1. Welcome to 2014-2015 The ABC's of Kindergarten 949-459-9370 Attendance 949-459-9374

2. Kindergarten has changed dramatically over the past several years. It is no longer the kindergarten that you or I remember. The expectations and curriculum standards for a child in kindergarten are very high now. The curriculum assumes that upon entering kindergarten, most children already know their colors & shapes, can write their name correctly, use scissors correctly, count to 100, recognize all or most of the letters of the alphabet and their sounds! For many children, it seems as if they enter kindergarten already behind! But don't worry! With your help, we are here to make sure that your child's educational experience will be not only successful, but fun and exciting also.

3. ttendance is very important! If your child misses school, please remember to call the office to let us know he/she will be absent. Most of our Kindergarten experiences are group oriented and involve interaction with classmates and hands-on materials. Therefore, it is next to impossible to make up work at home! is for backpacks & book orders. Your child does not need a backpack. Usually the only thing inside is their lunchbox. If they have additional items to bring to TLC, they may use a backpack. Book Club orders will be coming home each month. We receive free books for our classroom library with bonus points that we earn from each book order.

4. is for communication and conferences. Throughout the year we will communicate with you through notes, email, telephone calls, websites, progress reports, and parent teacher conferences. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns at any time. There is no need to wait until parent conference day if you have a concern about your child's progress. Feel free to send us an email, call us at school, or send a note to school in your child’s folder. is for our Discipline Procedures. In this packet you will find a copy of our classroom discipline policy. Please read over this so you will be familiar with our management system !

5. is a reminder that in an emergency, it is important that we have current contact telephone numbers. Please inform us if address, home, work, or cell phone numbers change throughout the school year. is for field trips and fire drills! We usually take at least one field trip this year. Information for that trip will be sent home closer to time for the trip! is for gym shoes! Children should wear sneakers or closed-toe shoes to school every day. They play on the playground, dig in the sand and ride our bikes. Fire drills are required at least once a month.

6. is for homework! We post simple homework assignments on our Haiku website. We encourage you to work with your child a few minutes each night to review & reinforce the skills we are working on in school. Please turn in the completed homework in your child’s folder on Monday. Be NVOLVED in your child's learning ! is for joining our PTA! Throughout the school year there will be a variety of special classroom activities, celebrations, and PTA meetings. We also have a Fall Fair and several fundraisers to help support our school. We encourage you to attend all functions and become involved!

7. is for keeping up with folders! Folders are our primary means of communications. The folder will be our way of making sure things get to and from school. Please make sure your folder is empty when it is returned on Monday, with the exception of homework. is for library books! We will be visiting our library each week. Please return library books on Monday.

8. is for money! On many occasions it will be necessary for your child to bring money to school. Always send it in a sealed envelope with the following information on it: name, amount, purpose, and teacher’s name. We are collecting $4.50 payable to Time For Kids this week. We are also collecting $5 in September, $5 in January, and $5 in March, for clay projects, craft materials and science projects. Cash please. is for Nurse! We have a health office at our school! If your student requires medication to be taken at school please make sure that you fill out the necessary forms in the office. Our health office aide handles all medication. Also, if there are any allergies that we need to be aware of please let us know. is for office check-ins and check-outs! Please make sure to go to our office when you need to check-in or check-out your student.

9. is for PARTY! School policy permits two classroom parties each year—our Holiday party in December and our End-of-the-Year Party. The room moms will usually organize these events and coordinate volunteers and donations. Birthdays are also special occasions for young children. Although we are not permitted to have a "party" for each individual child, we will recognize your child’s birthday. is for questions! Please let us know if you have any questions! We are here to make this the best experience possible!

10. is for recess! We will be going outside everyday unless it is raining or extremely cold. If your child is too sick to play outside, they are too sick to attend school. Please make sure your child is properly dressed for the weather! is for snacks! We ask that each child bring in a healthy snack every day. This should be a snack that is quickly eaten. We also have a NO juice policy, WATER ONLY, due to issues with bees and ants. is for tying shoes! Unfortunately, this is very necessary skill that is no longer taught in school. Please work on this with your child at home. Once they become proficient at tying shoes, they will become one of my "Tying Teachers" and assist in teaching other students with learning to tie shoes.

11. Each child is UNIQUE and special. They enter our classrooms with different skills, personalities, experiences, backgrounds and learning styles. It is our aspiration to foster their individual strengths and help each child develop to his/her fullest potential, academically and socially. Our goal is to teach them to fall in love with learning ! is for volunteers and visitors! We love having volunteers in our school! Please fill out the volunteer form if interested. Volunteers begin in October. All volunteers and visitors must check in at the office to receive a volunteer’s pass. is for wearing practical clothes! We try our best to keep clothing clean throughout the day but sometimes it is impossible! Please send your child to school with that in mind!

12. is for having eXtra clothes! If your child has a history of bathroom accidents, to avoid disrupting your day, please send in a change of clothes, labeled with your child’s name. is for YOU! Always remember you are a teacher too! There is no one who is more influential in your child’s life than you! is for ZzZzZz...please make sure that your child gets plenty of rest each night. Setting and keeping a bedtime helps children to be alert and ready to learn each day!