Welcome New Kindergarten Families Soaring to New Heights! 2015-2016 School Year

We look forward to meeting and greeting your child. The First Day The first day of school is Monday, August 31th. We look forward to meeting and greeting your child.

Backpacks Send with their name and home address with phone numbers inside. Bag needs to be large enough to hold folders and lunch box. We use the backpack to send home important papers every Wednesday.

Clothing Please dress your child casually and comfortably. Kindergartners use paint, glue and markers. Sneakers are safer for active play and required everyday. Please send a set of clothes with their name, in a sealed plastic bag to school. Keep it up to date in terms of size and season.

Specials Art Music PE – Physical Education Media Center Each Class has different days

Lost and Found To help prevent lost belongings, please label your child’s things, especially clothing. There is a Lost and Found area in the school.

Please Keep at Home All toys Electronic devices Trading cards Cell phones Chewing gum

Homework Kindergartners will receive a weekly homework packet each Wednesday.

Home Supplies To complete homework, students will need a place at home with some basic supplies: Scissors, (Kindergarten-safety scissors) Crayons/colored pencils Glue Extra paper.

Department of Transportation at 301-879-1059. Buses Each bus has designated routes and bus stops that correlate to addresses. Each bus is referred to by route number, not by color, and not by bus number. On the first day of school please have your child ride the bus to school, because he/she will get a sticker with their bus route number.  ALWAYS communicate with the teacher when there are any changes in how they go home, with a note or a call to school. Children are not allowed to change the way they go home, to keep students safe. You will receive a copy of the arrival and departure bus schedule in the summer. If you have any specific questions regarding bus stops and routes, you can contact our Department of Transportation at 301-879-1059.

Lunch We offer hot lunch at school everyday. Printed menus are sent home monthly. Lunch menus are also posted on this website: http//www:montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/foodserve/menus/cafemenus.shtm You should deposit money into your child’s account first thing in the morning or you can send money in with students and it will be put into their account before lunch. You can use the computerized/prepayment system @ www.mylunchmoney.com/ Students must have money in their account in order to buy hot lunch. Breakfast is free, BUT Lunch is $2.55 every day. There are two hot lunch items everyday for students to choose from. There is cheese pocket as a second alternate. - Please tell teachers if your child has religious food restrictions.

Allergies If your child has any allergies (food or otherwise) please notify your child’s teacher and the health room in writing.

Report Cards/ Conferences The parent conferences will be held on November 11th and 12th. There will be sign-up sheets for appointment times at Back-to-School Night. Kindergarten report cards go home twice a year: February and June.

Birthday Celebrations Birthdays can be celebrated with a store bought snack. Celebrations must be scheduled in advance with the classroom teacher.

Parties We have three class parties each year – Harvest Festival, Valentine’s Day, and End of Year Room parents help organize the classroom parties. ALL parents are welcome to volunteer! There is an alternative option if your child does not do celebrations. Please inform the classroom teacher if your child will not participate in a party. Note: All snacks/food MUST be store-bought! Please work with the teacher on specific treats/food items as we have many students with allergies.

Early Dismissal Dismissal is at 1:05 pm. Provide a note to the teacher if your child is going home a different way. Please make sure your office emergency form is updated. Your child can not be released to anyone that is not on the release form.

Attendance Student success in school is directly tied to daily attendance. Students who need to leave school early, need a note from their parent or guardian. For security reasons you MUST always sign your child in and out of the office, when it is not a scheduled school arrival or dismissal time. When your child is absent, please call the office at 301-649-8192 by 9:30 a.m. to let us know if they are sick or out for other reasons. When a child returns to school following an absence, s/he must always bring a dated note from a parent or guardian stating the reason for the absence.

Daily Arrival Routines School doors open at 9:25 a.m. and kindergarten students must sit in their designated lines in the All Purpose Room until the first bell. If students arrive after 9:45 a.m. they are considered TARDY. The child must stop by the office, be signed in by a parent and get a late pass. It is essential to the instructional program that all students are on time for school each day.

Daily Dismissal Routines Please send a note granting permission for any schedule changes. Your child will be dismissed to: Prelude Drive & Childs Street (walkers) Kiss & ride (car pick up at school) Horizon (child care) Buses with route numbers

Weather Delays Please listen to the radio or TV for weather delays & school closings. MCPS also posts the announcement online at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/ Email Alerts: Subscribe to MCPS Newsfeed to receive alerts to your computer about early dismissals, emergencies, and other news. http//www:montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/newsfeed/

Back to School Night in September! Curriculum 2.0 Our school is using the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) curriculum, also known as Curriculum 2.0, in Kindergarten. Curriculum 2.0 is based on the Common Core State Standards and includes a high level of rigor. It identifies an instructional sequence that maximizes the natural connections among the content areas of mathematics, reading/language arts, science, and social studies. More information regarding the curriculum will be shared at Back to School Night in September!

Burnt Mills Elementary Soaring to New Heights! Our Website:  http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/b urntmillses/

Tips to Get Ready for School Begin discussing the fun and excitement that awaits your child! Review the literacy activities provided in the take-away folders at Kindergarten Orientation. In August, begin establishing bedtime and morning routines. Look for the Summer Packet to arrive in August via US Mail. In it, you will find all the updated information you’ll need to start the year off right! Come to Open House on August 28th from 2:00-3:00 pm with your child! You will have an opportunity to briefly meet the teacher and to see the classroom! We look forward to working together!

Thank You For Attending