AIMSweb - AIMSweb is a phonics test. We will test students in August, January and May. This will test your child on letter recognition, nonsense words pronunciation, and phonetic segmentation and basic math skills. The students will have one minute for each section.
AR - AR stands for Accelerated Reading Program. This computer-based program allows students to read books and take tests (on a computer) to measure their level of comprehension. The students must read the questions and answers by his/herself. All students in 1st - 5th grades participate in AR regularly. I begin AR second semester if your child masters ALL 220 sight words.
Attendance-School begins at 8:00. Be on time! Your child must be in the classroom at 8:00 not just on school grounds. Make sure that you send an excuse to the school the following day. You may also email Mrs. Laver in the office. Each absence will be marked as unexcused unless a hand-written note is sent to school. You will receive a note from the office when your child has 10 or more absences. You will also receive a note from the office if your child acquires too many tardies or absences.
Birthdays-If you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday at school, email me and let me know. You can send store bough cupcakes or cookies. (small cupcakes work the best:J)0
Book Clubs – Some teachers might send home book club forms (from Scholastic) each month for you to purchase books for your child at a reduced rate. You do not have to participate in ordering books. If you plan to participate, please send your checks payable to Scholastic Book Club or go onto the website and order. We will provide the class code for you.
Book bags: The book bag should be big enough to hold a large book(16”). Be sure that your child can easily open and close the bag. Due to the small cubbies, please do not send a rolling book bag to school with your child. Be sure to notice what your child brings to school. Toys are not allowed unless it is a special occasion. We will notify you in advance.
Breakfast: We have a breakfast program at South Douglas. Breakfast is $1.25. Make sure that your child arrives well before 7:50. That will give your child time to eat. Breakfast is over by 7:50. Students must be in his/her classroom by 8:00.
Clinic - Your child may visit the clinic if he/she is injured while playing or feels ill. Please fill out clinic forms if your child requires medication during the school day. The medication must be brought in the original container. You must also fill out a form. Medication cannot be brought to school on the bus. An adult must drop off the medication in the office and fill out the proper paperwork.
Computer: Each child will use a few computer programs called Odyssey and www.educationgalaxy.com . Your child will participate in reading and math programs that will assist your child in learning new and exciting concepts in both areas. Each child will log in using his/her first initial and last initial and 6 digit id number. (ex:ah012345) and the password will be his/her birthday (ex:011272) . The faster your child can log in, the more “playing” time he/she will receive. (It is also less stressful to the child if he/she can type his/her name and number to log in). We will assist your child with logging on to the computer for the first couple of weeks. Your child’s name will also be typed in all capital letters because the keyboard letters are in capital letters and this causes less confusion in children. You may also use Odyssey and Education Galaxy at home. Odyssey can be found on the Douglas County home page on the right side of the screen. Your child simply logs in the same way at home as at school. We do not use the internet much in our classroom. The only on-line program that we use is Star Fall or abcmouse(not free). This is also a fun reading program that you can use at home. www.starfall.com
Conduct counts: Your child will receive an award at graduation if he/she receives all Ss in Incentive & Work Standards on the report card. Any child that receives a P or N will not get a certificate at the end of the year.
Conferences: We are required to have at least two conferences per year to discuss your child’s progress.
Clothing: Simple clothing is best. Please practice buttoning, tying and zipping. You may want to send a spare pair of clothes in your child’s book bag for accidentals of all kinds. Your child is required to wear lace up sneakers to PE. If your child wears any other type of shoes to school, please send a pair of sneakers to change in to. We will provide our class P.E. dates later.
Donations - It is not required that you donate items, but I would gladly appreciate any donation you would like to make. Donations will in no way affect your child’s grade.
Emails- Feel free to email us at anytime.
Emergencies - We have a school plan in case of fires, tornados or intruders. It is very important you give me a complete list of phone numbers where you can be reached, and the names of others who you would like for me to call if I cannot reach you. If your child will be going home another route, please call the office or send a note in the morning. Place the note/notes inside of your child’s homework folder. We will get the note better if it is here. Also, please inform your child of this change ahead of time.
Field Trips - We will not be taking a field trip this year due to the cost of using the buses. We may be having in house field trips.
GKIDS-This is the standardized testing that all Kindergarten students are tested on. Each student will be tested throughout the year. We will discuss the results of this test at our conferences.
Graduation-We will have an end of the year celebration on the last day of school at 8:30 in The gym. Your child can receive the following awards:
1. Perfect attendance
2. All students will receive a Kindergarten Certificate
Homework: We will begin homework assignments soon. Some teachers use a monthly calendar and others use a weekly calendar. Check with your child’s teacher or look for it in your child’s homework folder. We will also begin sight word tests in August. Please start working on the first 50 sight words. We are including this list in your packet. Your child will receive a grade on these weekly tests. Place any written homework inside your child’s homework folder with his/her name written at the top. Your child’s sight words will be printed on the back. Please read with your child every night and write the name of the book on your child’s reading log.
Homework Passes: Homework passes will be given throughout the year.
Illnesses: Your child is encouraged to come to school every day. However, if your child is sick, we want you to keep him or her at home. Please be sure that we have any updated phone numbers of where you can be reached should your child become sick at school. Give your child his or her medication at home if possible. Ask your doctor to prescribe medication that can be given before or after school. If it is necessary for your child to be administered medication, the medicine must be in the prescribed container with directions of when and how much medication is to be given. Medication cannot be carried to and from school on the bus. Medication is kept in the office. Bring any medicine to the office.
Ice Cream – Ice cream may be purchased during lunch and have money in hand. Your child cannot use money in his/her account. Your child will not have long to eat an ice cream so please encourage him/her to eat quickly. It is your child’s responsibility to keep up with his/her money and to remember to purchase the ice cream. The cost will be 50 cents each.
Journals - We keep small (9 x 6) spiral notebooks or teacher made journals. Please encourage your child to write sentences at home including complete thoughts, periods and capital letters. Some teachers may not use a spiral notebook. Check with your child’s teacher.
Keep Up – Keep up the good work at home. Your child will be more successful in his/her reading and math skills. J
Lunch and Breakfast: We have a breakfast program at South Douglas. Breakfast is $1.25. Lunch is $2.10. Extra milk or fruit juice is 60 cents. Adult lunch cost is $3.50. Your child has an account that is computer operated. Any lunch or breakfast money you send is credited to that account. You are encouraged to pay for lunch and breakfast by the week. You may also pay by the month and you may write one check for breakfast and lunch. You may also write one check for your kindergarten child and any other children you have at South Douglas. Please write on the check how much money you want credited to each child’s account. I would recommend setting up at schoolcafe.com. You don’t have to pay your child’s account through this website but it will send you an email when your child’s account gets low. I like using it myself!
**Be sure your child can open, unassisted, any containers that you choose to send to school.
***We have a new lunch policy. If your child returns to the lunch line for any food item, he/she will be charged for it.
****Lunch & breakfast menus can be found on the Douglas county website under Food Services.
Library Books and Reading at Home: Your child is encouraged to use the media center. He or she may go to check out books during center time. Kindergarten students may only check out one library book at a time. Your child is allowed to check out any book of their liking. Please discuss which books you would prefer your child to pick out. Note: Not all teachers participate in all book programs listed below.
· To encourage reading at home, we have several incentive programs.
· A monthly booklist will be sent home. Please read at least 20 books with or to your child. Any book that you read is acceptable. These book lists should be returned on the last day of each month.
· The 6hr Club from Six Flags later in the year.
**Children will receive these incentives if the monthly booklist is returned at the end of each month. The child with the highest number of books read monthly will receive a special prize.
Medication: Your child is encouraged to come to school every day. However, if your child is sick, we want you to keep him or her at home. Please be sure that we have any updated phone numbers of where you can be reached should your child become sick at school. Give your child his or her medication at home if possible. Ask your doctor to prescribe medication that can be given before or after school. If it is necessary for your child to be administered medication, the medicine must be in the prescribed container with directions of when and how much medication is to be given. Medication cannot be carried to and from school on the bus. Medication is kept in the office. Bring any medicine to the office.
**Money: Please send all money in a baggie or envelope labeled with your child’s name, the teacher’s name and what the money is for. Most accounts at our school are separate. You may not write a check that includes, for example, lunch money with ASP money. We will provide you with an ice cream/lunch money envelope. Please leave it in your child’s notebook money pouch.
New students-We are excited about our new Kindergarten students and hope to have a great year!
Nonsense Word Fluency-Nonsense words are a part of our AIMSweb test that is given 3 times this year. Nonsense word fluency will help your child feel confident when sounding out words he/she doesn’t recognize. The will be assigned as part of your child’s phonics homework. Simply have your child sound these words out to you. A few examples of these words are bap,fuw,tat. They are 3 letter words with a Consonant-Vowel-Consonant pattern.
Open House - Our Open House will be the Monday before school begins. We now call it a Sneak A Peak.
Parties-We can have 2 classroom parties. Winter/Spring
Phonics - We will be using the Saxon Phonics Program.
Phone number: Our school phone number is 770-651-4500. Our classroom phone number is 770-651-4557.
Quick Good-byes - leave dry eyes.
Rules – Each teacher has her own set of classrooms and discipline techniques. Please check with your child’s teacher if you have any questions.
Sight words: Your child should be able to read all 220 sight words by the end of Kindergarten. Your child will be tested every Friday to see is he/she can read the assigned sight words. Also, continue to practice these sight words throughout the school year. Please DO NOT teach your child to sound out these words. These words are to be read by “sight”.