Back to School Kindergarten Parent Presentation

1. Back to School Kindergarten Parent Presentation

2. Kindergarten Team • Brittany Sundgren – Full Day bsundgren@aak8.org • Lori Miller – Full Day lmiller@aak8.org • Brittany Shilhan – Full Day bshilhan@aak8.org • Kirsten Gaskell – Half Day kgaskell@aak8.org • Angela Williams – Ability Group awilliams@aak8.org • Susan Brust- IA

3. Specials (Art, Music, Technology, Physical Education) • Teachers – Introduction of Specials teachers present. • Curriculum • Classroom resources and tools • Extra Curricular opportunities • Grading

4. AA Manners and Character

5. Full Day Class Schedule • 7:35-8:05 Students Arrive • 8:05-8:10 Homeroom • 8:13-9:08 Math • 9:10-9:30 Snack and Recess • 9:30-10:52 Reading • 10:55-11:29 Read Aloud • 11:32-12:17 Lunch • 12:20-1:05 Rest Time (gets shorter as the year goes on) • 1:08-1:53 History/Science • 1:56-2:41 Specials • 2:44-3:05 Recess • 3:05- 3:30 Pack Up / Read Aloud

6. Half Day Class Schedule • 7:35-8:05 Students Arrive • 8:05-8:10 Homeroom • 8:13-9:08 Math • 9:10-9:30 Snack and Recess • 9:30-10:52 Reading • 10:55-11:05 Pack up and Clean up

7. Folders • Orange: Friday Folder- Sent home on Friday or the last school day of the week. Return the following Monday or next school day. • Red: Reading- Reading homework will be sent home on Mondays and will need to be returned the following Monday. • Blue: Math- Will be sent home on Fridays and must be emptied and returned the following Monday. ALL math papers are OPTIONAL unless there is a concept that a student is struggling on. Please check for any notes from the teacher.

8. Flexible Grouping • Math: Leveled – Saxon K and Saxon 1 • Flexible Group: Language Arts • Formal and informal assessments are given throughout the year -Formal assessments are iReady, MAP, Dibels, Writing Benchmark and Morrison McCall • Students are placed in groups according to their skill set.

9. Language Arts • Spalding-Phonics and Handwriting • Shurley Grammar • Core Knowledge Stories, Poems, Sayings and Phrases • Step Up to Writing • All are integrated During Language Arts and throughout the day.

10. How can I help? • Practice, practice, practice reading!!! • Sight Words: New words sent home every 2 weeks or as the class is ready for them. • Spalding Phonograms • Comprehension – Discuss and ask about main characters, setting, problem, resolution, connections and sequence of story • Play games in the car - look for sight words, what words can you read, books on tape • Model good reading by reading to your child • Reading support at home is critical to your child’s success in reading!

11. Saxon Math *Saxon is leveled. Students are tested through MAP and a written assessment at the beginning of the year to place them in level Saxon K or Saxon 1. All students will be ready for first grade no matter the level. • Focus: - Developing computation skills - Proper number formation - Problem solving skills, and ability to explain math • Homework: -Homework will NOT be sent home for a grade. We will send home worksheets done in class on Fridays. They are optional as extra practice. ***If there are skills that a student is struggling on, we may ask that you complete portions of the homework to reinforce the skill they are struggling with.***

12. Saxon Math Continued • Assessments: Every 5-10 lessons (100 pts.) It is important to note that we cannot send completed math tests home due to our agreement with Saxon Math; they consider their tests proprietary and they do not allow any schools to share the tests with parents. Assessment scores can be viewed in Infinite Campus. • Final Grade Weighted: 80% Assessments/ 20% Classwork

13. History and Science • History – What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know • Brain Pop User: aacp Pass: 123 • Science – Next Gen • Earth Systems: Trees, weather and recycling • Energy • Motion and stability: objects in motion, forces in action • Animals

14. Missing Assignments Parent Portal - Missing Assignments • ALL assignments that are missing are marked in Infinite Campus as “missing,” EVEN if a student is absent. The teachers will add a comment that the missing assignment was due to an absence or not turned in. Points will not be deducted if it is missing due to absence. • Parents are responsible for making sure there is a current email address in Infinite Campus • Missing assignment email notifications are sent by the teacher to the parent on the day the assignment is due.

15. Snacks and Birthdays • Full day students will need two snacks. Half day will need one snack. Please pack snacks separately from the rest of their lunch. Absolutely NO PEANUT OR TREE NUTS snacks in kindergarten. This is fine in lunches. • We are so excited to celebrate your child’s birthday at school. We celebrate by singing to them and each teacher has little gifts for your child. We do not allow food as birthday treats, however you are welcome to send in a nonedible goodie for the class. Ex: pencils, bouncy balls, book marks, stickers, other small knick-knacks. • ***Lunch time is only 20 minutes long so students have to eat quickly. Please help us encourage them to eat their main entrée first!***

16. Communication • If you have an issue with anything, please contact your teacher first. If the problem continues please follow the AA Parent Communication Policy. • We are all human and make mistakes so if you are upset about something, please take a minute before writing or calling your teacher. • We are an email heavy school. School policy is 48 business day hours to respond.

17. Website • All newsletters will be on the website and will be sent out through email.

18. We Love Our Volunteers!!! • Each family is responsible for volunteering 40 hours per year. Once we each have a room mom in place, you will receive e-mails from her about volunteer opportunities. In the meantime, we will contact you through e-mail or post requests for assistance on our webpage(s). • Policy: Parents are not allowed to volunteer in their child’s room while that child is in the room. Young students act extremely young when Mom or Dad is in the room. (exception: parties) • Several Volunteer Opportunities to look for: • *Monthly Bulletin Boards • *Special Projects at school • *Take-home projects • *Weekly Cleaning • *Friday Folder Stuffers • *Morning Hall Duty • **Recess/lunch duty

19. Field Trips • We will go on several field trips throughout the year. We will send out an email at least two week prior to the field trip asking for volunteers. Once you have gone on a field trip, priority will be given to parents that have not yet been able to attend. • Please don’t come to a field trip that you were not chosen for. This is a safety issue. • No siblings or other family members will be allowed to chaperone with you.

20. Classroom Management We will be using Kickboard for classroom management. For most things students will get 2 warnings. On the third warning they will lose bucks in Kickboard. They will then have to walk back and forth on the sidewalk during their next recess. This gives them the ability to still get their wiggles out, but time to reflect on their choices On Fridays, we will do treasure box where students can buy items with their bucks. Kickboard $ amounts • 4-6 small prize • 7-9 medium prize • 10+ big prize

21. Carpool • Morning Carpool • Students report to cafeteria with Ms. Bostick • School starts at 8:05am • Tardy students miss important math instruction • Come early – drop off starts at 7:35am • Students unbuckle seatbelt just BEFORE cone zone • -Practice unbuckling seatbelt and opening door by themselves • Do not block roundabout before carpool starts • - Staff members need to access parking lot through left lane

22. Carpool • Afternoon Carpool • Begins at 3:35pm ends at 4:00pm • - Students go to Homework Club if not picked up • Do not line up on Mira Vista before 3:20pm • Clearly display the yellow carpool tag on windshield or visor on • passenger side • Drive slowly so attendants can call in your carpool number • You must have the original yellow carpool tag to pick up your • student

23. Carpool • Tips • Carpool with other families • Decrease number of cars in line and speeds up the process • Pull all the way forward • Student exits car when line stops in cone zone • Student walks on sidewalk to student entrance • Pets need to stay away from opening door • -We only chase 2-legged kids, not 4-legged fur balls 

24. Carpool • Want to Skip Carpool? • BEFORE and AFTER school activities available every day • Visit the School Store to find out how to sign up

25. Uniform • Uniforms must be from Dennis Uniform and be on the approved • uniform list in the Parent Handbook • Sock colors are solid navy, red, white or black (no gray) • Tights and leggings are solid navy, black, red or white • Shoes must be closed toe and no higher than their ankle • Spirit Wear is for Fridays only • Only AA sweatshirts, sweaters and hoodies can be worn in class • Send a sweatshirt or jacket with your child each day • LABEL EVERYTHING

26. Questions! Thank you for coming!