1. Welcome to Adams Back to School Night!
Ms. Price
Kindergarten
Room A
Thank you all for coming! It has been so great getting to know each of you over the last week, and I know that with continued communication and collaboration we will get to know one another even better throughout the year. I can already feel the enthusiasm from your children as they enter Kindergarten. They are so eager to learn and to try new things. I am so excited for the year ahead, and I hope that you are as well! I have a TON of information to share with you tonight, and I will refer to some of the resources I have shared with you in the tiger folder in front of you. The folder is filled with resources for you to work with your child at home on critical Kindergarten standards. I will continue to send more resources home throughout the year. You can also always ask me if there is something in particular that you need in order to support your child at home.
I will go over our schedule, the Kindergarten Curriculum, homework expectations, and communication , and there will be time for questions.

2. Daily Schedule (August 26th – Sept. 18th)
7:30 – Early arrival (Library, Computer Lab, etc.) 8:00 – Kindergarten Playground Open: All K students go to K playground before 8:25 warning bell 7:30-8:25 – FREE Breakfast in Cafeteria 8:25 – Warning Bell, I pick up students and we walk to class 8:30 - Class begins promptly 8:30-9:00 – Morning Work/ Calendar time 9:00–9:45 – Language Arts 9:45-10:00 – Snack & Recess 10:00-11:00 –Language Arts/Math/Writing 11:00-11:20 – Lunch 11:25 – 12:00– Read Aloud/finish work from morning 12:00 -- Dismissal/Pick-up (from Kindergarten Area) *****ALL WEDNESDAYS DISMISSAL AT 1:09*****

3. Daily Schedule Regular Day: Begins Sept. 21st
7:30 – Early arrival (Library, Computer Lab, etc.) 7:30-8:25 – FREE Breakfast in Cafeteria 8:00 – Kindergarten Playground Open for all K students 8:25 – Warning Bell: I pick up students and we walk to class 8:30 – Class begins promptly 8:30 – Morning Work/ Calendar time/Intervention 9:00–10:00 – Language Arts Rotations 10:00-10:20 – Morning Recess/Brunch 10:20-11:15 – Writing Workshop 11:15-12:00 – Lunch 12:00-1:00 – Math 1:00 – 2:00 – Science/Social Studies 2:09 – Dismissal/Pick-up (from Kindergarten area) ***Wednesdays – Early Dismissal 1:10***

4. Calendar Every morning (or afternoon)
Incorporates Language Arts and Math Standards (ex: Days of the week, months of the year, days in school, early place value, patterning, counting, comparing numbers, graphing, weather, alphabet/phonics, rhyming, oral blending/segmenting, grammar, reading comprehension, listening, speaking, etc.)
Sing Songs that reinforce standards
Practice following procedures and
class rules
Develops a sense of community

5. Language Arts
PHONICS: Sounds/Letters, phonemic awareness,, word families
*K Phonics Timeline included in your materials
READING COMPREHENSION skills and strategies through fiction and non-fiction (ex: summarizing, predicting, sequencing, etc). We want students to understand what they read, and develop strategies for doing so!
Language arts skills (ex:, mechanics, punctuation, capitalization, handwriting, vocabulary, writing, listening and speaking etc.) Taught within language arts groups as well as writers workshop
What will students read?
Bob Books, Open Court First Grade readers, Core Knowledge Readers, Accelerated Reader (AR) Leveled Books
Sight Words (34+)
Beginning to learn letter sounds this week. As you can see on your Kindergarten Timeline in your folder, we will learn letters M, A, T, D this week, and continue to learn 4 letters a week until we have learned all of our letter sounds. This is a quickly paced timeline; however, we continue to go back and reteach letter sounds throughout the entire year for those who need the support, and for those that master their letters and sounds we are able to move on to reading and writing CVC words. This initial review is exposure, and we continue to revisit and review letter sounds all year! Students are expected to know all of their letters and sounds by the end of the year. Letter sounds are a critical step towards learning how to read. Therefore, our goal is for all students to know all letter sounds by Winter Break. After winter break, we really take off with reading! Letter sounds are something that must be practiced at home as well. I have shared with you the Sound Stories that go with each letter, so that you practice letter sounds at home as well. We practice a lot of rhyming, segmenting and blending (ex: b-at - bat, and later b-a-t - bat)
We will spend a lot of time studying word families. Word families are groups of words that have the same ending (for example the –at word family includes words like cat, hat, sat, mat, bat, rat, chat, that). Through lots of work with word families, students gain fluency and decoding skills for when they are reading. Instead of having to sound out each individual sound, they can identify chunks that they recognize in order to read more fluently. Word families also support their spelling. During read-alouds we work on reading comprehension skills. Once we start our guided reading groups, we will practice those skills within our small groups as well.
By the end of the year, kindergarteners are expected to know that we capitalize the first letter of a sentence, the pronoun I, and recognize and understand different punctuation including periods, question marks and exclamation marks. We will spend a lot of time working on forming our letter correctly. We learn regular block letters in Kindergarten (as opposed to D’Nelian). I have included a formation chart on your childs Homework folder. Please help to support correct letter formation at home as your child works on their homework.
We have 34 Kindergarten sight words that we will learn before the end of the year. We have an additional list of sight words for students who learn these 34 words quickly. The first word they will learn is “the” and we will start next week! These need to be practiced at home as well. I have included sightword flashcards in your folder as a resource.
When we begin reading groups, there are a number of books that we will use. We have many different levels of Bob Books to be used for guided reading, as well as some first grade books and Core Knoweldge readers. In Kindergarten we also use Accelerated Reader (AR) throughout the year to support advanced readers. I will share more about AR later in the year.
Bob Books are a great resource to keep at home as well. They sell them at Costco.

6. Writing Workshop Lucy Calkins Writing Program Students write every day
They learn about the true writing process (thinking of an authentic topic, drawing, labeling, writing, revising, editing, publishing)
It begins with pictures, then labeling, then adding more sounds to labels, then writing words, and then sentences. It is a process that continues throughout the entire year. (see resource in folder)
4 – 5 Days a week
Begins with mini-lesson (teaching something that ALL writers do. Ex: writers make sure that they use the word wall to write sight words, or writers add speech bubbles to show what people in the story are saying, or writers of how-to books add tips/warnings for their reader), then students WRITE for majority of time while I conference with students one-on-one or pull small groups of students, then we come back together for a quick teaching share.
3 Genres in K: Narrative, Informational (How-To Books), Opinion)
**Approximations are encouraged! I do not write on their writing, or tell them how to spell anything. Perfect spelling not expected. Students are encouraged to write the sounds that they hear in words, and over time the number of sounds, and their letter sound knowledge will increase and so will the readability of their writing.
*SHOW Progression of K writing ( in their folder)
Began using this writing workshop format last year. I have never seen my students develop such a love of writing. Their writing skills exceeded my expectations. Over the summer I was accepted to attend a writing institute at Columbia University in NY.The institute focused on this writing program in Kindergarten in particular. It was truly amazing and I feel so excited about teaching writing this way. It gives all students the abillty to write, no matter what level they are at. While some students might still be drawing pictures and labeling, others are able to express themselves using complete sentences. This program encourages ALL students to write and to develop a LOVE of writing.
In Kindergarten we learn to write three different genres of writing. We will begin the year with Narrative writing, learning about writing about real events that have happened in our lives. By the end of the year, students are expected to write a multi-sentence Narrative piece in which they state the event what they are writing about, provide some details in the order in which the events occurred, and provide some type of closure.
Later in the year we will focus on informational writing. This can be very fun as we tie it into our Science and nonficiton reading. Students are excietd to write about a topic (ex: whales, sharks, frogs, plants, etc), and provide details/facts about their topic. Other informational writing we will do will be in the form of How To Books. Students will write teaching books, explaining in steps how to do something that they know how to do.
Students are also expected to write opinion pieces. This could be about their favorite book, favorite food, favorite character in a story, etc. Students are expected to name the topic they are writing about, and provide at least one reason for their opinion, as well as some closure. The opinion unit that we will work on at the end of the year focuses on “writing to change the world” Students identify real problems in the world, or things they wish to change, and they acutally decide who the audience is that needs to read their writing in order to actually make a change. As they write, they include many reasons to support their opinion. They write letters or create persuasive signs.
There will be several Writing Celebrations throughout the year which you will be invited to as we wrap up units and students choose to “publish” their writing.
I will sometimes include writing as a part of your child’s homework. When I do, I also will send home an explanation of the expectations for Kindergarten writing.

7. Math SBUSD Common Core Curriculum Kindergarten Topics Include:
Hands On
Learning Through Games
Kindergarten Topics Include:
Counting to 100 by 10s and 1s
Sorting/Classifying
Numbers 1 – 20 (writing, recognizing,
decomposing, place value)
Comparing Numbers up to 10
Word Problems
Adding and Subtracting ( fluency to 5)
Length and Weight (comparing, measuring, ordering)
Geometry (2D and 3D figures)
Calendar, Patterning, Graphing (incorporated into Calendar time)
Contexts for Learning Mathematics
Number Talks
Last year and throughout the past 2 summers, Kindergarten teachers throughout the district worked together to create a Common Core aligned Math Curriculum. I was fortunate enough to be able to help create these units! We got TONS of brand new math manipulatives last year to help implement our units. You can see the Topics/Units that we will cover throughout the year on the Kindergarten Timeline in your folders. Our first unit is on plane and solid figures. We will also begin working on number sense, counting, sequencing, and writing our numbers. These are not in order, but these are some of the major topics/skills that we will focus on throughout the year:
Counting: Kindergarteners should be counting to 100 by the end of the year by 1s and by 10s. They should count objects correctly (MODEL THIS) . Just because a child can count outloud and has their number memorized does not necessarily mean that they can correctly count a group of objects. MODEL**
The trickiest numbers are the teens, and the decade numbers. Keep this in mind and practice OFTEN at home.
Correct number writing
Number recognition IN AND OUT OF ORDER
Decomposing: show bracelet/snap cubes Note that this is for number 0-10 and is critical
Place Value: Show ten frame to understand that 14 is one ten and 4 ones. This is for numbers 11-20
Adding and subtracting begins by using manipulatives, we learn that adding is putting groups together and subtracting is taking groups apart. We encourage the use of MANY strategies(our hands, draw a picture, use manipulatives, COUNTING ON, just know it)
MEMORIZATION of facts to 5 (flashcards will go home later in the year)
Describing objects as LONGER, SHORTER, HEAVIER, LIGHTER, putting objects in order from smallest to biggest, etc.
Must know square, circle, triangle, rectangle, hexagon. These are 2D shapes. They must also know the cube, sphere, cylinder, and cone: 3D figures. They must be able to describe these shapes (number of sides, corners, and explain what they can do (roll, stack) MODEL THIS FOR PARENTS, and sort a group of shapes based on their attributes (shapes with 3 sides, shapes with 4 sides, etc)
We will use some Contexts for Learning Mathematics Units to support our instruction, These units were developed by a professor at UCSB and reinforce and deepens students number sense. There are 3 units that we use in Kindergarten, and our whole school uses Contexts for Learning units to supplement our math instruction. They are wonderful and give students a lot of opportunities for speaking and listening, coming up with their own solutions to problems, and sharing their solutions with the class.
DEMO NUMBER TALK/QUICK IMAGES

8. Enrichment Enrichment classes include:
Design with Ms. Milligan ( new STEM Classroom)
P.E. with Mrs. Churchman
Music with Mr. Larson
Library with Mrs. Cervantes
Science with Ms. Price (FOSS)
Garden with Ms. Wendy
*Specialists on Fridays, but
Garden on Thursday, Library TBA
Music starts this week, other enrichment classes will begin after we begin our regular long day schedule.
We will have science in the classroom. Our first big unit is on Trees and Weather. We have science notebooks that we will use throughout the year to integrate science and writing and record our learning. You can see the different science concepts we will focus on throughout the year on the K Timeline in your resources.

9. Technology
Set of iPads for students to use in small group to support critical Kindergarten standards
New wireless headphones for listening
Used at independent center eventually, after being introduced in small group with me
Apple TV (educational videos/youtube)
iPads used for several reading assessments throughout the year
Ipad learning apps and website suggestions included in your folder of resources. More will be shared throughout the year

10. Classroom Rules Listen Follow directions quickly Raise your hand
Be kind to each other
Try your best every day
Have fun learning
We have been discussing these rules often in class this past week, and the importance of following the rules in order to learn, have fun, and be safe
These rules are critical in order to maintain a safe/effective learning environment for all students.
Please help by reinforcing rules at home
We have been talking about these rules a lot in class this past week, reading stories that illustrate characters making bad choices at school. We have talked about the difference between good choices and bad choices. I introduced the class to their sticker charts and explained how they work. Students always start off “ready to learn” when they arrive at school each day. I am a strong believer in positive reinforcement and want to reinforce students postively as often as possible! Whne students make good choices they might be asked to move their clip up. They might be asked to move their clip up for a number of reasons: being a good friend, trying their hardest, cleaning up, following directions, etc. If they make it all the way to the top, they get a sticker on their chart. If their chart gets filled up they get a prize from the prize box. They also understand that if we make poor choices, we also might have to move our clip down.
This is a new system that we will discuss together a lot, as we learn about good and bad choices at school and in the classroom. We have been talking about the fact that we want to make good choices so that we can be safe, we can be happy, and we can learn and have fun!

11. Homework Monday – Thursday NO homework on Fridays
Math & Language Arts - reinforce skills learned in school each day/week
PURPLE HOMEWORK FOLDER: Goes home on Monday with homework. To be returned with completed homework on Fridays.
Parents should work with child to complete homework. Students should always try their hardest and show their best work.
**Complete one page each night**
Have a special, quiet place at home for your child to complete their homework and read each night
Monthly Reading Log
**Alphabet flashcards, Sound stories, sight words**
Please let me know if you need help supporting their child with their homework. I would be happy to meet with you before or after school.
I do not want homework to be a burden, but instead a chance for your child to practice key skills at home and gain a sense of responsibility. If you ever have any concerns regarding homework, please let me know and I would be happy to meet with you. I never want it to be overwhelming. The most important thing is that you are reading with your child at home.
I’ve found that in general, Kindergarteners LOVE getting homework! The most important homework

12. Birthdays Adams = Sugar free campus!
Healthy options ex: fruit, vegetable, healthy muffins, crackers, popcorn, etc.
Contact me to set up in class celebrations. Typically will take place at the end of the day or right before lunch.

13. Critical Skills to Practice at Home (early in year)
Letter sounds
Sight words
Blending s-it  sit, m-op , c-a-t  cat, b-e-d  bed
Rhyming (identifying rhyme words and making rhyme words)
Letter Formation/Number Formation
Writing and RECOGNIZING numbers to 10 (up to 20) out of order
Counting objects

14. How you can help your child to succeed
Read with your child EVERY night
Reinforce classroom rules and
expectations
Make sure your child gets a good night sleep and eats a healthy breakfast/lunch, comes to school with a healthy snack (even if they get cafeteria lunch!)
Ask your child about school each day
Communicate with your child’s teacher. The more I know, the better I can support your child! Please feel free to call me/ me at any time with any questions or concerns! I am here to support both your child AND you!

15. Communication mprice@sbsdk12.org
Weekly Newsletter - Tiger Folders (with detailed information on what we are doing in school each week)
Other important information going home in Tiger Folders each Thursday. Must be RETURNED EACH FRIDAY
ParentSquare
Feel free to contact Claudia or Ernestina in the front office if you have any questions or concerns that need to be translated. While I do not speak much Spanish, I am here to support both your child as well as all of you! I want you to feel that you can come to me with any and all questions and concerns.
Ask me questions/touch base in the morning before school!
Parentsquare: Make sure I have your so that I can get you on parentsquare: (make sure you signed in at the front door so that we can get you set up!)…it is a website in which you will receive lots of important information about not only our classroom but about Adams information in general.
If anyone is bilingual and willing to help me to translate my weekly newsletters and various documents throughout the year, please let me know this evening! It would be GREATLY appreciated!!
I will be contacting those of you that indicated that you would like to volunteer in our classroom sometime this week to set up a date for you to begin coming in! I look forward to having many of you working in the classroom soon! If you did not sign up at Orientation and are inetrested in volunteering in the classroom or taking work home, please let me know.
I will try to remind students about turning in Tiger Folders each Friday morning as they come into class. For the next few weeks while we get used to routines, try to remind your child on Friday mornings as well. I know I already forgot to remind them last week!

16. Thank you!
Thank you for coming, and for all of your support already!
I look forward to working with you, helping your child to have a successful year!
Questions