KINDERGARTEN TID-BITS
Antler Alert: Kindergartener’s will attend Antler Alert on Fridays. This is a weekly assembly to recognize student’s weekly achievements. Parents are welcome to attend. Antler Alert begins at 8:50.
Attendance: There are no more than 10 absences per semester or they could be considered for retention due to absences. For a more detailed explanation of the policy refer to the DCPV Handbook.
Backpacks: Each child must have a backpack. If your child does not have their backpack, work and notes will be left at school until they bring their backpacks. Please make sure they are large enough to hold their take home folders and coats during the winter.
Birthdays: We will celebrate birthdays as they occur. We celebrate the summer birthdays on the 6-month day. Individually wrapped snacks and clear juice boxes are acceptable for the birthdays. Please let me know a minimum of 48 hours in advance if you plan to send treats.
Bus Riders: If your child rides the bus to school they will go outside on the playground or the cafeteria in bad weather. They will not be allowed to go to the classroom. Please make sure that your child knows what bus they will ride in the afternoon.
Car Riders: Drop your child off at the front doors. If your child arrives prior to 8:45, they must go to the playground or in bad weather they will go to the cafeteria. They will not be allowed to come to the classroom or remain in the hallways. Pick up your child at the front doors. Your child will not be allowed to go home with another child unless they have written permission from their parent.
If you arrive before 8:30 a.m., your child should remain in their car and not be allowed to play outside, as the teachers are not available for supervision prior to the above time.
Centers: The children rotate through learning centers on most days. As the students “play” in the centers they are developing important life skills.
Class Time: 8:45-3:45
Dress Code: Please refer to the DCPV student handbook. Please help your child learn to dress appropriately for school and the weather.
Discipline: In my classroom I reward good behavior and follow a very positive approach. Children start the day by putting their name on the door. If the student uses inappropriate behavior they will be asked to remove their name from the door. They will be given the chance to correct their behavior and have their name put back on the door. This policy is set up to praise positive behavior and to help children begin to self monitor the choices that they make. If the inappropriate behavior continues an appropriate consequence will be given. Parents will be contacted if a child continually misbehaves or the child’s behavior injures another student.
Field Trips: We take 2 field trips during the year. We usually take one in the fall and one in the spring. The number of parents that are allowed to attend depends on where we are going. Siblings are not allowed to attend to ensure the best supervision and safety of all children.
Five Star Club: To become a member of the 5 Star Club your child must be able to tell their:
- First, middle, and last names
- Complete address including city and state
- Telephone number
- Birth month and date
- Parent’s first and last names
Your child will be assessed on this information and it will be reflected on their report card.
Folders: Folders will be sent home daily with notes, your child’s work for the day, and newsletters. Any unfinished work should be completed at home. You do not need to send it back to school. Send the folder back to school each day. Please help your child learn about responsibility by helping them remember to bring it to school.
Grades: Much of what we do in class is hands on and verbal. Any papers completed in class will not be graded. I will make every effort to help your child correct any mistakes. Sometimes you will see a stamp that says “completed with help”. This will let you know your child is having difficulty with the concept and needs extra help at home.
Handwriting: Handwriting practice is part of your child’s math and language arts program. Numeral and letter formation is initially taught using large body movement. Do not expect perfect handwriting from your child at this time, but rather focus on the correct movements. Reversals are normal until age 8.
Homework: Read with your child for 20 minutes every night. Review the sight word flash cards and read any words lists are sent home. In addition, they should also complete any unfinished work from school. You do not need to send this work back to school. Later in the year I will send home books that need to be read at home. I will send instructions home with the first book.
Illnesses: Please refer to www.deercreekschools.org under the Health and wellness tab for guidance with illnesses.
Invitations: You may send birthday party invitations to be put in take home folders. There must be one for each student or all the boys or all the girls. I cannot give out the addresses or phone numbers of students, so when school directories are for sale, you may want to purchase one.
Make-up Work: Attendance in Kindergarten is very important. Most of the things that we do are hands on and verbal. It would be impossible to make up the work that is missed. If your child misses school they miss the work.
Monthly Calendar: Each month you will receive a calendar. It will have details of what we will be learning in class each month. Please watch for it in your child’s folder.
Notes and money: If you are sending money or a note to school, please send it in an envelope and label it with your child’s name, my name, and a brief description of what is inside. Place it in the return side of the take home folder to insure that I receive it.
Parties: We will have a few special parties during the year. All parents are invited to attend and siblings are welcome.
P.M. Pick-up: Buses will be loaded at the bus loop. Please make sure your child knows what bus they ride before arriving at school. Car riders and daycare riders will leave through the front doors. If you are picking up your child please follow the car loop and your child will be loaded when your car is at the front of the line. If your child is walking home they will leave through the back doors.
If someone else is picking up your child, you must send a note to school. If I do not have a note I will not let them go home with that person.
Questions: E-mail me at blues@deercreek.k12.ok.us or call me at home before 7:30. Do not leave a message on my voice mail. This is not a reliable way to reach me.
Report Cards: Your child will receive a report card at the end of each 9 weeks. Please take the time to look at the report card at the back of the handbook. This will let you know what the minimum expectations are for Kindergarten.
Rules: Our class rules are very basic and allow for each child to be treated as an individual.
- Use kind words
- Be quick to forgive
- Listen
- Share
- Encourage others
- Take turns
- Think before acting
- Talk it over
Shoe Tying: If your child wears shoes with laces, they will be expected to tie their own shoes.
Sight Words: These are words that your child will be introduced to throughout the year. You will receive the list and the order they are taught when we begin Saxon Phonics and spelling.
Snacks: You are responsible for sending a snack with your child each day. Please do not send candy as a snack. Snacks need to be in a disposable baggie or container.
Specials: Each day we will go to one “specials” class. These are art, music, P.E. guidance, enrichment, and library.
Tardies: Children are counted tardy if they arrive after 8:45.
CURRICULUM
Journals: Journal writing allows children to document things that they enjoy doing or special events in their lives. It may begin with just a picture, but as your child grows older and learns you will see pictures turn into letters, words, and even sentences. We will begin journaling during the 2nd semester.
Handwriting: Kindergarten children are introduced to the Ball and Stick method of handwriting. This is taught in conjunction with our Saxon Phonics and spelling program. It is important to teach your child to write letters and numbers from top to bottom, left to right. Difficulty holding a pencil or coloring is normal for many kindergarten children. Fine motor skills will improve as your child becomes older.
Math: We will learn the foundations of basic math concepts using the Scott Foresman Math program. Your child will be exposed to the following concepts: Shapes, colors, counting, skip counting, sorting, patterns, graphing, telling time, calendar, money, measurement, story problems, comparison, and math facts 0-5.
Reading: Prairie Vale has a developmental philosophy of teaching the foundations of reading in Kindergarten. Children are exposed to letters and sounds, sight words, pre-reading strategies and skills. We aim to provide an environment that motivates children to want to learn to read. However, our focus in Kindergarten is not teaching your children to read. Children are unique in their development and our approach is to provide them with the necessary building blocks to encourage reading.
Social Studies and Science: These concepts are taught through a variety of theme-related activities and hands-on investigations. Read alouds will feature nonfiction books that provide opportunities to expand their knowledge of various topics.