Classroom Information

Mrs. Ellerson's Kindergarten Class

Welcome to Kindergarten at Cougar Run Elementary! Kindergarten is the time to foster the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth of each child. I am looking forward to working with you throughout this exciting time in your child's life. 

Dropping Off and Picking Up

Kindergarteners line up outside the main doors by the sign with their teacher's name. For the first several weeks teachers will come outside at 8:30 and escort students inside the building at 8:35. School begins at 8:40. If you arrive after our class has gone inside or after 8:40, please bring your child to the front door and ring the bell. The office will check your student in and walk the child to class. 

Kindergarten will be dismissed at 3:25 from the main doors. Please wait near the front doors, we do not dismiss to the car line. I will only dismiss your child to the designated pick-up person. If there is a change in who will be picking up your child, please notify me via email or call the office if it is close to the end of the school day. Your student's safety is my top priority. I understand sometimes last-minute situations occur and an alternative person needs to pick your child up. I will not release him/her without first hearing communication from you, even if I know said person. 

Students who attend Cougar Club or ride the bus will be picked up in the classroom and escorted to the appropriate location. 

Classroom management 

To support your child's academic and social growth my goal is to foster a sense of self-control and responsibility for his/her behavior. This can best be accomplished by providing consistent expectations, predictable consequences, accompanied by generous amounts of praise, encouragement, and positive recognition. In the event that a problem does occur, you will be notified as soon as possible. 

I use many different reward systems in our classroom. I use smelly chapstick on students' hands as a reward when they are working hard. Studies have shown positive links between smells and learning. We will work on whole class goals that will be rewarded by a class vote on prizes. My goal is to instill intrinsic rewards, but hey, every Kindie loves a PJ and stuffy day. 

Absences

Regular attendance is imperative to your child's success in school. I understand that from time to time missing school is unavoidable. If your child needs to be absent from school, please notify the front office. The office attendance line can be reached 24 hrs a day at 303-387-6677. The information you provide will be noted on my attendance sheet, so there is no need to contact me directly unless your student will be missing several days. If your child is unwell please keep them home. Students need to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. Please help keep our classroom healthy. 

Recess and Snack

Kindergarten has two snack times each day. Snacks are eaten at the beginning of each recess. Our scheduled recess times are at 9:50 am and 1:20 pm. We have snack time outside unless we are having inclement weather. Please send two healthy snacks and a full (labeled) water bottle with your child every day. Please do not send juice or sports drinks. 

Specials

Our students are fortunate to have amazing enrichment courses here at Cougar Run. Specials are one week long and rotate using the MAP acronym, Music, Art, P.E.. Tennis shoes are required for P.E. weeks. We will be going to the tech lab weekly, and technology will be integrated into the classroom daily. We also visit the library weekly. Please help remind your child of their responsibility to take care of their books and return them on time. 

Celebrations

We love celebrating birthdays! Treats are welcome but certainly are not mandatory. You may send them with your child in the morning or drop them off the day of before 10 am. We usually take our treats outside for afternoon recess and enjoy them before we play. Ready-to-eat finger foods like donuts, cupcakes, and cookies are the easiest to pass out. Please do not send anything that needs to be cut or any peanut or tree nut products. 

The class will celebrate certain holidays throughout the school year. I will work with our room parent to coordinate these events and you will receive details about the dates and activities closer to celebration time. 

Parents who are available to assist with the party are welcome to attend. Please sign up using our volunteer forms at balanced beginnings if you are interested in planning and helping with our celebrations. If your family celebrates a holiday that is not being represented on our calendar, please reach out to me. My goal is to expose the students to different cultures that make up our diverse community.

Communication

Good communication is key to a successful school year. I will keep you up to date with school happenings with my weekly newsletter that is sent via email. Please read through these every week. It will have important information regarding what we are learning and what is coming up. Most importantly, I include specific questions that you can ask your child to avoid getting the "school was good" answers when you ask about their day. If you are not receiving these emails please let me know right away. 

Email- questions or concerns? Please always feel free to email me at mellerson@dcsdk12.org . I will respond within 24 business hours. If you have an issue that needs immediate attention please leave a message in the office and it will be given to me ASAP. The main number is 303-387-6675.

As parents, you are your child's first and most important teacher. Your comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. You know your child better than anyone. I value your input. Together we can navigate a path to ensure your child is successful. I am willing to speak with you about your child's progress anytime throughout the year if the need arises. Please do not wait for conferences if you feel like an issue needs to be addressed. When we work together we make an amazing team.

Every Friday (sometimes Thursday if there is no school on Friday) your child will be sent home with a folder. There is often time-sensitive information inside our Friday folders. Please check this folder every weekend. Frequently there will be flyers that will inform you of special events happening at Cougar Run. Checking the folder will keep you in the know! Periodically you will find special homework assignments that need to be completed and returned by a certain date in this folder.  Please return empty folders on the following Monday. 

Conferences- Formal conferences are held twice a year. The first conference is in October and the second is in February. I will be sending out sign-ups as the date approaches.

Report Cards- Your child will receive two report cards, one in December and one in May. They will be available to review online in your parent portal via Infinite Campus. 

Daily Schedule

8:25-8:40 Line up outside 

8:40-9:00 Morning message and calendar

9:00-9:50 Literacy/ Reading rotations 

9:50-10:10 Recess and snack

10:10-10:50 Math

10:50 Wash hands and get ready for lunch

11:00-11:40 Lunch and recess

11:40-11:50 Mindful meditations to refocus and ready to learn 

11:50-12:40 Heggerty phonemic awareness practice and letter recognition/handwriting

12:40-1:20 Writing and Poems 

1:20-1:45 Recess and snack

1:45-2:00 Pack up backpacks and whole group read aloud

2:00-2:40 Specials

2:40-3:05 Discovery time

3:05-3:20 Community Circle

3:20 Dismissal Cougar Club and Bus Riders

3:25 Dismissal at front doors of Cougar Run 

Please note this is a typical day schedule. We also incorporate social-emotional learning, social studies, and science throughout the year.