Mrs. Breithaupt’s Kindergarten Class Welcome, parents!!

Kindergarten ABC’s  Kindergarten is a fun and exciting time.  No other grade will be quite like kindergarten.  In the ABC’s of kindergarten you will find some policies and information that will help you better understand our class.

A - Attendance  Attendance is important for school success; please let the office know if your child is going to be gone.

B - Backpacks  Backpacks are a way to keep children organized at school. I will give the children a folder to keep in their backpack. Please check that folder everyday. Backpacks need to be large enough for the folder to fit.

C - Calendar  I will send home a calendar every month. Specials schedules, etc. will be listed on that calendar. Please put the monthly calendar in a place that your child can check everyday.

D - Discipline  We have very few rules. Being kind, helpful and friendly will keep most of us in the boundaries of our classroom. However, if more guidance is needed I will give the children choices. (Ex. You have two choices – you may either listen or you may go put your head down.)

E – Early Dismissal  On Wednesdays, teachers have the opportunity to meet together and plan for the individual needs of your children. Both morning and afternoon classes will be on a shorter schedule.

F - Footwear  Please have the children wear shoes that fit and are comfortable. On PE days, please have them wear athletic shoes. They can’t take their shoes off while they are at school.

G – Guided Reading Instruction  Children in Kindergarten are at all different levels. Some of them will need alphabet instruction and others will be ready to read. Each child will be able to work at their own level and at their own speed. Guided reading helps us teach children the reading strategies and skills they need to become independent readers.

H - Homework  I will assess each child and give them a packet that is appropriate for them. It will come home everyday and then back to school everyday. I would like for you to review it at home and then we will have parent helpers go over the packet at school each day.

I - Illness  As I mentioned at the beginning, attendance is very important. However, if your child is sick, please do not send them school. If they come and then we realize they have a fever during their day we will call you.

J – Journal Sheets  As the year progresses the children will increase their writing skills. Instead of writing in a book, they will use individual sheets, so that you can see their writing each week. As we work on sounds, the children will use these sounds in their writing. Words will not be spelled correctly, but will be spelled phonetically.

K – Keys to success  Good attitude  Being helpful and kind  Doing our best  Home and school partnership

L - Library  We will have library every Friday. As the children return the book they have checked out, they may check out another one.

M – Mrs. Breithaupt  I have been teaching for 33 years and 26 of those years have been at Sunset. I love coming to school each day and spending time with your children.  My husband is a farmer and we live west of town out by Clinton Lake. We have two children. Julie is 28, married and has a precious little boy named Caden who is 8 months old. Jeffrey is 25 and married. He is in graduate school and lives in Grandview, MO.

N - Newsletter  Every Friday I will send a newsletter to let you know about our week. It will also let you know if there are special activities or schedules that you need to be aware of.

O – Office Staff  The office staff is there to help you. Please call them if your child will not be at school However, if you have a specific question about our class it is better to contact me. If your child is tardy or you need to pick them up early go to the office and they will assist you.

P – Parent Helpers  Each day I will need a parent to come and help with packets. It will take approximately 45 minutes.

Q - Questions  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. You are always welcome to call me at home in the evenings or on weekends (843 – 9469)

R – Report Cards  We will have report cards and conferences in November, February and May. The three scheduled conferences are very important.

S - Sharing  We will begin sharing in September. In Kindergarten we have paper bag sharing. The sharing item goes into a bag and the children will bring three clues. Then the class will guess what is in the bag.

T - Transportation  If you are not the person who will be picking up your child, please let me know. I will not let them go with someone unless I have your permission. At dismissal, I will stay with the children until their ride comes. Please let van drivers, babysitters, etc. know that they need to be on time.

U – Urge and Encourage  We want to urge children to do their best, develop their strengths and respect their differences.

V - Volunteers  I will need a parent volunteer each day to help review packets. In case you are wondering - the letter ‘P’ basically said the same thing - this item is important enough to rate TWO alphabet letters!

W - Website  I have a website and the monthly calendar and weekly newsletter will be available on it. If you go to the school district’s website, and then to Sunset’s website you can then go to mine.  Or go directly to:

X – Xtra, Xciting, Xclamation!!  Lots of great ‘X’ words, but I really couldn’t think of one for our classroom.

Y - You  You are a very important part of this year and your child’s school success.

Z – ‘zzzzzzz’  Please make sure that your child gets enough sleep. They also need to get up in time to eat breakfast and make sure they have their backpack ready to go.

As we work together, this will be a great year!!!!