* ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL
- Students may be dropped off between 7:30 - 8:00 inthe front of the
school under the awning. Please try to use the drop service.
- Our classroom will be open at 7:45. Students who arrive earlier will be
supervised by another teacher in an assigned area.
- If you arrive after 8:00 you will need to sign your child in at the
office.
* MORNING ACTIVITIES
- When your child enters the classroom, they will begin morning work.
- Morning work will be out on the desks and may include: reading books,
using math games, working on handwriting, using literacy boxes, and much
more.
- Students will use this time to unpack book bags, get school supplies
ready, hand Mrs. Stidham notes and lunch money.
* TEACHING TO EVERY CHILD
- In our classroom, I know each child learns differently, whether is be
visually, auditory, or hands-on.
- In my lessons I will do different activities to accommadate for your
child.
- I will be teaching to whole group,small groups and individually.
* SMALL GROUPS
- During small groups I will be working with 2-4 students depending on the
need of each student. Each child will work with me at my table for
explicit instruction and practice.
- The other students will be doing literacy stations while I work with the
group. Literacy centers include: computer time on starfall.com, abc
tubs, listening to books on tape, reading stories in our reading barn,
reading and writing words within the room, alphabet puzzles, writing,
stamping, and many other stations. These stations give your child time
to practice what they know and have learned.
- Each child has their name on our literacy chart with a buddy that
changes weekly. That indicates where they need to go for each rotation.
* WHOLE GROUP
- During whole group students will meet at carpet for a lesson in which we
all meet to learn and discuss.
- Students use this time for our letter expert time, morning news,
calendar, writer's workshop, read alouds, and teacher modeled lessons
for skills being taught.
* YOUR CHILD'S PROGRESS
- Each six weeks your child will be given a progress report indication how
he/she is doing on the skills we are covering. At each twelve-week
interval, your child will be given a report card indicating the degree
of success he/she is having on every skill we have covered.
- Periodically throughout the year your child will be given other
assessments to help us keep up with their progress and make sure they
are on track with the curriculum.
- I will be keeping some of the work we do to put in a portfollia of work
for your child. This will be used as a record of your chil's progress.
* HOMEWORK
- Please make sure to read with your child every night.
- Make sure to do your homework packet that is sent home. Each week I will
send a homework packet home on Monday to be completed nightly and
returned on Friday.
- Each child is going to be in charge of teaching a letter. Students will
be in charge of a letter from the alphabet. Your child will learn to
write the letter, identify the letter, read a book, say a poem, and
bring an item for the letter. I will be sending a baggie with
instructions at a later time.
* WILDCAT FOLDER
- One of the major forms of communication between school and home is going
to be your child's take home folder. We will refer to these folders as
our yellow folders.
- These yellow folders with "Wildcat" on the front will come home to you
on Monday and will include any important notes, calendars, schedules,
lunch money envelopes, etc. The information in the folders needs to be
looked at, tended to, and the folder returned to school the next day.
* DISCIPLINE
- In our school we use an aproach called Positive Discipline
- We talk about choices, making good choices, using our words, problem
solving, complementing and respecting others.
- We will have classroom meeting to discuss any problems in the room. Each
child has a voice in the room. We solve problems together, give advice,
make a plan and out it to use. At the next meeting we discuss the plan
and see if it worked.
- If it is a small problem students use the wheel of choice and resolve it
quickly.
* LUNCH
- Lunch Account - Your child will be given a lunch account number. When
you pay for their lunches the money goes into their account. Each day
the child's lunch number is entered into the computer and the money for
the day's meal is deducted from their accoutn. It will ne important for
you to teach your child his number. In a few weeks we will learn to
enter the numbers into the computer on our own. I will send your child's
lunch number home in their folder.
- Lunch Money - You may pay for your child's lunch by the week, month or
by putting large "chunks" of money in their account at any time. Student
lunches are $1.60. Extra milk is $.30. Free lunch forms are inside your
child's folder. You may use a regular envelope for your child's lunch
money.
- What is for lunch?
* The weekly menu is published in The Cullman TImes. Usually a monthly
menu is sent home in your child's folder.
* If you wish to send your child's lunch to school, please send it in a
separate bag or container from their snack.
* You are welcome to eat lunch with your child whenever you like. Please
send a note so the lunchroom can have an accurate count of how many
lunches to prepare. Visitor lunches are $3.50. Fast food is not
allowed in the lunchroom.
* I would like for you to give us several weeks before your plan to join
us. If a child is having a difficult time adjusting to school it is
difficult for them to see their mom, or any other mom, in the middle
of the day.
* SNACK
- We will have snack every morning. You will need to send your child
something to eat and WATER to drink every day.
- Please send a snack in a bix or bag that will fit in their backpack. I
do not keep extra snacks so please make sure you send your child's
snack.
- Please send your child's water in a SPILLPROOF bottle. Soft drinks and
juice boxes are NOT allowed for snack. I will allow the students to keep
water bottles on their tables throughout the day.
* DEPARTURE FROM SCHOOL
- Each parent will be given one "Pony Car Tag" with your child's name.
This needs to be placed in the windshield of your car on the passenger
side or you may use a small hanger to display your pony sign on your
mirror. This is our way of identifying you when you drive through the
pick-up line.
- Students will be dismissed at 2:30. Your child will be picked up on the
East side of the school. Kindergarten has to be loaded and cleared out
by 2:50 for the first grade to load.
- As you drive through the line I, or another teacher will identify you,
and load your child into your car. We will open the car door.
- If someone other than yourself will be picking up your child, be sure to
give him or her the "Pony Tag".
- How we leave school ----
* Students will get up from rest/reflect time and pack their bags.
* We will line up and wait for the bell to ring.
* We walk down the hall to the side of the building and sit outside
under the awning.
* We then load the students in the car by locating the "Pony Tag".
* VISITOR REGISTRATION
- If you need to come on campus for any reason you must go by the office,
sign in, and receive a visitor's pass to wear. THIS IS FOR YOUR CHILD'S
SAFETY!
- If you would like to come and help in our room we would be delighted. I
am sure all of you have a special talent or skill you could share with
us. Whether it be reading to our class, cooking special letter snacks,
working with students, cutting, planning special days and much more. I
encourage you to be a guest volunteer in our classroom. Grandparents are
always welcomed too!
* Activities include: Reading to students, listen to them read, flash
card reading, number counting, party planning, yellow folder stuffing,
sending items, cutting, tracing, filing, picture taking and many other
activities as needed. Please let me know if you have some special
talent you would like to share with our class!
* EXTRA CLOTHES
- From time to time, the kindergarten child has an accident that in some
way or another will leave their clothes wet. Hopefully this will not
happen, but if it does we want to be prepared. Please pack an extra set
of clothes in your child's backpack. Include underwear, socks, shorts,
and a shirt. Put these in a gallon sized Ziploc baggie with your child's
name on the bag and leave it in his backpack all the time.