The ABCs of Transitional Kindergarten OWL: Opening the World of Learning

What is New in Kindergarten? What is Transitional Kindergarten? Transitional Kindergarten is the first year of a two year program. This developmental program has been designed to meet the needs of children who are turning 5 years old during the months of July through December. Our TK team of parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and students will work together to meet our goal of every child growing, discovering, and learning to love school. We hope to instill the importance of school and making good choices – as well as have fun while learning! We thank you in advance for all your support! Billie Deters and Kimi Herrera *Please see “Meet the Teachers” page.

ttendance is very important! If your child misses school, please remember to write a note or 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 ATTENDANCE which is very important! If your child misses school, please remember to write a note or call the office to let us know he/she will be absent. Most of our TK 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 and BOOK ORDERS. Please send your child with his/her “big-enough-to-fit-a-cub-folder” backpack and check it after school each day! Also please attach the orange teacher nametag that you will find in your folder. *See additional page and tag. Book Club orders will be sent home! We receive free books for our classroom library with bonus points that we earn from each book order.

is for COMMUNICATION and CONFERENCES. Throughout the year we will communicate with you through Class Dojo, our website, notes, , telephone calls, newsletters, reports of progress, and parent teacher conferences in January. 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 any concerns.. Feel free to send us an , call us at school, or send a note to school in your child’s folder. *See additional pages. is for 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 ! We appreciate your support. *See additional page.

Learning is FUN! is for FUN and FIELD TRIPS. Many of the activities that we do at school may look like just fun, but they are embedded with learning and discovery. We will be taking at least one field trip this year. Information for trips will be sent home closer to time for the trip! is for EMERGENCY. Please turn in your emergency forms and other paperwork as soon as possible. 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. Also, please provide a bag of emergency supplies described in the first day paperwork. is for “GOT GLUE?” We will need extra supplies throughout the year and we appreciate donations! Please be looking for notes about what we need... Thank you for your help!

is for HOMEWORK! Our homework will be sent home on Friday and will be due the following Friday. We encourage you to work with your child each night to review and reinforce the skills we are working on in school. There will be a daily reading log to record what you are reading with your child. Please let us know if you have any questions about how to support your child’s learning at home. *See additional pages. is for INVOLVEMENT and INTERESTS. Be involved in your child's learning! Share your interests and talents with us! We invite you to take an active role in our learning community! is for JOINING our PTA! The money for PTA membership supports a variety of activities at our school – but it does not obligate you to volunteer. However, we do encourage you to participate in the activities, attend PTA meetings, and support fundraisers. We truly appreciate your support!

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. Anything you need us to see, including money, should be sent in the folder. These are checked each morning! Also, be sure to check it every day after school. There will important notes and a monthly behavior chart in the folder that you will need to sign each night. is for LIBRARY! We will be visiting our library each week for story time. Even though they will not be checking out books this school year, it will be a great opportunity to spend some time with our fabulous librarian, practice our listening skills, and work on proper behavior. However, you as a parent may check out books if you would like. Please see our librarian for more details.

is for MONEY and MEMORY BOOKS! When your child needs to bring money to school, please send it in a sealed envelope with the following information: name, amount, purpose, and teacher’s name. We will be creating a memory book for each child this year. Monetary donations are greatly appreciated to help with the cost of the binders as well as photo development. *See additional page and envelope. is for NURSE! We have a health clerk at our school! If your child requires medication to be taken at school, please make sure that you fill out the necessary forms in the office. Our clerk 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. Be sure to have identification with you until our office staff knows who you are.

is for PARTY! We like to celebrate in our room! The room parents will usually organize these events and coordinate volunteers and donations. All are welcome to participate in the festivities! Unfortunately, younger siblings will not be able to attend our events due to school policy. Birthdays are also special occasions for young children. Although we are not permitted to have a "party" for each individual child, parents are welcome to provide a special, individual snack. Since birthday celebrations will take place during snack time, the snack will need to be simple and easy to serve such as a cookie, cupcake, donut, etc. is for QUESTIONS! Please let us know if you have any questions! We are here to make this the best experience possible !

is for RECESS! We will be going outside everyday unless there is inclement weather. Please make sure your child is properly dressed for the weather and the possibility of getting dirty! Since your child will also be eating snack during this 20- minute recess, please provide your child with one healthy item along with a drink. A full meal is not necessary or practical. is for SCHEDULE. AM Transitional Kindergarten: 8:05 – 11:25 PM Transitional Kindergarten: 11:25 – 2:45 *Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten’s schedule remains the same, even on Mondays (which are minimum days for other grades). *See additional page for PM only. is for TRANSPORTATION. The form of transportation from school should be established and any deviation from the regular transportation procedure must be verified with a written note or a phone call to the office prior to dismissal. Your child will only be released to a person that is listed on your emergency card. You will also get a teacher name card in your folder. Please place it on your dashboard when you pick up your child. *See additional page – please fill out and return TODAY.

is for UNIQUE and special. Each child will 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! *See additional page – please fill out “Getting to know your child” page and return. is for VOLUNTEERS and VISITORS! We love having you at our school! Please fill out the volunteer form in this packet and let us know how you are able to help us! Because our TKers need some time to adjust to their new environment, we do not begin using volunteers in the classroom until a few weeks into school. *See additional page – please fill out and return. is for “WHAT will my child learn in TK ?” *See the additional pages for standards, curriculum, and sample report of progress.

is for having eXtra clothes! Please keep a change of clothes in your child's backpack in case of an accident! Remember to change them out as your child grows and the weather changes. is for YIKES! Drop off/pick up can be challenging in the beginning of the school year and we need your help! When you are in the pick up line, please stay in your car and we will make sure your child gets to you safely. Please be patient... it will get better! is for ZzZzZz...please make sure that your child gets plenty of rest each night. Setting and keeping a bedtime helps them to be alert and ready to learn each day!