1. Welcome to Kindergarten Hawthorne Elementary School Miss Donnell Room 115 ABC’s OF KINDERGARTEN

2. Kindergarten attendance is mandatory. School begins at 8:45 and the late bell rings at 9:00. Any tardy students must report to the office for a late pass before entering the classroom. Please send a note to excuse absences. Poor attendance has a direct correlation to drop out rates. A Attendance

3. The school will provide Universal Breakfast for all students every morning at 8:45 in our classroom. B Breakfast C Conferences Fall and Spring conferences will be scheduled to review your students strengths and needs in kindergarten. If you would like to meet in addition to these times just send a note from home or call the school to schedule a time.

4. Each student will receive a behavior chart in their take home folders. Please be sure to review and sign the chart daily. Notes will be made about any misbehavior. D Discipline

5. All kindergarten students will enter from the blue double door kindergarten entrance. Walkers will be dismissed from their exterior classroom doors. Arrival is at 8:45 and dismissal is at 3:30. Whoever picks up your child MUST be on our dismissal form. E Entrance and Exit F Folders Folders: Your child will have a daily folder that will go home every night. Please review the information inside and return it to school every day. Wednesday folders will contain notices from the office. They will only be sent home on Wednesdays. Please send these folders back EMPTY on Thursdays.

6. Kindergartners do not receive report cards like older students. They receive Progress Reports twice a year that are discussed during conferences. G Grades H Homework Home enrichment activities are to reinforce what we have learned in the classroom. Home enrichment activities are optional; however’ you child will receive a small reward if 12 activities are completed by the end of the month. Please be sure to send your child’s homework journal with them on the last weekday of each month.

7. School closing information can be found on www.bcps.org or on the news and radio. www.bcps.org I Inclement Weather J Jackets and Shoes Please be sure to send your child with a jacket on cool days! Remember to dress your child appropriately for school. Children are busy in kindergarten and often get dirty. Please no open flip flops. Tennis shoes are needed for Physical Education; please see your teacher for the Special Area schedule. Monday and Tuesday!!

8. Please remember our students are becoming independent workers and we ask that parents do not complete tasks for the students such as emptying book bags or opening breakfast items. They need to practice on their own! K Kindergarten Expectations

9. Students can purchase a lunch from the cafeteria for $2.90. Parents will have an opportunity to complete reduced lunch form. Please send lunch money in an envelope or baggie with the amount and your child’s name written on the outside. s. If you prefer, you can pay the cafeteria directly with check or cash. L Lunch M Medicine Medicine must be brought in by a parent and sent directly to the nurse with a doctor’s note. Please do not send any medicine in with your child.

10. Any notes sent to school must be placed in the pocket of your child’s Daily Folder. This includes absence notes, concerns, changes in dismissal, money, field trip permission slips, etc. N Notes O Outdoor Recess We will have outdoor recess, weather permitting. Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. Children cannot wear flip flops and use the playground equipment. (BCPS Policy)

11. Be sure to join the Parents- Teachers Association! The cost is $5.00 P PTA Q Questions Questions or concerns can be written on the Communication Log in your child’s Daily Folder.

12. We reviewed all of our rules and expectations at gradual entry. If you have any questions or need clarification please feel free to contact me. S Success It is very important to expose your kindergartener to books! Your child will be reading every day at school. Encourage your child to “read” at home, even if it is just looking at the pictures to tell the story. They can also retell a story you have read to them. R Reading

13. Parents, teachers, and students are a team at Hawthorne Elementary School! U United No toys are to be brought to school, unless requested. You will receive a not from me if they are requested. T Toys

14. Every teacher has their own website where class information and activities can be found. http://missdonnell.weebly.com/ Check it out!! W Website If you would like to help during class parties, field trips, and school events, please complete the Volunteer Application Form. V Volunteers

15. Please send in an extra set of clothes to be kept in your child’s locker. Place the clothes in a plastic bag and label with his/her name. Please make sure the clothes they have in school reflect the current season. X eXtra Clothes

16. We are off to a great school year!!! Z Zoom You have worked hard with your child at home for five years! You are your child’s first teacher!