This page will answer questions commonly asked by students and parents.
- How can I get in contact with Mr. T?
- What are the Kindergarten class times?
- What will my child study during their first semester in Mr. T.'s Learning Lab?
- Is there a free breakfast program at Evergreen?
- How are your begining day procedures?
- Is there homework in Kindergarten?
- Does my child need a backpack?
- What about my child's behavior and choice making?
- What are C.O.O.L. Kid Tickets?
- Is attendance important for Kindergarten students?
- What if I need to take my child before the end of the school day?
- Do you celebrate Birthdays in your classroom?
- Are school supplies shared or does my child have a place for their own supplies?
- How can I help the Kinderfriends?
- Can my child buy popcorn on Friday's?
- What if my child has allergies?
- Do you have any special celebrations during the year?
- Do you use themes as a method of study?
- What about class visitation?
- What about my child's first day of school?
- What about transportation or picking up my child at the end of their day?
- How do Kindergarten half-days work at Evergreen?
- My child is absent, how do I get my child's missing work?
- I have more questions about Kindergarten, how can I find the answers?
- What is bumpy Blending?
- What is Smooth Blending or Stretching?
- What is Shrinking a word?
- What if my child is tardy in the morning?
How can I get in contact with Mr. T?
You may call Mr. T. at school with any concerns or questions.
The office staff can transfer calls from 7:35 – 8:00 each morning
and from 2:40 – 3:00 each afternoon. If you call during the
school day, they can transfer your call to my voicemail box. If
I am working with students or in a meeting, I will call you later
that day or following morning. Please leave a detailed message
including your child's name and clearly stated phone number.
Our school phone number is 583-5250. You may also stop by at any
time before or after class to talk or arrange a conference.
You never have to wait for "conference times" or "report card
time" to speak with Mr. T. about your child!
What are the Kindergarten class times?
AM Kindergarten 7:50 - 10:42
PM Kindergarten 11:48 - 2:30
The class calendar regarding half-days and whether or
not their child will attend class that day is located on my
website.
What will my child study during their first semester in Mr. T.'s Learning Lab?
Kindergarten… For most children, pre-K and Kindergarten is the
first experience they will have with school. This is an exciting
time in which children’s world is expanding beyond the home and
family to encompass new playmates and experiences. We want this
experience to encourage children’s curiosity and to foster a love
for learning. Clover Park has recently adopted the Read Well Reading Program for Kindergarten. More information about the program will be released in September.
Kindergarten Curriculum includes:
Phonemic Awareness
Mastery of all 26 Letter Identification and Sound Demonstration
skills
Concepts of Print
Emergent Reading and Writing Skills
Oral Language Development
Literacy, Listening, and Numeracy Skills
Creative Expression
Positive Self-Esteem
Children come to school with a variety of experiences,
developmental levels, and cultural differences. The purpose of
this program is to begin where children are both cognitively and
socially, and facilitate their continued development.
The Kindergarten Program includes the following components:
Letter Investigation – mastery of letter identification and
letter sounds
Mastery of 3 and 4 phoneme words (short vowel sounds)
Emergent Writing
A Phonemic Awareness Mastery Program
Learning Centers
Math
On-going assessment
The Early Learning Program sets the stage and is an important
element for future success in reading and writing. Reinforcing
the skills your child learns at home is a key component to your
child’s success in reading. We are all teachers and are all
responsible for the success of your child… how successful your
child is directly correlates to how the teacher and parent work
together.
Is there a free breakfast program at Evergreen?
There is free breakfast for all Evergreen students, including
Kinderfriends who attend morning sessions.
Children enter the building at 7:30 to eat
breakfast in the Gathering Hall and then will sit in the
auditorium prior to walking to class. It is important that
children eating breakfast at school arrive early enough to eat
and be in their class at time. Please do not bring breakfast
into the classroom. Please speak with the office or
cafeteria staff for information regarding the breakfast routine.
How are your begining day procedures?
All AM Kinderfriends may enter the building at 7:30 and eat
breakfast and sit in the auditorium until the bell rings.
Mr. T. opens the classroom door at 7:50. Once
Mr. T. opens the door, the children have time to hang up their
coat and backpack on the back of their chair, give Mr. T. any
homework or papers, place papers at their tables into their
backpack and begin “early-bird” activities prior to the start of
instruction. Mr. T. will also ask the children for any notes
from home at this time.
PM Kindergarten children go directly to the Lecture Hall(Room 304)
prior to their school day, so if you bring your child to school,
please accompany them to Room 304, not the classroom.
I will come down and pick up the PM Kinderfriends at 11:45 and accompany
them to the classroom. The PM children have the same “early-bird” procedures as the AM
class.
Please note that Mr. T. would like his Kinderfriends to become
responsible for their own paperwork and backpacks. If any parent
notices that parent notes, homework, etc. are not being removed
from their child's backpack, please call Mr. T. He will remind
your child to check their backpack more thoroughly.
Is there homework in Kindergarten?
Your most important role this year is parent participation in the
Parent-Teacher Partnership. The success of your child is
dependent upon the teamwork of teacher, child and parent!
Homework(Parent-Teacher Partnership) is located on this website
and it is the responsibility of the parent to print out the
weekly homework for parent and child. Homework is typically
due on the following Monday. Please make sure that your child
does not complete all of their homework in one night!
Often the students are excited about finishing their homework.
It is better to give your child one page of homework to complete
per day.
The homework packet will typically contain 4-5 pages of student
homework, 1 page of parent education regarding the curriculum
being covered, and 1 page that the parent completes which tells
me what skills parents are helping to reinforce at home. The
parent education sheet stays at home—-the rest of the homework
remains stapled and is returned the following Monday. Children
of parents who actively participate in the Parent-Teacher
Partnership generally score 2-3 times higher on their end of year
assessments than children whose parents are less involved. Your
role with the Parent-Teacher Partnership is vital to the success of
your child.
Does my child need a backpack?
Yes, your child needs an appropriate backpack. Please make sure
that your child’s backpack is big enough for homework and
folders, but not burdensome for your child. I discourage the use
of backpacks with wheels as they are too heavy for chair backs
and make your child’s chair tip over each time he/she stands up!
Please remember that both parent and child are responsible for
looking in the backpack for notes from school and to ensure that
notes from home have been delivered. Please develop a routine
with your child, so that you do not miss out on any vital
communication from me! Check your child’s backpack every day! I
will ask your child at the beginning of each day for notes form
home, etc. Mr. T. will not be personally looking in each
backpack every day. Mr. T.'s goal is that your child becomes
responsible for looking in their backpack for paperwork for him.
If you notice that your child isn’t delivering their paperwork to
Mr. T., please remind your child. Please give Mr. T. a call to
let me know and I’ll also remind your child in the classroom.
Also make sure that your child’s backpack is cleaned out from
weekly!
What about my child's behavior and choice making?
Evergreen utilizes the PBIS model for behavior and choice making.
Mr. T. also encorporates the Love and Logic Model for Behavior to
help reinforce positive behaviors. We will work on developing
your child’s ability to be responsible for choices made and the
outcomes/consequences for actions and/or words used. We will
focus on self-control as well. Your child will learn to problem-
solve by communicating thoughts and feelings through the use of
words/drawings. At times a phone call to parent by child may be
necessary, as well as possible behavior homework. Cool Kids at
Evergreen: 1. Will learn and play safely. 2. Will respect
myself, others and property. 3. Will be a problem solver. 4.
Will make Evergreen a great place to learn.
What are C.O.O.L. Kid Tickets?
"C.O.O.L." stands for "Creating Outstanding Opportunities for
Learning and C.O.O.L. Kid Tickets are part of PBIS positive
incentives. If your child comes home with a C.O.O.L. Kid Ticket,
it means that your child was caught "being C.O.O.L." Students
may be caught being C.O.O.L. by any Evergreen staff member if
they are "caught" learning and playing safely, respecting
themselves, others and property, being a problem solver, or
making Evergreen a great place to learn. Please understand
that these behaviors are basic expectations for each and every
child. Just because your child isn't bringing home C.O.O.L.
Kid tickets everyday, it doesn't mean that your child is misbehaving.
Tickets are given out sparingly. I prefer to give your
child many "intrinsic" rewards of telling him/her specific
encouragement for good choice making rather than "extrinsic"
rewards of a ticket.
Is attendance important for Kindergarten students?
Yes, attendance is necessary for the success of your child.
Begin a positive habit of being on time each day! Mr. T.'s
Kindergarten class is not the typical kindergarten experience
that most adults experienced as children! Learning experiences
are "hands-on" and are designed to scaffold upon previous
instruction. While it is not a sound practice to bring your
child to school if he/she is sick, it is important that your
child experience as much of kindergarten as possible.
Missing school can cause gaps in your child’s learning and
significantly affects achievement, so please be mindful of the
time that your child is not in school. Absences and tardies also
send a message to our children that school is not important.
When your child is tardy he/she misses out on important skills
practice that occurs at the beginning of each day. Please give a
note to the office explaining your child’s tardiness or absence.
Tardies are only excused for doctor's appointments with doctor's
note.
What if I need to take my child before the end of the school day?
Should your child need to leave prior to the end of the school
day for an appointment, stop at the office. They will have you
sign your child out of school. They will page Mr. T. and your
child will meet you at the office.
Do you celebrate Birthdays in your classroom?
Yes, birthdays may be celebrated in the Learning Lab. Parents have
the option of sending treats and napkins to class (drink/juice
boxes are fine). Acceptable treats include cookies, cupcakes,
pizza or prepackaged snacks. Please do not bring sheetcakes to
class. Treats are typically served approximately 10 minutes
prior to dismissal.
Please let Mr. T. know ahead of time if you would like to bring
in birthday treats, so he can make sure there are no schedule
conflicts. He can schedule the time and give you the number of
treats needed. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CHECK FOR FOOD ALLERGIES (SEE
LIST ON WEBSITE) or if there are any special dietary
limitations.
If you are having a birthday party at home for
your child, please do not hand out invitations at school unless
every child in the class is invited. Handing out invitations to
only a few children at school makes some of the children feel
left out.
Are school supplies shared or does my child have a place for their own supplies?
All of our supplies are community supplies used by all of the
children. Please do not write any names on your school
supplies. Supplies are not returned to children. Wait until you
have all of the supplies on your list before you bring supplies
to the classroom.
How can I help the Kinderfriends?
There are many ways in which to help out your child's class this
year: Parent-Teacher Partnership, volunteerism during class
projects/events and the PTA. Please know that your biggest
contribution is keeping track of the happenings via my website,
asking questions if you have them andworking with your child at home!
Can my child buy popcorn on Friday's?
Popcorn is sold as a PTA fundraiser. Mr. T's class does not
participate in individual popcorn purchases. Please do not send
popcorn money to school with your child. Should you like your
child to receive popcorn, you can give popcorn money to an older
sibling to purchase or come in on popcorn days and purchase
popcorn directly from PTA.
You may also consider purchasing popcorn for the entire class
which would cost approximately 5 dollars. If the entire class
receives popcorn, no one feels left out!
What if my child has allergies?
If your child has allergies or is allergic to certain foods
please let Mr. T. know immediately. Mr. T. will make a list of
all food allergies and make it available to all parents. Food
items on that list are typically not choices during celebrations,
birthdays, etc.
Do you have any special celebrations during the year?
Teachers at Evergreen are allowed 2 celebrations per year.
Celebration day possibilities were voted on by Evergreen Staff.
Valentines Day (February 14)and "End of the Year Celebration"
(last day of the school year) are the two celebrations I am allowed
this year.
Do you use themes as a method of study?
Thematic integration is not part of the Read Well Program, so
unfortunately, thematic integration is no longer part of the Kindergarten
experience.
What about class visitation?
Mr. T. respectfully requests that you do not visit the classroom
during the first few weeks of school for your child. We want
your child to bond with his/her classmates and get into the
routine of school. School for some children is an adjustment to
being away from parents. Mr. T. has yet to experience a child
who wasn’t excited about returning to his classroom. In the
event that your child is having issues settling into the routine,
Mr. T. will contact you.
Once a classroom routine has been established and you would like
to visit, please contact Mr. T. to set up a time for visitation!
Please note that class hours are academic hours for the children—
and often parent visits disrupt the learning of the children.
Please note that once Mr. T opens his doors to the children each
day, he is committed to the children. If you need to conference
with Mr. T., he will be happy to set up an appointment at times
other than his contact time with the students.
What about my child's first day of school?
Often the emotions of our children mirror our own—if mom or dad
is upset/emotional, the child will be too. The first day of
kindergarten can be an emotional time for many parents. We want
our Kinderfriends to be excited about their first days in the
classroom. Please share your excitement for your child’s first
day and ensure that your child feels capable and ready to have a
wonderful time! Let’s set your child up for success! Children
will say “see you real soon!” to their parents in the hall when
Mr. T. open his doors before they enter their room. Please give
the Kinderfriends a smile as they walks themselves into the
Learning Lab! Parents will remain in the hallway as their child
enters the room.
What about transportation or picking up my child at the end of their day?
If your child is a parent pick-up or daycare provider
pick-up, please be on time! Please note that Post regulations
state that 5 and 6 year olds must be accompanied home by an
adult. Siblings are not allowed to walk their Kindergarten
brothers or sisters home.
For morning Kinderfriends, Please pick up your child in the
breezeway in front of the school at 10:42. Please walk to
the breezeway and as soon as I see you, I will give your child
a "high five" and they may walk to you.
PM Kinderfriends are to be met in the gym at the end of the school
day. PM Kinderfriends will begin their dismissal at 2:25, so they
can sit in the front of the buses. After I take the Kinderfriends
to their bus, I will take the parent pick-up students to the gymn.
Please do not be late in picking up your child!
Arriving late puts stress on your child.
Additionally, Mr. T is unable to wait for late parents due to
meetings and committee work.
If your child is to ride the bus home and you are unable to pick
your child up at the stop, please provide the name of the person
who will meet your child at the bus stop, their relationship to
the child and their phone number. We also need an alternate name
and phone number in addition to the parents’ number in case your
child becomes ill and you are away from home when we call.
If your child is to be picked up by another parent or
childcare provider, please provide the name of the person picking
him/her up, their relationship to the child and their phone
number.
Please remember that it is the policy of JBLM that all children
6 and under are accompanied to and from school by an adult.
If you ever need to change the way your child is coming home from
school or change who will be meeting or picking him/her up,
please write Mr. T. a note with the updated information and also
explain the plan to your child. Unless Mr. T. receives a note
from home, your child will go home in the established way. Even
if Mr. T. is aware that you have made friends with another parent
in the kindergarten class, he will need a note from you in order
to allow another adult to pick up your child.
If your child has an appointment and you need to pick him/her up
early, please send Mr. T. a note. When you come to pick up your
child, please tell the office staff, sign your child out at the
office and wait for your child by the office. The office will notify
our room and your child will walk down the hall to meet you.
How do Kindergarten half-days work at Evergreen?
You will receive a half-day schedule when it becomes available.
On half-days, only one kindergarten class will be coming to
school. (Typically, AM and PM classes come on alternating half-
days.) Important for PM Kinderparents: On half-days, your child
will attend kindergarten in the morning. If your child rides a
bus, typically on half-days your child will come to school on
the bus they usually go home on. Your child will go home on the
bus they typically come to school on. Mr. T. will need specific
half-day transportation instructions from PM each kindergarten
parent.
My child is absent, how do I get my child's missing work?
The majority of learning in the Learning Lab is "hands-on"
using manipulatives, white boards and the SmartBoard which must
be experienced in the classroom and is impossible to replicate at
home... Any handouts, spelling tests or books will be given to
your child when they return to school. Should your child be absent,
please utilize the PTP-Homework to help keep your child up to date
in their learning.
I have more questions about Kindergarten, how can I find the answers?
Please feel free to contact Mr. T. if you have any questions or
concerns throughout the year. A positive learning foundation is
built upon teamwork and good communication between parent,
teacher, and child. Mr. T. looks forward to a wonderful year of
learning and celebration.
What is bumpy Blending?
Bumpy Blending is separating a word into it's individual sounds
(not letter names). Bumpy blending is staccato and has breaks
between the letter sounds. During reading lessions, your child
has learned that when "Hector Ant" (A Read Well Character) is in
his truck that has a flat tire, we bumpy blend the word. Bumply
Blending helps us know if a child can hear each individual
sound in words.
What is Smooth Blending or Stretching?
Smooth Blending or Stretching is stretching the word sounds and
connecting them together in one breathe. It is not staccato
and has no breaks between the sounds. During reading lessons,
your child has learned that when "Hector Ant" is in his gilder,
we stretch the words. We have practiced with a slinky and
stretch the slinky as we stretch the words. You may want to pick
up a small plastic slinky at teh dollar store to use when your
child stretches out words at home. Your child has also practiced
with just his/her hands imagining they have a slinky. The keep
the left hand near their mouth and move their right hand away as
they stretch words. Stretching and Smooth Blending wods helps us
know if the child can bring individual sounds together in words.
What is Shrinking a word?
Shrinking is simply taking the blended sounds together and saying
or reading them as a normal word.
What if my child is tardy in the morning?
AM Kinderfriends go to specialists right after
attendance is taken in the morning. If your child is tardy,
get a tardy slip for your child and ask the front desk what
specialist your child has that day. The parent should take
their child directly to the specialist. The Kinderfriend will
bring their backpack and tardy slip to me when they return
from specialist time.