Welcome to Kindergarten Open House

Welcome to Kindergarten Open House The Home of Mrs. Bower’s Kindergarten Bear Cubs

Our “Beary”... rific Kindergarten Teacher Team Mrs. Bower (Lead Teacher) Mrs.Glover (paraprofessional) Mrs. Wall (EIP Teacher)

First Day Poem Everyone has a “first day” When they feel sad and all alone. It can be so scary When you are out all on your own. Take my hankie, dry your tears. You’ll find lots of fun things to do And you will probably make new friends. I promise we will be together When the school day ends. Here comes the teacher Blow your nose and be brave. Come on now wipe your eyes This is no way to behave. “Well, good morning teacher We really must beg your pardon No, Mommy doesn’t always act this way But it’s my first day in Kindergarten”!!!!!!

Kindergarten Goals • To provide a nurturing and safe environment for all student learning. • To develop self-confidence through successful learning experiences and positive praise. • To gain independence and responsibility (encourage your child to put on his/her own sweater/jacket, zip & unzip book bag, pack own book bag with parent guidance, tie own shoes, etc.) • To instill a love of learning that will last a lifetime!

Money Lunch Snack Specials Transportation Attendance “Bear” Essentials

Money • Performing Arts- One time donation • Field Trips (The Tulley Smith House, Diamond Del: Rocks & Minerals & Cagle’s Dairy Farm) Money should be sent in the white envelopes provided and filled out with permission forms attached separately.

Tritt Café • Lunch money should be paid weekly or monthly (Students $2.15/Adults $3.25) • You can pay by cash or check. Please place your payment in a white envelope (marked with your child’s name/teacher/grade level, amount) or pay online at www.mealpayplus.com • We would love for you to join us for lunch. Please meet us at the front of the cafeteria doors at 12:22. • Ice Cream Friday-written note needed.

Snack Time • We have a scheduled snack time at 9:30am. Please send in a healthy snack labeled with your child’s name each day. • Great snack ideas include: pretzels goldfish pre-cut fruit cheese crackers fruit cereal graham crackers animal crackers bagels No juice boxes please-water bottles are welcome! No candy or cookies….please send in utensils if needed. *We do have several food allergies including nut allergies.

Specials • The students go to a 40 minute Specials class everyday. Our Specials time is from 9:55-10:35am. -Our Specials are on a rotation schedule. A Specials calendar will be sent home at the beginning of each month highlighting daily Special activities. -Tritt’s Specials include: Physical Education (tennis shoes needed/shorts under dresses or skirts) Art Music Science Lab (Discovery Porthole) -The Tritt Tiger Foundation supports and funds the salaries of our teachers in the Science Lab and Computer Lab.

TRANSPORTATION • The bus is best!!!!! It is never late. • Your child will go home everyday as indicated on your “transportation” form, unless we receive a note signed by you in the red Communication Folder to tell us otherwise. • Please do not send any transportation changes through email. Kindergarten is a very busy place and most days emails are not able to be checked until the end of the day. • If you forget to put a note in your child’s folder or something changes, the office will need to be contacted of the transportation change by phone or fax.

Attendance • We encourage regular and prompt attendance. • Students may not be dropped of before 7:15 as there is no teacher supervision available. • The first bell rings at 7:50 am. The children are tardy if they enter the building after 7:55 am. If your child arrives after 7:55am, please go to the office to sign your child in. Your child will need a tardy slip. • If your child is absent, please send in a written excuse explaining why they were absent. A form can be found on the Tritt Webpage. If we do not receive a written excuse of your child’s absence within 5 days, it will be counted as an “unexcused absence”.

Our Daily Schedule “Bearsonality” Of the Week (sign up your child for his/her special week “Expert” Letter Helper The Daily 5 Literacy Centers (sign up for September & October) Curious George Bag Rest Time (20-25 mins)/no blankets or pillows due to limited space/time Guided Reading Folder (important to read daily & return to school when finished or by Monday) Homework Notebooks/Reading Logs (will begin after Labor Day) Computer Lab (bi-weekly on Thursdays) Media Center (weekly on Fridays) Guidance (bi-weekly on Tuesdays) L.I.F.T. (Learning Is Fun Together….singing & dancing to curriculum based songs) A Beary Busy Place

Parent Essentials • Volunteers (Daily 5 Parent Volunteers and Mystery Reader sign up on the back table) • “Beary Good Newsletter”-Our Class Newsletter will be updated weekly on our class blog. • Sign-up for email notification on Mrs. Bower’s classroom blog! • “PAWSitively Beary Good” Behavior/Positive Discipline Plan (We will have daily class meetings and you will receive your child behavior calendar daily. • Birthdays/Invitations/Birthday Treats

Extras *Names on all items sent to school (coats, sweaters, backpack, lunchbox, etc.) *Medication Forms (available in clinic *ASP (After School Program/ Registration Forms needed)

Tritt Elementary PE - If your child has a medical condition the PE teachers need to know about please go to the PE blog, download medical condition form and send to PE teachers - Wear tennis shoes on PE days http://tritt.typepad.com/pe/ - Any Questions? Email Coach Adams or Mrs. Smarr from the PE blog.

Specialist Behavior Slips Specialist Behavior Slips • All Specials will be using the same behavior slip • If your child receives a slip it will be reflected on Conduct section on Report Card • Due to time constraints and quick class changes behavior notes may come home a day late

Tritt Elementary School "Membership Matters" Tritt PTA organizes and funds a wide variety of events, programs and materials to help make Tritt the best! Tritt PTA provides over 70% of the additional instructional materials our teachers use to enrich and enhance the learning experiences of our students. Tritt PTA "Membership Matters" because helping our students reach their highest potential is a goal we all share! Tritt PTA's 2012-2013 Notable Expenses While the Tritt PTA funds categories in addition to those listed below, we wanted to highlight some of our most important expenditures. Thursday Memo If you have not already, please sign up for the Thursday Memo at http://www.trittpta.org/thursday-memo/

The Tritt Tiger Foundation was established in 2001 by parents like you to fund critical enrichment and educational opportunities for our school. It’s important to understand that Tritt depends on the services/funding provided by both organizations to meet the needs of our school as identified by our staff & administrators. • The TTF relies on parent donations to fund: • Our science and computer labs; equipment, supplies and teacher salaries. • Three iPad carts and 90+ iPads, as well as grade level apps that are used in the classroom. • Support of the new STEM initiative • The TTF also manages the FAST program which offers after school enrichment for your children. A variety of classes are available, such as chess, martial arts and bricks 4 kidz. A portion of the tuition goes to the TTF to fund the initiatives mentioned previously. • TTF Annual Campaign Has Begun! • We want to be the winning class in our grade. • The class in each grade with the highest percentage of participation will win an in-school educational field trip (last year it was “Make Me A Magician”). • The contest ends August 30th. So, please make sure to turn in your pledge by then. • If you have a student in another classroom, you only need to complete one form and write one check. • All of the information is on the form, including the recommended donation per child and all of the opportunities to win. • Pledge tonight and get one of those coveted car magnets without having to wait several weeks! • TTF volunteers are at the table at the front of the school to answer any questions you may have. Look for the bright orange shirts.

Curriculum NightSeptember 10th (to be announced) • Report Cards/G-KIDS/October Conference Week • Common Core Curriculum • Daily 5 Literacy Centers • Guided Reading Folders • Math • STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) • Handwriting

Closing: • Sign-up for your child’s BEARSONALITY WEEK (“Student of the Week”…sign-up on back table). • Sign-up for Mystery Reader (sign-up on back table) • PTA Volunteer Sign-up Sheet for Class Helpers • Tritt Tiger Foundation (please support with a family donation) • The Tritt Tiger Dash is October 18th…each grade level will be represented with a specific color…don’t forget to order your child’s Tiger Dash T-shirt . • “The Giving Tree” (please take a hand if you would like to make a donation to our classroom. • Thank You for coming to Open House!

Welcome to Kindergarten Open House