Welcome to Open House!

1. Welcome to Open House! Mrs. Klimes Classroom and Curriculum Overview

2. MeWho is this person your child spends his/her school time with? Since your child spends a good portion of his/her day with me, I thought I would let you know a little about me. • I’m an active and energetic person who loves life! I’m very upbeat and positive and give everything I do my best effort. • I work well with others and am good at compromising and cooperating! Team work! • I am a mother of two, Casey-6, and Cayden-18 months. • In addition to teaching children, I was a fitness instructor for several years. I have recently decided to discontinue that as I have damaged my vocal cords from screaming over loud music and talking all day for my full-time and favorite job---teaching kindergarten! • I absolutely love my job and am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with you and your children!

3. My Philosophy It is such a privilege to be a kindergarten teacher! It is amazing to see so much growth in such a short time! I’m thankful to have your children in my classroom and to have your support! Your child is very important to me. I will cater my instruction to meet you child’s individual needs as all children are different and learn differently. • Positive reinforcement for good choices • Happy Rocks-notes will come home in advance • High Five Chart-purple note • New behavior chart to acknowledge + choices more • Verbal praise specifying the behavior observed • -School-wide SEL Program: Second Step • Fostering a positive self concept • Mistakes Poem • Student of the Day—done in beginning of the year and again at the end • Star of the Week-note sent home to inform you of what to help your child prepare/bring in—STAY TUNED FOR HOMEWORK POSTER • Birthdays—all students; food free; no invites to school please • Handwriting/writing: the “kindergarten way” which is never wrong! • Behavior Expectations • Color chart • High Five Chart (our names are on paws; can get more than one) • Class Contract/anchor charts • Volume chart • Combination of visual cues, sign-language, and positive encouragement to enforce our classroom expectations

4. CurriculumLiteracy • Daily 5/Café and Strategy Groups- Your child will participate in small group reading instruction and/or confer with me2-3 times a week targeting decoding, comprehension, and phonics (or other skills he/she is ready for). Up until now, for the most part our focus has been on learning routines, expectations and how to use the different “tools” in our classroom. • Shared Reading- Big books, picture books, poem of the week, group instruction (punctuation marks, finding letters/sounds, counting words, sentences, etc) • Preview pictures (picture walk/read) • Read together (echo read/ choral read) • Read in question/answer • One to one word matching (kids match word cards to words in story) • Highlighting rhyming words, sight words, and other known words and letters • Practice Café strategies

5. CurriculumLiteracy (Continued) • Kindergarten writing- It is NEVER wrong! • Inventive spelling- spelling words phonetically EX: Hapee (Happy) • Stretching out words sound by sound and writing what they hear • Lucy Calkins Writing Program • Units of Study in Opinion/Argument, Information, and Narrative Writing ; A common Core Workshop Curriculum • Celebrations that parents will be invited to attend • Jolly Phonics, Fountas & Pinnell, and Words Their Way • Jolly Phonics: (beginning of year) Sound books go between school and home EVERYDAY. • Review sounds with your child every night. • Words Their Way is leveled based on students decoding needs. (Begins later in the school year after our word family studies.) WTW is a weekly sort that helps students understand and learn word patterns (differentiated). • Sight Word Instruction (week 6) • Your child will be instructed on 95 sight words throughout kindergarten. We teach 3-4 words per week. The word list will be shared with you and can be found on my website.

6. CurriculumLiteracy and Centers • CAFÉ-Reading strategies that help developing readers. It is a program used K-5 in District 202. • Comprehension- I can understand what I read. • Accuracy- I can read the words. • Fluency- I can read accurately, with expression, and understand what I read. • Expanded Vocabulary- I know, find, and use interesting words. • Daily 5 (3) • Read to Someone (buddy reading) • Read to Self (independent reading) • Listen to Reading • Work on Writing • Word Work • Other Stations/Centers • Computers (listen to reading/independent reading) • Math • Smartboard • Puzzle/Learning games • Library Center

7. Math and Science • Georgia Math Units connected to Common Core State Standards and Envision Math program- We use a combination of manipulatives, paper/pencil, and technology to meet standards. • We do 3 science units a year • Properties • Weather • Seed to Plant

8. Handwriting • In kindergarten we use D’Nealian which helps transition young writers to cursive in third grade. • Ex: k, l, i, j, x, a, • We want students to be able to identify different types of fonts as well and we do expose them to different ways we form letters. • Ex: a, g

9. Specials • Tuesday- Music(Our Music program is in April.) • Wednesday-Library/ Computers- (Please make sure your child returns their library book on each Wednesday; keep it in your child’s backpack when you are not reading it.) • Thursday –Physical Education(Please send your child in gym shoes.) • Friday-Art(Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately.)

10. Homework • Check backpack EVERYDAY! Please empty folder and read through contents • READ EVERY NIGHT! (To and with your child) • Sound books and sight word list—practice!!! • Homework packet will start coming home in September (sent home at the beginning of the month; returned at the end—more info soon). • SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS THIS WEEK: STAR OF WEEK POSTER

11. Birthdays • We celebrate birthdays in class. (summer birthdays too!) • Your child will receive a birthday crown, activity book, and card. • We sing silly birthdays song • You may send a NON-FOOD treat to share with the class (ex: bubbles, pencils, stickers, etc.)

12. Classroom Help/Visits • All visitors must have a driver’s license or state i.d. to enter the building (Your i.d. will be scanned when you arrive.) • We realize that many parents work and have small children so anyway you can help is appreciated. • We ask that no siblings accompany parents during volunteering. • You are welcome to join us for our “Happy Rock” celebrations (watch for notes sent home so you can R.S.V.P. so I can inform the office that you will be joining us) • We need volunteers for: • Field Trips- TBD • Parties—contact HSO • Mystery Readers (on Fridays) • Clerical work- cutting, copying, assembling

13. Gingerbread Man Extension • The Gingerbread Man helped us learn about special places in our school by leaving notes with clues on his whereabouts. Students listened to the notes and used the clues provided to guess where he was. • Let’s continue the excitement! Please have relatives send post cards from other areas of the state, country, or world from the Gingerbread Man. (Schiesher School 5205 Kingston Ave Lisle, IL, 60532) • We will connect this extension to social studies and geography!

14. Mrs. Klimes’ Contact Info • To get to my webpage: go to lisle202.org, click on “Schiesher”, click on “Kindergarten”, scroll down to “Mrs. Klimes” • Phone: 630-493-8179 • Email: cklimes@lisle202.org

15. Websites • www.starfall.com • www.pbskids.org • www.coolmath-games.com/1-games-for-little-kids-01.html • http://jollylearning.co.uk/ • http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/english-language-arts-standards/reading-foundational-skills/kindergarten/

16. Thank you! Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy lives to be here tonight! Together, we will make this a special year for your child! Please be sure to sign up for volunteering before you leave if you are interested! PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN THE HANDBOOK FORM BEFORE YOU LEAVE!