Mrs. Coombs’ Kindergarten Class

1. Mrs. Coombs’ Kindergarten Class Welcome, parents!

2. Welcome to Kindergarten! • We will spend the next few minutes going over some general kindergarten information…there is a lot! Look for this slide show and copies of handouts on our classroom website.

3. All About Me • My background • I grew up in Indianapolis and spent a lot of time here in Hendricks County. I have a twin brother as well as an older sister. • I attended Brownsburg High School and graduated from Purdue University in 2008. I completed my student teaching down the hall in first grade and this is my sixth year as a kindergarten teacher. • My husband and I just celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary and live in Plainfield. • I love to travel, garden, cook, & shop as well as visiting the ocean, drinking diet coke, and eat sushi! I also love the color pink and find a lot of fun ideas on Pinterest! • Most of all, I adore children!

4. What to Expect • By the end of kindergarten your child will be ready for 1st grade! This includes reading, writing, number concepts, addition, and subtraction. • Your child will have TONS of fun every day in class. • We move at a pretty quick pace, so get ready!

5. Contact Information • aecoombs@avon-schools.org • (317) 544-6200 (ext. 6255)

6. The ABCs of Kindergarten • This list, also available in your information packets, is designed to help answer any questions you may have about kindergarten. If you have a question that is not answered in this list, please email me or check out our kindergarten handbook on my website.

7. The ABCs of Kindergarten A B Sorry, no birthday partiesor invitations at school. Treats are fine. Save your Box Tops & send them in with your kiddo. Bus changes must be documented. Book Buddy Bag We are on a balanced calendar! • If your child is absent, please call the Cedar office at 544-6200. A note stating the reason for the absence must be brought to school as soon as possible to avoid an unexcused absence. • Arrival time is from 8:50-9:00am.

8. The ABCs of Kindergarten C D To get your kiddo home safely, dismissal is important. Please send a note if your child’s dismissal has changed. DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. Students will benchmark 2 times this year. • Communication is key! Feel free to contact me whenever you have a question, comment, or concern. You can reach me by phone, email, or note. • Check out our classroom calendar on our website. • Hands-on curriculum is one of our keys to success! • Check out our clip chart to keep track of your child’s daily behavior. Purple rocks!

9. The ABCs of Kindergarten E F Your kiddo can look forward to fieldtrips to the pumpkin patch (I hope!) & OLC. We will end each week with “Fun Friday” as a reward for those who have not moved their clip more than 2 times in a week. This is also when we pick purple tickets for the prize box! Fall Break is October 14th to October 25th • My school email address is aecoombs@avon-schools.org. What’s yours? • Please complete and return the emergency card promptly. If your home or work phone number change, please inform the office and me.

10. The ABCs of Kindergarten G H Students will have homework starting in January. Help keep our kiddos safe! Please do not send in any food with tree nuts (lunch is fine). If your child has any food allergies, please let me know immediately. • We love to have parents as guests in our classroom. Feel free to email me if you would like to volunteer in the classroom or complete the volunteer form in your packet.

11. The ABCs of Kindergarten I J Writing takes place every day in kindergarten. One way we accomplish this is through writing stories in our journals during writer’s workshop. Encourage your child to write at home for a variety of purposes. You can check out your kiddo’s journal next month at conferences! • Independence is a goal for students because it builds self-esteem and self-confidence! Try some new things!

12. The ABCs of Kindergarten K L Our class will visit the library at least once a week as a part of their specials rotation. Your child will check out books when we visit the library and return it the next time they have library.  Please return books on assigned library days  • Keep updated by reading the classroom newsletter every week. It is emailed every Friday and can also be found on our classroom webpage. • Our complete kindergarten handbook can be found on my website!

13. The ABCs of Kindergarten M N A weekly newsletter will be sent home on Fridays to keep you informed about what is happening in our class. Electronic copies are also available weekly on my website Kindergarten will take NWEA in the Winter and Spring • One of the goals of our math programis to make math applicable to children’s lives. It also makes math more fun!

14. The ABCs of Kindergarten O P School Pictures will be held in the fall and spring. Parent/teacher conferences are the week of September 9th. Please choose a time slot located on a sign up sheet in the hallway. Our “Parties” are educational! • Cedar has an “Open Door Policy”, meaning that you are welcome in my room any time during school hours. Feel free to email or call when you would like to visit, or just top by if you are in the neighborhood. Be prepared, I could put you to work 

15. The ABCs of Kindergarten Q R Kindergarten report cards will be sent home 4 times. We have a brand new report card this year! Please check your child’s red folder every day. A reading logcan be filled out in your child’s book buddy bag. • Questions?Please feel free to call, stop in, email, or send a note.

16. S • Our supply listcan be found on the Cedar website. • A great way to buy books at a great value is through our Scholastic Book Orders. Ordering is available online or with an order form. • When working at home, try using the phrase “Stretch out the word” to help students think about the sounds that make up the word.

17. The ABCs of Kindergarten T U &V Unbelievable Volunteersare an important key to making our classroom work. Please fill out and return the volunteer form if you would like to be put on the schedule! • If your child has any changes in their transportation please let me know in writing, by email, or by voice mail. • Cedar is now a “title 1” school, meaning we will have some extra funding to provide additional assistants, resources, ect. to those students who need it.

18. The ABCs of Kindergarten W X,Y & Z Parents mayeXitand enter via the main school entry. Your ideas…and suggestions are welcome! Zzzzzzz - Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. • Check out our classroom website! • Tune in to the TV or the Avon website to find out about weather delaysand cancelations. We follow the alternate kindergarten schedule. • We love Writer’sWorkshop!

20. Behavior System • In kindergarten we use the “clip” system (located at the front of the room) where students have the opportunity to move their clips UP for great behavior and DOWN for poor behavior. Every time a student ends the day on purple, they will fill out a purple ticket and have the chance to win a prize during Fun Friday! • Additionally, your child will come home every day with a behavior sheet indicating their “color” for the day. We shoot for PURPLE!

21. Visiting our Classroom Website • To visit our classroom website, go to www.avon-schools.org • Select “Cedar Elementary” under the drop down box. • Click “staff directory” on left. • Type in “Coombs” under name • Click on my name and it will direct you to our page.

22. Questions?