Kindergarten Families,
I am so excited to be your child’s teacher! We are going to have an amazing year learning and growing together. Below, you will find the ABC’s of Kindergarten. This is full of information about our entire year together. Keep this document in a safe place so that you can reference it throughout the year. I look forward to working with your Kindergartner and your family!
Arrival
Arrival begins at 8:45 when the first bell rings. The second bell rings at 9:15. During this time, students come in, unpack, get breakfast if needed & begin their morning work. Please keep in mind that it takes your child several minutes to walk down to the room each morning. Arrival is an important part of our day that helps us transition into a full day of learning. Students who arrive to the classroom later than 9:15 are considered tardy and will need to go to the office to get a note.
Attendance
Attendance is imperative for your child to find success in Kindergarten. Many of the activities we do each day are group oriented and involve working with partners, the whole class, etc. It is important for your child to be part of these learning experiences. If your child is absent, please send a note in with them on the day of their return.
Birthdays
Birthdays are a special time for all children. Sharing the celebration is an important event for them. If you would like to send in cupcakes or another birthday treat, please let me know a few days in advance. All food that is sent into the classroom has to be purchased from a store/bakery. No homemade treats are allowed. Please do not send cake as it is too difficult to serve in the classroom. Please do not plan on having a “Birthday Party” in the classroom, as all children are not able to celebrate their birthdays in the same way. If your child is having a party at home, please DO NOT send the invitations to school with your child unless you plan on inviting EVERYONE in the class. Please discuss the need for discretion at school when discussing an upcoming home party. This will avoid hurt feelings.
Contacting Ms. Johnson
If you need to contact me during the school day, you can: 1) Send a note with your child 2) Call the school and leave a message 3) Send an email at [email protected] I check my email before school begins and at the end of the school day. Communication with your family is of the utmost importance to me.
Conscious Discipline
Our classroom community is a school family. I follow the practices of Conscious Discipline. Conscious Discipline integrates social-emotional learning, discipline and self-regulation. It is a way for students to learn to respond to conflict in a way that teaches critical life skills. All students have a classroom job each week, we make our own classroom commitment and review it each day. We learn breathing techniques to help us respond to strong feelings and how to regulate our emotions. Conscious Discipline allows students to take ownership of their behavior and choices. To learn more, please visit our classroom website and follow the link to learn more about Conscious Discipline.
Daily Folders
Your child will bring home a yellow daily folder each day. If you need to send in a note, please ensure it goes into your child’s daily folder. We check these folders each morning. When it is time for field trips or other important papers, all of these will go home in your child’s daily folder.
Dismissal
Early dismissals need to be recorded in the office. You will need to go to the office to sign your child out. The office will call for him/her once you have signed them out. The front office will not check your child out after 3:20 pm. The first bell rings at 3:40 to dismiss carpool and YMCA students. The second bell rings at 3:45 and this is when buses begin dismissing.
Extra Clothing
Please keep a seasonally appropriate change of clothes in your child’s book bag in a Zip Loc bag with your child’s name on it. In this bag, please include socks and underclothes. Even if your child does not have accidents, things happen.
Field Trips
We will participate in several field trips throughout the year. Please ensure that when field trip permission forms are sent home that you review the front and back and turn them back in on time. We need parent volunteers to chaperone field trips so please make sure your volunteer clearance is up to date!
Guests
We love when family members come to visit for lunch and special classroom activities. If you are coming to visit, please stop by the office and get a volunteer pass.
Homework
Homework will mainly consist of reading to and with your Kindergarten student. I will let you know when I start sending books home for their nightly reading. These books should be read and returned in their reading folder. Occasionally there will be other worksheets or projects to work on.
Instructional Assistant
Our instructional assistant is Mrs. Simon. We are so excited to have her with us in our classroom!
AdJustment
Kindergarten is a time of adJustment. The length of the day, being away from family, newness and routines are all an adJustment for your child. Please feel free to talk with me at any time about your child’s adJustment to Kindergarten.
Keep the Routine
Routine is an important part of Kindergarten. Many families find it beneficial to keep a routine for mornings and evenings. Some students prefer to do their reading each morning before school while others like to read before bed. Our day is centered around routines. Please help your child arrive at school in time to begin their morning routine of unpacking, completing their morning “jobs,” getting breakfast (if needed) and completing their morning work.
Letterland
Letterland is a unique, phonics-based approach to teaching reading, writing and spelling to 3-8 year olds. The Letterland characters transform plain black letter shapes into child-friendly pictograms and they all live in an imaginary place called Letterland. Simple stories about the Letterland characters, explain the full range of dry phonics facts so that children are motivated to listen, to think and to learn. These stories explain letter sounds & shapes, allowing children to progress quickly to word building, reading and writing. For more information please visit: http://www.letterland.com/parent-guide/alphabet-sounds.
The Steps are…
1. Letter Sounds-Once you have met the friendly Letterland characters, just start to say their names for the correct letter sound.
2. Letter Shapes-Simple stories about the Letterland characters ensure correct letter formation, avoiding confusion over similar looking letters.
3. Action Tricks-Actions for the alphabet are linked to each character, forging a strong connection between the action, letter shape and sound.
4. Word Building-Blending & segmenting all through words is introduced very early on, covering blends, digraphs and trigraphs.
5. Advanced Spelling-Phonics stories give children a friendly logic for remembering all 44 letter sounds and their major spellings.
6. Multi-sensory Learning-Letterland activates every learning channel through music, actions, movement, song, art, craft, games and role-play.
Lunch
You may prepay for lunch in the cafeteria or you may pay online. Most parents will pay for a month of lunches at a time. Please make all checks out to Oak Grove Elementary. The money will go into an account for your child using his/her lunch number. Each time your child purchases a lunch, the amount will be deducted from his/her account. Your child can choose a special dessert to purchase from the cafeteria during our lunch time. They usually offer ice cream, cakes, cookies, etc. In order for your child to be able to purchase this lunch treat, you will need to indicate “snack” as well as “lunch” on the prepaid check to the cafeteria. Also, if you want your child to be able to purchase breakfast, that needs to be written on the check as well. If you do come to school to have lunch with your child, please meet us in front of the cafeteria. Please wait until the beginning of September before joining your child for lunch. This gives your student a chance to learn the rules and procedures of the cafeteria.
Monday Folders
Your child will bring home a folder each Monday. In this folder will be your child’s work and projects from the previous week. Please take time to go through the work with your child. Have him/her tell you about all of the wonderful things he/she has learned and created! After you have reviewed the folder contents, take it out and return the empty folder to school on Tuesday.
Notes
If you send a note in with your child, please put it in their Daily folder. These folders are checked each morning. It will be your child’s responsibility to turn in this folder each day.
Office
Please ensure that when you are coming into the building, you sign in at the office. You will need to sign in and sign out so that the office knows who is in the building. You may not enter through any other door.
Playground
Our class will be playing on the playground every day (weather permitting). Please keep this in mind when your child is choosing clothing and shoes each morning! Clothing worn to school should follow the Wake County Public Schools guidelines. Students are welcome to leave a pair of tennis shoes in their cubby at school to ensure they always have safe shoes for recess and PE.
Physical Education
Students will have PE throughout the year. On the days that your Kindergartner has PE, please make sure you send them to school in tennis shoes.
Quiet Time
Students will need a rest towel for our quiet time. Please make sure your child has a rest towel (rather than a rest mat). These will be sent home most Fridays to be washed and sent back on Monday. Kindergarten is an adjustment and students need this time at the beginning of the year to adjust to the length and rigor of the Kindergarten day.
Report Cards
Your child will receive a report card at the end of each quarter. In the middle of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarter they will receive a progress report.
Snack
We will eat snack every afternoon in the classroom. You may choose to send in a healthy snack for your child. Please make sure that the snack and drink are packed separate from your child’s lunch. If your child will be attending the YMCA program after school, he/she will need to bring a second snack and drink to have there.
Specials
We have specials each day. Your child will have the same special for a week. Our specials are Art, Media, Music, Physical Education. Your child will need to wear or bring tennis shoes every day when it is their week for PE so that they can participate.
Transportation
If there is ever a change in your child’s transportation, please send in a dated note with the bus number and/or carpool number. It is also helpful to call the school to let them know and they will call down to the room as a reminder towards the end of the day. It is very important to discuss this change with your child before he/she comes to school so that he/she will know what to expect at the end of the day. If your child is going home with another child (car or bus), both students will need transportation notes stating that both families are aware of the transportation change.
Unexpected
Please keep me informed if something unexpected happens within your home such as loss of a pet or family member, moving to a new home, birth of a sibling, etc. These changes can impact your child’s social, emotional, behavioral and academic performance at school.
Volunteers
We love volunteers! Volunteers must register and be approved. You will need volunteer clearance to work with children or chaperone field trips. This can be completed in the Media Center during school hours.
Websites
In Kindergarten, we use technology. I will share any websites and apps that we use in school. Students love using these at home. Also, our class website is: msjohnsonskinders.weebly.com. You will find lots of information there so be sure to check it out!
eXcited
I am so excited to be your child’s Kindergarten teacher!! I hope they are just as excited to begin their time here at Oak Grove!
You
You are the expert on your child. I look forward to working with you and your family this year to ensure that your Kindergartner has a successful and fun year!
Zzzzs
Transitioning into a full day of Kindergarten can be exhausting for young children. It is important to ensure that your student is getting enough sleep each night. This will help your child be alert and ready to learn each day.
I am so excited to be your child’s teacher! We are going to have an amazing year learning and growing together. Below, you will find the ABC’s of Kindergarten. This is full of information about our entire year together. Keep this document in a safe place so that you can reference it throughout the year. I look forward to working with your Kindergartner and your family!
Arrival
Arrival begins at 8:45 when the first bell rings. The second bell rings at 9:15. During this time, students come in, unpack, get breakfast if needed & begin their morning work. Please keep in mind that it takes your child several minutes to walk down to the room each morning. Arrival is an important part of our day that helps us transition into a full day of learning. Students who arrive to the classroom later than 9:15 are considered tardy and will need to go to the office to get a note.
Attendance
Attendance is imperative for your child to find success in Kindergarten. Many of the activities we do each day are group oriented and involve working with partners, the whole class, etc. It is important for your child to be part of these learning experiences. If your child is absent, please send a note in with them on the day of their return.
Birthdays
Birthdays are a special time for all children. Sharing the celebration is an important event for them. If you would like to send in cupcakes or another birthday treat, please let me know a few days in advance. All food that is sent into the classroom has to be purchased from a store/bakery. No homemade treats are allowed. Please do not send cake as it is too difficult to serve in the classroom. Please do not plan on having a “Birthday Party” in the classroom, as all children are not able to celebrate their birthdays in the same way. If your child is having a party at home, please DO NOT send the invitations to school with your child unless you plan on inviting EVERYONE in the class. Please discuss the need for discretion at school when discussing an upcoming home party. This will avoid hurt feelings.
Contacting Ms. Johnson
If you need to contact me during the school day, you can: 1) Send a note with your child 2) Call the school and leave a message 3) Send an email at [email protected] I check my email before school begins and at the end of the school day. Communication with your family is of the utmost importance to me.
Conscious Discipline
Our classroom community is a school family. I follow the practices of Conscious Discipline. Conscious Discipline integrates social-emotional learning, discipline and self-regulation. It is a way for students to learn to respond to conflict in a way that teaches critical life skills. All students have a classroom job each week, we make our own classroom commitment and review it each day. We learn breathing techniques to help us respond to strong feelings and how to regulate our emotions. Conscious Discipline allows students to take ownership of their behavior and choices. To learn more, please visit our classroom website and follow the link to learn more about Conscious Discipline.
Daily Folders
Your child will bring home a yellow daily folder each day. If you need to send in a note, please ensure it goes into your child’s daily folder. We check these folders each morning. When it is time for field trips or other important papers, all of these will go home in your child’s daily folder.
Dismissal
Early dismissals need to be recorded in the office. You will need to go to the office to sign your child out. The office will call for him/her once you have signed them out. The front office will not check your child out after 3:20 pm. The first bell rings at 3:40 to dismiss carpool and YMCA students. The second bell rings at 3:45 and this is when buses begin dismissing.
Extra Clothing
Please keep a seasonally appropriate change of clothes in your child’s book bag in a Zip Loc bag with your child’s name on it. In this bag, please include socks and underclothes. Even if your child does not have accidents, things happen.
Field Trips
We will participate in several field trips throughout the year. Please ensure that when field trip permission forms are sent home that you review the front and back and turn them back in on time. We need parent volunteers to chaperone field trips so please make sure your volunteer clearance is up to date!
Guests
We love when family members come to visit for lunch and special classroom activities. If you are coming to visit, please stop by the office and get a volunteer pass.
Homework
Homework will mainly consist of reading to and with your Kindergarten student. I will let you know when I start sending books home for their nightly reading. These books should be read and returned in their reading folder. Occasionally there will be other worksheets or projects to work on.
Instructional Assistant
Our instructional assistant is Mrs. Simon. We are so excited to have her with us in our classroom!
AdJustment
Kindergarten is a time of adJustment. The length of the day, being away from family, newness and routines are all an adJustment for your child. Please feel free to talk with me at any time about your child’s adJustment to Kindergarten.
Keep the Routine
Routine is an important part of Kindergarten. Many families find it beneficial to keep a routine for mornings and evenings. Some students prefer to do their reading each morning before school while others like to read before bed. Our day is centered around routines. Please help your child arrive at school in time to begin their morning routine of unpacking, completing their morning “jobs,” getting breakfast (if needed) and completing their morning work.
Letterland
Letterland is a unique, phonics-based approach to teaching reading, writing and spelling to 3-8 year olds. The Letterland characters transform plain black letter shapes into child-friendly pictograms and they all live in an imaginary place called Letterland. Simple stories about the Letterland characters, explain the full range of dry phonics facts so that children are motivated to listen, to think and to learn. These stories explain letter sounds & shapes, allowing children to progress quickly to word building, reading and writing. For more information please visit: http://www.letterland.com/parent-guide/alphabet-sounds.
The Steps are…
1. Letter Sounds-Once you have met the friendly Letterland characters, just start to say their names for the correct letter sound.
2. Letter Shapes-Simple stories about the Letterland characters ensure correct letter formation, avoiding confusion over similar looking letters.
3. Action Tricks-Actions for the alphabet are linked to each character, forging a strong connection between the action, letter shape and sound.
4. Word Building-Blending & segmenting all through words is introduced very early on, covering blends, digraphs and trigraphs.
5. Advanced Spelling-Phonics stories give children a friendly logic for remembering all 44 letter sounds and their major spellings.
6. Multi-sensory Learning-Letterland activates every learning channel through music, actions, movement, song, art, craft, games and role-play.
Lunch
You may prepay for lunch in the cafeteria or you may pay online. Most parents will pay for a month of lunches at a time. Please make all checks out to Oak Grove Elementary. The money will go into an account for your child using his/her lunch number. Each time your child purchases a lunch, the amount will be deducted from his/her account. Your child can choose a special dessert to purchase from the cafeteria during our lunch time. They usually offer ice cream, cakes, cookies, etc. In order for your child to be able to purchase this lunch treat, you will need to indicate “snack” as well as “lunch” on the prepaid check to the cafeteria. Also, if you want your child to be able to purchase breakfast, that needs to be written on the check as well. If you do come to school to have lunch with your child, please meet us in front of the cafeteria. Please wait until the beginning of September before joining your child for lunch. This gives your student a chance to learn the rules and procedures of the cafeteria.
Monday Folders
Your child will bring home a folder each Monday. In this folder will be your child’s work and projects from the previous week. Please take time to go through the work with your child. Have him/her tell you about all of the wonderful things he/she has learned and created! After you have reviewed the folder contents, take it out and return the empty folder to school on Tuesday.
Notes
If you send a note in with your child, please put it in their Daily folder. These folders are checked each morning. It will be your child’s responsibility to turn in this folder each day.
Office
Please ensure that when you are coming into the building, you sign in at the office. You will need to sign in and sign out so that the office knows who is in the building. You may not enter through any other door.
Playground
Our class will be playing on the playground every day (weather permitting). Please keep this in mind when your child is choosing clothing and shoes each morning! Clothing worn to school should follow the Wake County Public Schools guidelines. Students are welcome to leave a pair of tennis shoes in their cubby at school to ensure they always have safe shoes for recess and PE.
Physical Education
Students will have PE throughout the year. On the days that your Kindergartner has PE, please make sure you send them to school in tennis shoes.
Quiet Time
Students will need a rest towel for our quiet time. Please make sure your child has a rest towel (rather than a rest mat). These will be sent home most Fridays to be washed and sent back on Monday. Kindergarten is an adjustment and students need this time at the beginning of the year to adjust to the length and rigor of the Kindergarten day.
Report Cards
Your child will receive a report card at the end of each quarter. In the middle of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarter they will receive a progress report.
Snack
We will eat snack every afternoon in the classroom. You may choose to send in a healthy snack for your child. Please make sure that the snack and drink are packed separate from your child’s lunch. If your child will be attending the YMCA program after school, he/she will need to bring a second snack and drink to have there.
Specials
We have specials each day. Your child will have the same special for a week. Our specials are Art, Media, Music, Physical Education. Your child will need to wear or bring tennis shoes every day when it is their week for PE so that they can participate.
Transportation
If there is ever a change in your child’s transportation, please send in a dated note with the bus number and/or carpool number. It is also helpful to call the school to let them know and they will call down to the room as a reminder towards the end of the day. It is very important to discuss this change with your child before he/she comes to school so that he/she will know what to expect at the end of the day. If your child is going home with another child (car or bus), both students will need transportation notes stating that both families are aware of the transportation change.
Unexpected
Please keep me informed if something unexpected happens within your home such as loss of a pet or family member, moving to a new home, birth of a sibling, etc. These changes can impact your child’s social, emotional, behavioral and academic performance at school.
Volunteers
We love volunteers! Volunteers must register and be approved. You will need volunteer clearance to work with children or chaperone field trips. This can be completed in the Media Center during school hours.
Websites
In Kindergarten, we use technology. I will share any websites and apps that we use in school. Students love using these at home. Also, our class website is: msjohnsonskinders.weebly.com. You will find lots of information there so be sure to check it out!
eXcited
I am so excited to be your child’s Kindergarten teacher!! I hope they are just as excited to begin their time here at Oak Grove!
You
You are the expert on your child. I look forward to working with you and your family this year to ensure that your Kindergartner has a successful and fun year!
Zzzzs
Transitioning into a full day of Kindergarten can be exhausting for young children. It is important to ensure that your student is getting enough sleep each night. This will help your child be alert and ready to learn each day.