Lakepointe Elementary

Kindergarten Information

LakePointe Elementary

2011-2012

WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN!

The first day of school will be very exciting and scary for your child. There may be some tears. I assure you that your child is in loving hands. I have a wonderful day and year planned. Please come in and say your goodbyes. The quicker this is done, the easier it is for all of us. Thank you in advance and I am excited to get to know your child!

Schedule

Here is our tentative schedule for this year. Please keep in mind that the schedule might change to better meet the needs of our students or due to special events.

7:50-8:15Morning Arrival, Morning Work, Lunch Count and Attendance

8:15-9:00Block (P.E., Art/Music, Library or Computer)

9:00-10:30Math

10:30-11:00Lunch

11:00-11:30Recess

11:30-1:00Literacy Focus

*Whole Group Instruction

*Independent Work

*Literacy Centers

*Journal Writing

1:00-1:30RtI Time

1:30-1:40Snack Time

1:30-2:15Science/Social Studies

2:15-2:45Social Centers

2:45-2:55Pack Up – students start to line up to be dismissed

2:55-3:00Dismissal

Arrival and Getting Prepared

The doors open at 7:30a.m. The students will go into the classroom at 7:50a.m. and school starts at 8:00a.m. Students will be counted tardy at 8:10a.m. It is very important that your child arrives on time to school everyday. Any student arriving late should stop by the office before coming to class.

We strongly encourage that students eat a healthy breakfast everyday before coming to school. Students are much more focused when they have had breakfast. It is also extremely important that your child get enough sleep. Children this age require 11 hours of sleep a night, so please enforce a consistent bedtime that will allow your child to get enough sleep. This will be a long day for your child, as we do not have naptime.

Take Home Folder

Each student will be given a folder that will be used to deliver important information to and from school. Parents/guardians are expected to review and initial their child’s folder daily. Each student will use the same folder all year.

Discipline

In order to have a positive learning environment for all students our school has adopted a common discipline plan. Your child will be expected to adhere to the common set of school rules as well as expectations specific to their classroom.

The Kindergarten team has established a color-coded system for tracking behavior. There are four levels: blue, green, yellow, and red.

*Blue = Exceptional Behavior; student earns one owl buck and trip to class treasure box

*Green = Great Day; stamp appears in folder

*Yellow = Behavioral Infraction 1; loss of 5 minutes of Social Center time

*Red = Behavioral Infraction 2; loss of 10 minutes of Social Center time and call/note home

Everyday your child will start on green. If a child misbehaves they will be given verbal warnings to encourage them to correct their behavior. Repeated misbehavior will result in the child’s clipbeing changed to yellow. If the child is on yellow, certain classroom privileges (such as time at free choice social centers) will be taken away. Continued misbehavior will result in the child changing their card from yellow to red. Depending on the severity of the infraction, a call may be made home to the parent/guardian.

If a child is on green and exhibits behavior above and beyond what is expected of them, they will be allowed to change their card to blue and a reward will be given. A bluemark will appear in your child’s folder for that day as well.

At the end of the day, students who are on green will get a green mark on their behavior calendar. Students who are on yellow or red will receive a note on their behavior calendar as to why their card was changed. Parents/guardians are expected to initial their child’s behavior calendar daily and return to school. At the end of every six weeks the students’ behavior calendar will be used to calculate their citizenship grade.

Recess

We will have recess everyday, weather permitting. We will not go outside if there is inclement weather, it is a red or above level ozone day or if the temperature is below 40°. Please be sure to send your child with appropriate clothing depending on the weather.

Lunch

Your child’s teacher will walk the class to lunch every day. For the first week of school your child’s teacher will teach your child how to go through the lunch line to buy a school lunch. There will always be lunch aides in the cafeteria to help students with their lunches. If your child is bringing a lunch from home, please make sure your child’s first and last name are on the outside. When your child comes to school in the morning, all lunch boxes will be placed in a cart that will be taken to the cafeteria and placed at their class table.

If you would like to eat lunch with your child please be sure to check in with the office upon your arrival as well as checking out when you leave.

If you are going to send lunch money with your child, please make sure it is in a sealed envelope with your child’s name and their teacher’s name on it and placed in their take home folder.

Block/Specials

Your child will have P.E. four days per week. Please make sure your child wears tennis shoes to school everyday so they can participate. They will also go to art/music, computers, and library weekly.

Daily Snack

There will time in class set aside for snack in the afternoon. You are responsible for providing the snack for your child if you wish them to have one. We strongly encourage you to provide a snack since we have an early lunch. There will be NO candy, chips, soda or PEANUTS allowed. Examples of healthy snacks are fruit, pretzels, gold fish, cheese crackers, string cheese, etc. If you send a snack that requires silverware, please provide a plastic utensil for your child as well.

Birthdays

If you would like to provide a snack for your child’s birthday, please discuss this with your child’s teacher ahead of time. District rules limit classroom to three parties per year; therefore, birthday celebrations can only involve a snack. (NO plates, napkins, drinks, balloons, etc.) All snacks/food items must be store-bought.

If invitations are to be handed out to the class, please give them to your child’s teacher so that they may put them in the students take home folders. Invitations handed out in class must include all boys, all girls, or the whole class. Invitations that do not include this will not be handed out by the teacher and should be handled outside of school.

Absences

If your child is going to miss school, parents/guardians should call the school office the morning of the absence. Students must bring a note to excuse their absence when they return. If your child will be missing consecutive days, please also contact your child’s teacher so they can prepare any make-up work.

Dismissal

If your child is going to be going home a different way than normal, a note/email/phone call from the parent/guardian MUST be made. Without this, students will not be allowed to go home a different way.

Additional Information

Please feel free to contact me regarding any concerns or questions throughout the year.

Catherine Redeker

(817)236-8801

In order to avoid interruption of instructional time, the best times to contact me by phone are before school (7:30-7:50a.m.), during my conference/planning time (8:15-9:00a.m.) or afterschool (3:15-3:45p.m.). Email will also be checked at these times.

You may also send a note in your child’s take home folder.

*Please retain this information packet for reference throughout the year.*