Click the link above to fill out a survey about your child! We will use these responses to build our classes for next year!
Click the link above to fill out a survey about your child! We will use these responses to build our classes for next year!
Welcome to Cross Oaks: Welcome to Cross Oaks Elementary! We are excited to partner with you and your child on this new journey! The following paragraphs will give general information that you will need to know for Kindergarten.
Lunch: Students will eat lunch in the cafeteria every day. Students may bring lunch from home or they may eat a school lunch from the cafeteria. For pricing information and to look at the menu please visit: www.dentonisd.org/childnutrition
Snack: We will have a daily healthy snack. If students wish, they can bring healthy snacks to eat and water to drink. Some examples of healthy snacks include: fruit (already cut, peeled, or sliced), vegetables, cheese and crackers, pretzels, fruit roll-ups, yogurt, applesauce, etc… Candy, chips, cookies and soft drinks should not be sent for snack. Water bottles can be used throughout the day. Students will have opportunities to refill them. Leaky water bottles will be emptied and sent home.
Food Allergies: Please notify our school nurse during registration of any food allergies your child may have. Each teacher will communicate with their classroom families regarding food restrictions due to allergies. In the cafeteria, there is a special area reserved for students with severe food allergies.
Daily Schedule:
Below are the minutes we spend in each instructional and non-instructional area. Formalized schedules will be shared with families at the beginning of the year:
Literacy Block: 120 minutes
Math Block: 90 minutes
Science/Social Studies: 30 minutes
Recess/Lunch: 60 minutes
Specials areas (art, music, P.E., library): 50 minutes
Developmental Centers: 30 minutes
More about curriculum:
Reading:
Fosters a love of reading
Understanding books and making connections to self through read alouds
Retelling and literary elements
Shared Reading: reading with the teacher and whole class
Independent and partner reading time to practice learned skills
Guided reading: reading with small group and teacher to focus on specific skills based on reading ability
Writing:
Writing Units of Study
Informational
Narrative
Pattern Books
How To
Persuasive
Shared Writing, Interactive Writing, Mini-lessons and Independent Writing
Teachers conference with each child to tell them what they are doing well and what will elevate their writing with an achievable goal.
Phonics:
Meaning before memorization
Learning letters and sounds with songs and connections to book characters and students in class
Snap Words (Sight Word, High Frequency Words)
Building early literacy skills through rhyming, segmenting, and creating words.
Math:
Engaging and hands on
Explore with manipulatives
Building early numeracy skills
Songs, movement, and literature are connected to topics covered
Workshop Model: Short whole group lessons followed by small group or individual exploration
Units include: basic numeracy to 20, comparing numbers, 2D/3D shapes, addition and subtraction, measuring, and data analysis.
Science and Social Studies:
Hands-on and engaging.
Whole or small group mini lessons followed by opportunities to investigate and explore.
Connections made to real world studies such as: citizenship, authority figures, culture and holidays, energy, plants, landforms, properties of matter, and the five senses.
Guidance:
The guidance counselor works closely with our students each week on:
Social-emotional skills
Managing feelings
How to be part of a classroom community
District Grading Policy:
Denton ISD uses standard-based grading.
Level 1: Beginning
Level 2: Progressing/still developing
Level 3: Performing at grade level
Much of our work in Kindergarten is hands on and therefore not a lot of papers go home. Report cards are online and available for viewing at the end of each 9 week grading period.
Progress monitoring:
Students are given district assessments three times per year on early literacy skills and primary math skills.
Each teacher will meet with students one on one or in small groups throughout the week to provide targeted instruction based on student academic needs.