Kindergarten will be your child's first experience with formal learning in a public school. In order to help you prepare for this experience, we have developed this handbook.

The Kindergarten Teachers

BEFORE KINDERGARTEN STARTS

Children, having been dependent upon parents, may find being separated a stressful experience. In order to overcome this possibility, the following suggestions might be helpful:

A. Talk about Kindergarten and school in general in a positive way at home. Make it sound like a place they would like to go. Mention enjoyable things they will do. The child should be taught that school is a pleasant place and not a place where he/she will be punished or harassed. Do not use the school as a threat in achieving home discipline.

B. If your child is a walker, show your child the shortest and safest route walking to and from school. It would be wise to walk the route with your child to demonstrate proper crossing of streets and also to show the child which crossings will have safety patrol provided.

C. If your child will be taking the bus, discuss with them the route they will be walking and where to stand before the bus arrives. Discuss appropriate activities while your child is waiting for the bus as well as the proper habits for riding the bus safely to and from school. Develop these habits early while riding in the family car.

D. Teach your child to take care of his/her own toilet needs. If possible, explain to your son the use of the urinal.

E. Help your child learn to dress and undress himself/herself (buttoning and zippering). Be sure your child can tie his/her own shoes and put on his/her boots. Velcro shoes are a practical solution if your child cannot tie his/her shoes. Consider dressing your child in clothing that he/she is able to handle independently.

F. Teach your child to say his/her full name, address, and phone number.

G. If you plan to teach your child how to print his/her name, please refer to the back page of this handbook which will show you the proper letter formation as well as other Literacy skills that are important for an incoming Kindergarten student. Please do not teach your child to print his/her name in all capitals. Use both capital and small letters. For example: Amy Martin, not AMY MARTIN.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Kindergarten registration is held in the spring at each of the elementary buildings. Information packets containing forms which need to be completed are mailed approximately 3 weeks before the registration evenings. Parents are encouraged to register their child in their assigned building (decided by attendance boundaries), but registration is accepted at Jackson, Sweeney, Red Oak, Sun Path and Eagle Creek Elementary,

Forms to be completed for registration are:

* Student Information Registration Form

* Annual Student Health Update Form

You are also asked to bring information with you when you complete registration.

These include:

* A photocopy of your child’s birth certificate to be kept at school

* Immunization record

* Record of Early Childhood Screening, if available

(If your child has not been screened, please call 952-496-5072)

ENTRANCE AND ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Children entering Kindergarten must be five on or before September 1 according to State Law. Although a child's age may permit him/her to enter Kindergarten he/she still may not be ready in many ways. If you have a question in your mind as to your child's readiness, feel free to contact the school for help and guidance. Sometimes holding the younger child out one year will make his/her next twelve years easier and more enjoyable.

Completed immunizations forms. State Law requires children to be up-to-date on their immunizations. Parents must submit proof of these immunizations in order for their child to attend school.

Kindergarten children are expected to attend regularly as the Kindergarten program is a sequential program, and one day's experiences are built upon the experiences of the preceding days.

The Kindergarten, once begun, becomes an integral part of the elementary school, and as such, becomes subject to all rules and regulations set forth concerning grades 1-5 by the Board of Education and the State Department of Education.

. Kindergarten children attend school for a full day from 8:30-3:10

Parents must make arrangements to see that their children leave school immediately upon dismissal since the teacher will be assigned duties during this time and will not be available to look after the children. Children may not be left without supervision.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation is furnished both ways for kindergarten children who live more than one half mile from school as measured either from their home or daycare.

Children who do not normally ride the bus to or from school may not ride the bus to a friend's house.

If there is a change in the destination of your child after school, the teacher should be notified in writing or you may call the front office at 952-496-5802. No child will be allowed to ride a bus other than his or her regular bus to or from school.

OPEN HOUSE

There will be an open house for students and parents prior to school starting in the fall. This usually occurs the Wednesday before the start of the school year. This is the time for your child to see the classroom and meet his/her teacher. This is an important event for you and your child to attend!

REGULAR ATTENDANCE

Regular and punctual attendance in class is of prime importance if the maximum benefits of schooling are to be achieved. The entire process of education requires continuity of instruction, classroom participation, and study in order to achieve the goal of maximum educational benefits for each individual student. It is expected that all students will be in attendance in class on those days that school is in session.

SCHOOL GUIDELINES FOR KEEPING CHILDREN HOME DUE TO ILLNESS

Guidelines for keeping children home due to illness include:

·  Temperature of 100 degrees or greater

·  Vomiting

·  Diarrhea

If your child has had a fever of 100 or more, it is best for your child not to return to school until the child has been fever-free for 24 hours without using medication to keep the fever down. The same 24-hour guideline also applies to vomiting and diarrhea.

(For example, if your child vomits in the morning at breakfast time, DO NOT send him/her to school in the afternoon.)

If a student is not running a fever, but is obviously not feeling well enough to participate in classroom activities (excessively tired, continual coughing, excessive secretions), it is a good idea to keep him/her at home.

If you have a problem with daycare for your sick child, or have difficulty getting off work when you need to stay home with your child, please take time today to figure out your “emergency plan” to cover those sick days. Sending a sick child to school exposes other children to your child’s illness. Please send your child back to school only when he/she is fully recovered.

REPORTING AN ABSENCE

In the event that a child must be absent, it is important that the parent notify the school by telephone (the attendance line is 496-5803) before school on the day of the absence. If this does not occur, the parent will be contacted by the school to inquire as to why the child is not in school.

Attendance information is reported to the classroom teacher and all absences and tardies are recorded in the school office. Your child’s absences or tardies will be considered excused for the following reasons:

1. Illness

2. Medical/Dental Appointments

3. Religious Activities

4. Pre-Arranged Family Trips

5. Family Emergencies

An absence or tardy will be considered unexcused if the student is not in class and a parent has not notified the school and excused his/her child. Examples of absences/tardies that are considered unexcused are missing the bus, car trouble, taking a child to parents’ appointment, etc. For any student who has accumulated seven (7) unexcused absences or tardies the school may be obligated to notify Scott County Human Services to file truancy or educational neglect.

For any student who develops a pattern of excessive absences or tardies (excused or unexcused), special interventions may be warranted. Parents who are experiencing difficulty establishing regular attendance are encouraged to contact the Principal or School Social Worker for assistance and support.

If for some other unavoidable reason a child needs to be absent from school, a note or telephone call in advance of the absence is very helpful.

CLOTHING

A. Because of the type of activities that take place in kindergarten (pasting, painting, floor activities, etc.), children should wear sturdy, washable clothing and appropriate shoes.

B. During winter months, children should have appropriate warm clothing--especially boots, hats, mittens and snow pants.

C. All of your child's clothing should be labeled clearly - both boots, both mittens, and all other belongings.

D. In kindergarten there are many "running" activities. To avoid accidents, it is strongly recommended that your child wear tennis shoes or shoes with non-skid soles, not dress shoes. If your child cannot tie his shoes, then Velcro shoes are recommended.

E. We ask that any child with pierced ears wear the post type earrings and not the wire "dangling" type. This is for the child's own protection.

PROGRESS REPORTING PROCEDURES

Your child's progress is very important to you and his/her teacher. The following are methods of reporting:

A.  Two parent-teacher conferences will be held; one in the fall and one in early spring. At this time, parents and teachers talk in depth about children's progress and individual problems or needs.

B.  Additional conferences may be initiated by either parent or teachers as the need arises.

C.  The student’s report card will be marked and sent home in November, January, April and June.

CURRICULUM INFORMATION

Because Independent School District #720 endeavors to work in close partnership with the parents and the guardians of its students, parents are encouraged to become familiar with the curriculum and the materials used in teaching this curriculum to the students. If you wish to further examine any part of a particular curriculum or specific teaching aid used at a grade level or subject area, you are asked to contact the building principal who will arrange a time and place for you to review the material in question and supply you with a Review of "Curriculum Materials" Form to complete.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

READING/LANGUAGE

Your child will be involved in many experiences which will integrate language and reading with each other as well as with other areas of the curriculum. The foundation of this program will be centered around print of all types--big books, pattern books, picture books, poems, songs, letters, recipes and rhymes to name a few. Each day your child will have experiences in writing through journaling, classroom books and stories, writing to a prompt, opinion and letter writing. Specific skills such as phonics, sequencing and punctuation will be covered during these shared reading experiences. Kindergarteners will work on independent reading skills such as fluency, retell and making meaningful connections as early as fall.

SCIENCE

We will be encouraging scientific thinking through many hands-on exploratory activities. Some of these activities will be taught through mini-units such as insects, apples, pumpkins, seasonal changes, weather and simple investigating tools. In addition, your child will have opportunities daily to do experiments and make observations at our classroom centers. In addition, our district has adopted several STEM units which allow our students to explore science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on learning opportunities.

CENTER TIME

Your child will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of literacy and math based activities. During this time your child will be involved in experimenting with many areas of the curriculum such as art, social studies and science as well. Children rotate through curriculum based activity centers on a daily basis while the teacher is meeting with small groups.

MATHEMATICS

The Kindergarten math curriculum is a “hands on” active approach to math. The students explore and discover for themselves various number properties including one to one correspondence, counting sets of objects, patterns, sorting, number recognition, and 2 and 3-dimensional shapes.

iPADS

Kindergarteners will have the opportunity to have technology integration on a daily basis through the use of classroom iPads in many academic areas. Students will learn applicable technology skills to practice learned content and to create innovative ways of demonstrating their knowledge.

ASSESSMENT

Testing will be done on letter and sound recognition, high frequency words, opinion writing and writing to a prompt, hearing letters and sounds in words (CVC), listening comprehension and reading text (DRA). Students will also be tested on one to one correspondence, counting sets of objects, patterns, sorting, number recognition, and 2 and 3-dimensional shapes in math. Results will be shared with parents through conferences and standards based report cards.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES will be held in November and February. The student’s report card will be marked and sent home each quarter.