Principal Cheryl Rankin

2. Principal Cheryl Rankin Assistant Principal Becky Wingfield Assistant Principal

3. Emily HIll Amy Keim Kim Forbes Michell Harper Theresa Milcik Blair Wade Judy McNichol Kim Pitts Becca White 10th Teacher

4. Everything you need to know about Kindergarten…And then some!

5. Arrival • Children will be permitted to arrive on campus and enter the school building at 8:00 a.m. • Children will go directly to their classroom, unless they are eating breakfast. • If your child is eating breakfast please remember they should be in the cafeteria in time to finish eating and in class by 8:20. • Please do not drop your child off for school until 8:00 a.m. as there is not adult supervision prior to that time. • Children are expected to be in their classrooms by 8:20 a.m. • Parents will be able to walk their child to the classroom the first 3 days.

6. Absences • If your child is ill, please call the office and inform us of your child's absence and the reason for it. • If a student must leave early for a doctor’s appointment, go to the office to sign him/her out and the office will contact the teacher. • Your child’s progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation. • Regular attendance without tardiness is a key.

7. Birthdays • Birthdays are special occasions for young children. • We will observe each child’s special day in their classroom and will celebrate summer birthdays during the last few weeks of school. • These treats must be store bought. Treats may include mini cupcakes, individually wrapped “Little Debbie Cakes and/ or cookies. All treats must go through the nurse’s office. • Parents may drop treats off at the front office. • Remember to sign up for the birthday list. • Please check with your child’s teacher regarding any food allergies in your child’s class.

8. Backpacks • To help your child carry their belongings to and from school, you are asked to provide a backpack. • It must be large enough to fit a folder easily inside. • We strongly encourage you NOT to send a backpack with wheels. • Please make sure you keep a change of clothes (pants, shirt, underpants, and socks) in your child’s backpack in case they have an “accident” at school.

9. Communication • We feel that communication between home and school is a vital part of your child’s education success. Parents and teachers are working as a team. • Your child will be bringing home a folder every day in which we will send home student work, notes, and your child’s daily behavior chart. • This folder is also an open line of communication for you in which you can send us notes, lunch money, questions, etc. • We will be sending out a weekly email. • You may also find information on the kindergarten webpage, • which is updated weekly. • We are also available through email and phone.

10. Conferences • We look forward to meeting with each family individually to discuss your child’s accomplishments, strengths, and overall progress. • We will send home notices for conference sign up at a later time in the school year. • You may request a conference with your child’s teacher at any time by contacting your teacher.

11. Discipline • Our philosophy of discipline is based on the belief that children need affection and firm guidelines. As a district we have adopted the strategies found in the Love and logic program, which teaches the child to be responsible for their own behavior and make responsible choices. To establish order and help the children learn self-control, the children will be guided to respect themselves and their peers through specific directions, positive reinforcement, suggested new activities, and responsible actions. • Please look at your child’s folder each evening to see how your child did that day and the specific expectations they are required to follow. • Remember to initial your child’s folder daily.

13. Dismissal • Dismissal is at 3:40 p.m. each day. • On early dismissal days, school is dismissed at 12:40 p.m. • On severe weather days, biker/walkers will be instructed to follow their severe weather dismissal plan. Parents will be contacted when this occurs. • All changes in transportation for dismissal must be in writing before 3:00.

14. E- Mail • You can contact us via our school email which we check on a daily basis, however emails are not checked during instruction time. • Your questions and concerns will be addressed in a timely manner. • Teachers will send out a weekly email telling about the upcoming week.

15. Field Trips • We will have a planned fun and educational field trip during the school year for the children. We will need parent volunteers on our trip and will send home additional information as the time gets closer. Please return permission slips as soon as possible after they are sent home. • Do we want to leave this in?

16. Homework • You will receive a homework calendar at the beginning of every month. Please complete the activities listed on the calendar at home. • Read with your child on a daily basis. • We need to talk about homework for next year.

17. Independence • This is a skill that we teach the students in kindergarten because it builds self-esteem and self-confidence. • Kindergarteners are very capable of doing lots of things on their own and we encourage them to do as much as possible.

18. Folders • Folders will be sent home daily. • Please check zipper pouch or plastic sleeve for any special notes. • Please take out any work that is sent home to help keep the folder organized and neat. • Initial and return folder daily.

19. First Day Folders • Your child will bring home a folder the first day of school. • Please complete all forms and return the next day. • Make sure you mark all places on the enrollment card which includes permission to work on the internet and permission for your child to have his/her picture taken.

20. Illness • The question of when to keep your child home from school is often a difficult one, especially when decisions must be made first thing in the morning. It is important, however, to keep your child home for 24 hours if he/she is ill. • A child must remain at home if they have had a fever, vomited or had diarrhea in the last 24 hours. This helps to make them more comfortable and prevents others from becoming ill.

21. ID Badges • Your child will wear his/her lanyard, which holds his ID card, daily. • It is important that your child brings his ID badge on the lanyard back every day. • The lanyard must be the “break-away” type for the safety of your child.

22. Knightly Readers

23. LUNCH!!! • Lunch is 30 minutes daily. • Students may buy a lunch or bring a lunch • Prepaying for meals is highly encouraged. • Students will use their ID badge to purchase lunch. • Teachers will be on duty to assist children in the lunchroom daily

24. Library • The children will go to the library once a week. • The children will have the chance to select a book to borrow and take home for a week’s time. They may not check out another book until they have returned the book already borrowed. • Please keep the library book housed in their backpack to keep it from getting lost.

25. Money • All money needs to be placed in an envelope and placed in the zipper pouch or plastic sleee located in the daily folder. • Clearly mark the envelope with your child’s first and last name, teacher’s name, and intent for the money.

26. Nurse • Please inform the school nurse of any special medical needs that your child has. • Send in any change of contact numbers in case the nurse needs to get in touch with you. • State law prohibits teachers from giving medication to students at school. All medicines (including cough drops) must be sent to the clinic and administered by the nurse with written permission from the parent. All medications must be in the original container for the nurse to dispense it to the student. • You may find a medication form on the KISD web site.

27. Physical Education • Students will be attending Physical Education. • Please keep this in mind when helping your child select their clothes for the day. • Tennis shoes or comfortable rubber soled shoes are essential. • It is recommended that girls wear shorts under their dresses.

28. Kindergarten’s goal is to have 100% join PTA. Sign up in the gym. Spirit wear is on sell.

29. Report Cards • Report cards are assessed on 4 grading periods. • The grading periods are approximately 9 weeks each. • The report cards will come home the following Friday after the grading period has ended. • These reports reflect the progress your child has made toward various kindergarten objectives and uses a grading system that reflects the development nature of kindergarten learning. • Please sign and return each report card to your child’ teacher the following school day.

30. Recess • Your child will be going outside for recess every day that the weather permits. If the weather does not permit outdoor recess we will have an indoor recess time. • Please keep this in mind when helping to select clothing for the day. • It is important for their safety that they wear tennis shoes so they can run and climb without slipping or stumbling. • Please have girls wear shorts under their dresses.

31. Snacks • Please send your child with a nutritious snack every day. • Examples of nutritious snacks are fruit, cheese, pretzels, popcorn, grapes, crackers, cereal, etc. • Snacks of candy, fruit roll ups, or dessert foods are not encouraged. Please label their snack with their name. • Please do not place the snack in the lunchbox. It is confusing to the children. Make sure your child knows the difference in his lunch and snack. You may label the snack. • JUICE IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOM.

32. Special Days • We will have many celebrations throughout the year such as: 50th and 100th day of school celebration, Rodeo Day, Mother’s Day Spa, etc. • We will send home information regarding these special days as they approach.

33. Transportation • Please send a note to your child’s teacher indicating any changes in your child’s dismissal transportation. • Any permanent changes in transportation must be in writing and given to the classroom teacher as soon as you are aware of the change. • All changes in going home transportation must be in written form. • We will not change any transportation without written notice from you.

34. Transportation needs to be consistent

35. Volunteers • We welcome and encourage involvement by volunteering. • We have several opportunities for you to help. • Please check with your child’s teacher for opportunities to volunteer. • Become a member of the kindergarten knights (volunteers helping kindergarten) • We love our volunteers.

36. Visitors • We love to have visitors. • All visitors are required to check in at the front office and receive a raptor badge. • You will need a picture ID to receive the raptor badge. • This is for the safety of all students. • You must wear your raptor badge at all times you are in the building.

37. Water Bottles • Students may bring a water bottle to school each day. • The water bottle should have a sports lid that can be closed. • The sports cap reduces the incidents of spills and is easier for your child to use. • Please do not send water bottles that have a twist-off top. • Please label the water bottle with your child’s name.

38. Website • Kindergarten, Shafer Elementary and Katy ISD have a website which can be accessed to find information about curriculum, special events, and school news. • Please visit the kindergarten webpage weekly for weekly updates on what’s going on in kindergarten. • Your teacher will provide you the web address.

39. Curriculum Language Arts: Balanced Literacy - Students will be taught to read and write using a balanced literacy approach. This includes: read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, shared writing and independent writing. Guided Reading - Guided reading is teaching students to independently use reading strategies at their instructional level. Teachers work with small groups of children on text that matches each child’s needs and abilities.

40. LanguageArts Independent Reading - Because children learn to read by reading, they need plenty of opportunities to read independently. By giving children time to read both at school and at home, we can work together to provide a literature rich learning environment. Writing - One strategy that will be used to help convey the vital concept that “print conveys meaning” is daily writing. During writing time, the children will combine their emerging writing skills with their drawing skills. As the children are exposed to a variety of phonics and reading experiences, their writings will move from drawings and “sound” spellings towards more conventional writing.

41. Language Arts Shared Reading - Shared reading is an interactive process in class. As the teacher reads the story, children join in on phrases or words they know. Shared reading is an opportunity for the teacher to model conventions of print and use of the reading strategies.

42. The kindergarten math curriculum provides students with mathematical experiences that help them develop number sense and a positive attitude towards math that will continue through their school career and their lives. We employ a hand-on, problem solving approach and will learn about such concepts as: numbers, greater/less than, odd and even, patterning, sorting, measurement, number combinations, addition and subtraction. Math

43. Questions and Answers???????

44. Are you ready to send your child to Kindergarten???