1. Welcome Parents! Kindergarten Parent Information Night

2. A Day in the Life of your Kindergartener…

3. Attendance ∙School starts at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. ∙If you arrive at school before 7:40 a.m., please drop your student off in the carpool line and they will go to the cafeteria until class begins. ∙If you arrive after the carpool line has ended, you will need to take your child to the front office and check them in.

4. Absences ∙Optimal learning occurs when all students are present. Knowing great schools have great attendance, we aim for a daily attendance rate of 97%. However if your child is absent: ∙Please return notes for absences to school within 3 days of your child being absent. ∙Schools are allowed to accept 5 absences by parent note.

5. Snack ∙Healthy Minds- Healthy Bodies ∙2:30 Snack time ∙Healthy, dry snacks (fresh fruit, crackers, granola bar, pretzels, etc.) are encouraged. ∙Spillproof bottles containing water only are encouraged.

6. Red Communication Folder ∙If you have not yet already done so, please purchase a Red Communication Folder in the office for $2.00. ∙If you purchased school supplies from the HME PTO, these folders were not included in your child’s supplies. ∙Please feel free to write any notes, concerns, or celebrations in your child’s folder as these will be checked daily. ∙These folders are our main source of daily communication with you. Please check and initial your child’s folder every day. Also, these folders need to be returned to school every morning.

7. Morning Meeting/Calendar ∙This is a time for the class to gather as a group and go over the daily aspects of the world around them. ∙Days of the week, months of the year, weather, core values, counting, place value and graphing are typical topics covered during this time.

8. Classroom Culture ∙Cardinal coupons ∙Monthly calendar ∙Classroom rewards ∙Tickets

9. Reading Curriculum We are teaching students to find good fit books and use reading strategies on their appropriate level. ∙A good fit book is a book that students can read independently. If they struggle with 5 or more words on a single page, this would be a good book to read aloud with them. We teach with a balanced literacy approach which includes phonics, sight words, modeled reading, small group reading, and individual reading conferences. Student progress is monitored through individual reading assessments.

10. Writing Curriculum ∙We teach to write for a variety of reasons (to teach, to tell a story, to create a how to, etc.) ∙When students are writing, they are encouraged to use sound spelling. ∙Writing is done through modeled & individual writing.

11. Math Curriculum Problem solving Number talks Manipulatives and hands-on activities Focus on vocabulary Whole and small group

12. Special Areas ∙Students attend Art one day a week with Ms. Strickland ∙Students attend Music one day a week with Mrs. Fortner ∙Students attend P.E. three times a week with Coach D. and assistant. Please pack/wear tennis shoes on your child’s P.E. days.

13. Grading ∙Grades are determined on a standards based grading system. The grade gives a snap shot of your child’s current level of learning. ∙3- very capable, independent ∙2-learning, skills developing, needs moderate support ∙1-beginner, skill is brand new, needs almost total support

14. Lunch/Recess ∙Lunch 10:45-11:15 * Parent visitors may sit with their child at designated lunch tables. (Friends will remain with their classroom tables.) *A cheese sandwich and milk is offered for negative lunch accounts. *We encourage you to join us for lunch after September 8 th so that we may get our lunch expectations established. ∙Recess 11:15-11:45 It is best to send your child to school in tennis shoes since they will be playing outside.

15. End of the Day Transportation *Carpool and walkers will have blue pick up numbers. *Carpool numbers should be displayed in the front windshield. To speed up the dismissal process you can write “K” in the bottom corner of the sign. *On rainy days, walker students will be released out the front doors. *Notify your child’s teacher in writing if there is a change in how they are going home. *Due to continuous instruction and substitutes, emails may or may not be opened until the students have left for the day. *To minimize interruptions during the school day, we ask for emergency phone calls only.

16. Homework ∙Please read to your child and allow your child to read to you. ∙Practice writing numbers 0-20 ∙Weekly sight words. ∙Practice writing name beginning with a capital letter and followed by lower case letters.

17. Our Classrooms Need… ∙Primary Writing Journals (picture box on top half, writing lines on bottom half) ∙If you have not done so already, please purchase a red communication folder from the office, the cost is $2.00.

18. Volunteer Opportunities ∙We love to have parent volunteers! Please contact your child’s teacher for more information. In order to volunteer within Melissa ISD you must complete a background check. Parent volunteer orientation will be online this year and can be found on the school website in the PTO folder.

19. Grandparent’s Day * Dates: A-J on Thursday, September 10 th K-Z on Friday, September 11 th *Lunch is $3.00 *Kindergarten- lunch- 10:45 *Please arrive 15 minutes early to ensure adequate time to sign in. *Souvenir pictures will be taken and available for purchase.

20. Contact Information ∙Contact us by phone in the office: 972-837-2632 ∙Contact us by email: o Rachel Bardach- rbardach@melissaisd.org rbardach@melissaisd.org o Jamie Dockery- jdockery@melissaisd.org jdockery@melissaisd.org o Irma Gonzales- igonzales@melissaisd.org igonzales@melissaisd.org o Ashley Gurski- agurski@melissaisd.org agurski@melissaisd.org o Caron Little- clittle@melissaisd.org clittle@melissaisd.org o Shawna Nicholson- snicholson@melissaisd.org snicholson@melissaisd.org o Laurel Ross- lross@melissaisd.org lross@melissaisd.org

21. Let’s Have a Great Year!