‘s‘s The Of Kindergarten

Arrival: The school bell rings at 7:50am. It is extremely important to have students here by 7:50 a.m. It gives the student a calm start to their day and they won’t miss out on Good Morning Bright or other morning activities. Please refer to the section, “Tardies”, for Frisco’s policy on arriving late. It is imperative to your child’s success that they are on time!!! Students will be counted 7:50 a.m. !!!

Backpacks: Please make sure your child brings a backpack to school each day. They will need to carry items back and forth between school and home. It needs to be a backpack they can carry on their own. Birthdays: If your child would like to celebrate his or her birthday at school, we will celebrate at 2:30pm. You must inform the teacher a week in advance so we may plan accordingly. If plans are not made, we cannot guarantee that the treats will be shared that day. Treats must be left in the office by 1:30 p.m. at the latest. Please make sure there are enough treats for everyone in the class. Bright Elementary is an Icing-Free school, so cookies are a great option. Please do not send treat bags, cakes or sodas. Due to district policy, only pastry-like snacks can be provided for the class (no pizza parties) and the snacks must be store bought. If you would like to send invitations from school, there must be one for every child in the class. If you need more information, please ask!

Conference Time: Our daily conference time is 1:15-2:00 each day. Charlotte Coates: Jamie Duke: Kaci Scott: Harriet Sweatt: Curriculum Night : Bright Elementary will be having a Curriculum Night where parents come and learn about all the great things their children will be studying in Kindergarten this year. Kindergarten’s Curriculum night will be September 7:15-7:45. More information will be coming home about Curriculum Night soon.

Dismissal: Kindergartners will be dismissed at 2:50 p.m. Please place your yellow pick-up card where it is visible on the passenger side window or visor in your car. If you need to pick your child up early, please stop by the office to sign your child out. We cannot release students to anyone without permission from the office. All students not picked up by 3:05 p.m. will be taken to the office to wait. If for any reason you have a change in your child’s normal dismissal procedure you must notify the office or write a note for your child’s teacher before 1:50 p.m. If you have a last minute change in your child’s dismissal routine, please call the school office at , not the classroom.

Everyday: Please make sure your child is present everyday unless he/she is ill and/or running a fever. If your child is absent, please phone the school office at that morning, not the classroom. To have an absence/tardy/early pickup excused, a parent written/doctor's note must be sent to school within 3 days of the absence. Only 5 parent written notes will be accepted as an excused absence/tardy/early pickup. After that, a doctor’s note must be provided.

Folders: Your child will bring home a daily folder everyday, Monday-Friday. This folder will contain your child’s behavior calendar and any class notes, school work, newsletters and any other important information you will need to know. It is very important for you to go over your child’s daily folder with them each evening, initial the behavior calendar and return the folder the next morning. When sending notes and other communication to school, please make sure it is inside the folder. We do not check backpacks. It is the child’s responsibility to take out their folder first thing in the morning for us. Field Trips: We go on 3 field trips a year. We will send home information regarding the destination, price, volunteer opportunities, etc. at a later time. Volunteers must have a completed background check form on file in the office to attend.

Good-byes: After the first week, please say your good-byes at the front door. This will help your child develop independence and self- confidence. It will also help us begin our school day in a calm, organized manner. It can be hard saying good-bye at the classroom door. Guided Reading: Your child will participate in Guided Reading instruction during Literacy Workshop. The first several weeks of school will be used to assess the children in order to find their instructional needs and levels. Guided Reading instruction consists of working with letters and words as well as developing reading strategies for reading books independently. More information about Guided Reading will be addressed at Curriculum Night.

Homework: Yes, we do have homework in Kindergarten!!! There will be a monthly homework calendar sent home in your child’s daily folder. There are activities for the students to complete Monday through Thursday. We ask that the parents initial the activity that has been completed and the home work page will be checked at the end of each month. Please do not send the homework activities back in your child’s folder, you may keep them at home. The purpose for the homework activities is to help the children continue to develop the skills taught at school through fun reinforcement activities. Please help us in developing good study habits with your child by making sure homework is completed and returned on time. The most important thing we want to teach your child is that homework is important and fun. Please make sure it is an enjoyable experience at home.

Independence: In order for us to help your child learn to be independent, please allow them to do things for themselves, even if they make mistakes. Making mistakes is an important part of learning independence.

Jackets & Sweaters: We will be going outside to play for recess unless it is raining. Please make sure your child comes to school with the appropriate outer wear for each season. We cannot leave a child inside because they do not have a jacket. We know the Texas weather is unpredictable, so try to be on the safe side and send in a jacket or sweater each day. All children will go outside unless we have a note written by a doctor.

Keeping Track: To better help your child keep track of their belongings, make sure your child’s name is on anything they bring to school. This will help with identification if it ends up in our lost and found. Our lost and found is located in the hallway by our cafeteria. Please check it periodically for any lost items. All lost items will be placed there.

Lunch : Kindergarten eats lunch from 11:00-11:30 each day. A lunch calendar is on the Frisco ISD website. You will receive information on what is being served, prices, and information on payment options. We recommend that you prepay in the cafeteria in the mornings or online for the week/month ahead to make our time in the lunch line run faster. To pay your child’s account online please visit the Frisco ISD webpage. If you would like for your child to have a snack with lunch, please plan for an additional $.50-$.75 daily. We suggest you put a block or limits on snack privileges for your child through the cafeteria. Children with no lunch money will be provided with 2 sides and a juice (only twice). If your child has a food allergy, please notify the cafeteria in addition to your child’s teacher. The cafeteria will enter allergy information into their computer system (only with a doctor’s note) so your child will not be allowed to purchase any allergy foods. Library : Kindergarten goes to the library once a week. Kindergarten students can check out one book to read each week. That book must be returned the following week in order for your child to check out a new library book.

Money : Please make sure any money sent with your child is placed in an envelope clearly marked with their name and the destination for the money and placed in the zip- lock bag attached to their folder. Please put the envelope in the daily folder to guarantee its arrival. We do not check backpacks for notes and money. Medication : If your child takes any medication, it must be taken to the clinic where you must fill out paper work for the nurse to have on file. Teachers are unable to dispense medicine or allow the children to do it on their own. This includes cough drops or any over the counter medication.

Numbers: Please make sure that your telephone numbers and addresses are always current. This includes making sure the front office and your child’s teacher have your numbers. It is also very important to keep your emergency contact numbers up to date!

Office : If your child must be absent from school, please call the office by 8:20 a.m. The office must contact you if they have not heard from you. If you have a question for your child’s teacher, please feel free to or call and leave a voice mail message with your child’s teacher. We will get back with you ASAP, most likely during our lunch break, planning time, or after school. Thank you for your patience. Bright Front Office:

Parties : Frisco ISD policy allows for 3 class parties a year: Winter, Valentine’s Day and End-of-Year. Room Parents are responsible for planning the parties. Other interested parents will be asked to help at this fun time, too!

Questions: There is no such thing as a silly question- just ask!!!! It’s the only way we can keep the lines of communication open. Quiet time/DEAR Time: We will have a quiet time for about 20 minutes each day the first semester. At this time your child will be allowed to relax and have a quiet time where they may read books independently. Your child does not have to sleep, but they must remain quiet for that time period. Because this is just a short quiet time, please do not send blankets to school. This quiet time allows everyone to relax and regroup before beginning the afternoon’s activities. During the second semester quiet time turns into DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read)

Recess: Kindergarten goes to recess from 11:30-12:00 each day. Recess is a time for our students to run, play and work on those social skills. We do ask that your child wear appropriate shoes to school each day to help them not have hurt toes from the woodchips on the playground. Responsibility: It is very important that the children learn to be responsible. They will be learning how to unpack and pack their belongings at school and it is important that they be allowed to do so on their own. This will help us in teaching your child responsibility and will help their self confidence bloom! Skills your child will practice to develop their independence will include, opening lunch items, packing and unpacking belongings, zippers, buttons, shoe tying, bathroom procedures, turning in work, responsibility for own actions/choices.

Snacks: We will have a snack time each day. We have snack from 1:05-1:15 each day. Each child is responsible for bringing their own snack daily. Please put your child’s name on his/her snack. This helps us with knowing who the snack REALLY belongs to. Children are not allowed to share snacks with other students. Snacks should consist of things easy for the children to open and eat. Some good examples are individual bags of goldfish, crackers, cereal bars, small boxes of raisins, etc. Items such as candy bars or hard candies are not appropriate snacks. Please do not send wet snacks or that require a spoon/fork. We do ask that you only send water for drinks. This will help us out a bunch in case of spills. Please try to make sure what you send is nutritious for your child.

Schedule: Our Kindergarten daily schedule is a set schedule followed by all of kindergarten. Kindergarten Daily Schedule 7:50-8:20 – Monday: Morning Meeting Tuesday-Thursday: SSR Friday: Good Morning Bright 8:20-8:40 – Calendar/Morning Message 8:40-9:05 – Phonics/Handwriting 9:05-10:00 – Reading Workshop 10:00-11:00 – Math Workshop 11:00-11:30 – Lunch 11:30-12:00 – Recess 12:00-12:20 – Quiet/DEAR Time 12:20-1:05 – Writers Workshop 1:05-1:15 – Snack 1:15-2:00 - Specials 2:00-2:30 – Science 2:30-2:50 – Free Explore/Review/Pack up/Line up

Tardiness: Please make every possible attempt to get your child to school on time every day. The school day starts at 7:50am. It is very distracting to the learning environment for children to walk in after the school day has already begun. Tardiness is a serious issue and must be documented by law. Excessive tardiness is required to be reported by the school to legal officials. If you have any questions about the district’s tardy policy, please contact the school’s data clerk, The district monitors the state’s compulsory att. law by documenting tardies, etc. Persistent early dismissal times are considered under the same umbrella due to missed instructional time. Bright will document late arrivals AND early dismissals. Both of which can add up to ½ day or full day absences. Toys: Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school. Toys will be sent home the first time, but after that, they will be kept for the rest of the year. They disrupt the learning environment, get lost or cause unnecessary arguments and will be taken up.

Undies, etc.: Accidents happen, so we ask that you please keep a change of undies, pants, socks, etc. in your child’s backpack at all times, even if your child hasn’t had an accident in years. It has been known to happen at the most unexpected times!

Volunteers : We love helpers!! Please see the parent volunteer sign-up sheets if you are interested in helping at school or at home. We will be contacting you to let you know how we can use your help as soon as possible. Please remember that ALL volunteers MUST have a criminal background check on file before being allowed to volunteer. ckgroundcheck/

Weather: Once again, please make sure your child is dressed for the weather. We go outside for recess all year long. We cannot leave a child inside because they forgot a jacket. Help keep your child comfortable!! Website: Please check the website for copies of homework, class schedules, newsletters, etc. We will also update it with reminders about what is coming up. It is a great way to quickly check for information you may need!

X,Y,Z: If you have any questions at all, please let us know! Thank you for coming!,,