnn (PT USC grad student), and Jacob (senior @ DV) • 10th year of teaching Kindergarten in Kyrene • Bachelor of Accountancy from NMSU…go Aggies!!! • Post Bacc in Teaching • Certified K-8 • Early Childhood Endorsement • Addicted to Caffine...really I love coffee  • Still feel blessed to be a teacher!

3. Arrival and Dismissal • Gates open at 8:30 with staff on duty • First bell rings at 8:45, Tardy bell at 8:50 • On rainy days, playground is closed and students enter the building upon arrival • Kindergarten students dismissed to pick-up areas around 3:40pm (1:40 Wednesdays) • Parent Pick Up at Side Gate • Kids Club picked up in hallway by staff members • Bus students walked out by Mrs. Havens

4. Our Day… • Morning Meeting/Calendar • Math & Math Stations • Snack/Recess • Literacy Stations • Phonics/Writing & Poetry Journals • Lunch/Recess • Social Skills • Specials • English Language Arts Technology, Stem, Science, Social Studies, Health • Centers

5. Specials Schedule • Monday: Library • Tuesday: PE • Wednesday: Music • Thursday: Computer Lab • Friday:Art

6. Classroom Management • School-wide behavior plan (“Star” slip) • Safety • Teamwork • Accountability • Respect • Class Dojo • Home-School reinforcement of class expectations important • Check your child’s Dojo points nightly.

7. Bring to school… • Backpack: Large enough to hold folders, library books and projects; easy to zip/unzip; NO wheels! • Water bottle: With “pop top” to prevent spills, labeled • Healthy snack: Crackers, pretzels, banana, sliced apple. No items with spoons, please! No candy or chips • Lunch box: Labeled with your child’s first & last name on outside.

8. Home-School Communication • Emails and Newsletters • Check Friday Folders and return on Monday • Class Website: Rivera, Judith / Welcome • Email jrivera@kyrene.org • Front Office: (480) 541-3000 • Attendance (480) 541-3001

9. Bringing a school lunch • 1 lunch room, few assistants, about 66 kindergarteners in our group...you get the picture! • 20 minutes to eat • Small, manageable portions of foods you know your child will eat • Easy to open packaging, pack things that are quick to eat with as few containers to open as possible. • Make it easy to “re-pack”

10. Birthdays • Birthday invitations may NOT be passed out at school (Use classroom directory) • No treats for the class per Kyrene handbook. • We will sing for the birthday child and decorate a crown. 

11. Attendance • Attendance: (480) 541-3001 • All absences must be called in to attendance line • Make up work seldom sent home; in-class participation in lessons and activities crucial to understand and apply directions given by teacher

12. Homework Monthly homework calendar will be sent home starting Sept. • “Honor system” sign and return at end of month. ONLY calendar should be returned.

13. Volunteers • Welcomed and appreciated at specific volunteer times per my schedule (beginning in September.) Schedule will be e-mailed soon • Math Stations (M,T,Th,F) • Literacy Stations (M,T,Th,F.) • Technology Helpers (Thursdays) • Workroom (behind the scenes) • Mystery Readers (Every other Wednesday) • P.T.O. • Parties/special class events

14. Crucial Kindergarten Skills • Shoes (taking on and off; fastening. Please buy Velcro or adult should tie TIGHTLY in double knots before leaving home each morning!! Velcro is our FRIEND!) • Zipping and buttoning clothes, putting on own jacket when weather cools (if ever??) • Hygiene (washing hands and blowing nose) • Bathroom • Writing and spelling first and last name starting with an upper case letter and the rest lower case • Knowing address and phone number • Knowing parents’ names and teacher’s name • Kindergarten sight words • Counting and number recognition • Invented spelling

15. Reading • Core Knowledge Language Arts • Morning Meeting • Shared literature • Phonics, phonemic awareness, syllables, rhyming • Vocabulary, Background Knowledge • Reading using focus skills • Fiction & non-fiction • *Workbooks* • Small group work with flexible grouping

16. Writing and Handwriting • Writer’s Workshop – Teacher Mini Lesson, writing time, share time • Invented spelling – Spelling phonetically is IMPORTANT! Please do not spell for your child.

17. Math • Investigations Program: Games, hands-on activities • Work with numbers 11-19 to gain foundations in place value • Describing and comparing measurable attributes, classifying objects and counting the number of objects in categories • Knowing number names and the count sequence; counting to tell the number of objects; comparing numbers • Understanding addition as putting together and adding to and subtraction as taking apart and taking from • Identifying and describe shapes; analyzing, comparing and composing shapes • Making sense of problems and persevering in solving them; explaining mathematical thinking

18. Science, Social Studies, & Health • Science: • Five Senses • Living and Non-Living Things • Magnets • Properties of Objects • Weather • Social Studies: • Being a Good Citizen • My Country • Workers, Where We Live • Health: • Growing Inside and Out • Staying Healthy • Home and Travel Safety • All About Feelings, Family Life • A Healthy Community

19. Technology • Computer Lab weekly • Use classroom webpage for Kindergarten appropriate learning web sites. • Wixie, Starfall, and BrainPop Jr. • Laptops in classroom with activities for literature and math stations.

20. Assessments, Report Cards, & Conferences • Students are continually monitored and assessed in writing, reading and math. • A report card will go home in January and May in K. (Grades 1-5 get them quarterly.) • I will conference with parents and give progress reports after the 1st and 3rd quarters. • I welcome communication at any time.

21. Handbook Agreement & Photo Release • Please return ASAP so I can turn in to the front office

22. Thank You for Coming!