YOUR FIRST JOB AS A KINDERGARTEN PARENT: 1. Please sign-in by the door. 2. Find your child’s name at the table. You will find all of the papers you need for tonight at your seat already. 3. Please select a birthday card for your child from the middle of the table. 4. Write a special birthday message to your child inside. Choose an envelope for your card, write your child’s name on it, and leave it in the box in the middle of the table. I will give each child this card on his/her birthday. We will get started soon! I am so excited that you are here. Please don’t leave tonight without introducing yourself to me.

WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN! Ms. Angell Room 127

TIMES HAVE CHANGED… Kindergarten then: - Focus on developing social skills. - A way for children to prepare for a more structured school day in first grade. - Daily activities included playing, coloring, socializing, and taking naps. Kindergarten now: - Students learn social skills during large group and small group instruction. - Kindergarten is a VERY structured environment, unlike Pre-K or daycare. - “Playing and socializing” takes place during structured work stations. - There is no rest time.

THE BAR HAS BEEN RAISED In just the past 10 years, standards have changed dramatically. Kindergarten students in today’s world must learn to: - read and decode high frequency words - write simple sentences - read leveled book - have a much deeper mathematical understanding.

BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS

EXPECTATIONS 1. Follow Directions the first time they are given 2. Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself 3. Use kind words 4. Be on time and ready to learn 5. Raise your hand to be recognized

REWARDS Verbal praise and encouragement are constant in my classroom! Cougar Paws – Students earn these tickets from the classroom teacher or any other staff member who catches them following these expecations. They are turned into the class raffle bag. Every week winners are chosed for prizes. Team Tickets – As a class we work together to earn 10 team tickets a month. Tickets are earned from other staff members who see our class behaving well in the hallway, at specials, in the bathroom, or at recess. If we earn 10 in a month we get to participate in the reward! Rewards are things like popsicle parties, movies, extra recess, etc.

CONSEQUENCES (in order) 1. Verbal Warning Reminder 2. Last one out for Recess/Special 3. Student calls home/stuck to teacher at recess for 5 minutes 4. Parent contact (conference, phone call) and reflection report 5. Referral to the office A student who receives a referral to the office does not get to participate in the team ticket reward if our class earns it at the end of the month.

BUCKET FILLERS AND BUCKET DIPPERS How Full is Your Bucket? By Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer - Bucket Fillers: make others happy, feel safe, follow the rules - Bucket Dippers: make others feel sad, don’t listen, etc. Students who are caught being bucket fillers are recognized and praised throughut the day!

A TYPICAL DAY IN ROOM 127…

- Morning Work - Morning Meeting - Word Study -Read Aloud - Drink/Bathroom Break - Silent Reading - Guided Reading with Literacy Stations - Writing - Math DAILY SCHEDULE

SPECIALS Library (Friday) Please help your child remember to return their library book every week so they can check out a new and exciting story. Computer Lab (Monday) We will explore a number of learning websites. Some of the lessons will be teacher directed and some will be student-directed. Gross Motor/Recess (Tuesday/Thursday) We will use the playground and the APR room on these days to run, jump, and get some physical exercise/activity worked into our day! Please dress appropriately.

LITERACY

Tricky words/sight words Spelling and reading words that don’t follow regular spelling pattern rules. (are, what, to) 81 sight words Letter Sound Recognition 42 letter sounds Jolly Phonics Blending sounds For the purpose of reading Start with initial consonant blends (c-a-t) Digraphs cl, gl, sh, th Letter Formation Lower case letters first Correct formation of letters Identifying sounds in words For the purpose of writing Stretching and segmenting words Encoding regular words Writing simple sentences Dictation

GUIDED READING The purpose of guided reading is to: - model reading and support children as they become independent readers. - keep children from getting frustrated with a text. - show them that reading is important and can be fun!

READING IN KINDERGARTEN Our goal is that each child is reading independently by the time they go to First Grade. They should be at a level C/D by the end of the school year. Level ALevel C

HOW CAN YOU HELP? “Children become readers on the laps of their parents.” - Listen to your child read every night. - Ask questions about what you’ve read, the pictures, etc. - Make sure they are pointing to each word. - Practice sight words every day.

MATH IN KINDERGARTEN

MATHEMATICS Goals for this year: Know number names and the count sequence. Count to tell the number of objects. Compare numbers. Work with numbers to gain foundations for place value. Describe and compare measurable attributes. Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from. Identify and describe shapes. Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes.

EUREKA PILOT Aligned with Common Core Math Standards Piloted in Kindergarten and 1 st grade at Sorrick Website has great parent tips and practice ideas:

HOMEWORK IN KINDERGARTEN! “Really, Ms. Angell??”

HOMEWORK Weekly Homework Packet -Comes home on Monday -Literacy and/or math assignments -Meant to be practice, to reinforce what we’ve done in school that day -Help your child, but don’t do it for them! -Return to school on Friday Reading Logs -Comes home the first week of the month -Record the titles of books that you read with your child -Return it to school when it is finished -Your child gets a cougar ticket when it’s completed -Our goal is 20 books per month! Copies of the week’s homework packet can always be found on my website under the “Homework” tab.

ODDS AND ENDS

BIRTHDAYS - NO treats - NO treats!! - This include goodies bags to be sent home. Things you can send: - small toys, stickers, tattoos, etc.

FOOD Absolutely NO FOOD can be sent to school at any time! For holiday parties PTA will provide us with treats like pizza, ice cream, and cupcakes. If you send food to school, it will be sent to the front office for you to pick up.

DRINK BREAK Please send a drink to school with your child every day (no soda!) for our daily drink break. You can also purchase milk for your child for the entire school year in the front office for $ per school year.

DAILY FOLDERS - Check it everyday! - “Home” side: Where I will put your child’s work, homework, messages from me, etc. - “School” side: Where you should put anything that you want me to see each morning. Loose papers, envelopes, etc. in the bottoms of backpacks will probably not make it into the classroom! Please put everything inside the folder!

SUPPLIES Follow the NPD 117 Kindergarten supply list please! Your child also needs: - 1 hard pencil box - 1 expo dry erase board eraser

WE ARE A TEAM! It is CRUCIAL that your child sees you, his/her first teacher, and the teacher at school as a TEAM! They need to know we have open lines of communication and that we share successes and work on the struggles together. I am here for you just as much as I am here for your child. If you ever have any questions or concerns, PLEASE let me know! Voic (708) (Please update in your “Welcome to Kindergarten” flipbook, my number changed this morning!

CLASSROOM WEBSITE To access: Go to Click on Sorrick School Click on Classrooms Click on my name

FORMS Red Folder: PTA Information (there are forms inside that need to be signed and returned) Sorrick Parent Handbook Tan Folder: Information from me Bus Tags/Transportation Information – check to make sure it’s correct. If you have an orange note on top, please go to the office before you leave tonight! Please return: Student information sheet, your child’s physical, and any PTA forms as soon as possible!

TOMORROW Open House AM: 9:30 PM: 1:00 Come with your child to meet me and see our classroom! We will read a story and do a fun activity. Please bring your child’s school supplies with so we can get them ready for Wednesday!

QUESTIONS FOR ME? Thanks for coming! I am looking forward to getting this year started!!

PLEASE STOP IN THE FRONT OFFICE ON YOUR WAY OUT TONIGHT: AM: Margaret Wiorkowski Daniella Slezakova Kareem Melham PM: Haneen Gorchene Alex Gutierrez Chase Hinnant Jaden Jackson Mia Jovanovic