Welcome to Kindergarten!

Mrs. Gerhart, Ms. Gue

and Mrs. Miller

2017-18

Welcome to Kindergarten at Valley Elementary School. We are excited to work with your child this year! We are off to a great start to our school year. We will be working hard on establishing routines. Your support at home with the skills learned in school is very important. In this newsletter, we will offer you beginning of the year tips and provide you an overview of September skills. You will also be receiving a copy of our grading policy for Kindergarten. Thank you for your support of our Kindergarten program!

Helpful tips……

·  Keep a weekly routine! A morning routine and an after-school routine will help both you and your child. Set aside specific times for homework/reading and set a routine bedtime! Empty your child’s take home folder each night. Go over any classroom work completed. This review will help your child be success and show him/her that you value their efforts!

·  Keep a weekly routine! A morning routine and an after-school routine will help both you and your child. Set aside specific times for homework/reading and set a routine bedtime! Empty your child’s take home folder each night. Go over any classroom work completed. This review will help your child be success and show him/her that you value their efforts!

·  Notify the school of any changes in phone number/address/work number/health information. Keeping up-to-date records makes it a lot easier to contact you! If you have a change in transportation for your child, email Jody Gust directly with the information. Her email is . This will ensure your child/children get home without complications.

·  Read with your child daily. This is one of the best things you can do to ensure your child’s success! We share the books with other students and classes at Valley. Please return the books the next morning so that all students have the books they need to succeed.

·  Reinforce what your child is learning at school. Have fun playing rhyming, alphabet or number games in the car or while waiting in lines or at the doctor’s office.

·  Encourage your child! Find positive things to say about their work or progress every day! They want to know you are proud of them.

September Skills:

In Math…..

•  Counting and Recognizing Numerals 0-10

•  Counting and Representing Quantities 0-10

•  Classifying and Comparing

In Reading…

•  Identification of letters and sounds

•  Word study work and sight word practice

•  Guided reading groups to explore Fiction and Non Fiction texts

In Writing….

•  Exploring the roles of authors and illustrators

·  Working toward clearly telling, drawing, or writing a story

·  Clearly recounting an event or several loosely linked events

·  Using letters, works and sentences to convey a story

In Social Studies…

·  Exploring American Symbols

·  Discussing We will learn about magnets

·  why rule are important

·  Talking about community roles and citizenship

In Science….

·  Exploring magnets

·  Exploring Matter and Heat

Classroom donation appreciated……

Thank you for sending in supplies with your child! Below is a list of items we use in the classroom often. If you are able to donate any of the following, we would appreciate your help. Thank youJ

•  Clorox Wipes

•  Hand Sanitizer

•  Tissues

•  Ziploc Baggies

•  Stickers

Breakfast and Books…..

We are excited about our upcoming Breakfast and Books Event for Kindergarten being held here at Valley School on September 15th, 2017. Our day will begin at 8:30 am and end at 10:00 am. Invitations have been sent home. If you have not sent in your RSVP already, we encourage you to do so. You may contact Jill Barnes, our Literacy Specialist, if you have any questions about this event. Her email is . We look forward to partnering and learning with you!

Grading in Kindergarten

Below is the grading scale and vocabulary used when assessing students in Kindergarten. Your child’s grades on his/her quarterly report cards will be determined through on-going assessments, one to one educational interviews and observation. Feedback for your child’s class work and homework will be given through stickers, stamps or written notes. A sample of the Kindergarten report card is provided on the back of this paper. You are encouraged to contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions concerning your child’s progress with academic skills and/or personal and social development.

Your child will receive a report card at the end of each quarter. There are four quarters to our school year. Your child’s report card will come home in a large envelope. Sign and return this envelop after you have reviewed the report card.

Explanations of Grades:

EE = Exceeding expectations towards meeting grade level standards. Consistently meets and/or exceeds curriculum standards and class requirements

ME = Meeting expectations towards meeting grade level standards. Frequently meets and/or exceeds curriculum standards and class requirements

AE = Approaching expectations towards meeting grade level standards Generally meets curriculum standards and class requirements, though some curriculum standards and class requirements may remain as yet unmet

DE = Developing expectations towards meeting grade level standards Meets some curriculum standards and class requirements, though many curriculum standards and class requirements remain as yet unmet

NE = Not evaluated at this time Standards were either not taught and/or assessed at this time

Personal and Social Development Coding:

4 = Consistently

3 = Most of the Time

2 = Inconsistently

1 = Rarely

0 = Not Demonstrating

A copy of your child’s report is attached. Please review the report card and contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions. Thank youJ