1. Back to School Night KINDERGARTEN

2. Schedule  Please allow your child to come in the gate and put away his or her backpack by themselves. This is part of maintaining a closed campus, and encourages independence. Please be aware of our start times (8:40 for AM students and 11:25 for PM students).  PM students go to room 8 on minimum/flex days, and from 11:25-11:55 every day. If you are running late, please look for Mrs. Murray’s class there.  Please take a copy of our daily schedule if you didn’t get one at Orientation.

3. Class Mascot  Each teacher has a “class pet” that will go home with one student every weekend. If your child brings home the stuffed animal, please include it in your normal activities, and create page in our book. Students will be given time to share what they did with the class pet, and having pictures or drawings to refer to really helps them to form their thoughts.  This generally goes home on a Thursday and stays over the weekend. Please return it by Wednesday, so a new student can take it home.

4. School Website  Please visit the school website for updates and other information. The class website has the homework packet (in case you need to print another copy), useful links, and updates on what we are doing in class.  Please sign a photo permission form if you want to see your child included in our class updates. I will not be refer to your child by name. http://www.senecastars.org

5. Useful Websites  The school has purchased software for student use. There is a Math program that is part of our curriculum, Go Math. Each student has a username and password to access the program. There are videos, examples, and lots of activities for your child.  We have also purchased a reading program, which is called Ticket to Read. However, we do not have access to this site yet, so we can’t give you the usernames or passwords. Look for this in an upcoming notice in your child's backpack.  The websites Starfall.com and Owlieboo.com are really great resources, and free to use at home.  If you have an iPad, there is an app called “letter school” that is excellent for practicing handwriting, however, it does cost around $3.

6. Homework Packets go home monthly and are due at the end of the month. Please do not complete the packet all at once, these activities are meant to be spaced out. Please complete the reading log. Reading aloud to your child is one of the best ways to improve their reading ability. There was no August homework packet, only cutting practice which does not have to be returned. Homework will start tomorrow. Please make sure your child’s name is on their packet. If you lose the homework packet, you can print a new one on the website or let us know and we can get you an extra copy.

7. Parent Volunteers and ways to help We love having parents come in and volunteer in the classroom! Please let your child’s teacher know if you are available to help in the classroom. Volunteers have to sign in an the office and younger siblings are not allowed on campus. If you can’t come in to volunteer, we have things you could do for us at home. Especially now at the beginning of the year, we have to sort pages from workbooks for all students. ++++Please make sure your child knows not to share food. We have several students with allergies or other diet restrictions.

8. Highlights and Book Orders Highlights has a program where they send us materials if you simply respond to their flier. You do not have to order the magazine (although you can if you want). Classroom book orders will also be going home soon. The easiest way to order is to order online. Each of us has a unique teacher code that you will type in when you create a scholastic account (one time).

9. Mrs. Pedroza (AM teacher) tpedroza@mvusd.net Mrs. Murray (PM teacher) jmurray@mvusd.net