Informational Packet

Here is some additional Information about Kindergarten!

Mrs. Russo’s ABCs of Kindergarten

Absenteeism- Please phone the school office as early as possible to report your child’s absence. The office will notify me of the absence. If you are aware that your child will be missing school for a period of time, please send a note in your child’s folder to inform me of this. In addition, please send a doctor’s note if your child has visited the doctor. These notes will stay in your child’s permanent record. You will be contacted if your child misses more than 8 days of school.

Birthdays- We will celebrate each child’s birthday in our class. Please let me know if your family does not celebrate birthdays or if you r child has any food restrictions. If your child has a summer birthday, we will celebrate at the end of the year. You may send in a special pre-packaged treat (no homemade snacks) with your child. We usually celebrate birthdays during snack time. Please send me a note a few days before your child’s birthday so we can make plans.

Breakfast - Breakfast is served in the cafeteria every morning from 8:30 – 8:50. The cost of breakfast is $1.40. Your child will stop by the cafeteria and take his/her lunch card. An adult will be in the cafeteria to assist your child. I will be in the classroom assisting the other students. If your child forgets to go or is not at school by 8:50, I cannot allow your child to go. The cafeteria closes for breakfast at 8:50.

Clothing- All removable clothing items (coats, sweaters, jackets) must be labeled with your child's first and last name. Please teach your child how to buckle his or her own belt, zip his or her coat and tie his or her own shoes. Please do not send your child to school in clothes that he or she cannot operate as this makes it increasingly difficult when your child needs to use the restroom or cannot tie his or her shoes for recess. Closed-toed shoes must be worn every day. Please send an extra set of clothing (labeled with your child's name) to be kept in your child’s cubby.

Communication with Home - Our class website is https://sites.google.com/hsdr3.org/russos-roundup. This website contains most classroom information that you may need. Every Friday I send home a newsletter to keep you informed of upcoming activities in the classroom. I also check your child’s folder every morning for notes from you. Please make sure you check your child’s folder daily. Empty out the contents inside and discuss them with your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me, write me a note or call and leave me a message. I will return your call or respond to your note/email as soon as possible. Please try to avoid coming to the classroom to discuss major concerns during school hours. This time is devoted to the children in the classroom. The children need my undivided attention and any concerns would be best discussed in private. If you would like to schedule a time to meet with me, please contact me to arrange a time. I do conduct scheduled parent/teacher conferences at the end of the first quarter and third quarter (if necessary).

Curriculum-

Math – Your child will be involved in a mathematics program by Scott Foresman. This program is designed to help children learn a wide range of math concepts as well as to ensure knowledge of basic arithmetic skills. During the school year, the children will work with concepts of sorting and classifying, positions and locations, patterns, numbers zero to ten, comparing numbers, geometry, fractions and ordinals, measurement, addition and subtraction, larger numbers, money, time, calendar, graphing and problem solving.

Handwriting – The students will learn to write their letters using the Zaner-Bloser method of writing. Please encourage your child to practice writing his or her first and last name by capitalizing only the first letter of his or her name and writing all the other letters in his or her name lowercase. We will work on pencil grip, left to right progression and the basic strokes for printing upper and lowercase letters. When your child is writing letters or numbers, please encourage him or her to begin at the top of the letter or number.

Language Arts – This area of study will include content areas such as reading, writing and word study, as well as speaking and listening. We will use the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt series called Journeys for our reading series. The children will learn to recognize upper and lowercase letters, recognize grade level reading words, use sound spelling (invented spelling) in their writing and apply concepts of print. If your child does not know how to spell a word, I encourage you to ask your child to “sound it out” or find the appropriate place to find the word (i.e. dictionary, labels, etc.). I encourage you to read at least one book a night to your child. Research has shown that children who are exposed to reading at a young age can easily transition into the world of reading and writing.

Science – Throughout the school year, the students will be introduced to many science concepts such as animal studies, plants, weather, seasons, force and motion, five senses, sound, sun, moon and stars and magnets. During this time, we will use the Scott Foresman Science series. This series will also be supplemented with many hands-on activities.

Social Studies – The content area of this part of our curriculum is learned through many of our daily activities. Your child will learn about rules, laws, our community, symbols of our nation, maps and globes and economic concepts. We will learn about jobs and community helpers as well as families and how to get along in our classroom.

Phonics- This year we will begin using Pathways. Your child will learn to read and write using sounds and spelling patterns. These sounds and patterns are introduced one at a time, and slowly built into words, syllables, phrases, and sentences.

First Day Procedures- If you decide that your child will ride the bus regularly, I strongly suggest that he or she do so on the first day of school. School staff will personally greet all the buses and the children will be escorted to their classrooms. Please be sure your child wears his or her bus badge during the first week of school. Also, please check that the bus route number on your child’s badge is correct. If your child rides a different bus home than they do to school, please make sure this is indicated on their badge. This system is established for children to successfully develop self-confidence and independence while being safe. Many times the first day is much harder on the parent than the child. Letting go can be difficult. Please do not let your doubts, nervousness or tears dampen your child’s enthusiasm. Discuss fears and anxieties with your child while being positive and reassuring.

Grading Papers- All papers your child completes will come home with a smiley face, or checkmark. My grading system is as follows: Smiley Face, Sticker or Star- Paper is completed. Directions successfully followed. Name is written. Work is neat and all correct. Check mark or stamp (completed with teacher’s help) Paper is incomplete. Directions not followed. Name is missing. Messy.

Infinite Campus Grade Book- The tests your child completes throughout the year will be entered into the grade book. You can keep track of your child’s grades using the Infinite Campus Portal. This can be found at https://campus.hillsboro.k12.mo.us/campus/portal/hillsboro.jsp. Each week I will update your child’s grades using Infinite Campus.

Lunch Choices- Your child can bring a lunch from home with a drink or he or she can purchase milk from the cafeteria. We do not have refrigeration for student lunches and we do not warm up (microwave) lunches brought from home. Your child can purchase a full lunch for $2.30. There are at least two menu choices each day (ex. chicken or sandwich).

The menu is sent home the first week of each month. I will be eating lunch in the cafeteria for the first few days of school, while the children are learning the lunch routine. I will also, help the children through the lunch line and make sure they get their meals.

We use a charge card system to pay for lunches. Each child will receive a plastic card with his or her name on it. It will be swiped for each cafeteria purchase. When your child’s card is swiped, the amount will be deducted from your child’s account. You may pay breakfast/lunch money at any time in advance or the day of the purchase. Please send money to school in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, grade, teacher, amount and what the amount is for (ex. breakfast/lunch or book order). You may pay with cash or a check made payable to “Hillsboro Primary”. Please place your child’s breakfast/lunch money in his or her folder. I will then send the money to the office where it will be placed in your child’s account. You can also pay for your child's meals using www.paypams.com. This website is also great for keeping track of your child's meal account balance. The children will be taught to get their meal card and will be responsible for having it when they walk through the lunch (or breakfast) line. They will also be responsible for not breaking or bending their meal card.

If your child comes to school and forgets his or her lunch, he or she will be given a school lunch and his or her account will be charged. If your child has a negative balance on his or her meal account, a note will be sent home notifying you that it is negative. At this time, your child may continue to buy breakfasts/lunches. If your child has a negative balance of $10.00 or more, he or she will not be denied a breakfast/lunch, but your child will not be given a full tray at breakfast and will be served a peanut butter sandwich (or a turkey or cheese sandwich if your child is allergic to peanut butter), a fruit, a vegetable and milk at lunch until the account is paid.

Math Homework

Throughout the school year your child will have math homework. These pages coincide with what your child is learning in the classroom. The homework pages will give your child practice on the skill he or she is learning and quality time with you as well. Our math series is separated into topics. When we begin a new topic, your child will come home with several math pages stapled together. The pages do have a front and back.

Your child does not have to complete all the pages at one time. After your child completes the entire stapled packet, he or she needs to bring it back to school. The math homework packet is due at the end of the topic (before the test. I will write the test date in the Russo Report). When your child brings back the homework pages, he or she will be able to choose a treasure from the treasure box. The next set of homework pages will be sent home when we begin the next topic.

Medication/Illness- If your child has health concerns, please write a note to the nurse and notify me as soon as possible. If your child has medication that he or she takes during the day (or if your child becomes sick and the doctor prescribes medicine), please notify the nurse. The nurse will then contact me so I know when to send your child down for his or her medication. Please keep current all contact numbers in case of a medical emergency or sickness. Children with a temperature or who vomit must wait 24 hours until he/she returns to school.

Messages- Whenever there is a need to contact me, please leave me a message on my voicemail (636-789-0000) or phone the school office and leave a message (636-789-0050). Your call will be returned as soon as possible. Please note that I will call you during my free periods or before/after school. Typically, my first free period is not until late afternoon. Please be informed that many times calls coming from classroom telephones will show up as an unknown caller on caller ID. If you have your phone set to not accept unknown callers I will not be able to contact you. Also, I will not take phone calls while I am teaching/with the students, unless it is an emergency. This is a time of learning that should be fully devoted to the students. If there is an emergency, please contact the office at 636-789-0050. You can also write a note and I will write you back that day. Please leave all notes in your child’s folder. You may also contact me by email at russo_melinda@hsdr3.org. I check my email during my free periods and before/after school, so I will respond as soon as possible.

Personal Information- Most kindergarten students are very excited about school. However, they may also feel some anxiety. In order to make your child feel more secure, it is a good idea to help your child learn the following information: full name, address, telephone number, name of school and bus route number.

Reading Folders-The students will have reading folders, which will be their reading homework. I typically begin reading folders second semester. In the reading folder, there will be a book at your child’s reading level and a worksheet to go along with the story. Your child will independently read the story (assist if necessary). After reading ask your child some questions to get him or her thinking about what he or she has just read. For example: who was in the story, where did the story take place, etc. Lastly, help your child complete the worksheet. After completing all activities, your child will return the folder back to school. When your child returns his or her signed folder with the book and worksheet, he or she will receive a sticker that will be placed in the folder. When your child receives 5 stickers he or she may choose from the treasure box. This is a great way to show your child the importance of reading and how much fun it can be. With your cooperation, my goal is to have each child reading independently at a level B by the end of kindergarten.

School Hours/Transportation - School begins at 8:50 am. Children may enter the classroom at 8:30. Buses will begin dropping the children off at 8:30 am. If you are bringing your child to school, you can drop your child between 8:30-8:50. Note: After 8:50 the cafeteria closes for breakfast. If you drop your child off before 8:30, he or she will need to go to the cafeteria until 8:30. There is no direct adult supervision before 8:20. Please do not drop your child off in the classroom before 8:30. During this time I am preparing for the day and I may be in and out of the classroom.

When your child arrives, he or she will be asked to complete a morning routine, which includes turning in his or her folder and making his or her lunch choice. Your child will then complete his or her morning work. When your child has finished the required morning activities, he or she may socialize and have a free choice period until clean up at approximately 9:10.

School is dismissed at 3:40 pm. I will walk the children to the buses and make sure each child is on the correct bus. If your child is to ride a different bus or to be picked up, I must have a written note or you must call the office (636-789-0050). If I do not receive notification from you, I will send the child to the bus he or she normally rides.

If your child will be picked up from school on a regular basis, you will need to contact the office to sign your child up for "rider row". Your child will then be released along with the

other children being picked up at approximately 3:35. The children all meet in the cafeteria for “rider row”. The rider row staff will then release your child to you according to rider row procedures. You must sign up in the office in order for your child to be released in this manner.

If your child is to be picked up occasionally, you must enter the school and sign your child out in the office.

Snack-We have a daily afternoon snack in kindergarten. All students will be responsible for bringing their own small snack every day. Please send your child's snack in a different container separate from your child's lunch box. Many times, students confuse their snack for their lunch, so please talk to your child about what he or she is to have for lunch and where your child's snack is located in his or her backpack. This snack must be an already prepared item that your child can eat in the allotted 15 minutes. We will not have refrigeration for snacks. If your child forgets a snack one day, he or she will not be provided with a snack by the school. A good idea is to place your child’s snack in a labelled Ziplock bag.

Star Student- I will be sending home a “Star Student” schedule the first few days of school. On the Friday before your child is “Star of the Week,” I will send home a poster that you and your child can fill out and decorate. Please send the poster back on Monday. This allows each child to have his or her own special week to be recognized by the class. Your child will have a chance to talk about him or herself and what makes him or her special.

Toys -Toys are not allowed in the classroom. In the past bringing toys to school has become a problem because toys become lost, stolen or broken. Please remind your child that all toys must stay at home. This includes purses and lipsticks as well as cars and cards. If students do bring these items to school and they are causing a disruption during learning times, your child will be asked to place the item in his or her backpack. If the item is not put away or taken out later during the day, I will take the item. The item will be returned at the end of the day.