Kindergarten Orientation

KindergartenOrientation 2018-2019

WELCOME!!! Our Kindergarten Team: Krista Ashburn Robyn Hughes Mallory Cato Cristal White Cathrine Cermenaro Meredith York Kaye Harmon

ARRIVAL & DISMISSALSAFETY • Ring bell outside front door to enter the building. Always stop by office to receive a visitor’s sticker. • Car riders may be dropped off at 8:10 AM in the front of the building only. • Upon arrival, all students report to the lunchroom.

ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL SAFETY • If you must pick up your child early, PLEASE sign your child out from the front office prior to 3:15 PM. • Car riders may not be picked up from the lobby, sidewalk, or front parking lot. Please remain in your car during drop off and dismissal times. • Car riders are taught to cross ONLY at crossing areas.

ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL SAFETY Please support these policies and those working in the car rider line – safety first! 

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES • Please note that while we appreciate a heads-up, phone calls or emails regarding transportation changes, will NOT be accepted. • ANY CHANGE MUST be in writing! • We CANNOT accept changes via email. • Emergency changes – speak to the front office for assistance.

Health Information Please be sure you have completed a health card for your child. If allergies are an issue, let us know the nature of the allergy – food ingestion, airborne contact etc. This allows us to ensure that we have adequate safety procedures in place. If your child has one of the following conditions, please notify our nurse so that she may establish a health plan and ensure that you have appropriate medications on site: Asthma Diabetes Allergic Reaction Seizures If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Coley at merrilee.coley@ccboe.net.

ABSENCES • Written excuses are required within 2 days. After 3 unexcused absences, a letter from the office will be sent home. • Up to 5 absences per semester will be excused with a written note from a parent. • Additional absences will be excused only with an original medical excuse signed by a health professional. • Upon a child’s 13th tardy to school, a Child Abuse/Neglect report will be made to the Department of Family and Children Services for its review of the matter.

ABSENCES • Students must be at school until 12:10 PM to be considered present for the day. • Absences are documented electronically. Teachers are required to send out letters when absences accrue. • Policy is available on the county website,www.ccboe.net

NUTRITION • Breakfast is available at STCE! • Beat the lunch rush – join your child for breakfast in our café! • Please be sure you and your child discuss whether or not you wish them to go to breakfast. • Please sit at the guest table with your child during lunch visits in the front near the stage. (You may not take friends.)

NUTRITION • Stevens Creek has a Wellness Plan to encourage healthy eating habits. • We adhere to this plan for class parties. (Your support is appreciated! ) • Please send one healthy snack daily (no drinks or candy.) • Please be sure that your child’s snack is separate from his/her lunch. • We have water fountains in our classrooms so water bottles are not needed.

Rest Time • All Kindergarten classes have quiet time. • A small blanket or towel is acceptable. (The blanket needs to be no larger than your child!) Pillows, stuffed animals or other toys are not allowed. (We have very small lockers!) • A mat will be provided.

Dress Code • Appropriate shoes for PE and music. • All shoes must have a back on them. (No flip-flops, please!) • Shorts should be at a reasonable length. • Girls are not allowed to wear any shirts with thin straps, halter tops, or backless tops/dresses. (Shorts need to be worn under dresses/skirts.) • We adhere to the Columbia County dress code. It can be found on the main website.

Daily Folder • Our primary means of communication between home and school is your child’s daily folder. • Please be sure to check and empty the folder daily – including Fridays! • Place all notes and monies in your child’s folder. Label all monies—lunch money, Red Feather day, etc. (Most school payments are done online through the revtrak website.)

HOMEWORK • Homework will be nightly review of sight words and reading. • Columbia County Board of Education policy states that Kindergarten children should expect 15 minutes of homework nightly.

Curriculum • You may access the state curriculum at the CCBOE website under “Student Learning”. • Our reading program is titled SRA Imagine It and our math is Connect Ed. Both Science & S.S. are US Weekly. • In order to reach the needs of all students we are implementing an IE – Intervention/Enrichment period. (Please know, your child may be working with another kindergarten teacher during this time.)

BENCHMARKS • A benchmark assessments determined by Columbia County will be given to all students in August. They will be assessed on reading and math skills. • Benchmarks also will be given mid-year as well as at the end of year.

GKIDS • Our state test for kindergarten is GKIDS. It provides a summary of student performance in Language Arts, Math, and Social Skills. • It is an ongoing assessment. You will receive an end of the year report in your child’s last report card.

Report Cards • Your child will bring home a Standards Based Report Card each nine weeks. • 1- Not Yet Demonstrated 2- Progressing 3- Meets Standard • Please sign the envelope and return it in your child’s folder. The Report Card itself is yours to keep. • We also will notify you of your child’s progress between each reporting period in a “Progress Report”.

STC Volunteer Training Parent Volunteers help our school run more efficiently and provide opportunities to meet the needs of students. In order to participate as a school volunteer in Columbia County, all adults who spend time with students must complete a volunteer information form that will be kept on file in the front office. We ask that volunteers observe the following guidelines:

Volunteer Guidelines: • Dress in a manner consistent with the staff dress code. (Please no short skirts, exercise shorts, halter tops, etc.) • Please contact the school if you are unable to come at the arranged time. This is so that the teacher may adjust instructional plans accordingly. • Do not plan to bring siblings or non-STC children! This is not allowed under our safety and insurance regulations.

Be professional when interacting with students – please avoid being overly harsh or affectionate. • If you are volunteering near dismissal time and plan to take your own child(ren) with you when you leave, you must follow regular procedures for early check out and sign them out in the front office.

And Most Importantly: • Confidentiality is important to staff and parents! Please refrain from discussing any information about student health, behavior, or performance outside of the school setting!

CONTACTING US • Email is an excellent way to contact any Kindergarten teacher. • Voice mail – We can retrieve your message in the classroom. • Notes sent in your child’s folder • We will reply within 24 hours. If it is a true emergency, contact the front office!

BOX TOPS • PLEASE look for & save them for our school! • Children enjoy the contests we have to see which class brings in the most Box Tops. • Our school raised thousands last year!!! We need your help! 

JOIN OUR STCE PTO! • By joining our STCE PTO, you get all kinds of benefits and it supports our school! (Yearbook, directory, etc.) • Join on the revtrak website.

GOOD EVENING!!! We look forward to working together to make your child’s Kindergarten experience the best it can be! 

Kindergarten Orientation