Kindergarten Classroom #102 Ms. Lauren Cribbs Oakwood Elementary School

Who is Ms. Lauren Cribbs?  Bachelor’s Degree/Teaching Certification from Seton Hill University  Major: Pre-K to 4 with Special Education  Master’s Degree from University of Pittsburgh  Library and Information Science Program

 Hobbies include: Reading, singing, playing the piano, playing the harp, making crafts, and writing  Favorite thing about my home life: I have four dogs (a Great Dane and three mixed breeds) and two turtles.  What I wanted to be before becoming a teacher: A babysitter, dog sitter, or veterinarian office for dogs with an animal shelter attached to it that would never hurt a dog. Fun Facts About Ms. Cribbs

Tank and Ajax

Belle and Jasmine

 Language arts, math, social studies, and science will all be a part of our curriculum this year.  Monthly newsletters will be sent home to let you know exactly what we are doing in each subject.  Personal information studied as well (full names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.)  Special book creation in Art and Library Class. Curriculum

 We operate on a 5 day schedule that is consistent throughout each week. These classes are held by different teachers in different classroom environments:  Day 1: Physical Education Class  Day 2: Library Class  Day 3: Art Class  Day 4: Technology Class  Day 5: Music Class Itinerant Classes

 Whole Class Instruction  Most of the time, we learn as an entire class.  Small Group Work  With the teacher wandering throughout the room to ensure each child is on task.  One-on-One Instruction  If a student is struggling or needs help, the parents can arrange with the teacher to work one-on-one after school at scheduled times. Types of Instruction Used in Room #102

 Each child in my classroom has a binder that I keep to monitor their progress and share with you during parent conferences.  In the binder, there are:  Copies of report cards  Assessment forms on skills acquired  Graphs  Observations  PA Early Childhood Standards  Goals  Also, report cards are sent home in the mail every 9 weeks to let you see how your child is progressing in school. Assessment

1.Respect yourself, school supplies, and others. 2.Raise your hand to speak. 3.Take turns and share. 4.Use your inside voice and kind words. 5.Listen to the teacher and follow directions. 6.Think! Classroom Rules

 These classroom rules are put in place to ensure the safety and learning of each student in my classroom. Also, the rules are the way they are to make sure that my classroom statement/goal is reached this year!  Classroom Statement: In my classroom, I am dedicated to insuring that my students are safe, responsible, and respectful and that when they leave my classroom, they are on their way to becoming well-rounded members of society. Rationale Behind the Classroom Rules

 Steps:  2 warnings to the student  Red Light Warning  Talk with parents  Meeting with the principal scheduled  Each day, the students start off with a blank slate!  The traffic light is just to let the parents know about student’s behavior this week! Consequences

Family’s Role in Upholding Classroom Rules  Traffic Light System  Each week, your child will come home with a circular colored piece of paper.  Red = Student hit the warning maximum (2 warnings) more than once this week.  Yellow = Child hit warning maximum once this week.  Green = Good week!  Parents are encouraged to reward their child for good behavior and discourage poor behavior when yellow or red lights are sent home!

1.Child puts backpack, lunch box, and coats in the cubby. 2.Children wash their hands. 3.Child removes anything from his or her backpack from home and gives it to Ms. Cribbs. 4.If child is buying lunch, he or she lets Ms. Cribbs know so she can get his or her lunch card out. 5.Flip his or her picture over on the attendance board. 6.Write his or her name on the Name Board. 7.Find a toy off the shelves to play with until the other students arrive. Arrival Procedure

 Since we have a bathroom attached to our classroom, bathroom breaks are not a scheduled part of the day.  If students have to use the restroom, they raise their hand and ask to go.  If the bathroom is already occupied and it is an emergency, we do have a bathroom pass for the student to go to the nearest public bathroom right across the hall.  We ask that parents still send spare clothes in their child’s backpacks because accidents do happen! Bathroom Break Procedure

 We are now a full day kindergarten!  Students can pack or buy.  Each kindergarten student has a lunch card to use when they buy lunch. Lunches are paid for by their parents and the lunch card is used to purchase the lunches.  We have the first lunch of the day, so lunch is a bit early.  Snack is offered after recess towards the end of the day and it is provided by the teacher! Lunch Procedure

1.Each child cleans up whatever toys or project he or she was working on. 2.Students take things that are dry and good to go home out of their cubbies and put them into their backpacks. 3.Students put on their coats, other belongings, and backpacks. 4. Students wait patiently and quietly for their bus or way of getting home to be called over the intercom!  Students can also be carpooled or walk home if their homes are determined to be close enough to the school.  If students wish to go home with a friend, notes from parents of both parties must be sent to the school on that morning. Dismissal Procedure

 If there is a problem, both the families and teacher should be made aware of it!  Conferences will be held each semester to keep each other up-to-date on what is going on with your child constantly.  Conferences will be scheduled no later than two weeks prior to the conference date.  A notice that it is time to schedule conferences will be in the newsletter of the month prior to the month of conferences! We Are a Team!

 Special Parties  Halloween Party (October)  Holiday Party (December)  Dr. Seuss’ Birthday Party (March)  Spring Party (April)  Summer Party (June)  Field Trips  Carnegie Science Center  Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium  All volunteers are required to have their clearances. A notice will be sent home of what clearances are required later this week from the school principal! Volunteer Opportunities

  Phone Number (School): (724) (Ext. 9232)  In Person: Meetings can be scheduled for any time after school hours.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions, concerns, or comments! How do I contact Ms. Cribbs?

 My focus as a teacher is on literature.  So, tomorrow, your child will come home with a Reading Rainbow list.  Each time your child reads 15 books of their choice, write down the titles and author on the list and send the list in with your child.  Your child will then bring home a new blank list.  They will also get to add a piece of colored paper to their reading rainbow, which will be displayed in the classroom.  The child with the most books read by the end of the semester will win a gift card for Barnes and Noble to buy more books to read with their family members! Just a little bit of homework…

 “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go!” –Dr. Seuss in I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! Why am I giving you homework? Take-Away Thought