The
ABC’s
of Kindergarten
A ATTENDANCE: If your child is absent from school PLEASE send in a Dr.’s note, email, or letter explaining why. Make sure you leave a contact phone # if we have any questions regarding the absence. Attendance will be taken promptly every morning. Tardiness does count against your child for the perfect attendance award.
ARRIVAL: Students should arrive between 8: 00 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. Students should not arrive prior to 8:00 AM. Supervision by the school staff is not available prior to 8:00. School hours are 8:30 AM until 2:50 PM. PLEASE send a note to school if your child is going home a different way. IF I DON’T HAVE A NOTE OR PHONE CALL YOUR CHILD WILL BE SENT HOME THEIR REGULAR WAY.
AR: AR stands for Accelerated Reader. This computer-based program allows students to take tests (on a computer) to measure their level of comprehension. We read and take AR tests regularly in the classroom. If you would like for your child to take an AR test on a book read at home, send in a note with the title, author and if the book was read independently or together.
ART: Our art teacher is Mrs. Greatorex. We offer art as a resource class here at Crookshank. Our arts program is project-based. These projects stem from a variety of stories and themes as well as integrate many other academic areas
ASSISSTANT PRINCIPAL: Our assistant principals are Mrs. Angela Rodgers and Mr. Ken Goodwin.
B
BEHAVIOR: Good behavior is stemmed through character and leadership. Each student leads by example and is expected to follow our class rules.
BIRTHDAYS: Birthdays are special occasions! We love to celebrate your child. Your child may bring a treat to share with the class, however please remember to send all of the needed supplies such as napkins, plates, plastic ware. Cookies and cupcakes are great! Treats will be shared at snack time, lunch, or recess.
Please do not send invitations to school unless the entire class is invited. While this seems inconvenient, it is difficult to avoid hurt feelings. Summer birthdays will be celebrated in June near the end of school
BOOK CLUB: Every month I will send home a Scholastic Book Club Catalog 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! If you choose to order, please make the check payable to Scholastic Books. You may also order online using our class code. You do not have to participate in ordering books.
BREAKFAST: It is important to eat a healthy breakfast every morning before coming to class. Crookshank offers breakfast to students every morning in the cafeteria. Student breakfast cost :$1.25
C
CHARACTER COUNTS: Here at Crookshank we instill the 6 pillars of character in our students. Citizenship, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Trustworthiness, and Respect. Each month 2 students are chosen to attend the Character Counts awards ceremony for demonstrating the character pillar of that month.
CONFERENCES: Parent/Teacher conferences will be held before or after school. We will have at least two data conferences this school year. If you would like to schedule an additional conference you may contact me through email, write me a letter, or call.
COMPUTERS: Technology and computers are used in and out of the classroom on a regular basis. We have two computer labs on campus. This is a fun and exciting time for students to expand learning using technology.
COMMUNICATION: Communication is important to establish positive relationships. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me via email, phone or through your child’s daily folder/planner. I will always make myself available.
CHECK IN: Check in the front office before you come to the classroom. All visitors need to have a volunteer sticker on. Make sure you are an approved volunteer. You may go to our class webpage to fill out the online volunteer application or the District website.
CLASSWORK: Your child’s class work will be sent home every Friday. It will be their responsibility to pull from their file and stuff their binder at the end of the week.
CLASS CALENDAR: A class calendar will be going home at the beginning of every month.
COMMON CORE: The standards that drive our instruction. You can visit the Common Core Initiative online to learn more about the standards.
D DONATIONS: It is not required that you donate items, but it is always greatly appreciated. As the year progresses we will be needing items for different activities, events, and general classroom use. If you are unable to send in a requested item, PLEASE let me know as soon as possible so that I can make other arrangements.
DISMISSAL: School ends at 2:50 PM. If your child’s way home changes, put it in writing or call the front office. If I am not contacted by the front office or you, your child will be going home their regularly scheduled way.
DISTRICT: We are lucky to be a part of the #1 school district in Florida. Don’t forget to check out the district website for important information that is happening in our county. You may also find links for online volunteer applications, Master calendars for the school year, and meet our county representatives. I urge you to not miss out on discovering what a great district we are in.
E EMAIL: Email is the best way to reach me. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know right away. I will contact you as soon as I get a chance.
EARLY DISMISSAL: Every Wednesday is our early dismissal day. The children will be getting out of school at 1:50 PM.
F FIRE DRILLS: Fire drills are held on a regular basis throughout the year. All students will participate and are expected to walk quickly and quietly to their designated exit. There will be no talking during the fire drills. We all need to listen for directions.
FIELD TRIPS: We will be taking many fieldtrips this year. Parents are welcome to join us. You may meet us at the location if you would like (this reduces the cost of having extra buses). BE SURE TO FILL OUT YOUR VOLUNTEER APPLICATION. If you are not an approved volunteer, you will not be able to chaperone our field trips.
G GRADES: The students will be assessed throughout the school year. Some of these assessments will be paper and pencil, computer based, or observation. Between the assessments and observations, your child’s grades will be determined. I will be reporting your child’s grades on their report card 4 times a year. They will be given a letter grade of M, P, or I. M= Meeting Standards 85% or higher , P= Progressing Towards Standards 84-70%, I = Improvement Needed 69% or below. If you would like to know your child’s academic progress before these times please request a conference.
H HEALTH: Please let me know of special circumstances which may affect your child. These could include any medication they may be on, a death in the family, etc. Also, please let me and the school nurse know of any allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. We sometimes cook or do food activities to complement lessons in kindergarten and it would be helpful to know when I plan our recipes.
HOMEWORK: The most important homework policy is to establish a daily homework habit and reading time with your child. Your child needs your support; however, your child should do all writing, drawing, coloring, by themselves. It is so important to develop positive study habits from the beginning. All homework will be sent home on Monday for the week. Homework is a review of what is being taught in the classroom. It is a requirement.
I 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.
J JOURNALS: One strategy that will be used to help convey the vital concept that “print conveys meaning” is the frequent use of journal writing. In these journals the kindergartners combine their emerging writing skills with their drawing skills. As the children are exposed to a variety of phonics and reading experiences, journal entries will move from drawings and “inventive” spellings towards more conventional writing. This is one of my favorite tools to see growth from the beginning to the end of the year. You will be blown away!!
K KINDNESS: Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our class as well as others with kindness and respect. Bothering others, bullying and interrupting learning will not be permitted.
L LUNCH: Student lunches- $2.70. Reduced price lunch- $.40 Adult lunches- $3.75. The children are welcome to either bring or buy their lunch each day. School lunches can now be pre-paid and monitored online. If you send money, please follow the money procedures described above, as well as writing his/her lunch number on the envelope. Each child is assigned a lunch/account number to use when making cafeteria purchases. They will be responsible for remembering their account number. The money will be automatically debited from your child’s account. Bringing lunch from home for the first few weeks is helpful.
MMUSIC: Our music teacher, Mrs. Pitter will be teaching using Orff techniques, children will enjoy learning to sing and play instruments.
MEDIA: Mrs. Linekin is our Media Specialist. Be sure that you filled out your child’s media release form. Also, make sure that your return your child books on our media day. The children can check out 1 book at a time. Kindergarten does not check out books until the second half of the year.
MONEY: Throughout the year, it will be necessary for your child to bring money to school. ALWAYS send money in a sealed envelope. Please write your child’s first and last name, the amount of money, the purpose of the money and my name on the envelope. Please place this in their binder. Do not drop it in their backpack or allow them to keep it in their pocket.
N NURSE: We are fortunate to have Nurse Roxane Smith at Crookshank Elementary. She does a GREAT job making sure that all of our students are healthy. Please be sure to send in any change of contact numbers in case she needs to get in touch with you.
NEWSLETTERS: Newsletters will be going home every week. They will include homework for the week, classroom happenings, supplies needed (if any), and upcoming events.
NEWS: We have school news that is broadcasted every morning at 8:25 a.m.
O OFFICE: Please contact Crookshank Elementary office if your child is absent from school, their way home changes etc. The front office will contact me and let me know of important information. Also you must stop by the office to check in if you are to walk anywhere inside the school or volunteer. We have two wonderful ladies who work in the front. At the front desk is Mrs. Elaine Carson and secretary to the principal is Mrs. Bernadette Bridger.
P PTA: Please join Crookshank Elementary PTA. If you need a form let me know and I will get one for you.
PRINCIPAL: Our principal is Dr. Paul Goricki.
PE: Coach Celeste Jones is our PE coach. What should you wear to PE? Tennis shoes (ie. basketball shoes, sneakers, etc.) are always required. Otherwise, please dress appropriately for the weather. If it is hot - shorts and a t-shirt are good choices. If it is cold – please wear pants and dress in layers. Flip flops, sandals, Crocs, heels, and heavy boots are NOT appropriate footwear. This is for your child’s safety. What if your child gets sick/injured and cannot participate? Please write a note or bring one from the doctor if you can. Sometimes with injuries, there are activities that they can participate in with their cast/splint. Please ask the doctor to be as specific as possible about their limitations
Q QUICK GOODBYES: Leave dry eyes. The transition into Kindergarten can be a little difficult for some and we may see some tears the first few days (this is not limited to the students). This is normal and should pass quickly. Please do not walk your child into the classroom after the first day as this prolongs the inevitable as well as disrupts routine. I assure you the tears usually disappear once Mom or Dad has left. I will also make every effort to make your child feel comfortable. I try at some point during the morning to let you know how your child is doing upon request through e-mail.
QUESTIONS: I’m sure that you may still have some unanswered questions. Please feel free to contact me. You can always call, write a note or email.
R REPORT CARDS: Kindergarten students will be given a quarterly report card. If you would like a conference after you have reviewed the report card, check the line for parent conference requested.
S SNACK: Due to our early lunch, we will have a snack every day. I have found community snack to be the simplest, least intrusive method. I will ask each family to donate a supply of simple, healthy items that will be shared with the whole class. A snack schedule will be sent home with your child. Please make sure to write down which week your child is responsible for snack. If you are unable to bring in snack let me know the week before and I will make other arrangements. Favorites often include goldfish or other bite size crackers, pretzels, simple cookies, dry cereal, and raisins. If your child is a picky eater I recommend sending them with their own snack each day.
SCIENCE/ SOCIAL STUDIES: Science and Social Studies will be integrated throughout the curriculum. We also go to Science as a resource special. It is taught by Mrs. Varner
SPIRIT DAY: Spirit Day will be on Friday. Make sure that your child is wearing their school shirt.
SPECIALS: Everyday, excluding some Wednesdays your child will be attending specials. These include the following: Music, Physical Education, Art, Library/Media, Science, and Spanish.
SPECIAL NEEDS: Let me know if there are changes at home that might affect your child’s school behavior/performance.
T TOYS: Bringing toys to school is not allowed because they distract the children from learning. If a toy is accidentally lost or broken, feelings will be hurt. We do not want to be responsible for lost or broken toys.
THANK YOU: Thank you so much for all of your support this school year! I am very thankful to spending each day with your child.
U UNIT STUDIES: Students are exposed to different Thematic Units where all subject areas are integrated. We will be making special projects and learn facts based on our unit of study.
V VOLUNTEERING: *Your help is welcomed and is needed! There are many ways to volunteer at home and school. There will be a sign up sheet for volunteers and class moms/dads.
* Please remember to fill out the SCHOOL VOLUNTEER FORM. You may pick up a form in the front office or go online to the district website. ONLINE is much faster and recommended.
W WE ARE A TEAM: Please feel free to come and talk to me if you have concerns, or questions regarding your child. It is our job to work together to help your child have a successful first year.
WEB PAGE: Please check out the kindergarten webpage regularly to keep up with classroom happenings. You can find a link on the Crookshank website.
X EXPERIENCES: I look forward to a wonderful year and working with you to ensure our child has a great Kindergarten experience.
EXTRA SPECIAL: Everyone in our classroom is EXTRA SPECIAL. The children will be learning about how they are alike and different from others.
EXTRA CLOTHES: Accidents do happen in kindergarten. Please keep an extra set of clothing in your child’s backpack (include a shirt, pants, underwear, socks- all labeled with your child’s name).
Y YEARLONG CALENDAR: Check our website for our ongoing yearlong calendar.
YOUNGER SIBLINGS: It is our school policy that younger siblings are not allowed to come when you volunteer in the classroom. Thank you for making childcare arrangements for younger siblings.
Z Zzzz. 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.
Together you and I will help your child shine!