Ms Henry’s – Kindergarten Class Welcome, Grown-ups!

Welcome to Kindergarten!  I will introduce you to kindergarten and to our classroom.  If you have any questions, that I do not answer or are specific to your learner, please write them down and I will respond.  I plan to take you through the basics in this power point and leave time for questions you may have.  Feel free to leave a note for your child that I can deliver tomorrow!

All About Me  My background  I grew up in Basking Ridge, NJ.  I attended St. Joe’s University and Rosemont College for my Masters in Education.  I currently take classes through the PENN literacy network on Thursdays that are specifically about reading and find it very helpful to learn new strategies/ideas to share with students.  My experience  I have been teaching for 10 years and was working in the graphic design field before I became a teacher.  I taught first grade for six years for the OJRSD. I have also taught fifth, fourth and second grades. This is my 3 rd year at Manoa and am so happy to be here!

My Goals  To give your child the academic and social skills they need to progress to first grade.  To build a solid foundation for my students in all subjects-and instill a love for reading.  To provide a supportive and fun classroom environment.  To help students maintain friendships and discover new interests.

Class Subjects  The subjects we cover in kindergarten are:  Reading and writing  Math  Science  Social studies  Guidance

Language Arts  Balanced Literacy Approach using the HM series, HWT, kid writing and many other reading and writing sources.  Using big books, books on tape and leveled readers  Build phonemic awareness, decoding skills and reading strategies  Sight Words  My goal to move towards guided reading and Daily 5 (centers) as the year progresses and routine is in place.

Math  Math In Focus (counting, place value, weather, addition and subtracting, comparing numbers, data collection, reading graphs, exploring 2-D and 3-D shapes, patterns and more..  Basic Facts  Problem Solver  The Math in Focus program is skills taught to mastery. This is our second year using the program.

Theme-Science and Social Studies  Weather, seasons, 5 senses,  Ourselves, others, family, change, rules, jobs, pets and plants  Cultures, countries, traditions

Classroom Community  Our classroom is a community. In our community, we have rules to help us get along with each other. I also implement a Green--Yellow- Red behavior plan, 1,2,3 system or a traffic light. I use positive re- enforcement such as a GREAT chart, Best “Bee” havior awards and positive praise.  Our class/school rules are:  Respect yourself, others and your environment.  Use kind words.  Follow directions.  Hands and feet to yourself  Do your very best!  Children are reminded to use whole body listening: eyes on speakers, raise your hand, ears ready to listen

Homework Nightly Homework: Math Read 5-10 minutes nightly children can listen to stories, partner read, read poems, words, etc, Practice word cards, beginning around November Star Student will begin next week. Each child is picked for a week, where they will lead calendar, be the line leader, bring in pictures and present “favorites” to the class. Any additional activity to engage students is optional. My website is a wonderful resource to find ideas. Homework will be listed under the homework tab on my website, by Friday of each week. The homework should be returned the following Thursday in most cases and paper copies will be sent home when needed. Tips for homework are on the website..

Volunteers  I am looking for volunteers to work with small groups in Kid writing and one on one for word cards to begin around November.  I also have mystery readers for parents who can not commit to weekly or monthly visits.  We plan to go on one field trip in the Spring. I will post information.  Please find the volunteer link on our class website.  We will have a winter celebration, Valentine’s Day treat and an end of year picnic. We also have Grandfriend’s Day, a Bake Sale and a day when you can visit our classroom. Save the dates are listed under calendar on my website.

Contact Me  The best way to contact me is through your childs’ folder, which I will check daily.  During the school day, I have limited access to e mail but will try my best to respond within 24 hours.  Our class website will list homework, newsletters, report card information and reminders of events. I also post extension activities to use with your child. 

Let’s Have a Great Year!