Classroom Information

Head Start Classroom Information

Please keep this for reference throughout the year.

Welcome to I. C. Evans Elementary! I am so glad that your child is in my class this year! This might be your child’s first experience with school, and I want it to be a happy, enjoyable and memorable one for them. I want them to know that learning can be fun, and school is a great place to be! I want you and your child to feel comfortable and welcome in my classroom. Our curriculum is designed to prepare your child for kindergarten by teaching social skills, self-confidence, independence, colors, shapes, letters and sounds, rhyming words, counting, number recognition and much more! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. These are a few things that will be helpful for you to know about our classroom procedures.

COVID-19 Mask Safety Masks are optional. If your child is coughing, sneezing, or has a runny nose, please help us keep everyone healthy and consider sending them in a mask. We can provide a mask if needed.

Arrival Parents of Head Start students will enter the parking lot off Dana. Be sure to use the crosswalk as cars and buses will be in the circle drive for drop-off. You and your child will wait in line outside our doors for a COVID symptom and temperature check and to sign your child in with the staff member outside our wing doors. Please stay towards the inside edge of the sidewalk to allow school staff room to safely unload the cars and buses in the drive. The doors are electronically locked until 7:20 and will relock at 7:45 all children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. If you arrive after 7:45, you will need to find a legal parking space and escort your child into the office and wait for a staff member to walk them to our classroom. Most children transition better with a quick kiss goodbye and will soon enjoy being in class.

Attendance /Tardy If your child will be tardy or absent, please contact me before 8:00 am through our class Dojo App. When your child returns to school please be sure to write a note or send a doctor’s note. If the absence is due to a doctor’s appointment, send the doctor’s note so it can be counted as ‘excused’. Our school day begins at 7:45 if your child arrives after 7:50 they will be marked tardy. Head Start requires us to be in contact within one hour of the start of school if your child is going to be absent. You may contact me through email, our class Dojo or by leaving a message on our class phone. Please send an excuse note within 72 hours of when your child returns to school. **All excuse notes need to have your child’s full name, date, reason for absence and signature in order for them to be filed. Per state law parents are allowed up to 5 excuse notes per semester.

Illness The school handbook states that a student must be well for 24 hours before returning to school. This includes no fever, vomiting, or diarrhea and this must be maintained without the use of medications for that time. Please make sure that we have your most current contact numbers so that the nurse or I can speak with you immediately if your child becomes sick or has an accident at school.

Dismissal We dismiss at 3:00 pm from the wing doors. Evans Elementary uses a car tag system. We can only release children to adults who have the car tag. Anyone wishing to pick up a child who does not have a car tag will need to go through the school office. Also, if someone else picks up your child, we will need to see their ID and they must have a car tag to ensure that they are the person you designated to pick them up. This may include parents who don’t pick up routinely. This is for the safety of your child and a requirement of the Head Start grant. If you have older children at Evans, you may wait until 3:10 to pick up all of your children at the same time. All children remaining at 3:20 will be escorted to the front office. If dismissal plans change for the day, please let me know by writing a note in your child’s folder or calling Ms. McKenna Seward at 940-569-1942 or the office before 2:00. Do not rely on your child to tell me. They have great intentions, but they often forget! Parents will need to form a line to the right of the doors. Please stay towards the inside of the sidewalk to allow school staff to safely load cars in the drive. Please move away from the line (to your car or to the benches) as soon as you have your head start child, even if you are waiting for an older child.

Backpack and Take Home Folders Your child will receive a take-home folder on the first day of school. It is important that it stays in the backpack and returns to school every day. I will put monthly In-Kind calendar forms, daily papers, newsletters, permission slips, PTO forms, as well as information from the office in it. Please be sure to initial each calendar day and clean out this folder each night. Please put all important information, notes, money etc. in the folder pockets as I will not check backpacks routinely. Any money sent to school should be sealed in an envelope or baggie with your child’s first & last name and the reason for the money (tattoos, fund raisers, pictures).

Breakfast & Lunch Breakfast, lunch, and snack are free for all Head Start students. We eat together, as a class, every morning at 8:00 am. Children may not bring outside food or drinks into our classroom per Head Start guidelines. Any donuts or treats that you give them must be left in the car prior to drop off.

Behavior Policy Our school uses ‘Conscious Discipline.’ We believe in teaching children what is expected and how to interact with others successfully. Most behavior challenges are not the child being intentionally naughty or mean, usually it is just a lack of skill. By teaching children how to ask for things they want politely, accept no for an answer, and apologize for mistakes, they learn lifelong social skills. All children are more successful when the adults in their life work together to help them. The behavior calendar in your student’s take home folder is one way we can communicate and work together for your child’s best interest. I will let you know each day how your child did concerning his/her behavior. I have high expectations for my students regarding behavior, and work to teach them the behavioral skills they will need to succeed in school and life. I ask that you check the folder and talk with your child about what we are doing at school. I also ask you to write to me when something in their life may impact their behavior; lack of sleep, a sick sibling, even a visit from a well-loved relative can impact behavior. By knowing what may be influencing their behavior, I can address their excitement or concern and assist in keeping interactions in the classroom successful. Your child’s behavior calendar will look like the following:

Smile face- Good Day. I was ready to learn & used expected behaviors. Praise me for a good day.

Straight face- Ok day, but I had some difficulty remaining focused on learning and had some ‘unexpected’ behaviors that needed correction. I had to leave the group for a few minutes. (Talk with me about what I need to do tomorrow)

Frown face- Oh dear. My behavior prevented myself and others from learning. I had to be away from the group several times. I may need consequences at home to help me realize this type of behavior is unacceptable.

Class Dojo Please join our Class Dojo account so we can communicate easily. I can send class announcements to everyone at once or we can privately message each other through Dojo.

Dress Code Please read and adhere to the dress code provided in the student handbook, and make sure to send your child in sturdy rubber soled shoes (such as sneakers) ready for climbing and playing. NO flip-flops! The preschool aged child is gaining many motor skills. Flip-flops, heavy cowboy boots, wedge or high-heels, and slick soled shoes may slow this progress down and create safety hazards on our playground. Please dress your child for explorative play. We will be using paint, playdough, crayons, sand, and glue routinely. Belts, overalls and rompers that close in the back often cause potty accidents at this age, as children often take too much time to unfasten them. Please do not dress your child in belts or overalls unless they can quickly unfasten and fasten them independently. If you need clothing or shoes, please see Ms. Seward.

Change of Clothes Please send a complete change of clothes to school for your child. We store these in Ziploc bags and keep them in their cubbies in case of an accident, or spill. Please be sure to include seasonally appropriate shorts/pants, a shirt, underwear and socks. If your child has an accident or spill we will talk them through cleaning and changing themselves as needed. The dirty clothes will be sent home in a bag. Please send a fresh extra set of clothes the following day. We do not have any school provided extra clothes. If your child needs a change and does not have an extra set in their cubby, you will be called to bring clothes to the school.

Rest Time We have at least 1-hour of rest time every afternoon. Your child does not have to sleep during rest time, but he or she must rest quietly. Rest mats and blankets are provided.

Field Trips If Health regulations allow; we may go on a couple field trips during the year. We will need you to sign a permission slip prior to the trips. Please check their folder routinely for important papers.

Spirit Day Every Friday is Spirit Day at Evans! We encourage you to send your child to school in spirit colors, or a school shirt on Fridays.

Birthday We will celebrate birthdays in our classroom with a special poem and song. If Health regulations allow parents may send cupcakes or treats that the children may have at the end of our day. **Please check with me before sending anything to accommodate food allergies.

PTO Our Evan’s PTO are wonderful supporters of teachers, classrooms and students. Normally our PTO hosts several fundraisers and events during the year, including Bulldog Bash, cookie dough or pie sales, Santa Shop, Math with Moms, Dads Everywhere Enjoy Reading, and sports day. Events may change due to COVID health regulations. PTO also collects box tops. We encourage all parents to participate in his/her child’s experience at Evans by joining PTO. Keep up with school and PTO happenings by ‘liking’ the I.C. Evans PTO Facebook page. An easy way to support the school is by participating in Box Tops for education using the app and items you may normally buy!

iPads Burkburnett offers a 1:1 iPad program, meaning every student in BISD will receive an iPad to use throughout our school year. All iPads in grades Pre-k through 2^nd grade will remain at school at all times. Students will be taught how to use and care for the iPads. Educationally relevant apps will be assigned to each child’s iPad through the classroom account. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please come see us so we may help you!

Website You can keep up with the happenings in our classroom by visiting our webpage at burkburnettisd.org, and clicking on I.C. Evans, Faculty & Staff, and my name. You can click on “contact me” to send me an email. You may also reach me through our Class Dojo.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year! Your child is important to me, so please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Let’s have a super year!

● Amanda Narconis Amanda.narconis@burkburnettisd.org or 940-569-3311 ext. 1425

Class Dojo! Please accept the Class Dojo invitation when it comes. Download the app and quickly text me through the app when your child is absent, message me with private questions or concerns, as well as receive class information

Facebook Friend me on Facebook ‘Amanda Narconis’ with a picture of me. Our class page is ‘Narconis HS2 2022-2023’

● Head Start Social Worker: Ms. Mckenna Seward mckenna.seward@burkburnettisd.org 940-569-1942

● I. C. Evans Elementary 1015 South Berry, Burkburnett, TX 76354 940-569-3311