The ABC's of Kindergarten
A kindergarten handbook for Mrs. Bloom's Class
A
Absence: Please send in a written excuse each time your child is absent from school.
Arrival: Students should arrive between 7:10 and 7:40 a.m. The bell will ring at 7:40 a.m. After 7:40 a.m. the students will be marked tardy.
Art: The students will attend art class with Mrs. Walsh once a week on Mondays during our specials time.
B
Backpacks: A backpack is extremely helpful for getting things to and from school. Please be sure and put your child’s name on the bag to avoid confusion.
Beach: Our theme for the classroom is the beach. Our room will be decorated just like if we were on vacation at the beach.
Beach Buddy of the Week: Each child will get the chance to be the Beach Buddy of the week. During this week, the child will get to share pictures and his/her special surprise sack. The students will help me make a book for our special friend.
Birthdays: Birthdays are very special occasions for children. We love to celebrate birthdays in my classroom. On your child’s birthday, he/she will get to a wear a birthday crown, be our leader of the day, and take home our special birthday bag. You will also have the opportunity of sending in a birthday treat for your child. We will celebrate summer birthdays during the last few weeks of school.
Book Orders: Every month, I will send home a Scholastic Book Club Catalog for you and your child to look over. These clubs offer wonderful books at reduced prices---what a great way to build your home library! You can either set up an account online or send your order in to me and I’ll order it for you.
Breakfast: If your child is interested, breakfast will be served in the cafeteria everyday from 7:10 to 7:40a.m. The cost is $1.05. When breakfast is over, your child will walk to our classroom. There will be teachers in both the cafeteria and halls in case your child gets lost in the hallways. I’ll go ahead and get a count of who is eating breakfast in the cafeteria and I will buddy up these kids so they can walk back to the room together.
Book Buddy Bags: Each child has a guided reading folder/book buddy bag. Inside the folder will be the book that your child worked on during guided reading. Your child will be asked to read the book to at least 2 people. Your child may keep these books at home so they can keep practicing becoming fluent readers.
Buddy Bags: To help make kindergarten extra special, the children will take turns taking home our buddy bags. Each buddy bag has a different theme. Our buddy bags include: Look What’s Missing! (tooth bag), Boo Boo bag, Trip bag, Adventures with Sammy the Shark, etc.
Buddy Bags: To help make kindergarten extra special, the children will take turns taking home our buddy bags. Each buddy bag has a different theme. Our buddy bags include: Look What’s Missing! (tooth bag), Boo Boo bag, Trip bag, Adventures with Sammy the Shark, etc.
C
Centers: During the week, the kids will participate in centers. For the first couple of weeks, the children will do free choice centers. We will then move to structured centers along with free choice centers.
Change of Clothes: Each child will be asked to bring in 1 complete extra change of clothes (including socks and underwear) just in case we have any accidents.
Change of Clothes: Each child will be asked to bring in 1 complete extra change of clothes (including socks and underwear) just in case we have any accidents.
Change of Transportation: If you need to change the way your child goes home, you must send in a note letting us know the change of transportation. We cannot send home your child a different way unless there is a note from you. We will always have your child go home the way you told us unless there is a note.
Checking Out Early: If your child needs to leave school early, you must come to the front office and sign him/her out. They will then call down to the classroom and we will bring your child up to the office. Your child can not check out unless you have come in and signed them out.
Class Awards: I love to give out class awards. I think it is so important for the children to get praised for great work. Some awards include: the clean-up award, caught being good, special friend award, good manners award, etc.
Class books: The kids will be using their writing skills to create class books. These books are really cute and creative. The kids will be taking these books home and sharing them with their families. At the end of the year, each child will get to bring home and keep 3 of these books.
Class books: The kids will be using their writing skills to create class books. These books are really cute and creative. The kids will be taking these books home and sharing them with their families. At the end of the year, each child will get to bring home and keep 3 of these books.
Class Pets: We have 2 class pets, Sammy the Shark (stuffed animal) and Stanley the Fish (Beta fish) in our classroom. Each child will take home Sammy for a fun weekend. The children can also take home Stanley
Class projects; Each month, your child will get to engage in a fun themed activity. The child and his/her family will complete this at home. For example, in November, the kids decorate Tom Turkey to help disguise him for Thanksgiving.
Communication: You can contact me by email mrsbloomskindergarten@yahoo.com or blooma@fultonschools.org. You can also call me at (678) 677-2690. I will check my email daily. The easiest way to get in touch with me is through email. You will receive my information card during Sneak Peek.
Computers: We are fortunate enough to have three computers in our classroom. We use a variety of age-appropriate programs that reinforce math, readiness and reading skills. Children will work on the computers during our work groups.
Conferences: Parent conferences will be held during October. We will be able to discuss your child's accomplishments, strengths, and overall progress. Please feel free to schedule additional conferences at any time throughout the year if the need arises. You will be able to sign-up for conferences on Curriculum night.
Cooking: Each Friday during language groups, the children will get to cook a yummy snack. Each child will be given a special job during our cooking. Our cooking treat usually goes along with the theme we are focusing on. Each family will be assigned a week to bring in the ingredients for our cooking snack.
Cubbies: Each child will have his/her own cubby where he/she can put his/her personal belongings (coats, lunch boxes, change of clothes, etc).
Curriculum Night/Open house: You will be invited to come to our classroom on Monday, August 25 th from 7 to 8 p.m. for Curriculum Night. You will get to see what kindergarten is all about. You will receive more information about this.
D
Discipline: We use a clip system for discipline. The children will move a clip each time he/she chooses to not follow the class rules. There will be a five step discipline program (warning, time out, time out in another classroom, note home, principal). When the children have moved 2 clips, he/she will have to sit in our “thinking chair” to think about their behavior. Each day that your child does not move a clip, he/she gets to add a sticker to his/her special card. When the card is filled up, he/she gets to visit our treasure box. We also have a Caught Being Good Jar. When we see a friend making a good choice, he/she will get to add his/her name on a special ticket that goes in this jar. At the end of the week, I will choose 10 names out the jar and these kids will get a special surprise from our treasure box. On the days where no one moves a clip, we will add a penny to our piggy bank. When we get 15 pennies, we will get to have a class celebration. We will vote on what celebration we want to have (popsicles, popcorn, ice cream, movies, etc).
Dismissal: We have a very organized method for transportation. We always have a teacher with your child at all times during dismissal. We have our assistants take the kids out for carpool, daycare, and walkers. The teachers walk the kids down to the cafeteria for bus dismissal and they personally walk the kids to their buses.
Donations: Throughout the year, we will ask for class donations. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.
E
Emergency Cards: Please complete and return the emergency card promptly. If any of your information changes during the year, please let us know so we can make note of the changes.
F
Field Day: Towards the end of the year, the whole school participates in Field Day. During this day, we will participate in a variety of fun, active events. We will be placed on a team and we will earn points for the events that we win. The kids always look forward to Field Day.
Five Stars of Writing: This is an important phrase that we refer to during our writing. We usually don’t introduce this phrase until the kids are writing words and forming sentences. There are five things we want to make sure we always include in our writing: Did I start my sentence with an uppercase letter? Are there finger spaces between my words? Did I finish my sentence with an ending point? Are all the rest of the letters in my sentence lowercase (except for beginning letters of important words)? Did I include phonetically spelled words in my writing?
Folders: Your child will have a folder to carry messages and information to and from school. Please have your child remove the notes and papers each day from this folder. It is very important that your child brings this folder to school each day.
G
Guidance Counselor: We are very fortunate to have a wonderful guidance counselor, Sabrina Hill, at our school. She will be coming in once a month to teach us a lesson.
H
Hands on learning: I feel that the best way to help children learn is to make learning fun. Important concepts can be learned by doing meaningful hands-on activities.
Health: Please let me know if your child has any allergies, especially food allergies. I will send home a form at sneak peek. It is very important that I have this information since we do cooking each Friday.
Home reading program: Every month, each child will bring home a Read-aloud Chart. On this chart, you will record the titles of all the books that you read to your child (or your child reads to you). At the end of the month, when the chart is returned to school, your child gets to visit our treasure box for a special surprise.
Homework: Each week, your child will be asked to complete our kindergarten grade level homework. I will also occasionally send home activities that I would like the children to complete at home. It is very important for the children to complete the homework. It always reinforces skills and concepts that we are working on in the classroom. Grade level kindergarten homework will start in October.
I
Illness: The question of when to keep your child home from school is often a difficult one, especially when decisions must be made first thing in the morning. It is important, however, to keep your child home if he/she is ill. This helps to make them more comfortable and prevents others from becoming ill. Children function more effectively in the classroom when they are healthy.
I Can Read! Books: In January, your child will participate in I Can Read! Each week, your child will get to choose a book to take home and read to his/her families. The children will also answer questions about their books. The questions will focus on story elements.
Identification: Please put your child’s name on everything he/she brings to school.
Igloo: To help us get ready for the chilly winter, we will turn our reading center into the North Pole. We will be making an igloo in our reading center and we will take turns reading in it.
Independent: In kindergarten, we focus on helping the children become independent. Please encourage your child to be independent at home. In first grade, the children are expected to do many things independently.
J
Jobs: Each day, the children will take turns choosing jobs. Our class jobs include: fish feeder, clean-up monitor, door holder, leader of the day, weather wizard, and material passer.
Journals: One strategy that will be used to help convey the vital concept that “print conveys meaning” is the frequent use of journal writing. In these journals, the kindergartners combine their emerging writing skills with their drawing skills. As the children are exposed to a variety of phonics and reading experiences, journal entries will move from drawings and “inventive” spellings towards more conventional writing.
K
Kindness; Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our class as well as others with kindness and respect. Bothering others, bullying, and interrupting learning is unacceptable and will not be permitted.
L
Library: Each Friday, the children will get to go to the library and check out a book. After checking out our books, we will have story time with Ms. Allen. Please make sure that your child returns his/her library book each week so he/she can checkout a new one.
Lunch: Our lunch time is from 11:03 to 11:33 a.m. Children may bring a packed lunch from home or purchase school lunch. Each child will have a lunch account. You can pre-pay and put money on your child’s account at anytime. Each time your child purchases school lunch, it will be taken off his/her lunch account. When your child’s account is low, we will write you a note reminding you to send in more money. Lunch costs $2.25. A vegetarian option is available each day for those ordering lunch. Your child will have the opportunity to order extras (ice, cream, chips, cookies, etc). Extras cost 75 cents. Juice and water is available as well for 50 cents. After the first 3 weeks of school, you can join your child for lunch. Please make sure to sign in at the front office as a lunch visitor.
M
Math: The kindergarten mathematics curriculum is engaging and interactive. It promotes higher-level thinking. It provides students with mathematical experiences that help them develop number sense and a positive attitude towards mathematics that will continue through their school career and their lives. We employ a hands-on, problem solving approach.
Music: The children will be attending music class every Wednesday with Mrs. Brown. In my classroom, I love to use music. I will be teaching the children lots of fun songs that will help reinforce the concepts that we are learning in class.
Mystery bag: Once a month, your child will be taking home our mystery bag. Your child will get to choose one item to bring from home to share with the class. Your child will write 3 clues about his/her item in our mystery book and the rest of the class will guess what the item is. This will take the place of show and tell.
Mystery Readers: Two Fridays a month, a parent will come in and read to the children. This person will be called our mystery reader. At curriculum night, you will be filling out an information sheet. We will use this sheet to help us come up with clues for the mystery reader. We will then guess who the mystery reader is. The kids always enjoy having parents come in and read. The parents can either bring in their own books or I have books they can choose from. I will also choose a student to be our mystery reader of the week. I will ask the child to bring in a book that he/she can read. We will use our listening ears as we listen to our friends read.
N
Newsletters: Each month, you will be receiving a newsletter from our classroom letting you know what is going on for the month. Please make sure you read it carefully because there will be important information in it. You will also be receiving the Kindergarten Gazette. This newsletter is from the entire kindergarten grade level. We will be sending these newsletters out to you by email.
Naptime: We will have a 20 minute nap/rest time each day after our specials. This a time for the children to relax, rest their bodies, and take a little nap. I will play soft music or an educational video while they are resting. Please make sure that your children do not bring stuffed animals for rest time. This is a distraction to the rest of the children that are trying to rest. I have sheet covers for each mat so it is not necessary to send in blankets or towels. I will choose 1 friend each day that is doing a great job following the rules to rest with our class pet, Sammy the Shark.
O
Ollie the Octopus Award: Each week, I will send home Ollie the Octopus awards to those children that I think made good choices and did their best for the week. This will be sent home along with the Weekly Behavior Checklists.
Opportunities: Kindergarten provides many opportunities to get involved in your child’s learning.
P
Parties and celebrations: We will have 2 parties during the year. One party will be our winter holiday party in December and the other party will be a Valentine’s Day party in February. The classroom coordinators will help plan these parties. I will also organize some celebrations throughout the year: (100 day celebration and end of the year celebration)
Pen Pals: Starting in January, we will have class pen pals. Each week, your child will pick out a name out of a hat and this person will be his/her pen pal for the week. The kids will write a letter to his/her pen pal. I will give a topic each week for the kids to write about (ex: favorite animal, family, favorite season, etc). The kids will then mail their letters and place them in our kinder mailboxes.
P.E.: We will have P.E. 2 times a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please make sure your child wears tennis shoes on these days. If they do not have the appropriate shoes on, they will not be able to participate in the fun activities. Your child is allowed to bring in a water bottle for P.E. Please make sure that the water bottle is labeled with your child’s name.
Parent Involvement; Your support of school activities makes your child feel important and sends the message that you value school! We are always happy to have your help for special activities in the classroom. At sneak peek, you will receive a packet about volunteer opportunities.
PTA: I strongly encourage you to join PTA, It is a great opportunity to support our school and get involved. Plus, you’ll get to meet some great new friends. You can sign up at Sneak Peek and you will also get information about it in your child’s folder.
Q
Questions: If at any time you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. You can either email or call me.
R
Recess: Each day, we will go outside for recess for 20 minutes. We will be using the kindergarten playground for our recess. If it is rainy or too cold outside, we will have indoor recess where the kids can play games. Please make sure that your child brings a jacket if it is chilly outside. Your child will not be able to go outside if he/she does not have appropriate clothing to wear. I have plenty of outdoor activities and equipment for the children to use so don’t worry about sending anything extra. Thanks!!
Restrooms: We have a bathroom in the classroom that the children will use.
S
Science: The focus of the kindergarten science curriculum is on developing an awareness of the world in which we live. Through scientific inquiry, concepts will be presented in the life, physical, and earth sciences. These areas will be explored using a hands-on approach.
Sight Word baggies; Every time we learn a new word, I will be sending the word home in your child’s folder. Each kid will receive a sight word baggie. These baggies should be kept at home. When you receive a new word in your child’s folder, please place it in the baggie. The children will be expected to accurately read and write all previously taught words. It is very important that you practice these words at home.
Snack: Please make sure that your child brings in a snack each day. We will have snack time during our recess time. Please label your child’s snack with his/her name. Please make sure the snack is either in a package or a baggie. I will have extra snacks in case your child forgets his/her snack.
Snack: Please make sure that your child brings in a snack each day. We will have snack time during our recess time. Please label your child’s snack with his/her name. Please make sure the snack is either in a package or a baggie. I will have extra snacks in case your child forgets his/her snack.
Social Studies: Social Studies will help the children engage their natural curiosity for the world around them.
Supplies: In kindergarten, we share our supplies. There is no need to label the supplies since we share them. Throughout the year, when we get low, I will be asking for more donations of supplies. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.
T
Tardies; Please make sure that your child arrives on time for school. When children are tardy, it is often difficult for them to be able to smoothly join in on the lesson. It is also a distraction to the rest of the students. I understand that situations come up where being tardy is unavoidable. I greatly appreciate your help with this.
Toys: Bringing toys to school is discouraged because they distract the children from learning. If a toy is accidentally lost or broken, feelings will be hurt. Please make sure that your child does not bring toys to school. I will provide many opportunities throughout the year for your child to share special things that relate to our units of study.
Treasure Box: When the children fill up their card with stickers or have their name called from the Caught Being Good Jar, they will get a surprise from the treasure box. We will ask for treasure box donations at the beginning of the year.
U
Unique: Kindergartners will learn that they are special and unique. They will have lots of opportunities to describe how they are alike as well as different from others. They will share their culture and learn about different cultures within the class.
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Visitors: Lake Windward welcomes and encourages family involvement. Lake Windward has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) are required to check in at the school office. It is important to remember that while this may seem inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is the goal and responsibility of the school to create a safe learning environment. We absolutely love to have visitors come to our classrooms. There will be plenty of opportunities to visit our class.
Volunteers: At sneak peek, you will be receiving a packet with volunteer opportunities. Some opportunities include: classroom coordinators, work group parents, mystery readers, publishing parent, etc.
W
Wally Gator: Lake Windward’s mascot is Wally Gator. You never know when you will spot him walking around the school.
Water Bottles: I encourage your children to bring in water bottles on the days that we have P.E. Please make sure that you label the water bottle with your child’s name.
Water Fountain: We have a water fountain in our classroom that the children will be able to drink from whenever he/she is thirsty.
Wish list: Throughout the year, we sometimes need supplies above and beyond our classroom materials (such as paint and extra glue sticks.) These needs will be posted in the class newsletter. Extras items that you think we might be able to use are always welcome! I will place a class wish list out at sneak peek.
W.R.A.D. day: In November, we celebrate W.R.A.D. day (Writing and Reading all day). On this day, we dress up in our P.J.’s and bring our favorite blanket and stuffed animal. We celebrate this day by reading and writing all day. We have parents come and read to us. There will be a reader sign-up for this day in November.
Writing: Our writing program builds on what each child already knows. Writing begins with scribbles and proceeds to lines and circles, random strings of letters, words and spaces and eventually sentences. Your children will be encouraged and praised for all attempts and accomplishments in writing. Providing a comfortable risk-free environment is essential to your child's progress in writing. If possible, please provide your child with writing tools, such as pencils, crayons, markers and paper at home. Students will engage in writing every day. We will use a power writing format (Topic, detail, detail) with our writing.
Writing Workshop: Three days a week, the kids will engage in writing workshop. The children will have the opportunity to use their creativity and imaginations as they write about self selected topics or teacher selected topics. A mini-lesson from the teacher will outline the focus for the day. The kids will conference with the teacher and then publish their writing pieces.
X
X-tras (extras) from the Cafeteria: Your child has the opportunity of purchasing extra snacks from the cafeteria that are not included in the normal price of lunch (water, chips, cookies, ice cream). Please establish with your child what he/she can get. Parents often get very surprised at how fast the money runs out when lots of extras are purchased.
Y
Younger Siblings: It is in your child’s and our classroom’s best interest to have our parent volunteers available WITHOUT younger children. This not only allows your full attention to be focused on the class, but also allows for some special time between you and your kindergartner. Thank you for making childcare arrangements for younger siblings.
Z
Zero the hero: Zero the hero is a super hero puppet that comes and visits us every 10th day of school until the 100th day. Zero the Hero reminds us about the important role the zero has in a number. When he comes to visit us, we celebrate by singing the Zero the hero song and counting by 10’s. He always brings us a special treat that is in the shape of a zero. Sometimes he is to busy visiting other classrooms or is sick so his sister, Zerona, comes to visit. You will be assigned a 10th day to send in a snack that looks like a zero. I will let you know in advance so you have plenty of time to get the snack. On the 100th day, Zero comes to life and visits our classroom. The kids have such a blast with Zero.
ZZZZs; Please make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child. It will help them to be alert and ready to learn each day!
