ABC's for Mrs. Smith's Class
Absence
If your child is ill, please call the office (615-332-3020 ext
119) and inform us of your child's absence and the reason for it.
This is for your child's safety. If a student must leave early
for a doctor's appointment, go to the office to sign him/her out
and the secretary will call him/her to the office. Never send
another person to pick up your child without informing me or the
secretary.
Attendance
A successful school experience is the responsibility of the
child, the parent and the school. Your child's progress, both
academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by
daily participation. Regular attendance without tardiness is a
key.
Arrival and Dismissal
Pupils should arrive between 7:35 and 8:00 AM. Students who
arrive early must report to breakfast in the cafeteria or to the
gym. No child or parent should be in the building before this
time. School begins promptly at 8:00 AM and afternoon dismissal
is at 3:00 PM. Buses will be loaded first and car
riders will be loaded by the dismissal crew. Please remain in
your car in order to make this a speedy process. Please pick up
your child promptly. If you are late, you must sign your child
out in the office. If your child is absent more than five
(unexcused) times you will be automaticly reported the
Davidson County Attendace Review Board.
Art
The children will attend an hour Art lesson on a rotating
schedule with our art teacher, Mrs. Julie Staehling. Mrs.
Staehling would really appreciate it if you would send a box of
color pencils, cardstock, crayola crayons, and crayola markers to
be used in the art room for instruction.
Backpacks
To help your child carry messages and information to and from
school, you are asked to provide a backpack. Students will be
asked to buy an agenda that will be placed in the 3 ring binder
requested in school supplies. The agenda/binder will house
important notes from different departments in our shcool. This
will serve as one of our main communication resources. Please
have your child remove the notes and papers daily from his or her
backpack. Please look at the papers in the front pocket to keep
informed about school activities. Return the backpack with agenda
each day.
Birthdays
Birthdays are special occasions for young children. If your child
wishes, he/she may bring a treat for the class during lunch time.
We will celebrate summer birthdays during the last few weeks of
school.
Book Orders
Every month I will send home Scholastic Book Club Catalogs for
you and your child to look over. These clubs offer wonderful
books at reduced prices---what a great way to build your home
library! If you choose to order, please make the check payable to
Scholastic Books. The books will be ordered and delivered to
your child at school.
Breakfast
A school breakfast is served every morning from 7:30-8:00 AM. You
may purchase tickets through the cafeteria or pay on a daily
basis. The breakfast menu generally consists of cereal or
muffins with juice and milk. Students who want to eat breakfast
should enter school promptly at 7:45 and go to the cafeteria.
Calendar
A calendar of events specific to our class can be found on our
class website:
teacherweb.com/TN/ShayneElementary/MrsKathySmith.
Information is also sent home in the class newsletter each week.
If you would like to view a copy of the District's calendar you
may visit www.mnps.org.
Computer
We are fortunate enough to have two Dell computers in our
classroom connected to the internet for games and repetition of
skills. We use a variety of age-appropriate programs that
reinforce math, readiness and reading skills. Children work on
the computers during Center Time rotation. We also visit the
school computer lab on a regular basis.
Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences are held before and after school upon
request and during my planning time. A special day is also
scheduled by the district for conferences. If at any time you
would like to discuss your child's progress, I would be happy to
schedule a time for you. Please feel free to call and schedule
conferences throughout the year if needs arises. 332-3020 ext. 119
Discipline
Our classroom is a small community where teamwork and good
relationships are expected. We will spend time learning class
procedures and practicing them. Each student is expected to act
within our standards of behavior. To establish good order and
help the children learn self-control, they will be guided to
respect themselves and their companions through specific
directions, positive reinforcement, suggested new activities and
responsible actions. Our classroom discipline system includes a
colored card system.
The first time a child breaks a rule, he will be given a verbal
reminder. Nothing further will happen as he reflects on whether
that behavior was a good "choice". Every child will begin the
day with a Blue colored card in our Behavior Chart. If the child
chooses to break a rule after a verbal reminder, his card will be
changed to Green. Continued misbehavior will result in the card
changing to Yellow, Orange and finally Red.
The student can earn his Green card back by improving behavior
for the remainder of the morning or the afternoon, meaning he
will begin the rest of the day or the following morning with
a "clean slate". Children who are doing a GREAT job
will recieve a treat at the end of the day. The rules,
consequences for the card changes, and the rewards for
following our rules are listed below.
Rules:
1. I will raise my hand to speak.
2. I will stay in my seat.
3. I will listen and follow directions.
4. I will keep my hands and feet to myself and my own property.
5. I will be kind to others.
Consequences:
Excellent Behavior: Card will remain Blue
First Offense: A verbal reminder as a warning.
Second Offense: Change card on behavior chart from Blue to
Green. Miss five minutes of playtime or recess.
Third Offense: Change card to Green and miss ten minutes of
playtime or recess.
Fourth Offense: Change card to Yellow and miss all of playtime or
recess. Parents will either receive a phone call or a note in the
agenda.
Fifth Offense: Change card to Red and the child is sent to the
office!
Rewards: Children with a Blue card will get a Skittle treat.
Those who maintain a Blue or Green card for three days each week
will also receive a treat from the Treasure Chest.
E-mail
You can contact me via my email address:
Kathy.Smith@mnps.org
I will check my email on a daily basis. If you need to discuss
something urgently, please call me at school and tell the school
secretary you need to send me some important information. A
message will be taken and given to me or you will be connected to
the classroom.
Emergency Card
Please complete and return the emergency card promptly (if you
did not complete one during registration). If your home or work
phone number changes, inform the office and me so you can be
located quickly if an emergency occurs.
Emergency Closings
If schools are closed for a snow day or any emergency, please
tune in to T.V Channels 2, 4 or 5. Please do not call school to
check as the T.V. Stations are the first to know. You can also
check Metro's Web Site.
Field Trips
We plan several field trips that are both fun and educational for
the children. Parent drivers are not permitted, so buses will
have to be used for transportation. We often need parent
volunteers on the trips and chaperones will be chosen on a first
come, first served basis. Please return permission slips as soon
as possible after they are sent home. We may also have in-house
guest speakers on specific topics we are studying.
Fire Drills
Fire drills are held on a monthly basis throughout the year. All
students will participate and are expected to walk quickly and
quietly to their designated exit. We will practice and
becomefamiliar with procedures before our first scheduled drill.
Good Communication! Shayne Star Notebook/Agenda
The Shayne Star notebook will serve as great communication tool
between parent and teachers. It is an agenda purchased by the
parents from the office that houses EVERYTHING the students and
parents need to keep up with what is going on at school. For
protection and organization the agenda is placed in the 3 ring
binder requested as part of school supplies.
Why are they important? These notebooks help students establish
good organizational skills their first year of school---skills
that can carry on throughout their time in school. Notebooks will
go home every afternoon in your child's backpack. Parents should
check the Shayne Star notebook, read the daily information, sign
it and return it to school the next day. The
children will take the agendas out of their backpacks the next
morning and place them in a special place by the door. At the
end of the day I will record behavior information and other notes
for parents in the agenda. By you signing the agenda each night,
I know you have reviewed the notes I sent. You can also send me
notes about your child or sbout something going on in our class.
Giraffes
You may have guessed by now, I love the website Little Giraffes.
I would love to take credit for the ABC's of Kindergarten, but I
believe in giving credit were credit is due. I have adapted the
Little Giraffe ABC's for our school and class. Thanks Little
Giraffe.
Guidance
Ms. Beverly Vannoy is our guidance counselor. She has classes
for the children several times each month. She teaches several
units that help the students learn how to manage conflict, have
good manners, and be safe to name just a few. I enjoy watching
the children and Ms. Vannoy interact together. She also does
small group and family counseling, if requested. We are very
fortunate to have Ms. Vannoy at Shayne.
Gym
Our class will have a one hour gym class. This is scheduled in a
rotation of our special classes. I will include a rotation
schedule in the newsletter as the days change each week. The
children are asked to wear sneakers on gym day and girls might
consider wearing pants or having a pair of shorts to slip on
under their dresses. Our gym teachers are Mr. Wilburn and Mr.
Graves.
Hands-on Learning
I feel that the best way to help children learn is to make
learning fun. Important concepts can be learned by doing
meaningful hands-on activities. There are times when seatwork is
required and necessary, but for the most part, our classroom will
be an active learning environment.
Health
Please let me know of special circumstances which may affect your
child. These could include medication that may make him sleepy, a
death in the family, etc. Also, please let me know of any
allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. We
sometimes cook or do food activities to complement lessons in
kindergarten and it would be helpful to know when I plan our
recipes.
Help at Home
Your child is expected to know these readiness skills:
�Full name �Address �Telephone number
�Parents' names �Basic colors �Counting to 50
�Printing first and last name beginning with a capital letter
and the rest in lower case
When time permits, work on these skills also:
�Reciting the alphabet letters in order
�Shapes
�Birthday (month & date) �Identifying numbers to 20
�Identifying letter names and sounds �Tying shoes
Your extra help at home really makes a difference!
Home Reading Program
Beginning in September, the children will begin bringing home
books to read out loud at home. This is wonderful practice to
build reading fluency and to reinforce the vocabulary words
they've learned. The copy paper books do not have to be returned
to school. The little pink books will be returned to school.
This is your child's chance to "show-off" their developing
reading skills to parents, relatives and friends! The more
children read, the better they get. You might want to have a
special bag or box to keep these books in so they are always easy
to find and read each night.
Homework
Homework will be sent home for your child to complete. This work
should be completed by your child with your supervision, and
returned to school. Completing and returning homework helps
build a sense of responsibility and prepares him/her for the
homework he/she will have to complete in later school years.
Homework should be your child's best work. Returning neatly
completed work by the due date will earn a treat from the
Treasure Chest. These homework papers should be placed in the
agenda pocket. Occasionally, I'll ask for your help in completing
"family" homework--it's called that because the whole family is
encouraged to get involved in doing it. For example, in November
I may send home a turkey for you and your child use to "disguise"
so it won't get eaten for Thanksgiving. Extra time will be given
to complete these special family homework projects.In a few weeks
your child will be bringing home reproduced books and sentences
that they have worked with in school to share with you. These
take-home books and sentences promote home involvement and allow
for reinforcement of book concepts, reading strategies and
beginning comprehension skills. Please take the time to enjoy
this special reading time with your child. By reading the
sentences frequently, your child is using words that he/she will
see in early reader books.
Illness
The question of when to keep your child home from school is often
a difficult one, especially when decisions must be made first
thing in the morning. It is important, however, to keep your
child home if he/she is ill. This helps to make them more
comfortable and prevents others from becoming ill. Children
function more effectively in the classroom when they are
healthy. If your child has fever, vomiting, or diarrhea they
must be twenty-four hours without medication or fever before
returning to school.
Independent Reading
Because children learn to read by reading, they need plenty of
opportunities to read independently. Sufficient time and
appropriate materials are necessary to develop and strengthen
reading abilities. By giving the children time to read both at
school and at home, we can work together to provide a literature-
rich environment and a life-long love of reading.
Journals
One strategy that will be used to help convey the vital concept
that "print conveys meaning" is the frequent use of journal
writing. In these journals the kindergartners combine their
emerging writing skills with their drawing skills. As the
children are exposed to a variety of phonics and reading
experiences, journal entries will move from drawings and
"inventive" spellings towards more conventional writing. We will
use the spiral notebooks requested in the school supply list for
our journals.
Kindness
Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat
all members of our class as well as others with kindness and
respect. Bothering others,
bullying and interrupting learning will not be permitted.
Library
The children may go each day to the library, if they have their
library book. The children will spend 30 minutes for 6 weeks
with Mrs. Sass, the librarian, in a study of library skills
before they begin checking out books. "Tacky the Penguin" and
Mrs. Sass share procedures for proper use of the library. If
your child loses a book your are expected to pay for the book.
The cost of the book is $15.00 (Generally Kindergartner's
are not able to check out the more expensive books.)
Throughout the school year we will go to the library for special
projects.
August-September Penguins (Tacky's friends)
October-November Apples and Pumpkins
December Reindeer - Polar Express
January-The Mitten by Jan Brett
March-Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Literacy Centers
During literacy centers, children practice reading and writing
skills while the teacher works with individual children or small
guided reading groups. The center activities are designed to
strengthen letter/sound knowledge, listening skills, oral
language expression, rhyme, letter formation and cooperation.
Lunch
We will eat lunch from 11:55-12:30 each day. Children may bring a
packed lunch from home or eat a school lunch or purchase a lunch
from the cafeteria. Milk and snacks may also be purchased. You
may come join your child for lunch any day of the week.
Please wait for us and meet your child in the hall beside the
cafeteria.
Cafeteria Prices for Students
Breakfast $1.25 ($.30 reduced)
Lunch $2.00 ($.40 reduced)
Cafeteria Prices for Adults
Lunch ($3.50)
Holiday Lunch ($4.00)
Math
The kindergarten mathematics curriculum provides students with
mathematical experiences that help them develop number sense and
a positive attitude towards mathematics that will continue
through their school career and their lives. We employ a hands-
on, problem solving approach.
Music
Our music teachers, Mrs. Holloway and Mrs. Vaughn will be
teaching the children the basics of music education and will be
sharing many wonderful songs! We are scheduled to have music on
the special class rotation. Of course, I will be singing and
enjoying music with the children daily.
Newsletter
Our weekly newsletter, Smith Notes, is generally sent home on
Friday. This will keep you informed about what is happening in
our class---the skills we are learning, vocabulary words, poems
or songs to practice, special activities and upcoming events.
Sometimes there will be an activity attached to help your child
practice skills at home.
Nurse
We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful school nurse,
Nurse Christy, at Shayne Elementary School. She will tend to
minor scratches and scrapes, as well as sudden illnesses. For
more serious injuries, she will contact you. Please be sure to
send in any change of contact numbers in case she needs to get in
touch with you. She is shared with Oliver Middle School.
Oh Let's Read
Shayne Elementary School participates in the Pizza Hut Book-It
program and the Nashville Sounds Reading Club. You will receive
information in your child's homework folder. If you would like
to volunteer to read to our class please let me know in your
child's agenda and I will pencil you in our schedule.
Parent Involvement
Your support of school activities makes your child feel important
and sends the message that you value school! We are always happy
to have your help for special activities in the classroom. I will
try to let you know at least a week ahead of time if I need help.
Requests for help will be published in our weekly newsletter. I
hope that you can come and join in the fun! If you would like to
help on a weekly basis it would be greatly appreciated!
Parties & Celebrations
There are three main parties each year---Fall Party/Harvest,
Winter Celebration and Valentine's Day. The room parents usually
organize these events and coordinate volunteers and donations.
All are welcome to participate in the festivities! We will have
some other celebrations that I will organize such as 100th Day of
School, Spring Egg Hunt, and our End of the Year Celebration.
Playground Procedures
Please review these playground safety procedures with your child:
1. Monkey bars: Cross one person at a time and do not stand or
walk on top.
2. Slide: Slide on your bottom only with your feet in front of
you.
3. No rough play. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
4. Do not leave the playground.
5. If you are wearing sandals you may not be allowed to
participapte in
recess.
Questions
Since so many of you are new to Shayne Elementary School this
year, I'm sure that you may still have some unanswered
questions. Please feel free to call me at school. Leave a voice
mail on my phone and I will get back to you. You can always write
a note in the agenda or email me at:
Kathy.Smith@mnps.org
Recess
The children will play outdoors for 15 minutes each day (unless
it is raining or the wind chill is below 30 degrees). Please keep
this in mind when helping your child to select clothing for the
day. Recess is after our lunch.
Report Cards
Report cards are issued every nine weeks with Mid-Nine Week
Progress reports being issued also. These are reports of the
progress your child has made toward various kindergarten
objectives and uses a grading system that reflects the
developmental nature of kindergarten learning. You may view a
list of report card dates on the MNPS webpage.
Restrooms
Have your child use the restroom shortly before coming to school,
to prevent accidents on the school bus. We will go to the
bathroom once in the morning, before lunch and once in the
afternoon. The children may use the restroom in the class at any
time. Please inform me of any medical problem that might
require more frequent restroom trips than usual.
Room Parents
The room parents' job is to be available for any number of
things: to help coordinate parties and activities; to seek
volunteers for field trips and events; and to help with classroom
preperation. Being a room parent is a great way to be involved
in your child's school life. You may sign up to become a room
parent at our Open House.
Science
The focus of the kindergarten science curriculum is on developing
an awareness of the world in which we live. Through scientific
inquiry, concepts will be presented in the life and earth
sciences, including the study of animals, plants, wood. and all
about me. These areas will be explored utilizing a literacy
based, hands-on approach.
Shared Reading
Shared reading is an interactive process used with the whole
class. As the teacher reads a story, children join in on phrases
or words that they know. During subsequent re-readings, children
read more and more of the text, until they are able to read the
story independently. Shared reading is an opportunity for the
teacher to model conventions of print and the use of reading
strategies.
Show and Tell
We have come to a Kindergarten Team consensus that we will not
have show and tell. In the past items/toys have been broken and
lost. This leaves the children sad and causes a disturbance for
the remainder of the day. If toys are brought to school they
will be taken up and given back at the end of the
day. If this continues to be a problem items will be held until
the end of the school year.
Snack
Kindergarten children generally get hungry by mid-morning. With
us having such a late lunch, I'm requesting that each family
contribute to our snack program. Every child should bring in a
snack to share with the entire class (21 students) at least once
a month. This should be a healthy snack that is quickly eaten,
such as a box of crackers, cookies, fruit roll-ups, raisins,
goldfish, etc. We will get a drink of water after our snack
unless drinks boxes have been provided by parents. If our snacks
begin to run low I will send home a "Snack Request" to restock
the shelves.
Social Studies
The kindergarten social studies curriculum focuses on the
students and how they relate to others in their families,
classroom, school, and community. Holiday celebrations from
different cultures will also be highlighted. Activities will help
the children engage their natural curiosity
for the world around them.
Supplies
The children will need the following supplies for kindergarten.
PLEASE DO NOT LABEL SUPPLIES WITH CHILDREN'S NAMES -- THE ITEMS
WILL BEFCOME COMMUNITY PROPERTY AND USED BY ALL CLASS MEMBERS AS
NEEDED
**ITEMS ARE THE ONLY SUPPLIES TO BE LABELED WITH YOUR CHILD'S
NAME.
**Backpack (to carry home those important papers no wheels)
(LABEL)
1 inch 3 ring Binder with front view pocket (to protect Agenda)
**Agenda (may be purchased in the school office) (LABEL)
2 Boxes of crayons (no more than 24 count)
12 Pencils
4 Glue sticks
Elmer's white glue (large bottle)
Scissors with a round tip and metal cutting edge (Fiskars brand
is best)
2 Pocket folders (Dark Blue)
Snack to feed 21 students (crackers, pretzels, fruit snacks,
cookies,
raisins)
2 dry erase markers
2 Boxes of Kleenex
**1 Beach towel for rest time (NO REST MATS)(LABEL TOWEL WITH
CHILD'S NAME)
2 Spiral 70 page Notebooks (Plain cover-No designs please)
Box of baby wipes for messy fingers
Box of Ziploc sandwich bags
One package of paper plates, napkins, or one package of Dixie cups
One bag of treats to fill the treasure chest (candy, gum,
pencils, birthday
party prizes, etc.)
Toys
Bringing toys to school is discouraged because they distract the
children from learning. If a toy is accidentally lost or broken,
feelings will be hurt. Students may bring in books that are
clearly marked with your child's name.
Unique
Kindergartners learn that they are special and unique.
Kindergartners have opportunities to describe how they are alike
as well as different from others. They share their culture and
learn about different cultures within the class.
Visitors
Shayne has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces)
are required to check in at the school office. Shayne welcomes
and encourages family involvement. This may seem like an
inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is our goal and
responsibility of the school to create a safe learning
environment. Remember to register on the PTA computer so your
hours can be recorded.
Website
Our class has a website which can be accessed at
http://teacherweb.com/TN/ShayneElementary/MrsKathySmith
Check in regularly to find information about curriculum, special
events and school news.
Wish List
Throughout the year we sometimes need supplies above and beyond
our classroom materials (craft items, sentence strips, colored
card stock and extra dry erase markers.) These needs will be
posted in the class newsletter. Extras items that you think we
might be able to use are always welcome! We have a special Wish
List on our website that give items we can use in our class.
Writing
Our writing program builds on what each child already knows.
Writing begins with scribbles and proceeds to lines and circles,
random strings of letters, words and spaces and eventually
sentences. Your children will be encouraged and praised for all
attempts and accomplishments in writing. Providing a
risk-free environment is paramount to your child's progress in
writing. If possible, please provide your child with writing
tools, such as pencils, crayons, markers and paper at home. We
will use the Zaner-Bloser hand writing curriculum.
XXI
We have twenty-one "X-tra special" children in our
class. Please keep this in mind when sending in things to be
distributed to the whole class.
(Okay, okay, so this "x" word is a little lame and a
bit of a stretch, but I couldn"t come up with anything else!)
Younger Siblings
It is in your child's and the program's best interest to have our
parent volunteers available without younger children. This not
only allows your full attention to be focused on the class, but
also allows for some special time between you and your
kindergartner. Thank you for making childcare
arrangements for your younger siblings. Younger siblings are
welcome to attend classroom parties. Refreshments and treats
will not be provided for siblings at parties. If you are
volunteering for the class inside the PTA room younger siblings
may come. The room has a television for the younger chilren to
use.
Zzzzs
Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and
keeping a regular bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to
your child. It will help them be alert and ready to learn each
day!
Contact Numbers:
Shayne Elementary: 332-3020
Principal: Pam Greer ext: 300
Assistant Principal: Wallace Peoples ext: 303
Guidance Counselor: Beverly Vannoy ext: 305
Kindergarten Team:
Lovie Lester: ext. 117
Jamie Martin: ext. 118
Mallory Evans: ext. 116
Nina Reed: ext. 121
Kathy Smith: ext. 119
Hawaya Wilson: ext. 120