Phoenix Christian School PreK-8
2425 N. 26th St. Phoenix, AZ 85008
www.phoenixchristianschool.org
Dear Parents
Welcome to PCS PreK-8. Thank you for entrusting your children to me. I am glad to have met your children and I am praying that we have a great year together.
Meet the teacher
In 2006 I graduated from Dordt College with a degree in elementary education and a minor in reading. I was born in British Columbia and am a dual (U.S./Canadian) citizen. I have loved children since I was little, and have loved reading just as long. I like being an aunt, purple, snap peas, chocolate, games, & fun socks.
Contact Information
If you ever have questions, please e-mail (), send a note in your child's folder, call, or stop by the classroom before/after school.
Communication
*A newsletter reviewing the week’s activities comes home every Friday via email and is available on the school website, so please make sure that I have your email address.
*A calendar comes home every month to give you an overview of what we will be doing.
*Please check your child's folder daily.
*I will post pictures and fun stories on the blog (http://pcskinderblog.blogspot.com/) at least once per week. You can sign up to receive email notifications when something is posted, or access it via the newsletter or school webpage. Please return the yellow page so I know whether or not I can post pictures of your child.
Supplies
*regular size backpack
*lunchbox (ice pack)
*water bottle
*extra set of clothes in a Ziploc bag
*hat or visor
*1 box of Kleenex
*Please do not bring any other supplies or toys.
Before/After School
If you drop off your child before 8:00 you must sign them in to daycare, located in the preschool room just past our room. After 8:00 they can go to the playground. School starts at 8:35 and ends at 3:20. If you have not picked up your child by 3:30, they will go to daycare. If you pick up your child early, or bring them late, you must sign them in/out in the office. Thank you.
Our Daily Schedule (approximate times)
8:35 Morning routine: attendance, morning work, morning message, special helper, pledges, devotions (singing, prayer), calendar
9:00 Math
9:40 Music/PE
10:15 Recess
10:30 Snack
10:40 Math Centers
10:55 Writing, movement
11:15 Reading (story and alphabet)
11:45 Lunch/Recess
12:25 Story
12:30 Literacy Centers, quiet reading, noisy reading (poetry, big books)
1:10 Bible
1:25 Social studies/science
1:45 Recess/ 2:00 Snack
2:15 Art/theme activities/sharing/buddies
2:45 Centers
3:20 Home time!
You may have noticed there is no nap time. We work and play hard, and with Kindergarten being all day, every day, the children do tend to get tired, especially towards the beginning of the year when it is so hot. It is recommended that you not enter your child in extra-curricular activities the first few months of school.
Lunch
We have 15-20 minutes to eat lunch outdoors (and also practice/learn good table manners). If you order milk, your child may not eat as much food. Half a sandwich is sufficient for most children. We eat outside, so microwave usage is limited. If you do send something that needs to be heated, please have it ready to go so it only needs to be heated for 30-60 seconds. We do not have a fridge in our classroom and the school does not provide plates/spoons/etc.
Snack
We have two snack times. Good snacks include fruit, vegetables, cheese, crackers, yogurt... No candy please. Your child should be able to open their own snacks, so if you send fruit roll-up, cheese sticks, etc. please first teach them how to open it (prefer no fruit cups with juice or gogurt because they usually spill). Please break the seal on water/juice bottles before sending them to school. Thank you! J
Clothing
Please make sure that your child can independently button/zip/snap/etc. his/her clothes. This helps prevent accidents. If they cannot do it independently, they cannot wear it to school. If your child’s extra clothes get sent home, please, please, please send a new set of clothes in a Ziploc to school the next day! Thank you. Girls, please wear shorts under your skirts. The parent handbook explains the dress code further. I will help children tie shoes until Christmas, but after that if they cannot tie their shoes, no shoelaces at school please.
Classroom Rules
As a class, the Kindergarten students will decide on rules (with some guidance, of course!), to give them more ownership of their classroom and their choices.
We also have many routines and procedures that are being learned to help things move smoothly. I expect each child to learn and follow our classroom rules and routines and to try their best. I do not reward good behavior; good behavior is expected in my classroom. I may acknowledge or reward exceptional behavior. The difference is: good behavior is being quiet in line or not throwing pencils; exceptional behavior is helping a friend pick up a tub of crayons they spilled or helping someone who is hurt.
If a student breaks a rule, they will first be reminded of the rule. If the behavior continues, they may be asked to sit out of the activity and we will talk about the choice they made. I emphasize that each student is responsible for his or her own choices and they cannot blame someone else for their behavior (“he hit me first” is not accepted, nor is “my mom forgot my folder”). I will call, email, or send home a note in the home folder if there is a serious problem.
Grading
Most assessment in Kindergarten is done through observation and notes. Most papers (math, alphabet) we do in class I will put a sticker/star on to show that I have looked at it (which does not necessarily mean everything is correct). ü means something is correct. If something has no writing or sticker on it, it means it is something they did in class or on their own time that was not graded.
Homework Policy
The school’s policy is no homework in Kindergarten. Memory verses will be worked on during school time, but there are a few long ones that may require extra practice at home. We will have sharing (show and tell) that goes with the letter of the week, starting in September. I may occasionally send home other assignments, which will then be optional (about once per month). A home reading program will begin in the second quarter and will be further explained then. Your child will bring his/her poetry book home most Fridays. You can read it together and then send it back to school so we can add more poetry.
Birthdays
On your child’s birthday you are welcome, but not obligated, to bring a small treat for the class (it can be homemade). If your child’s birthday is not on a school day, I will assign a day for us to celebrate. Please do not hand out party invitations at school unless you are inviting everyone in the class.
WELL hours/Volunteering
The school requires 20 hours of volunteering per family. I will send an email when there are opportunities for you to volunteer in our classroom or when I have projects that can be done at home.
Miscellaneous
*Let me know if there is something special you would like to do for our class – if you know of a great field trip or about a special holiday your family celebrates, or you want to come tell the class about your job.
*In Kindergarten we work on independence and responsibility; at school children pack and unpack their backpacks independently.
*With the exception of sharing days, please do not bring any toys to school.
*Some of the greatest things you can do for your child are to make sure they get enough sleep and eat breakfast. Please also be careful what/how much TV they watch.
*Please let us know if something changes or is going on at home (Grandpa is sick, mom/dad is out of town for a week…) that may affect your child socially, emotionally, or behaviorally. Feel free to share as much or as little as you like. Thank you.
*If we go on a field trip with parent drivers (not the bus), your children are required by law to be in a booster seat.
I promise not to believe everything I hear about you
if you promise not to believe everything you hear about me. J
Curriculum
Bible
Our Bible curriculum is from Christian School International. It works sequentially through the Bible, covering Creation, Patriarchs, Moses, Israel in Canaan, Kings/Prophets, Exile/Return, Christmas, Jesus on Earth, Parables, Jesus’ Death/Resurrection, Ascension/Pentecost, and the Early Church. Memory verses will be learned in class, but you are welcome to practice at home. We use the 1984 NIV.
Math
Our math curriculum is envision Math from Pearson and follows the Common Core Curriculum, with a strong emphasis on numbers and number sense. Other topics include sorting, graphing, patterns, money, measurement, and shapes. We will use a variety of activities, manipulatives, and worksheets. Please do not be overly concerned if your child misses some questions. We use math journals to work on simple story problems. Daily math centers reinforce and review math concepts.
Reading
Houghton Mifflin is used for reading. This curriculum teaches reading through regular books, poems, big books, audio books, letter cards, and more. Its sequence includes an alphabet review covering a letter a day for the first few weeks of school, and then going back and studying letters and sounds in more depth (one/week), at which time we will have sharing for our letter of the week. Daily literacy centers review, reinforce, and provide extra practice in reading and writing activities.
Writing
We have writing books that use Zaner Bloser (an alphabet sample is glued inside your child’s home folder) writing to help us learn to write our letters correctly. We will also make several class books and write in our journals. At the beginning of the year, we will do a lot more drawing, then ‘driting’ (combining writing and drawing to communicate meaning) and then more writing by the end of the year.
Social Studies
Our Socials curriculum is from Macmillan/McGraw-Hill and Scott Foresman as well as supplemented material. It works in an outward spiral. We start by studying ourselves and our families, then school, state, and country. We alternate Social Studies and Science units.
Science
Kindergarten uses science curriculum from Christian Schools International. Its premise is that as we explore God’s world through science we can better understand the complexity and orderliness of Creation. In Kindergarten, the curriculum covers land and water, the five senses, weather, plants, animals, day and night, light and heat, and floating and sinking.
Specials
*Library is with Mrs. Danzeisen and is on Tuesdays.
*Music is taught by Mr. Groenendyk on Tuesday and Thursday. We also sing and listen to music in our classroom.
*P.E. is taught by Mr. Waardenburg on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Your child must wear tennis shoes on P.E. days and we recommend they do other days too.
*Spanish is taught by Señora DenBleyker on Wednesdays after Christmas.
Buddies
Every other week we will get together with our 4th Grade buddies for activities including reading, art projects, games, and parties like our Thanksgiving feast.
Centers (free choice time)
During centers, students have the opportunity to choose their activities. They think they are just playing, but really they are developing cooperation, responsibility, creativity, problem-solving, and fine-motor skills.