Welcome to Kindergarten! A place where childhood is a journey, not a race.

A Typical Day in Kindergarten  1 st bell rings at 9:00- begin morning jobs (hang up backpack, turn in Daily Folder, do lunch count and begin morning work)  2 nd bell rings at 9:10- listen to morning news on PA system while finishing morning work  9:15- Morning Meeting  Change classroom helpers and go over the day’s schedule  Greet each other and say good morning  Do Star of the Week, Birthdays

A Typical Day continued…  9:30-11:30 Language Arts Block  Whole Group Reading Activities  Small Group Reading Activities  Individual Reading Activities  Whole Group Writing Activities  Writing Workshop  Snack break in between these activities  Work Samples include: Amazing Word Journal, Poetry/Song Journal, Monthly Writing Journal

Lunch, Quiet Time and Recess  This is my lunch and prep time (often with meetings)- Mrs. Emsley, our classroom para, is in charge during this time  Lunch is from 11:00-11:25  Quiet Time is from 11:25-12:30  Recess is from 12:30-12:50  We go outside daily  Please dress for the weather  Bring boots, snow pants, hat and mittens  We go out as long as the temp and or wind chill is safe for children

A Typical Day Continued…  12:50-2:00 Math and Handwriting  Review of previous day’s lesson  Instruction for the daily lesson  Guided and independent practice  Extension activities  IXL at Home  Handwriting Without Tears- Mat Man, Wood Pieces and Handwriting Journals

Mat Man!

A Typical Day Continued…  2:00-2:45 Snack Break, Reading Workshop and Centers  Guided Reading Groups, Daily 5, Choice Centers for Developmental Play  Work Sample- Listen to Reading on iPads, Reading Envelope mini-lesson  2:45-3:30 Health/ Science/ Social Studies/ Project

The Wheels on the Bus Project

A Typical Day continued…  3:30-3:45 Wrap Up and Pack Up  3:45 Dismissal- Bus Buddies come pick us up

Curriculum Information  

Classroom VOLUNTEERS  See schedule  Occasional atrium help/home help  In class help with special projects, reading activities, math activities  Room Parents  Determined through PTO volunteer coordinator  Party Help

Communication with Mrs. Swanson (Anika)  Phone calls:  Please leave a message- I won’t be answering the phone during teaching time   Best way to contact me- I will get back to you as soon as possible, but I try to only check my during school hours  Weekly newsletters  Come home on Mondays via

Red Daily Folders  Please check every day  Kids will pack them (Stays Home and Comes Back sides)  Best way to send me notes, money and homework

Homework Reminders  Math Home Links  Sent home at the beginning of each week plus other days when a lesson has one to go with it  Family Times reading activities  Sent home on Monday for the week  Nightly Reading- Plastic “Reading Envelope”  1 or 2 books nightly-starting this fall  Reading log  Other- may include other reading activities, Health activities, Social Studies activities, Science activities

Homework Policy Reminders  Reading envelopes should be completed daily  Math Home Links should be completed weekly  Family Times activities (should be done over an entire week), other reading activities, Health activities, Social Studies activities and Science activities should be done as soon as possible  All activities that show students’ work should be sent back to school for “grading”  When a paper has a yellow star on top, keep at home!

Thursday Folders  Information from the whole school, PTO  Please send back on Fridays  Plastic Envelope- youngest only sometimes  Most communication comes home via the E-news- sign up for notification on the Plymouth Creek website

Classroom Expectations Panther Pride School Wide Expectations

Classroom consequences Step 1: Your child will receive a verbal warning/reminder. Step 2: Your child’s Cooperation Card will be moved to yellow. This serves as a BIG warning. Step 3: Your child’s Cooperation Card will be moved to red. At this time, he/she will loose recess privileges and a Panther Pride Fix-It Plan will be filled out and brought home for you to sign and send back to school the next day. If needed, an office behavior slip will also be filled out and sent home for you to sign.

Panther Pride  Panther Pride Slips- “Caught doing something good”, “Showing Panther Pride”  Panther Pride Weekly Winner  When your child earns Panther Pride slips, the bottom of the slip goes in a bucket to be entered in a drawing for a prize as the winner at the end of every week.

Early Dismissal  If you are picking your child up early from school, please remember to go directly to the office. You will need to sign your child out of school. The office will call down to my room so that I know to send your child. Please do not come directly to the classroom as this can disrupt our learning time. Thank you for remembering to send a note!

Illness  School Policy  Fever and vomiting free for 24 hours prior to return to school (Thank you in advance for following this rule- we don’t want germs to spread here at school!)  Nurse Line  Please call if your child will be absent (I also appreciate a call or ).

Birthday Celebrations  Plymouth Creek policy is no birthday treats at all. Students may bring in a book to donate to the classroom or a non-food treat for all of the kids in our class  Summer birthdays will be celebrated at the end of the year  Please don’t distribute birthday party invites at school

Children are our hope for the future. We are the hope for theirs! Thanks for coming!!