Memorial Elementary School Kindergarten Orientation

1. Memorial Elementary SchoolKindergarten Orientation Presented by: Giovanni A. Giancaspro, Principal June 11, 2014

2. Interim-Superintendent of SchoolsMr. John PetrelliMemorial Elementary SchoolPrincipal: Mr. GiancasproMemorial Elementary SchoolSchool Secretary: Mrs. PezzutiDistrict Assistant PrincipalMr. Sean BoweHigh Mountain Middle SchoolPrincipal Mrs. Melissa TaitSupervisor of Special ServicesMrs. Sharon CubicciottiDistrict, School CounselorStephen Miller

3. North Haledon School District’sPTO President Mrs. Michele Manning

4. North Haledon School District’sEducation Foundation President Mrs. Janelle Feather

5. Kindergarten Screening Letter/Results

6. Screening Categories • Speech & Language • Expressive • Receptive • Voice • Kindergarten Screening Skills • Letters • Parts of the Body • Gross & Fine Motor Skills • Person Identification Skills • Following Directions

7. Kindergarten Handbook • Kindergarten Readiness • Early Communication Development • North Haledon Special Service Parental Packets Memorial Elementary School Summer 2014

8. Kindergarten Philosophy Kindergarten is the start of an exciting learning journey. The kindergarten classroom offers a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for all children.

9. Children are active learners. They learn best when allowed to: • play • create • investigate • explore • predict • learn from one another and their environment.

10. Kindergarten teachers promote discovery and self-awareness in all areas of development to meet the needs of each student. • Social • Emotional • Physical • Creative and Cognitive

11. The Kindergarten curriculum provides children with a variety of opportunities to try out new ideas and be challenged by new experiences that engage emerging readers, writers, scientists, mathematicians, and artists. We want our students to be confident, love learning, and be successful in a classroom community.

12. We begin your child’s journey together with one vision. Student Success!

13. Partnership: Home & School The Important Parent

14. Parents are the first teachers in a child’s education. The partnership between families and school is critical to a child’s success. We share in your excitement as we embark on this learning journey together.

15. What to do and expect from now until the first day of school September 3rd…

16. Preparing for Learning • Read to your child for 10 – 20 minutes daily. • Ask questions about the story. • Help your child use the illustrations to predict story events. • Practice counting objects to 30. • Use mathematical language – more than, less than, fewer, greater, above, below. • Use positional words – over, under, above, below, behind, in back of, beside, next to.

17. Read and discuss books that talk about starting school • The Kissing Hand By: Audrey Penn • Tom Goes to Kindergarten By: Margaret Wild • Look Out Kindergarten By: Nancy Carlson • I’ll Always Come Back By: Steve Metzger

18. Develop your child’s background knowledge • Experiences in the real world give background knowledge that enhances reading, writing, and speaking. • Use rich language to develop your child’s vocabulary. Explain words that may be new to your child.

19. Develop School Readiness • Practice good hygiene habits • Help build strong listening skills – teach your child to follow multi-step directions. • Develop self-help skills: • Putting on and zipping up jackets • Packing and unpacking backpacks and folders • Participating in preparing and packing snack and lunch • Bathroom Procedures – Stalls & Urinals

20. Kindergarten, Here I Come! • Letters and Words • Language Skills • Motor Skills • Reading Books • Numbers, Shapes and Patterns • Growing Up

21. Literacy is so important! We strongly encourage you to work on the following skills with your child over the next few months…

22. Letters and Words • Recognizes and names at least 15 of the capital letters • Recognizes his/her own first name in print • Writes his/her own first name • Recognizes words/signs seen often (ie. McDonalds, Walmart, STOP, EXIT, etc.)

25. Family Literacy Activities • Can detect rhyming words (ie. I want you to tell me if two words rhyme. Words that rhyme sound like each other at the end. Listen carefully to the words: hat, cat. Do these words rhyme?) • Sorts groups of objects (size, shape, color, etc.) • Tells things that go together (ie. Spoon and fork are for eating, fish and boat are in the water, cow and pig are farm animals) • Recognizes & names at least 8 colors • Uses words to express feelings (I’m happy. I’m sad.)

26. Language Skills • Speaks in complete sentences • Follows directions with at least 2 steps • Asks “what if” and “how” questions about how things work • Says and/or sings familiar songs and nursery rhymes • Answers simple questions (who, what, where, when) in complete sentences • Tells his/her first and last name and how old he/she is

27. Motor Skills • Puts puzzles together • Can draw a circle and square • Draws pictures to express ideas • Runs, jumps, hops, throws/kicks/ bounces a ball • Cuts with scissors

28. Reading Books • Shows interest in reading and being read to • Holds the books appropriately and understands that you read a book from front to back and left to right • Retells a simple story such as Three Little Pigs or other familiar books • After listening to a story, tells what might happen next

29. What You Can Do…“Reading aloud to your little ones helps their minds to grow strong. Reading to children on a regular basis helps them to develop the skills necessary to learn to read on their own … paving the way for success in school and throughout life!”Reach Out and Read, St. Alphonsus Medical Group

30. Numbers, Shapes and Patterns • Counts from 1-20 • Recognizes numbers from 1-10 • Counts at least 5 objects

31. Growing Up • Takes care of his/her own needs • Toileting, washing hands, dressing • Adjusts to new situations without family members being there • Plays cooperatively with peers • Takes turns, resolves problems • Respects the feelings, rights and belongings of others

32. The time you and your child spend together doing these activities will help your child say with confidence… “Kindergarten, Here I Come!”

33. Implementation of the Common Core Standards

34. Kindergarten Math StandardsCounting & CardinalityOperations & Algebraic ThinkingNumber & Operations in Base TenMeasurement & DataGeometry

35. Kindergarten Language Arts Literacy StandardsReading LiteratureReading Informational TextReading Using Foundational SkillsWritingSpeaking & ListeningLanguage

36. Summer Reading Program ~Voluntary~ • Promoting Literacy • Set aside 20 minutes a day for reading. • Model good reading habits by letting your child see you reading. • Read aloud to your child often. • Encourage your child to read aloud to you and to family. (Picture Walk)

37. Kindergarten Curriculum Mathematics: enVision Math Series Language Arts: Balance Literacy Program(Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop Model)

38. What does a full day kindergarten program look like?

40. School Supplies • Large, sturdy backpack (no long straps) • List mailed in August • Sturdy shoes everyday! (Playground) • Sneakers for gym (no flip-flops) • Clothing for art class • Easy to open containers for snack/lunch

41. Snacks and Lunch • Two healthy snacks • Bring or buy lunch • Maschio’s Food Service/ Café Prepay • Peanut Free Tables

42. Volunteering • In the classroom: • Centers • Mystery Readers • Classroom Projects • Room Parents • Join the PTO!!

43. Drop-Off/Pick-Up Procedures • Drop-Off: 8:15am - Upon arrival, students in Kindergarten will proceed through the front doors of Memorial School and proceed directly to their classrooms were they will sit outside of their classrooms where a Kindergarten teacher will be on duty. • Pick-Up: 2:59pm - Car pick-up via car line, 2:49pm - Bus students will be brought to black top dismissal area, and 2:59pm - walkers line up in front of the school with car pick-up students to be delivered to parent/guardian. • Little Steps To Learning: 2:49pm Students will be dismissed to Little Steps Personnel inside Memorial School and brought to aftercare location.

44. Safety on the Bus • All Kindergarteners are met upon arrival at school • Kindergarteners sit in first two or three rows • Students will receive bus safety rules • Bus Aide on buses in the afternoon • Parents can help by: • Discussing and reinforcing rules

45. Kindergarten Safety Town • 5 sessions: • 9:30am – 12:00pm • $50.00 registration fee • July 21st – July 25th • Sign up now!!! • Learn about school safety • Children will see the school and a Kindergarten classroom • Wonderful way for students to meet their Kindergarten peers and start friendships. • Confidence builder

46. During the Spring/Summer • Sign up for Safety Town • Turn all registration paper work into the office. • Complete health paper work return to Mrs. Linde our school nurse. (Children need to have a physical completed by a doctor, prior to the first day of school.) • Important: We cannot start your child until all required paperwork is submitted to our school nurse.

47. Late summer families will receive… • Class Placement Letter (Mailed In August) • Details About The Beginning of School • Bus Information • PTO Information • School Directory • Pick-up/Drop-off Procedures • Student/Parent Handbook

48. Important Dates • Safety Town: July 21st – July 25th, 2014, 9:30a.m. – 12:00p.m. • First day of school: Wednesday, Tuesday, September 3, 2014 (Students) • Back-To-School Night: Tuesday, September 24, 2014 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. • Parent-Teacher Conferences: November 17th-20th, 2014, (Single Session Days) • School hours: 8:35a.m. – 2:59p.m.

49. Thank you for coming to our Kindergarten Orientation. We look forward to having you at Memorial Elementary School.