Our classroom will be very active but structured. It is child centered and will include rest and read, math, reading, writing, art, music, science, and social studies, snack, lunch, and recess. Our classroom routine is extremely important and needs to be established early in the year. With routine, children will learn what is expected of them and will gain confidence and independence.
You can help us acheive this goal by:
1. Allowing your child to walk to their room alone
2. Encouraging them to enter the room quietly
3. Allowing them to put their personal items away by themselves
I will give you a copy of our daily schedule, specials schedule, and other important information at our Open House.
My Philosophy
I believe education is a triangle of responsibility- the teacher, the parents, and the student. I know we will form a strong triangle and I look forward to opening up a love of learning in your child, and working with you as they enter this new and exciting adventure called Kindergarten. I believe all children can learn and it is my job to discover your child's learning style and provide a differentiated program that will meet their needs. I believe that every child is unique and has special talents. My job is to provide experiences in an atmosphere in which these talents will be nurtured and new talents will be acquired and encouraged.
My expectations for conduct and standards for academic growth are high. With your participation in and out of the classroom, we can look forward to a productive, creative, and fun year together.
I believe all children deserve respect and should not be humiliated, hurt, or embarassed. I believe a child's self-esteem should be nurtured tenderly. Most of all, I believe are children are gifts!
Changes/Safety
Please notify us in writing and immediately of any changes in your child's schedule- adress, phone n umbers, or if they are leaving school a different way. These changes are very important and must be changed in writing. Having accurate phone numbers (work, home, cell, etc) is essential for safety reasons. If a child tells us their transportation has changed and we do not receive a note, we must send them home using the means of transportation we have documented. If you come to pick up your child early, you must sign them out in the office and they will call down to the room for your child.
Independence
The Kindergarten year is all about teaching your child independence. We ask that after the first couple of days, you allow your child to walk to the classroom by themself. We will build on this independence throughout the day as the year progresses. Parent Volunteers
There are many ways that you can be involved here at Sycamore Creek. Parental involvement is expected. Wake County requires parent volunteers that work in the classroom or attend field trips to fill out a volunteer form to become a level two or three. You must be a level three in order to chaperone a field trip. This needs to be completed before October 3rd. You can do this on one of the computers in the media center or in my room. Parent mentors (or guest speakers) may present a project to the class, chaperone field trips, or help out in the classroom. There are several opportunities for you to do at home beside the classroom. Please feel free to visit the classroom. YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! I will need daily volunteers for centers, I will have sign up sheet at Meet the Teacher. Attendance Regular attendance is critical to the learning process. When your child is absent, he/she misses valuable instructional time.
1. Please send a dated, written note of explanation whenever your child is absent. 2. State law requires us to code each absence as excused or unexcused. 3. Excused absences include illness, doctor appointments, and death in the immediate family. 4. Unexcused absences include out-of-town trips (not pre-approved), missing the bus, babysitting younger siblings, and sleeping in. 5. Students are permitted to make up work missed because of an excused absence.
Please note, some activities will be difficult or impossible for students to make up (such as science experiments and hands-on math activities). Therefore, your child may be given an alternate assignment.
Accelerated Reader
The Accelerated Reader program is a reading incentive program. Students read books from a selected list and then take short computer quizzes to test comprehension. Students earn points based on the difficulty of the book and their performance on the quiz. Incentives are offered to students according to the number of points accumulated. I will administer the Star Reading Assessment which will give the Zone of Proximal Development when your child is reading and qualifies. This is the level of books your child should be reading in order to grow. Accelerated Reader is a resource used in the classroom. It is not the reading program in kindergarten. My main focus will be on the percentage of correct answers and book level. Book Orders
About once a month I will send home a book order from Scholastic. There are always terrific deals on books. When you send in the book orders please make the check to the book club (not Sycamore Creek). Cash is not accepted for book orders.
Communication
What makes a special program work is the mutual respect and support we have for one another as teachers, students, and parents. I value your opinions in regard to your child. Your insights and concerns when problems occur are important to me.
I would like to request that:
All students may bring a nutritious snack and a bottle of water to school everyday. You may also send in a store bought treat for your child’s birthday if you wish. These will be eaten during our lunchtime. We do not allow home made food due to various allergies. We also do not allow children to share snacks for the same reason. Please make sure you send your child's snack in a big baggie separate from their lunch as kindergartners often get confused which is which and eat their lunch for snack. It is helpful if you show them where their snack will be in their bag.
Homework
Homework is an important step in teaching your child responsibility. it is also fun to see how their reading is progressing. Your child's daily homework will consist of them reading a book aloud to you, filling out the reading response sheet (the child NOT the parent), and practicing the word list and/or a math activity. At tomes, there may be a special project I need your assistance with.
Curriculum
I will be going over our units, our schedule, and the rest of our curriculum in detail at Open House.
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