1. 2013-2014 Fall Open House Mrs. Taylor

2. Welcome to Kindergarten! Please be sure to sign in on the sign-in sheet. Don’t forget to sign up for a conference time on October 14 th. Check out the Volunteer table if interested.

3. PTO Meeting PTO meeting will be held in the cafeteria tonight at 7:10 Membership - $10 per family

4. Class Subjects Your child will participate in the following: –Reading –Writing –Math –Science –Social studies –Music –PE –Computer Lab – Fridays –Library – Tuesdays

5. Reading We cover many skills in kindergarten that will help your child learn to read by the end of the school year. To help your child, you can –read to them everyday, –practice letters and sounds everyday, and –practice sight words as they are sent home throughout the year. The key is practice, practice, practice.

6. Letter Expert I will be sending home a letter expert packet and your child will become the “Letter Expert” for a specific letter. In this packet your child will be responsible for learning the sound that letter makes, how to write that letter correctly, reading a book with that specific letter, finding an object that starts with that letter and then sharing his/her findings with classmates.

7. Writing Students will be expected to write using the block style of print. Students will also be expected to write using the proper case (upper/lower). This can be practiced by starting with their name. Writing in Kindergarten is… –Drawing a picture –Labeling a picture –Writing letters to match the sounds we hear –Writing a sentence –Writing a story

8. Math We will cover many concepts in math this year including graphing, counting, numbers, sorting, addition, and subtraction. To help your child you can: –practice counting, forwards and backwards –skip counting by 10’s –sorting everyday objects –writing numbers –making sequences

9. Portfolios We will be using a portfolio for each child to track progress in reading, writing and math. Students will be able to see their progress as they learn more and will be able to set goals for themselves.

10. Social Studies School Community Rules and Procedures Families All About Me Community Helpers Flags and Pledges Friendship Texas Holidays Historical Figures Maps and Towns

11. Science Most of our topics are experienced through hands- on activities and labs. Magnets Simple Machines Bugs and Insects Colors Seasons 5 Senses Weather Animals Matter Food Guide Pyramid Rocks Health Space Plants Life Cycles Recycling

12. Classroom Community Our classroom is a community. In our community, we have rules to help us get along with each other. Our class rules are: –We will listen to the teacher’s directions. –We will not run. –We will not raise our voice. –We will not hurt our friends in any way. –We will keep our hands to ourselves.

13. Behavior Management Clip Chart System –Each student has a clothes pin. –Start each day on “Ready to Learn” –Move up for good behavior, down for not so good behavior –The folder will show what color your child ended the day on. Benefits –Focuses more on the positive –Students can move their clips up and down throughout the day.

14. Behavior Management Trace’s Treats –Students can earn Trace’s Treats from any adult in the school for modeling good character. –Students can earn a big Trace’s Treat to put on display by the cafeteria –Students can earn extra rewards like a good note home from the teacher.

15. Conduct Your child will receive a grade in a general conduct which will be determined by how well your child can conduct their behavior in the classroom. There is also a grade given in the following areas: Following Directions, Uses Time Effectively, Participation in class, and Homework. The grading scale is as follows: E=Excellent S=Satisfactory N=Needs Improvement U=Unsatisfactory

16. Homework Your child will receive an orange homework folder every Monday. Please complete the packet and return it in the folder on Friday morning. Homework is to be done every night, not in one sitting, otherwise it does not effectively reinforce the skills taught in class each day. Work is not accepted early. The homework grade is affected by turning it in late.

17. Tardiness If your student isn’t in the classroom by the time the second bell rings (8:20), please have them check in at the front office before coming to class. If your student is tardy four times, the school will contact you, and after 5 tardies your student’s conduct grade will be dropped one letter.

18. Transportation Changes Send a note to school in the morning with your child clipped inside folder. In case of emergency transportation change call the front office at 832-484-7900 and they will send a note down. Do not call or e-mail me since I usually cannot check messages until after school.

19. Website Be sure to check my website and Metzler’s website. I post valuable information, pictures, and kid-friendly websites. Your child’s picture cannot be included if the photo box is marked on privacy sheet from the student handbook.

20. Snack You may send a snack with your child to eat during our center time in the afternoon. –You are not required to send one, and most children will outgrow the need for one later in the year. If you do send one with your child, I would encourage you to pack a small, low-sugar snack for your child. It is very important for your child to eat breakfast everyday.

21. Attire Please be sure to include a change of clothes in your child’s backpack. Please don’t forget to wear tennis shoes on P.E. days. –Due to the nature of play at recess in Kindergarten flip-flops are not safe (even on Music days). Please send your child to school in sturdy shoes.

22. Scholastic Book Orders We will each send home Book Orders every month. –This is one of the best ways to get children excited about reading. –The books are usually lower than prices at local bookstores, plus they help me earn points to buy books for the classroom. You can pay by check or cash, or you can order online with a credit card. –When sending cash, please be sure to send exact change. –Checks should be made out to “Scholastic Book Orders”.

23. Birthdays Order cupcakes, cookies, or ice cream through Klein Food Service –Contact the cafeteria for more information Class lists cannot be distributed-contact the teacher for current head count For invitations –All boys –All girls –All students

24. Parent Volunteers Must fill out criminal background check prior to volunteering You can assist with classroom needs by donating items from the class website.

25. Let’s Have a Great Year!