WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN!
Dear Kindergarten Families,
Welcome to Kindergarten! I am looking forward to a very exciting year of getting to know you and your child. My goal is to help your child have success in learning and for them to be the best they can be! If you ever have any questions throughout the school year about anything, please feel free to call me at 433-2210, write a note in your child’s green folder, or email ([email protected]). Below I have tried to go into detail of some important information that will be helpful this year.
I would like to share a few things about myself. This is my fourth year teaching Kindergarten at Kingsley Elementary. I have also taught three years at South Tama Elementary School in Tama. I taught special education in many different grade levels including Kindergarten through 2nd grade and 4th grade. I have a major in Elementary Classroom and a minor in Special Education. I love teaching and look forward to helping your child learn and grow during the year.
Arrival Times and Procedures: There will be no adult supervision of students coming to school before 8:30am. Students will not be allowed in the building to go to class until 8:40am. Students should wait at our line in the morning. Students and I will walk in from line to our classrooms at 8:40am.
Class begins promptly at 8:50am when the tardy bell rings. Any student coming in after this time will be counted tardy and sent to the office for a pass. Attendance and lunch counts must be turned in by 9:00am.
Dismissal Times/Procedures: Kindergartners that ride the bus will wear a bus tag around their necks which will include bus# and child’s name. Please return this tag daily in your child’s backpack. Students that ride the bus or go to A to Z or Y Kids will be walked there every day. The dismissal bell rings at 3:30pm, except for Wednesdays, when we dismiss at 2:10. Students may be picked up on the sidewalk next to our modular. Because there are a large number of students and parents in the pick up area, I ask that you come up to me to check in before taking your child from line. Please talk to your child at home about this procedure so eventually this will become a smoother process. If your child will be using a different form of transportation anytime during the year, please send me a note or email letting me know. Safety is always a priority and our modulars need to stay locked during the school day. If you need to pick up your child early, you must sign them out in the office and wait for your child there.
Lunch: Students will have two choices for lunch each day, which is noted in the lunch calendars sent home each month. Otherwise, a lunch should be sent with your child. If you wish to eat lunch with your child, you will need to first check in at the office and then meet us in the lunchroom. It is the school’s policy that only primary caregivers are allowed to eat lunch with their child.
Daily green folder: Every day, I will send home your child’s green daily folder. Please make sure your child’s green folder is cleaned out daily and returned daily. I will put all important notes to home from myself and the school in this folder. This folder will be used for communication between you and me. Please feel free to write any notes and place them in your child’s folder. Please make sure your child also brings a backpack to school every day to help with bringing papers home.
Class Website: We have created a Kindergarten website to help your family learn about our classroom. This website will include important information about upcoming events and what your child will be learning each week. This website will be on the Kingsley website under Class Websites. If you do not have access to internet, please let me know so I can provide you will information in another form.
Homework: We will have homework activities that will be sent home throughout the year. Each week, a reading log will be sent home on Friday and should be returned the following Friday. Other homework activities will be sent home in your child’s folder with a note explaining the activity.
Specials: Students will receive 50 minutes of specials a day in the following areas: gym, library, music, and art. On gym days, students will be asked to bring/wear gym shoes. A specials schedule will be provided on our Kindergarten website.
Star of the Week: We will be starting a “Star of the Week” in September. This will give each student a chance to share something new with the class every day that week. A schedule/letter will be sent home with more details.
Snack: During the year, the students’ tummies tend to get hungry by the afternoon. The school does not provide students with snack. Our class would be grateful for any snacks parents would be able to provide throughout the year. I will let you know each week if our snacks are getting low, in case you are able to donate some to our classroom. We have students at our school with peanut allergies. Please make sure you check labels to make sure the product is peanut-free and has not in been processed in a factory that may use nuts in their products. If you need ideas on peanut-free snacks, I would be happy to give you some ideas. Please also make sure your child’s lunch is peanut-free. Thanks for helping us keep our students safe!!
Book Orders: Book orders for ordering books will be sent home once a month. I will send a note explaining the process with the first book order. We encourage families to order books online with the provided code, because this helps us receive extra books for our classroom. If you are unable to order online, checks can also be sent to school in folders with book orders.
Behavior: At Kingsley, we are using Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, which focuses on positive behavior through tickets, assemblies, and character recognition. In the class room, we will be using the Rainbow Clip Up/Clip Down chart. This chart has seven different colors a student can move to throughout the day with each student starting on green. The following colors and meanings are: Purple – Outstanding, Blue – Great Job, Pink – Good Day, Green – Ready to Learn, Yellow – Think about it, Orange – Teacher’s Choice, and Red – Parent Contact. This chart celebrates a student’s behavioral achievements as well as reminds them about good behavior. More information will be provided in a separate letter.
Looking forward to a great year….Kingsley Families are #1!!!!!!
Mrs. Neuman