Welcome to Mrs. Alberstadt’s Kindergarten Classroom!

Classroom Schedule 7:45-9:45 Journals/ Language Arts 9:45-10:25 PE 10:30-11:10 Enrichment/ SS/Science 11:10-11:30 Calendar Math 11:30-12:00 Lunch 12:00 – 12:40 Hands-on math 12:40-1:20 Naptime/ Intervention 1:20-1:35 Snack/ recess 1:35-2:35 Social centers/ technology centers 2:35-2:45 Daily reflection Classroom Schedule This is what a typical day in Kindergarten looks like. Our schedule for 2013-2014 may be different. We will provide you with the new schedule as soon as it is available.

Arrival Parents may walk students to the classroom on the first day of school. After that they will be dropped off by bus in the bus line or by car in the car rider line. Kindergarten students will walk right into the Kindergarten hall when dropped off by car and sit outside my classroom. They will walk down the hallway to our hall if they are dropped off by bus. Teachers are on duty at drop off points to direct them to the Kindergarten hallway.

Dismissal By bus: By Car: Please teach you child his or her: Bus number If it is 1st or 2nd run The bus driver’s name Car riders will be taken to the gym where they will listen for their names to be called. They will walk to the car line and wait to load. All students load on the right side of the vehicle. Make sure your child recognizes his or her first and last name when called.

My Family My Experience My husband, Joe, is a builder. We have two boys, who are 8 and 14. We are parishioners at Christ the King Church in Daphne. My Experience This is my 18th year teaching in Daphne schools. I have taught first grade and Kindergarten. I taught at Daphne Elementary School and then at Daphne East.

Money, Money, Money! Please separate all money for different purposes (snack, field trips, etc.) If you are sending cash for something, please send exact change. The bookkeeper does not make change. If you are writing a check, please include your driver’s license number and your phone number. Please put all money in a labeled envelope or baggie. Label as such: Child’s name, purpose, teacher’s name (in case it gets lost). Place ALL money envelopes in the daily folder. Folders are checked each morning at 7:40 when the children come into the classrooms.

Communication I am very easy to reach by email: jalberstadt@bcbe.org. Please check our class website each week for updated newsletters. Class website: www.teacherweb.com/al/daphneeastelementary/alberstadt I will send you a weekly newsletter, a monthly skills calendar, a homework calendar and updates and reminders from time to time.

Lunch Your child will be a lunch or a tray each day. Please remind your child which he or she is eating each morning. Please send lunch money in on Mondays in a labeled envelope. Please separate lunch and snack. Make sure that your child has a drink for lunch. Please teach your child how to open and insert straws. No soft drinks or sippy cups

Snack We will have about 20 minutes each day for snack and recess combined. Please send a small snack and drink for your child. Please separate snacks and lunches. Please put your child’s snack in a brown sack or plastic baggie. Kindergarteners do not purchase snacks from the snack bar daily. We only purchase snacks on Special Snack Fridays. Please teach your child to open prepackaged foods or cut a small slit in them to help your child.

Special Snack We will have Special Snack on certain Fridays during the year. Look on the calendar to see when this begins. We will send home order forms for the first part of the year. Please place special snack money in a labeled envelope and put it in the daily folder.

Field Trips We will take 4 or 5 field trips this year. Once we have confirmed these, we will let you know. All parents will be asked to sign a chaperone form at the beginning of the year. County rules state that no siblings are allowed on field trips. We will also go skating once a month on most months. Kindergarteners will purchase field trip shirts for safety. Each class will have a different color.

Story Parent Please sign up for story parent if you would like to come read to the class. Bring 2 books and get to know the class! Homework There will be a homework calendar in your child’s folder each month. Simply do the homework in the square each night. Send the homework back in the daily folder.

Reading Block Our reading block consists of different components: Whole group time Shared reading Independent work Group lessons and group work Center rotation for literacy centers Writing

Math We have a block of time designated for Math each day. We will learn through: Whole group lessons Hands on manipulatives Formation of diagrams, charts and graphs Math centers Sometimes you will notice on Math worksheets that only certain pages are completed. This is normal, as we focus a great deal of time on other hands- on math activities and spend a great deal of time using manipulatives and discussing our work in a group setting.

Can you help? I will need a volunteer to tear and staple math workbook pages for each chapter. You can keep the books at home and send in each chapter when it is needed. If you wish, you can tear it all and send it in for me to store! I will also need a volunteer to tear reading worksheet pages and stories for each unit. We will need the first few chapters of each of these by the 2nd week of school, so let me know if you are interested. We will need a room mother to coordinate our 2 main parties and any other activities during the year. We will need a PTA room rep to represent our class as well.

Enrichment Kindergarteners go to the following enrichment classes every other week: Computer Counseling Library Art Music

Our Classroom Rules Listen when your teacher is talking. Follow directions quickly. Keep your hands and feet to yourself. Raise your hand for permission to speak. Be safe. Be kind. Be honest. Keep your dear teacher happy!

What to bring to school Bring these items each day Don’t bring these items Book bag Daily folder Homework in folder Library book Snack Lunch box Nap mat (Mondays) Electronic Devices Toys Items from home

Resources Letters and sounds: www.starfall.com Kindergarten Reading Series: www.kindergartenkove.com Online songs on youtube for numbers, sounds and letters: abc123tv

Questions? Just ask. I am here for you.

This is going to be a wonderful year!