Ms.

Allie’s ABC Guide to Kindergarten

A​ttendance​: It is so important for your child to be at school on time everyday! You will significantly increase
their chances for success by making sure they are here, on time, everyday. Be sure your child is at school no
earlier than 8am. Students arriving at this time need to go to the cafeteria, even if they aren’t eating breakfast
at school. There is no supervision on the primary playground until 8:10am. The first bell rings at 8:25am and
school starts at 8:30am.

B​irthdays​ will be celebrated after lunch. If you would like to send in a healthy treat for your child to share
with the class, please refer to the ideas listed on the Wellness Flyer sent home that is also posted on the class
website . We currently have 21 students in our class, many with families that are trying to restrict refined sugar
intake and opt for whole foods, organic if possible. Great ideas might include: fruit kabobs, muffins that are
naturally sweetened, chia seed coconut pudding, veggie platters, homemade popcorn with nutritional
yeast...etc. If your child has specific dietary restrictions please know that you may send in an alternative snack
that I can hand out during these times if they are not able to eat the treat sent in.

*Regarding birthday parties outside of school, I would be glad to distribute invites through our weekly book
bags if each child is invited. If not, this needs to be done outside of school.

C​onferences​: Good communication between home and school is important to your child’s academic
success. Fall parent/teacher conferences will be held on the week of October 8th-12th with an early dismissal
every day at 12:05pm. If there are other times you have concerns about academic or social issues, please
don’t hesitate to contact me to set up a meeting. I can be reached at 874-1205 ext. 23 (though note that our
classroom phone isn’t currently working) or by emailing me at [email protected].

D​ress​: Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately each day. We do several physical activities
each day, even quick movement breaks, so making sure they have comfortable and appropriate footwear (with
backs) is important. Labeling outwear is helpful!

E​mergency information:​ Student emergency information should be kept up to date in the office. In the
event of a school closure due to power outages, closed roads or flooding, please look for text updates, emails,
and phone calls from our automated system at the school. Otherwise, listen to the radio (KZST) in the morning
during severe weather.

F​ield Trips:​ If you’d like to volunteer for a field trip, please let me know via email or in person after I write
about it in my weekly newsletters. We’ll take a school bus for most field trips. If parents need to drive for field
trips I’ll ask for volunteers ahead of time in the weekly newsletter. Please note that though I’d love for younger
siblings to be able to join us, our school has a policy that doesn’t allow this. If you have questions about this
policy please direct them to the principal.

G​arden​: We have a lovely school garden where the kids learn about native plants, plant and harvest food
for the cafeteria, and cook/create dishes with it as well. If you are interested in being a garden docent
(Thursdays from 11-11:40am), please sign up on the volunteer form!

H​omework​: Homework in Kindergarten will be limited to 15-20 minutes of at-home reading each night. Try
to choose a variety of high interest books to read with your child. Beginning in mid October, book bags will
begin coming home on Fridays with additionally reading books to supplement your home collection. Math
games are encouraged as a way to sharpen adding and subtracting skills and increase number sense. Ideas
of how to support and extended on classroom concepts with your child will be included in the weekly
newsletter.

I​ndependent study​: If you know you will have your child out of school for 5 or more consecutive school days,
see Suzi in the office as soon as you can and she we can arrange for an independent study contract.​ ​I will
gather the work needed and hand it off to you before you head out of town.

J​oin ARK!​ ARK is our parent organization that helps support many of the amazing programs, events, and
scholarships at this school. Our first ARK sponsored event of the year is the Welcome Back Spaghetti Dinner
on September 21st from 5-7pm

K​eep a routine! ​ Kids thrive when they know what to expect each day. Playing, eating, reading, and
bedtime routines with firm bedtimes are all important parts of their after school time. Preparing for the next
morning before bed also helps with a smoother transition in the morning.

L​unch: ​ Please send healthy food and snacks to school. Be sure to include several choices as sometimes
kids’ appetites grow and they are still hungry once finished. For school lunches, each child has an account
that can be prepaid or billed monthly. To prepay, see Suzi in the office or Missy, our lunch clerk and data
technician. We have a Free and Reduced Lunch Program that can be applied for by filling out a form with
Suzi.

M​ath​: Grades K-5 have adopted BRIDGES math curriculum and piloted the program last year. BRIDGES in
kindergarten will consist of small 15-20 minute group lessons followed by hands on learning station activities
with lots of manipulatives and games. You may see math worksheets that reflect the math standard your child
is working on. Ways to extended on our in class learning will be mentioned in weekly newsletters. When
possible I’ll send home popular games from in class for you to play at home with your child.
N​ewsletters​: News from the Madrone Room will arrive weekly in your child’s blue Friday folder, sharing
about our week in school and letting you know about upcoming events and projects. I’ll also post a copy of the
Newsletter on the Class Website.

O​h Boy!​ “I need to take a break!”

P​racticing handwriting:​ Learning proper letter formation will help alleviate some of the stress kids have
when it comes to writing. In Kindergarten we use the “Handwriting Without Tears” curriculum, a hands-on
program that uses manipulatives, practice with chalkboards, and independent practice to learn proper letter
formation.

Q​uestions​: You are encouraged to direct any thoughts or questions regarding our class to me before or
after school. If you need longer than a few minutes, please consider scheduling a short meeting with me when
it is convenient. Call, stop by or email me.

R​eading Instruction:​ I will be incorporating a combination of phonics based reading instruction, guided
reading, and exposure to whole language this year. I will use the “Daily 5” Program to structure reading with
time for: guided reading instruction, listening to stories, writing, word work, and reading to self (even if it’s just
through pictures).

S​tudent of the Week​ - “Dazzling Dragons” will be our version of student of the week. The week for your child
to share has been pre-selected so please look for the flyer in this back-to-school packet. Your child will be
invited to create a display of items that represent their personality and passions. The “Dazzling Dragon” will
have special privileges for the week and will be a special helper with our classroom pets!

T​aking medication:​ Please see Suzi in the front office if your child needs to be given medicine during the
school hours. This includes creams, cough drops, Tylenol, etc.
U​sing i-Pads:​ i-Pads will be used sparingly as a way to supplement our curriculum. The students will use
iPads 3 to 4x per week to complete LEXIA, a leveled phonics program that adjusts while your child interacts
with it to further develop their reading skills through letter recognition, beginning sounds, blending sounds,
sight words, and into beginning reading with sentences. High quality educational apps (listening to books, math
fact and word practice, and storytelling) may be used infrequently to aid in differentiating learning while keeping
learning fun and interactive.

V​olunteering: ​Parents and family members who have been fingerprinted are welcome and encouraged to
volunteer. Weekly volunteer slots are available for sign-up tonight but other opportunities beyond field trips will
be written about in the weekly Friday newsletters. Please know that our school has a policy which restricts
siblings from coming to class while parents volunteer. Siblings are welcome to visit the classroom briefly before
and after school and may join us on our Friday morning family hikes.

W​alking the trail:​ At least once a week, we hike the nature trail. We regularly use the Dragon Playground
and “Sandy Flats” for building, exploration and free play. We will use our local environment (wetlands, creeks,
forest, grasslands, and ocean) to enhance our science studies of plants, animals, weather, and motion.

X​tra​ practice is always available.

Z​zzzzzzz- ​Your child will need plenty of sleep at night to feel successful at school. Developing a good
bedtime routine during the school year will help make your life easier and help your child settle into the rhythm
of the school year. PLEASE incorporate reading into your nightly routine.