Welcome to Kindergarten!

1. Welcome to Kindergarten!

2. School is... All about building relationships, establishing trust, creating working literate environments, and getting to know children as readers and learners — and remembering that our classrooms still need to be joyful places… Reading with Meaning, Debbie Miller

3. Important School Personnel • Ms. Stephanie Brown- Principal • Mrs. Lindsay Alarcon -Special Ed. • Mrs. Alicia Krauss- Literacy Specialist • Mrs. Nikki Shannon- SLP • Mr. Mike Lepeonka- Math Specialist • Ms. Karen Osborne- Administrative Secretary • Ms. Rebecca Hamilton- School Nurse • Mrs. Mary Roberts- Guidance Counselor

4. Specials Team • Art- Ms. Allyson Mandich (allyson.mandich@fcps.org) • P.E.- Mrs. Kate Hutchins (kathleen.hutchins@fcps.org) • Music- Mr. Adam Corpora (adam.corpora@fcps.org) • Media- Ms. Erin Clagett (erin.clagget@fcps.org)

5. Support Staff Ms. Sharon Knoll Mrs. Karen Bradley Ms. Kima Richards Mrs. Tracey Webb

6. Mrs. Skroupa • B.S. and M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from Towson University • 7th year at Parkway • Taught kindergarten (4 years), and 3rd Grade (3 years) • Taught before/after school math to 3rd-5th grades • Love reading • Wanderlusty • Expecting Baby Skroupa in August 2019!

7. PTA • Cultural Learning Experiences • Panda Reads • Celebrations for students & teachers (Box Top Popsicles, Teacher Appreciation Week) • Help fund classrooms! (Scholastic News, supplies, books, field trips, etc.) • Run the school store • Parkway 5K • After-school Family Events (School Dance, Back-to-School Party, End-of-Year Picnic) Please consider joining!

8. Community Events Be on the look-out for information about: • Literacy Night • Book Fair • Math Night • STEM Night • Science & Social Studies Fair • Multicultural Night • Evening of the Arts (art show, choral & dance performances) • Concerts (choral & instrumental) • Bike/Walk-to-School Days • PTA sponsored events • Parkway 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run • Awards Programs

9. Staggered Start *Check your Welcome Letter

10. Communication • Friday Folders • PES Handbook/FCPS Calendar • PES website • Mrs. Skroupa’s webpage • Find Out First • Remind • Newsletters ( PTA, school) • Conferences • Phone (240-236-2600) • Email (kerri.skroupa@fcps.org) • Response within 24 hours • Email is best • Call Parkway with emergencies • We can meet: • Before school (8:15) most mornings • After school (3:45) some days • During School: • dependent upon planning block

11. Transportation • Car Rider • Bus Rider • Walker • YMCA • Aftercare (Boys & Girls Club, Children’s World, etc.)* • If there is a change: • Send a note (include the date of the change, the child’s name, the teacher name, and the change) • Playdates: parents of both children must send in a note • In case of an emergency change in how your child will go home: • Call the front office as soon as possible (240-236-2600) • All requests should be made by 2:30

12. Visitors • All visitors must sign in at the office and present ID (license) which is scanned into our security system. • Visitors must wear a visitor sticker at all times. • If you have a meeting with a staff member, even if it is before or after school, please go to the office. Office personnel will notify the teacher, and he/she will come to greet you in the office. • Lunch is a great time for parents & grandparents to visit. (Please wait until October to join us!) • If you are planning to visit outside of lunch and recess time, we kindly ask that you give us notice. • Siblings may join families during lunch, but are not permitted in the classroom or on field trips for safety and liability reasons.

13. Volunteers • All volunteers must attend a Volunteer Training • dates TBA • Chaperones are volunteers- attend a training! • Volunteers can help in the kindergarten classroom, in the specials classrooms, in the computer lab, the media center, and even from home. • We appreciate any support we receive from our volunteers!

14. School Safety • Sign in/Sign out in the office • Exterior doors locked at all times • Drills: fire, ADD, weather • Student information cards- UPDATE! • Notify the school of any concerns • Notify the school of any dismissal changes (non-emergency should be communicated via note and should come to school with your child; emergency changes should be communicated via phone call no later than 2:30) • Additional precautions which are not shared with families/students

15. Special Events/Birthdays • We will have 2 parties(Falland Valentine’s Day) • Snacks and/or birthday treats are not permitted in the classroom • Invitations or thank you cards are not permitted to be passed out from school even if the whole class is receiving an invitation or card

16. Field Trips We will have at least 2 field trips this year. Past kindergarten field trips have included trips to the Weinberg Center, Fountain Rock Nature Center, Catoctin Creek Nature Center, and local farms. Remember, you must be volunteer trained to chaperone!

17. Schedule TBA

18. Lunch • Buy or Pack • Please make sure your child can open lunch items on his or her own. • Can put money on an account or send money • Can place limits on the account (snacks only on Wednesdays, no ice cream, etc.) • Each student has a special number • Email Ms. Aimee at aimee.miller@fcps.org

19. Academics • Following the Common Core Standards • Information can be found at: http://www.corestandards.org/ • FCPS Information: http://www.fcps.org/academics/elementary-school-academics

20. Reading • Small group instruction & whole group instruction • Whole group - comprehension • Small group- targeted at needs of the individuals and small groups (decoding & comprehension) • Books will be sent home daily starting in early October • Books MUST be returned each day • High Frequency Word rings will also come home At Home • Read, read, read! • Read to your child • Let your child see you reading • Listen to your child read • Ask questions about what you read • Look for high frequency words • Practice writing- name, letters, words

21. Writing • Whole Group, Small Group, & 1-on-1 instruction • 4 Writing Units (Lucy Calkins) • Personal Narratives • Writing for Readers • How To • Opinion • Start with detailed pictures • Add labels and sounds • Move to simple sentences • Invented spelling is okay! At Home: • Write & draw • Develop fine motor skills (the ability to hold and use pencils, scissors, etc.) through beadwork, playdoh, coloring, etc. • Make lists • Practice sounding out words & recording the sounds heard • Give your child a lot of opportunities to write

22. Math • Counting to 100 by 1s and 10s • Representing numbers 0-100 • Recognizing & modeling 2-D and 3-D shapes (circle, triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon, cube, cone, sphere, cylinder) • Adding and subtracting • Using positional words (above, beside, under, etc.) At Home • Practice counting • Identify numbers (street signs, on a remote, etc.) • Practice writing numbers • Practice identifying shapes

23. Social Studies, Science, & Health Social Studies -Welcome to Kindergarten! -Our Flag -Maps & Globes -Early America -My Family -Our Needs & Wants -Important Americans -Community Helpers -Transportation -Our Planet Earth Science Units -Forces & Motion -Weather & Sky -Plants & Their Environment -Animals & Their Environment *Personal Safety *Alcohol, Tobacco, & Other Drugs

24. Questions?

25. Don’t Forget! Parkway’s Open House August 29, 2019 2:30-3:30 pm *for all students grades K-5

26. Don’t Forget! Parkway’s Back-to-School Night September 19, 2019 6:00-7:10 pm *for parents ONLY

27. Mrs. Skroupa Kerri Skroupa kerri.skroupa@fcps.org 240-236-2624 (classroom) 240-236-2600 (office)