Mrs. Laura’s and Ms. Cindy’s Class Taylor County Elementary Kindergarten Kick Off July 25, 2013 Created by: Ashley Magee, Graphics © ThistleGirlDesignswww.firstgradebrain.com

1. Fill out the Transportation Information on the clipboard on Ms. Cindy’s desk. 2.Have your child pick out an “ANCHOR” folder. Use a sharpie to complete the information on your child’s bus tag (in the folder). Please have your child wear the nametag the first week or so of school. 3.Fill out the pink Student Information and transportation sheets in the folder and give to one of us. 4.If your child has any custody restrictions or food allergies please write down the information on a note card, located on Mrs. Sallee’s desk. 5.Leave supplies in tub near door. Five Items to Take Care of Tonight!!

HORSE FOLDERS The ANCHOR folders helps us stay organized and communicate with one another. Please look at these each night. Items in the left pocket are to be “left” at home. Items in the right pocket need your attention and need to be returned “right” back to school. The “storage locker” is for bus notes and money. Please send all permission slips, lunch money, bus notes, book orders, or other important items in this clear bag so that we can find them immediately. Your HORSE will help them get to school safely! Please remember to date all notes, especially notes pertaining to transportation changes. I would love for you to write me a note about your child. Just include anything that would help me to know him or her better.

Transportation The pick-up cards are for parents/guardians who will pick their child up from school. Each parent will receive three pick-up cards to place in different vehicles and/or to share with emergency contacts. Persons with pick-up cards MUST be on the pick-up list. Pick-up cards are available in the gym tonight. If your child will be going home with someone else, riding a different bus, or their normal routine changes, I MUST have a WRITTEN note from you stating how your child will get home. (blue notes are provided) No child will be allowed to change their routine without written permission. If no note is received, your child will be sent home by his/her usual method of transportation. Please make sure the note is in the ANCHOR folder and not stuck in the backpack. We do not go through backpacks, only folders. Please note custody restrictions on an index card before you leave tonight.

We will have Early Release Friday EVERY Friday at 12:50. Please be sure that you let us know if your child’s transportation plans will differ on Fridays. Students may participate in Friday Wrap-Up until 2:50 pm. However, you must pick them up – there is no bus transportation from Wrap-Up. Early Release Fridays

Discipline We will go over classroom rules and procedures at the beginning of the year. We will discuss making good choices and bad choices and the consequences of each. We prefer to use positive reinforcement and catch children making good choices in order to help them learn how to be responsible for their own behavior. Positive behavior will be noted with praise, incentives, Cardinal Cash, treats, etc.

Discipline (Negative behavior) In the beginning, we will give several verbal/visual reminders while the children get used to the routines. After several verbal warnings, the child will have their clothespin moved to yellow on our stoplight. If the child continues to break the rules, he/she will have their clothespin moved to red. If the child continues to make bad choices and not follow procedures, they will be moved to the top of the stoplight. This means the child will receive a conduct cut. If the child gets on red or to the top of the stoplight, I will send a note explaining what happened for parent to sign and return. ←Made Bad Choices- Loss of treat/privileges, Note home (working with student to make good choices.) ← Needed reminders/warning (working with student to make good choices) ← Made good choices, followed rules.

Reading We will be using “Daily 5” for reading this year. Daily 5 is simply a management system to help students practice the strategies and skills to learn to read. 3 ways to read: Read the pictures, read the words, or retell the story. I PICK: Choose books that fit their interest, purpose and level of reading. In addition to whole group lessons focusing on reading skills & strategies, children will choose from five activities to work on each day: read to self, read with a partner, word work, listen to reading and writing. Ms. Cindy & I will be listening to students read & teaching reading strategies one-on-one or in small groups.

Math We will be doing math in a similar manner to Daily 5 reading. We will cover the concepts listed in whole group instruction. Students will practice these concepts & skills in assigned math centers. This will allow for students to work on the skills they need to practice. Math Concepts: Recognizing & writing numbers. Number sense and number combinations Counting by 2’s, 5,’s 10’s to 100! Recognizing odd and even numbers, Using tally marks, charts &graphs, Beginning addition and subtraction. Recognizing, continuing, and creating patterns. Using measurement. Developing math vocabulary We will also do calendar math each morning to explore many math concepts. It’s important that children learn to problem solve and really understand numbers.

Writing In writing we use inventive spelling. That means we only write the sounds we hear. For example, “I love my mom.” might look like “I lv mi mom.” Our goal is to build a risk free environment where kids are authors and they learn as they are developmentally ready. If a child feels safe and knows we will encourage and guide, then he or she is willing to write letters to communicate a message. As they learn sight words and begin reading, then conventional spelling overtakes “kidspelling”. Please, ask your child to read what they have written and praise their endeavors. When they say, how do you spell ____? Ask them how they think it is spelled. They will begin applying the sounds they know and become the author instead of the adult. We will teach spacing, writing a list, labeling a picture, sentences, beginning, middle and end and many other concepts.

Science and Social Studies We will be implementing Science and Social Studies into our reading content, learning centers and on Fridays.

Special Classes Students will visit special classes each week. TCES offers library, gym, music, art & technology. Our schedule rotates each week. We will send home a calendar with the schedule. * On P.E. days please make sure your child wears tennis shoes and dresses appropriately.

Grading Students are assessed informally each day and formally as necessary to determine their needs. Modifications are made if necessary for the student to be successful. Each nine weeks, students are assessed over letters, sounds, writing the letters from memory and the sight words covered. We send home report cards every 9 weeks. Instead of A’s, B’s, and C’s we give the following grades: E = Exceeds Expectations M = Meets Expectations NMT = Needs More Time to master skills Students will also take a test on the computer referred to as MAP. This assessment is given 3 times a year and shows math and reading progress. We will send home a report each time explaining the results.

General Information Students should go to the cafeteria or gym if it is before 7:50. Breakfast is $1.00 and lunch is $ If you pay for your child's meals, please send the money in the plastic pouch in your child's ANCHOR folder. Please note on the money form what the money is for so that we will know to put it in your child's lunch account. Each child will receive a lunch number, so you may pay for your child's meals by the week or month if you would like.

General Information We will have a milk break every day. Milk is.30 per day or your child may bring their own drink (no soft drinks) from home. If you send milk money for your child, please put it in the plastic pouch in your child's ANCHOR folder with a note stating how much money you are sending for milk on the money form and we will keep a record of it at school. Each family/child will be responsible for supplying their own snack each day. If you are willing, send in a few snacks that are individually wrapped. We will put these in a container for students who forget theirs.

General Information We have a student with nut allergies this year. We want to keep all of our students safe and are asking that you help us keep our classroom a nut-free zone. There is information in the ANCHOR folder about this. Thank you for helping keep all of our students safe! Birthdays: If you would like to send treats (cupcakes, etc.) for your child's birthday, that is fine. Please let me know in advance and be sure they are nut-free.

Parent Involvement We love to have parents help in our classroom, but you must have completed the volunteer training to be in the classroom or to chaperone field trips. Information is available in the ANCHOR folder. Parents may also help at home. We always have things to cut out, books to label, magazines to sort, class books to put together, etc. Please write me a note and let me know if you will be available to help in the classroom or at home. You are needed! Please clip and save the box top logos from food products. We can turn them in for cash to purchase items for the class.

Stay Connected! Newsletters will be sent home weekly. We will communicate important information in the newsletter so please be sure to check your child’s folder daily. Please feel free to call me at school ( ) and I will return your call as soon as possible. You may also me through our school's website but please remember that I may not have time to check my until after school. Please do not transportation changes. If I have a substitute he/she will not have access to my . Please send a note with your child or call the office. If you need to reach me after school, my home number is You are welcome to call prior to 9:00 pm.

Family Resource If your child needs to take daily medication, you will need to contact the Family Resource Center before the first day of school so they will be able to have their meds on the first day of school. Please take a t-shirt voucher to take to the gym tonight to get your child’s kick-off t-shirt. If you have any needs, please let me or the FRYC know and we will try our best to assist you.

All Aboard for a great year in Kindergarten!

Five Items to Take Care of Tonight!! 1. Fill out the Transportation Information on the clipboard on Ms. Cindy’s desk. 2.Have your child pick out an “ANCHOR” folder. Use a sharpie to complete the information on your child’s bus tag (in the folder). Please have your child wear the nametag the first week or so of school. 3.Fill out the pink Student Information and transportation sheets in the folder and give to one of us. 4.If your child has any custody restrictions or food allergies please write down the information on a note card, located on Mrs. Sallee’s desk. 5.Leave supplies in tub near door.