to Kindergarten @ Bush Elementary!

We are so excited to begin this journey with you and your child We are so excited to begin this journey with you and your child! Kindergarten has changed drastically over the last decade. What used to be an introduction to school routines, letters, and numbers has now been developed into an exciting and extensive curriculum. By the end of the kindergarten year, your child will be expected to read independently, write a story with at least 3 sentences, count to 100, add, subtract, and much, much more! In order for your child to be successful, parents and teachers need to work together. You can help by reading TO and WITH your child daily, as well as, attending Parent/Teacher Conferences and Parent Information Night. Together, we can help your child have a terrific year!

Morning Schedule 7:50 Arrival 8:00 Announcements/Warm-Up 8:05 Tardy bell rings 8:05 Writer’s Workshop 9:05 Word Work/Shared Reading 9:35 Guided Reading/Daily 5 10:40 Recess

Afternoon Schedule 11:00 Lunch 11:30 Math 12:30 PAWS 1:00 Science, Snack 1:35 Social Studies 2:10 Specials 3:00 Dismissal

The tardy bell rings at 8:05 The tardy bell rings at 8:05. Students are counted tardy after this time. If a student is not tardy at all during a grading period, they will receive a N.E.A.T award. Attendance is important! If absent or leave early for a doctor appt. please let the school know by e-mail or by calling the front office, if possible. Please bring a note the next day to make it an excused absence.

Producing Award Winning Students! P.A.W.S. Producing Award Winning Students! At 12:40 each day, the students will have PAWS time which will provide intervention and enrichment to our curriculum. Please try NOT to schedule doctor’s appointments during this time.

Our class will rotate to technology, music and art in addition to P. E Our class will rotate to technology, music and art in addition to P.E. Please remember to wear gym shoes for PE! We will also visit the library each Friday!

Kindergarten students have a monthly calendar Kindergarten students have a monthly calendar. Your child will have choices of things to do throughout the week and then return at the end of the month. We also ask that you read to your child for 10 minutes each night, practice sight words, and counting to 100.

Take home readers will begin in October Take home readers will begin in October. Your child may bring home familiar books that we read together or books that they have not read before. Some books your child will be able to read with ease, others will be more challenging and may need your guidance. Your child will NOT receive a new take home reader until he/she has returned the previous one!

School Supplies School supplies can be ordered through PTO in the spring and early summer. We encourage parents to take advantage of this non-profit PTO convenience as the correct type of supplies often become difficult to find (for example our writing folder) and usually end up more expensive when purchased separately. Please do not label names on any of the school supplies, for everything is shared.

School Supplies The cost of the supplies is $53.00 To order school supplies simply: 1.Visit www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks Enter the school ID, BUS010 Follow the directions to complete your order. Keep your online confirmation as your receipt. The order deadline is July 22, 2016. The school supplies will be on your child’s desk before the first day of school, ready to go!

Kindergarten School Supply List: CRAYOLA brand crayons (12 count) x3 CRAYOLA brand crayons (16 count) CRAYOLA brand markers (8 count, washable, thick) ELMER’s brand glue (4 oz)x3 TICONDEROGA brand pre-sharpened pencils x6 Eraser (pink, beveled) FISKAR’s brand scissors (5 inch, sharp, pointed) School Box (plastic, no handle, 8x5x2, flat top)

Kindergarten School Supply List (continued): KLEENEX brand facial tissue (100 count) Pocket folder (purple, green, red w/brads) 1 of each Pocket folder (blue, plastic, with pockets and brads) Ziploc bags (quart size, 25 count) x2 Baby wipes (80 count) Disinfecting Wipes (35 count) CRAYOLA brand watercolors (washable, 8 count) EXPO brand dry erase marker (4 pack)

Kindergarten School Supply List (continued): Pencil bag Copy paper (ream/500 sheets) Glue stick x2 Marker (Sharpie, black, fine tip)

Reading/Language Arts Language and literacy are the cornerstone of our kindergarten curriculum. Phonemic awareness, language experience, written expression, and listening and reading comprehension are an integral part of our approach. Children who have been read to, conversed with, and have some understanding of how our language works, have an advantage at school.

Reading/Language Arts Shared reading (whole group, big books, poetry) Guided reading (small groups based on level) Word Lists/Word Wall Word Families Recognizing sounds and shapes of letters, phonics Sequencing story events Book Buddies

Sight Words When learning to read, kindergartners have 35 high frequency words that they need to memorize. The words should be recognized immediately without sounding out. This will help your child to read fluently and be able to comprehend what they have read more easily. If your child is struggling with these words, they will have difficulty reaching the end of the year goal of DRA Reading Level 4 or above.

Sight Words Kindergarten sight words to practice EVERY day: a, am, and, are, at, can, do, did, for, go, have, here, in, is, it, I , look, like, my, me, no, on, of, saw, see, said, the, to, up, we, went, with, was, you, yes

Writing/Spelling Pencil grip and handwriting Inventive spelling (transitional) Understand concepts about print Punctuation/Capitalization Writer’s Workshop: Lucy Calkins Drawing and writing to communicate

Writer’s Workshop After a mini writing lesson, students produce independent writing products while the teacher monitors and conferences individually with the students. Students will then share written work with classmates. Kindergartners will be writing stories every day. Your child will begin with drawing pictures and telling about the illustration.

Writer’s Workshop We will then move to using letters to try to label the picture. Finally, students will be able to sound out words to phonetically write sentences. We will concentrate on writing stories about ourselves. How can you help? Help your child brainstorm activities and experiences that he/she might want to share. Good ideas include big events such as trips to the pool or the ice cream store. Help your child remember as many details as possible about the event.

Math Calendar, Fact Fluency, Mental Math Counting by 1’s, 5’s, and 10’s, days of the week, months of the year, graphing the daily weather, estimating, problem solving, and patterning. We will begin to study place value and money as another way to count the number of school days. During this time, we will also review prior skills to build fluency and a deeper understanding of the concepts.

Guided Math Math mini-lesson, small groups, and math tubs are highly engaging review tasks that allow the teacher to provide individual or small group instruction. The first semester we will focus heavily on number sense (0-20), and writing numbers 0-20. In addition, we will begin to master counting orally to 100. The second semester we will use our number sense to solve addition and subtraction stories using manipulatives and symbols.

Science & Social Studies Hands-on (as much as possible) Science labs: volunteers needed! Social Studies is integrated with language arts. Every other week you will know the topics being covered through our class newsletter.

Kindergarten has the following classroom rules that all students should follow: Listen and follow directions. Keep hands, feet, objects, and hurtful words to yourself. Raise your hand and wait to talk. Respect yourself and others

In order to keep you informed of your child's progress, a blue daily folder will be sent home. Additional notes from the school will be sent home weekly on Tuesdays. Please check the folder, remove any papers and go over them with your child each night, and initial.

Kindergarteners visit 7 Acre Woods each year in the fall Kindergarteners visit 7 Acre Woods each year in the fall. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 26th! It will be a fun-filled day for all!

The best way to contact me is through the daily folder or e-mail The best way to contact me is through the daily folder or e-mail. *If there is a change in your student’s transportation, I need a note in writing or a fax sent to the office by 2:30.

Parent Access Center (PAC) Parent Access Center is a free program that allows viewing of helpful information regarding student attendance, report cards, progress reports, daily grades, state test results, discipline and available lunch money.

Kindergarten Newsletter Bimonthly, you will receive an electronic newsletter summarizing upcoming curriculum and kindergarten activities. A written copy can be sent home upon request. Please make a point to read it each time to help keep you informed.

Conferences I can meet with you for a conference on Mondays, Thursdays or Fridays from 2:15-2:25, or any day before or after school except Wednesday afternoons. Wednesdays are reserved for faculty meetings.

Assessments A check, stamp, sticker, or smiley face means that the activity/skill was successfully completed independently or completed together in class. When mastery is expected on a skill, your child will receive a progress report and report card. Various assessments are given to determine your child’s reading level and understanding of LA skills. (DRA & PAPI)

Birthdays: Treats can be sent for the class and will be passed out during snack time in the classroom. Please send enough for the whole class (22). Please, no homemade treats, treats with icing or made with peanuts. Examples of good treats are cookies, brownies, or rice krispy treats. Invitations for private parties may be sent home only if everyone in the class receives an invite to avoid hurt feelings.

Lunch Kindergarten lunch is 11:00-11:30. Lunch is $2.65 If a grandparent, aunt, uncle or someone else besides the parents is coming to have lunch with your child, a note needs to be sent in. The note will be sent to the office so the office staff is aware and will let the special visitor in. If no note is sent in, the special visitor will not be allowed past the office. Visitors may start coming Sept. 17th.

Lunch Accounts If your child is going to buy a school lunch after the first week, parents are encouraged to prepay for their child’s meals. Prepayments can be made online using the direct link on the homepage or go to https://www.myschoolbucks.com/. Please allow up to 48 hours for payments to be applied to students’ accounts. Parents may restrict their children from purchasing a la carte items or from charging items through this system. If a grandparent, aunt, uncle or someone else besides the parents is coming to have lunch with your child, a note needs to be sent in. The note will be sent to the office so the office staff is aware and will let the special visitor in. If no note is sent in, the special visitor will not be allowed past the office. Visitors may start coming Sept. 17th.

Parent Visitors at Lunch If a grandparent, aunt, uncle or someone else besides the parents is coming to have lunch with your child, a note needs to be sent in. The note will be sent to the office so the office staff is aware and will let the special visitor in. If no note is sent in, the special visitor will not be allowed past the office. Visitors may start arriving at 10:55. (Lunch begins at 11:00.) If a grandparent, aunt, uncle or someone else besides the parents is coming to have lunch with your child, a note needs to be sent in. The note will be sent to the office so the office staff is aware and will let the special visitor in. If no note is sent in, the special visitor will not be allowed past the office. Visitors may start coming Sept. 17th.

Parent Visitors at Lunch Pre-paid money on student accounts cannot be used for adult meals. The software system used will not allow this. Cash or checks are accepted for parent meals. Due to safety concerns, please do NOT provide food or take pictures of any child other than your own. In addition, parents are not allowed on the playground with the students during recess. If a grandparent, aunt, uncle or someone else besides the parents is coming to have lunch with your child, a note needs to be sent in. The note will be sent to the office so the office staff is aware and will let the special visitor in. If no note is sent in, the special visitor will not be allowed past the office. Visitors may start coming Sept. 17th.

No Lunch Money? If for any reason your child does not have money for lunch, he or she will receive a cheese sandwich and milk. This lunch is not a favorite of any child, so PLEASE make sure your child is prepared for lunch. If a grandparent, aunt, uncle or someone else besides the parents is coming to have lunch with your child, a note needs to be sent in. The note will be sent to the office so the office staff is aware and will let the special visitor in. If no note is sent in, the special visitor will not be allowed past the office. Visitors may start coming Sept. 17th.

Free/Reduced Lunch *If you are applying for the free/reduced lunch program, please make sure that the appropriate forms are turned in to the cafeteria. Without the correct documentation, your child will have to receive the cheese sandwich. If a grandparent, aunt, uncle or someone else besides the parents is coming to have lunch with your child, a note needs to be sent in. The note will be sent to the office so the office staff is aware and will let the special visitor in. If no note is sent in, the special visitor will not be allowed past the office. Visitors may start coming Sept. 17th.

Snacks: Please adhere to the new “smart snack” policy found on our homepage under Child Nutrition. http://www.childnutrition.conroeisd.net/smart%20snacks

small reading groups copying science labs Junior Achievement cutting out materials at home guest readers on Fridays

E-Mail Address ldavies@conroeisd.net Website: http://bush.conroeisd.net/Teachers/ldavies/ Telephone Number 936-709-1600

Kindergarten is a HOOT!!! Thanks for coming!!!