Welcome to Kindergarten! With The Kindergarten Team… Mrs. Jeanne Cano Ms. Stephanie Casper Ms. Nancy Randolph Ms. Mary Seaman August 2012 A new adventure begins!

Absences…  Call the absence line.  Keep sick kids at home.  Schedule vacations & doctor appointments around school hours as much as possible.  Missed Kindergarten Spalding practice & review needs to be “made up” when returning to school.  Parents may need to assist with support of missed work needing to be completed by the student.

On School Nights Kids Should… Do their daily reading and/or homework. Eat a healthy dinner. Tell grown-ups about 2 or more things he/she learned or did. Go to bed in time to get at least 9 to 10 hours of sleep.

On school mornings… Get up early enough to not be rushed. Make sure you have needed items (library book, homework, snack) in your backpack. Eat a healthy breakfast. Turn your brain on high!

Back Pack Tips These things should be in your back pack: Finished homework, daily homework folder, &/or library book, if requested Lunch box or lunch money Snack (tightly closed & with name on it) Water bottle (with name on it) Notes going to and from school Jacket or sweater, if needed

These things should not be in your backpack: X Old papers X Toys X School supplies X Non-school folders X Personal money X Electronic games (e.g. Gameboys, etc.)

Personal Skills to Practice Independent bathroom use Blowing nose effectively Opening/closing snack & lunch containers Tying or fastening shoes Zipping, buttoning, snapping, buckling Putting on jackets, sweatshirts, coats, & sweaters Covering mouths when sneezing, coughing

PLEASE, WRITE YOUR CHILD’S NAME ON ALL THINGS THAT COME TO SCHOOL! (Snacks, lunchboxes, water bottles, backpacks, homework, jackets, etc…)

Healthy Snacks  Snacks are optional. Some children are fine waiting until lunch.  Remember that our breaks are short and snacks should not be a meal, but just a little something to hold the child over until lunch, If needed.  Please choose nutritious items. (NO cookies, chips, candies, etc.)  Choose snacks that your child can eat without much adult assistance.  Label the snack with your child’s name.  We will collect snacks first thing in the morning and keep in the snack bin for our break/snack/recess time.  NO NUTS!! - We have students with severe food allergies!!

Healthy Snacks (Snack for morning break is optional.) Cheese sticks Fruits or vegetables (cut up) Pretzels Wholegrain crackers Dry cereal Granola bars Etc. Please NO tree nuts, candy, chips, or cake. P.S. We do not have refrigeration. Snacks are kept in the classroom.

Lunch Reality Kids choose their entrees when buying lunch. Children sit, eat, & clean up their own messes. It can be loud. There are approximately 100 children eating in there & not all speak quietly. The assistants do their best to organize lunches, assist children, in an orderly fashion.

Lunch…  Bring lunch from home.  Milk may be purchased for $0.50.  Buy student lunch from cafeteria for $2.50.  Send in lunch money in the morning OR…  Pay online at mylunchmoney.com. Practice opening containers at home. Allow children to help with lunchbox prep. Talk about doing a good job at lunch. Limit treats to one.

Classroom Wish List  Elmer’s disappearing purple glue sticks (always needed! )  BOXTOPS for EDUCATION stamps  Ticonderoga brand pencils  Crayola crayons (16 or 24 count)  Small gift cards to Wal-Mart, Lakeshore, Target, or office supply stores Check the newsletters or class website for the updated lists or needs throughout the year.

Kindergarten Motto I am safe. I am kind. I am a helper. I’m a GREAT Kid & let’s have a GREAT DAY!!

Rewards…  Verbal praise  Stickers and stamps  3 B coupons  Special privileges  Extra explore time  Extra computer time  Fun Friday Activities

3 B’s of Good Behavior Be safe. Be respectful. Be responsible.

Special Areas Schedule * Children need to wear athletic shoes in order to participate safely in P.E. Teacher: MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday Mrs. Cano ArtMusicLibraryP.E.Computers Ms. Casper LibraryArtMusicComputersP.E. Ms. Randolph ArtLibraryComputersMusicP.E. Ms. Seaman LibraryComputersArtP.E.Music

Drinks and Bathrooms  Before school  Exploration time  Quiet work time  Playground time  If you have an “emergency” (Student water bottles remain accessible to students.)

Morning Class Responsibilities  Empty backpacks at table independently.  Student puts water bottles & snacks in proper place.  Student gets out lunchbox for lunch count & place lunchboxes in basket/bin.  Put library books in basket/bin.  Take out daily blue KTA folder to be reviewed (with completed homework).  Zip backpacks & put away backpacks in cubbies.

HOMEWORK  Please, contact us if you have any questions. (Confusion is a curable condition.) (Confusion is a curable condition.) Read to, or with, your child for minutes, every night. Check the weekly newsletter, s and homework folder for additional assignments and practice opportunities. Homework Kit is a kindergarten resource for you to keep at home. Please save all games and other learning tools from school together in the bag. Homework comes home M-Th & is due the next day.

Homework Tips  Set aside homework or skill practice time daily.  Work in a quiet place without distractions (if possible).  TURN OFF THE TELEVISION!  Keep homework & library book in your backpack or in another safe place.  Parents should assist but not do the work.  Always closely supervise handwriting practice.  Divide work time into several sessions if frustration ensues.

Reading Notes High Frequency,“Sight” Words plus frequently used words Flash cards will be provided & daily Spalding notebooks are important! Identify in print, read & use in personal writing Phonemic Awareness - playing with and recognizing patterns in language. Phonics - understanding how oral language is represented in written form. Decoding - applying phonetic knowledge to decipher text -- sound, sound, blend. Comprehension understanding, and interpreting read text. Scholastic Book Clubs: Flyers will come home with homework. Option to order online with a credit card. This is not a fundraiser, only an easy way to get cheap books. Couldn’t be easier & is an optional choice. Library books may be kept for a full week but are due on the assigned library day. Your child may return his/her book early if desired.

Writing Notes  Please do not spell words for your child.  For free writing tasks, accept phonetic approximations.  Praise effort.  Kindergarten writing looks different from grown- up writing & that’s okay. TOOLS:  letter chart  spacers  Word Wall  brain power!!!

Math Notes  Recognizing and creating patterns  Numbers as representing quantity  Emphasis on the process  Comparing and contrasting length, value  Sorting and identifying by attribute  Predicting outcomes and analyzing data  Number sense – deep understanding of our number system and how it works  Being fluent; “seeing it”

Technology  Smartboard interactive presentation tool  5 laptops in classroom + stand alone  Computer lab time each week + Your child will login using a username & password, access approved websites, practice skills, word process, create a slide show presentation, & more.

TALK! TALK! TALK! Talk with child about: school friends stories songs & poems class work homework numbers patterns family interests goals  Be patient, help & encourage your little one to express complete thoughts & ideas by speaking & responding in full sentences.  With Oral language development, parents are the best teachers of language skills.

More Information  COLLECT BOXTOPS for EDUCATION stamps  Kyrene School District:  KTA Main Office  Our Kindergarten class webpages:      Phone (room 7) (Mrs. Cano voice mail)  Phone (room 8) (Ms. Casper voice mail)  Phone (room 9) (Ms. Seaman voice mail)  Phone (room 11) (Ms. Randolph voice mail)  (Mrs. Cano) -  (Ms. Casper) -  (Ms. Randolph) -  (Ms. Seaman) -