ABC's of Kinder!

Acceptance - In our classroom, students will treat classmates and others with respect. All members of our classroom will feel special because we will accept everyone, regardless of the ways we are different.

Attendance - If your child must be absent, be sure to call the school office (570-7000) the day of the absence. The day the student returns to school, please send a note stating the dates of and reason for the absence.

Birthday Celebrations - Your child’s birthday is a special day in our room! If your child has a summer birthday we will celebrate at the end of the school year. Invitations to a party outside of school may not be passed out in class unless all children are invited. We do not want to hurt any of our friend’s feelings. Leander policy does not allow sweet treats to be eaten at school. Other birthday treats are welcome (pencils, erasers, stickers, bouncy balls, etc.). Thank you for understanding.

Book Orders - I will send home book orders to provide you with an opportunity to purchase quality literature for your child at a reasonable price. Your purchases also earn points that we use to purchase more books or materials for our classroom. If you choose to order books, please make checks payable to the book club, not to me. Online ordering is simple and easy. Use our class code P7B7V when ordering. Orders usually arrive within 5-7 business days.

Box Tops For Education - Please save your box-tops from General Mills Products as they will contribute money to our school for each label. It is helpful if you put your box tops in an envelope or zip-lock bag with my name, student’s name and the quantity enclosed. Box Tops are also a fun friendly competition within our school and a traveling trophy is awarded each month to the class that turns in the most Box Tops. The grade level class with the most Box Tops at the end of the school year will receive a popsicle party. I am looking for a Box Top Volunteer to help trim, count, and turn in monthly. J

Change of Address - It is very important that the information I have on file is current. If, for some reason your address, any phone number, email, or place of employment changes during the year, please send a note to the office and to me.

Communication - You may contact me any time by email, notes in your child’s Daily Take Home Folder, or by calling. I check email daily and return phone calls at the end of the day. You will receive a weekly newsletter via e-mail, which will keep you up-to-date on events and units of study.

Conferences - At the close of the first nine weeks of school, we will have a parent/teacher conference. At this conference, we will discuss your child’s strengths and weaknesses, homework, District Assessment results, and behavior. We will also address any questions you may have. You are welcome to schedule a conference with me at any point throughout the school year. Send a note or call to arrange a conference time. Student Led Conferences will be held in May.

Cooking – Every Friday kinder cooks with the letter of the week. I am looking for a parent volunteer that can commit to every Friday. Please make sure you share any dietary restrictions. More details to come.

Daily Reading Take Home Folder - This is your child’s biggest responsibility as it is our primary form of daily communication. I need each student to return the folder to school daily, signed by you. Inside the folder, you will find a behavior sheet (if needed), leveled readers with a recording log, and your child’s daily work. Each child will receive a smiley face stamp to remind them of the wonderful day they had. It is very important to check this folder every day. Please read, sign, and remove their daily work. Please use this folder to send notes to me, lunch money, and to return homework.

Differentiate Instruction - All children are unique and special. I know that students in my class will be at many different instructional levels. I believe it is my responsibility to take each child from where he is to a higher level. Children will be taught on their level so that your child’s individual needs will be met.

Discipline - We will be very busy learning and having fun, so I do not anticipate any problems. I have a classroom management plan in place where my students will make up a Social Contract based on appropriate classroom behavior. Positive reinforcement is used to encourage students to make good choices. The children will receive a smiley face in their take home folder at the end of the day if they “stay on green.” When they have 5 smiley faces, they will pick something from the “treasure box.” If a student chooses not to follow our Social Contract, they will receive a verbal warning. If the inappropriate behavior continues, they will be asked to change their color from “green” to “yellow” (5 minutes of timeout). Orange means 10 minutes of timeout. Red means a phone call home to Mom or Dad.

Dress - Kindergarten is a very busy place that sometimes gets messy! Dress your child so that he is ready for action and artwork, including painting and stamping. We will have recess every day. So your child needs to wear sneakers or closed toed shoes every day. When cold weather comes we will go outside to play unless it is extremely cold. Please keep a change of clothes in your child’s backpack just in case of messes beyond repair. Remember to change out the clothes as the seasons change.

Early Pick-up - If it is necessary that you pick up your child early on a given day, please send a note letting me know the time, so I can have your child ready to go.

Family - It is very important to me that the children and I come together as a family. We work together, learn together, play together, and much, much more. From the start, I encourage the children to respect, love, and take care of each other.

Field Trips - Kindergarten will be taking a field trip this year. Details will be provided when the time approaches. Permission slips must be signed and returned to me before the field trip in order for your child to participate. Volunteers are welcome and must go through the Leander ISD Volunteer process (on the Westside homepage).

Good Behavior - It is expected!

Handbook, Westside Elementary - It will be emailed to you during the first days of school. Please read through it carefully for important school wide information.

Hands-On Activities - The best way to help children learn is to make learning fun. I do not assign seatwork and worksheets for the majority of the day. I like to provide fun, meaningful, hands-on activities that help students learn important concepts.

Homework - Your child will have homework in kindergarten. This is done to compliment classroom instruction, and to foster responsibility in your child. Of course, I know at this age, homework responsibility is dependent on the parents. I will count on your help. As it becomes appropriate for your child, I will send home readers with your child daily. Our reading goal is an Independent Level 4 plus 25 Sight Words.

Independence - Your child is now in Big School! Kindergarten is a great time for him to learn responsibility. Please allow your child to do things by himself at school and at home. After a few days, I expect your child to be able to walk in to the classroom by himself, unpack, and be ready for the day.

Jam-Packed - Kindergarten is an incredibly busy place! It will be jam-packed full of fun and learning!

Jobs - Students in my classroom will practice responsibility and teamwork through classroom jobs. The children usually love to have a classroom job and can’t wait until it is their turn for one of their favorites!

Kindness - Students in my classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our class as well as others with kindness and respect. Hitting, fighting, name-calling, and making fun of others will not be tolerated.

Label - Please label everything that your child brings to school. This is especially important for jackets, backpacks, and lunchboxes. Be sure to check the school Lost and Found if you have lost anything as it always seems to be full!

Library- We will begin going to the library once a week as soon as it is up and running. The students will get to check out one book to take home. Please help in making sure your child’s library book is returned by the designated library day each week.

Lunch - You are welcome to come have lunch with your child. You may eat food from the cafeteria or bring food in from the home or a restaurant. At the beginning of each month, a menu of cafeteria lunches will be sent home with your child. If your child brings his lunch, I highly recommend that you keep at least a few dollars in his lunch account. Even if your child brings his lunch most of the time, it is nice to know that he can receive a cafeteria lunch if the need arises, such as the infamous forgotten lunchbox left on the bus. If your child buys his lunch from the school cafeteria, you will need to keep money in his account. It is more convenient for the child, and he does not have the burden of keeping up with money that may get lost! You may send a check made out to our school for any amount you would like to deposit in your child’s lunch account. If you do send money with your child in his Daily Folder, please put it in an envelope with your child’s name and what it is to be used for. When your child’s account starts to get low, your child will receive a notice to take home. Please put your driver’s license number and phone number on the check. You can also add money online using your child’s lunch #.

Math - Your child will have a daily math lesson. These lessons are always hands-on activities that are fun and meaningful. He will also have lots of practice with math skills through learning centers and at various times throughout the day.

Money - All money that is sent to school must be in an envelope, labeled with your child’s name and what it is to be used for. Many times I have to return money because it is not in an envelope and the child has no idea for what the money is intended.

Music - Music is a very important part of our classroom. I firmly believe that children can learn important facts through song, as well as rhyme and rhythm. We will learn a variety of fun, educational songs. Your child will also be going to music class during the year.

Newsletter - You will receive a weekly Class Newsletter via e-mail. (It will also be posted on our classroom website.) The newsletter provides important information that lets you know about happenings in our classroom. Please take the time to read over it. It is also a great springboard for conversation with your child about what he has been doing in class!

Nurse - We are very fortunate to have a nurse at our school. I take care of minor hurts in the classroom, such as minor scratches and scrapes. Most of the time, students will only be sent to the nurse if they are running temperature or if they are in some sort of accident on the playground. If your child needs to take medicine during the school day, you must drop the medicine off at the nurse’s office. The nurse is the only person allowed to administer medicine to the children. Please do not send your child to school with a fever. We do not want others in our classroom to become sick.

Ownership - One of my many goals is to help children become motivated to learn for learning’s sake, not just because it is something they are expected to do. Students are encouraged to learn something new each and every day, and in this way they are taking ownership of their own learning.

Parental Involvement - I would love for all parents to be involved in the education of their child. Keeping involved in your child’s education will assure a successful school career for him. There are many ways to become involved: joining and participating in PTA, offering to volunteer for school activities, helping with homework, attending fun events, Watch Dogs and communicating with me. I will have many Volunteer opportunities as there are so many ways to help our class!

Parties - We will have a Christmas and an End of Year party this year. We will also likely have many other fun events for parents to attend and become involved in. The Room Parent will be responsible for organizing these events. So much help is needed to pull off these events, please sign up so we can count on you to help!

PTA - The PTA does wonderful things for our school! I hope everyone will join this year and support our school. Please try to attend our PTA meetings.

Questions - Please feel free to talk to me anytime you have questions about something. You may contact me any time by email, notes in your child’s Daily Take Home Folder or by calling.

Reading - Your child will learn to read in kindergarten! Of course, this will not happen overnight, and your help will be needed. Studies have shown that those children whose parents are actively involved in the reading process will become proficient readers. Reading to your child, and listening to him read to you at home are of the highest importance. Reading happens in stages. Your child may come to school already reading at some level. It is my job to move your child to a higher level and to make sure all of the necessary skills are in place. This is achieved by matching your child to the appropriate text and by providing challenges and the reading strategies to attack those challenges. I want your child to LOVE reading. Reading is a complex process for a child and all attempts and successes must be celebrated! I will give you lots of information in my newsletters about how to help your child with reading.

Report Cards - Students will receive report cards at the end of each nine weeks. I ask that you sign and return them to school as quickly as possible. You will be given your child’s first report card at our conference in October.

Rest - We do not have rest time. There is no need to send in a rest towel.

Schedule - I will send home a detailed schedule of our day.

Science/Social Studies - The weekly Newsletter will let you know the current unit of study in our classroom. I encourage you to support this learning at home. If you have something (book, item, picture, etc.) that would support the learning, please share.

Show and Tell - I want my students to feel confident speaking to a group, and to learn proper voice level as well as questioning skills. We will have Show and Tell every Friday. Your child may bring in an item that is special to them. Items for Show and Tell must fit inside the backpack.

Snacks – We will have a morning snack each day. This is the student’s responsibility. Due to dietary restrictions we will not have a shared class snack. These snacks will come from home. I encourage healthy snacks as well as easy snacks for clean-up. Please send a labeled water bottle each day. Water helps fuel the brain and is needed at recess, especially on warmer days.

Student of the Week - Your child will have an opportunity to be the student of the week sometime during the year. I will let you know when it is your child’s turn and how you can help. Student of the Week will bring in an All About Me Poster to share on Friday. We also cook on Fridays, we will be cooking a healthy snack that goes with the letter of the week. The Student of the Week provides the ingredients for cooking that week. If your child has any food allergies, please notify me ASAP. The children love making treats and the hands-on activities involved. I appreciate your donations!

Supplies - I will keep your child’s extra supplies and will give them to him as needed. We will likely need additional supplies throughout the year. I will let you know if your child runs out of something. I often put extra supplies that may be needed for the class on my weekly newsletter.

Talking - As I have said before, our classroom is an active place. Talking to friends about feelings and ideas is an important part of learning. However, there are times that I need your child to listen so that I can give directions and important information. We will practice appropriate times to talk and when to listen.

Tardies - Please make sure that your child is on time to school each day. Good habits begin early. When he is late, he misses out on important announcements and instructional time. School begins at 7:45 and children are dismissed at 2:45. If your child arrives late, he will need to stop by the office and sign in before coming to class.

Transportation - If there is any change in the way your child is getting home from school, please send a note or call the office by 2:00 PM to notify us of the changes. The note should provide the date, my name, your child’s name, the mode of transportation normally used and the mode that will be used that day. NOTE: If the child is a bus rider, please provide the bus number. This protects your child as well as the school. Your child will not be allowed to change his transportation without parent notification. Thank you for your cooperation!

Understanding - I believe that I am a very understanding person. If you have any concerns or questions, please bring them to my attention.

Volunteering - Believe me, I need all the help I can get! I am often in need of parents to prepare materials for learning activities. Many times this work can be done at home or at school, so let me know what will work for you! You will have the chance to sign up for opportunities at Open House, and again at Parent Orientation. There will also be other opportunities that arise throughout the year that will be communicated in the weekly Newsletter. You must be an approved volunteer with the district in order to participate. You can register for this online.

Working Together - Parents and teachers are a team. We need to communicate and work together so your child will have a successful year.

Wednesday ROCKET Folders – These folders go home every Wednesday. They will contain district info and often community news.

I am so eXcited about being your child’s teacher at Westside Elementary!

Year Long Learning and Fun - I am looking forward to working with and getting to know each one of you. Your child will learn a lot this year, and will be sure to have lots of fun in the process.

Zooming - As I said before, kindergarten is jam-packed with lots of learning and tons of FUN!