This 10 page handbook includes many of the day-to-day tidbits that parents need to know as they embark on the wonderful journey of kindergarten. Presented in an ABC format, this guide will answer many of the little things parents often wonder about. You’ll need to customize some of the topics to fit your classroom/school (such as dismissal time, email address, etc.) but most of the legwork is done for you. Extra wide margins on the left allow for binding.
The
of Kindergarten
A Handbook for Ms. Fischer’s Class
2014 -2015
Absences
/ If your child is absent from school for any reason, please send a note with him/her on the day he/she returns to school stating the reason for the absence.Attendance
/ A successful school experience is the responsibility of the children, the parent and the school. Your child's progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation. Regular attendance without tardiness is key.
Arrival
/ Pupils should plan to arrive at 8:50 AM. Students should not arrive prior to 8:50 AM since supervision is not available by the school staff. School begins promptly at 8:50 AM and afternoon dismissal is at 3:20 PM.Backpacks
/ To help your child carry messages and information to and from school, you are asked to provide a backpack for this purpose. Please have your child share the contents of the backpack with you daily.Birthdays
/ Birthdays are special occasions for young children. If your child wishes, he/she may bring treats for the class. Please let me know a day or two in advance so I can set aside some class time for the treat. (Please send in or deliver treats to the office.)
Book Orders
/ Every month or so I will be sending home book order forms 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!
Envelopes
/ When sending money (cash or check) to school, please put it in a sealed envelope labeled with your child's name, what the money is for, and the teacher's name. This insures all the money gets to school and we know what to do with it.Emergency Closings
/ If schools are closed for any emergency, or if there is a delayed opening, radio station WCTC (1450) and local cable news Channel 12 are often among the first to announce school opening changes.
/ You can contact me at my email address . Please keep in mind that while I try to check my email daily, I am sometimes unable to respond due to meetings etc. If you need to discuss something urgent or inform me of changes in transportation, please call our
our schoolinstead.
Food Services / Please visit the District website for information concerning school meals breakfast and lunch (free and reduced lunch applications) menus and nutritional information.
Footwear
/ Please have your child wear shoes that are appropriate for running and active movement. Dress shoes, for example, are not good for school activities because they are slippery and inappropriate for the gym or the playground.Folders
/ Please be sure to look through the Homework folder as it may contain important information that requires your attention. Please return correspondences in a timely manner. Don’t forget to empty your child’s folder each night and place completed homework inside the folder.Got Questions?
/ Since so many of you are new to Pine Grove Manor School this year, I’m sure that you may still have some unanswered questions. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.Guided Reading
/ The definition of guided reading encompasses a wide variety of behaviors. For example, some children may be working on alphabet recognition, some may require teacher support to read stories with predictable text, while others may read simple texts independently. Guided reading provides an opportunity to teach children the variety of reading strategies they need in order to become fluent, independent readers. During guided reading, the teacher monitors and evaluates each child's progress.
Gym
/ Our class will have gym classes each week. The children are asked to wear sneakers on gym days.Holidays
/ Please refer to the district calendar for scheduled days off.
Homework
/ Homework is assigned Monday-Thursday. In addition to written work, all students are required to read each night for 15 minutes and return the required Family Reading Log each Monday.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.Independent Reading
/ Because children learn to read by reading, they need plenty of opportunities to read independently. Sufficient time and appropriate materials are necessary to develop and strengthen reading abilities. By giving the children time to read both at school and at home, we can work together to provide a literature-rich environment and a life-long love of reading.
Kindness
/ Students in our 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 permitted.Lost & Found
/ We have a Lost and Found table in the cafeteria. We encourage children to check the lost and found collection for any missing items. We ask that you label clothing items worn to school by your child. This will help us return a lost article to its owner.
Lunch
/ Our class will be eating lunch, from 11:10-11:50. Children may either purchase their lunch (for $2.15) or bring it from home. A monthly lunch menu will be sent home with each day’s meal choices for you to discuss with your child.
Math
/ The kindergarten mathematics curriculum 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 use the Go Math series, which utilizes a hands-on, problem solving approach.Media Center
/ We will visit the Media Center every______. Our librarian will read to the students and have activities for the children to do. Our kindergarten students will also be checking out books every week.
Music
/ Our music teacher, Dr. A, will be teaching the children the basics of music education and will be sharing many wonderful songs! We are scheduled to have music every______.Newsletter
/ I will be sending home a newsletter every month to keep you informed of the happenings in our classroom. This is a great way to stay abreast of our curriculum, classroom news, special activities and upcoming events.Nurse
/ We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful nurse, Mrs. Malwitz. Please be sure to send in any change of contact numbers in case the nurse needs to get in touch with you.
Outside Time
/ The children will be going out for a 20-minute recess every day. Please keep this in mind when helping your child to select clothing for the day. For safety reasons, it is suggested that the children wear sneakers.Parent Involvement
/ Your support of school activities makes your child feel important and sends the message that you value school! Please consider joining our P.T.O.Parties and Celebrations
/ We will have class celebrations from time to time for occasions such as Halloween, Winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa), Valentine's Day, and the End of Year.
Report Cards
/ Report cards are issued four times a year. These reports reflect the progress your child has made towards Kindergarten standards.
Room Parents
/ The room parents' job is to be available for any number of things: to help coordinate celebrations and activities; to assist teachers with classroom tasks and projects. Please let me know if you are available to help out.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 and earth sciences, including the study of animals and plants, the five senses and general health, and the four seasons. These areas will be explored utilizing a literacy based, hands-on approach.Shared Reading
/ Shared reading is an interactive process used with the whole class. As the teacher reads a story, children join in on phrases or words that they know. During subsequent re-readings, children read more and more of the text, until they are able to read the story independently. Shared reading is an opportunity for the teacher to model conventions of print and the use of reading strategies.
Snack
/ Every afternoon we have a short period for snack. Your child should bring a small snack that should take no more than 10 minutes to eat. Packing snacks separately from lunches will avoid the mistake of eating them both at snack time. Healthy snacks are encouraged and items that are easy for the children to open themselves make snack time run more smoothly.Social Studies
/ The kindergarten social studies curriculum focuses on the students and how they relate to others in their families, classroom, school, and community. Activities will help the children focus their natural curiosity for the world around them.
Toys
/ Bringing toys to school is discouraged for a number of reasons. If a toy is accidentally lost or broken, feelings will be hurt. Books are okay to bring in, just please make sure that they are clearly marked with your child's name.Transportation
/ If you plan to pick up a child that normally rides the bus, you must send a written note. Do not rely on your child to tell us this information, because children often become confused and relay information incorrectly.If no written note is received, your child will be sent home by his/her usual method of transportation.
Visitors
/ Pine Grove Manor School has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) are required to check in at the office and wear a Visitor badge. This Visitor badge will help identify visitors to all faculty and staff. 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.Website
/ Pine Grove Manor School has a website at www.franklinboe.org. Check in regularly to find information about curriculum, special events and school news.Wish List
/ Throughout the year we sometimes need supplies above and beyond our regular classroom materials (such as baby wipes, Clorox disinfecting wipes etc.) From time to time we might also run out of things we use every day (especially tissues during peek sniffle season.) These items will be posted in our newsletter “wish list,” and any help you can give would be great!
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./ 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!