The ABC’s of Kindergarten

1. The ABC’s of Kindergarten Eagle Elementary School 555 Sycamore Road Brownsburg, Indiana 46112 317-852-1050 www.brownsburg.k12.in.us/eagle/

2. Contact Information Mrs. Audrey Cope Room 114 317-852-1050 ext. 1254 acope@brownsburg.k12.in.us

3. A - Attendance Attendance • If your child will be absent from school, please call the attendance line at 852-1050. • Students attend school every day, please make it a priority. • If you know your child will be absent and you wish to make a request for homework you can. But, please keep in mind that most of the work done in the kindergarten classroom is hands-on and therefore there may not be work to send home.

4. B – Behavior and Birthdays Behavior • We follow a school wide behavior plan called, Sporting Good Behavior. • Students receive strikes for inappropriate behavior and fouls for responsibility issues. • Strikes can be given for: • Excessive talking • Not following directions and procedures • Inappropriate recess, cafeteria, hallway, or bathroom behavior • Not correcting behavior after a warning • Fouls can be given for: • Forgetting your folder, gym shoes, art smock, etc. after multiple warnings

5. B – Behavior and Birthdays continued Birthdays • According to the Brownsburg School Corporation birthdays can not be celebrated at school. • Invitations to birthday parties may NOT be distributed at school.

6. C – Clothing and Conferences Clothing • Your child should be dressed appropriately for the weather. Play clothes are suggested as we often use messy materials! Shoes must be fastened securely at the toe & heel (no “flip-flops”). Recess is outdoors, including during the winter months. Make sure your child wears appropriate outdoor gear and can fasten his or her coat independently. Please label clothing articles with the child’s name. Conferences • Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held in October. Kindergarten report cards will be distributed several days before.

7. D - Dismissal Dismissal • All students should have a regular plan for end-of-the-day transportation. All students will be dismissed at 3:40 pm. Wednesdays are early dismissal days due to teacher PLC meetings. Students will be dismissed at 3:10 pm. • If you take your child out any time before the dismissal bell it WILL count as a tardy.

8. E – E-mail Email • Please provide me with the best email address to reach you. • I will send a newsletter each Friday with important classroom information as well as upcoming events and announcements • E-mails may be sent periodically for reminders or additional information that may come up during the week. Please check your e-mail frequently. • Sign up for class directory if you wish.

9. F – Fun Run, Field Trips, and Folders Fun Run • The Fun Run is Eagle Elementary’s only fundraising event. It will be held in September. If you wish to volunteer please let me know. Field Trips • Kindergarten students will participate in one field trip during the school year. Specific details will be sent home by the classroom teacher. Folder • Each child will receive a Daily Communication/Take Home folder. Please check your child’s folder each day. Remove & review completed work as well as notes from the school or teacher. Send notes for the office or teacher to school in this folder. Folders should be brought to school each day. Please donate $1.45 for this.

10. G - Grading Grading • Kindergarten students do not receive letter grades; instead report cards and other completed work are marked with plus, check plus, check, check minus, or minus. Please review your child’s completed work frequently. • We will go over our Kindergarten grades in depth at Parent Teacher Conferences in October.

11. H – Handbook and Homework Handbook • Be sure to read the Brownsburg Community School Corporation Elementary Handbook online. It contains detailed information about rules and procedures. Please print, sign, and return the signature page within the first week of school. Homework • Homework will be strongly encouraged. Any activity or work given should only take a maximum of 15 minutes. It is intended to help students practice material learned at school. • Everyday Math Home Links • Writing Bags • Reading A to Z Book to Read

12. I - Integration Integration • Language Arts and Math are the primary focus in Kindergarten. Lessons are often integrated with science, social studies, and technology. • Each day we will focus on our Unit of Study. Each month we work learn about different topics that are integrated into multiple subject areas to expand our learning.

13. J - Jobs Jobs • Students will have various jobs within the classroom. Each child will take turns doing different tasks such as line leader, class electrician, class technician, etc. • Jobs will rotate on a weekly basis. • Each student will have an opportunity to fulfill the different classroom jobs throughout the year.

14. K – Kindergarten Standards Kindergarten Standards • We will be following the Common Core Standards. Upper grades will follow in succession each year. These are new national standards that are eliminating the ISTEP exams.

15. L – Labels and Lunch Labels • Please clearly label your child’s belongings, including backpacks, jackets, art shirts and reusable lunch bags. Lunch • Kindergarten students have lunch at 11:00 AM. A student lunch costs $2.00. Please deposit lunch money into your child’s lunch account regularly. Lunches consist of milk, 3 side dishes, and a main dish. Students may choose 1 of 4 main dishes: pizza, PB & J, cold sandwich, or the daily hot entrée. Parents who choose to visit at lunchtime may purchase a school lunch for $2.80. Adults may not charge a lunch on the child’s lunch account card.  • Lunch Visitors – You may join your child for lunch any day of the week. Students may invite 1 friend to join them and their special guests. The tables outside the cafeteria are reserved for students and their lunch visitors.

16. M – Medication Medication • No prescription or over-the-counter medication (including cough drops) can be administered to your child without completing a Hold Harmless form. Please refer to the corporation student handbook for specific information about medications.

17. N - Newsletters Newsletters • The school newsletter, The Eagle Flyer, will be available online once a week. Classroom newsletters will also be sent home every Friday through e-mail to update parents specific classroom information. Please sign-up online to receive the Eagle Flyer automatically each week. Nametags • Please fill out the name tag for your child and have them wear it to school each morning. This will help them remember their transportation and school information in case of an emergency.

18. O - Organization Organization • Kindergarten is a time to practice organization and responsibility. To help them stay organized, they will need the following each morning: • Wear your name tag each day for transportation (beginning of the year) • Bring folder, signed by parent and place in “Take Home Folder “ Basket • If bringing lunch, place in the lunch box crate • Bring gym shoes or library book if it is that day’s special • Put coat and book bag in cubby • Sign-In and complete Morning Work

19. P – Phone Numbers Phone Numbers • If you have a change in address, phone number, daycare, or job, please give updated contact information to your child’s teacher. We want to be able to contact you should an emergency arise.

20. Q – Quiet, Quick, Queue Quiet • We will practice working with a work whisper. When math and literacy centers start, students must work quietly so I will be able to work with my individual reading and math groups. Quick • During the beginning of the year, we practice transitions. This helps students learn to push in their chairs and quietly go from one destination to another quickly and quietly. Queue • We also practice lining up behind the person in front of you, with your arms at your side.

21. R – Recess and Report Cards Recess • Students will participate in supervised recess activities each day. Most days, weather permitting, recess will be held outdoors. Please remember to dress your child in appropriate play clothes. Report Cards • Kindergarten report cards will be distributed in October, January, March, & June. After reviewing the report card, please sign and return it to your child’s teacher. They are not available online and must be returned, signed, after each nine weeks.

22. S – Schedule, Special Classes, and Supplies Schedule Our daily schedule is consistent with all kindergarten classrooms within Eagle and across the district. We focus on 90 minutes of math and 90 minutes of language arts. Please refer to our classroom schedule for the specific breakdown of the times of our lessons and activities. Special Classes All students will participate in Music, Art, Physical Education, Technology, andMedia/Library classes. Gym shoes must be worn on Physical Education days in order to participate. Your child’s teacher will provide a schedule for these special classes. Supplies Kindergarten school supplies are included in the book rental fee. Students need to bring a backpack, 3 ring binder and Art Shirt.Please refer to your teacher’s wish list for ways you can contribute.

23. T – Tardy and Transportation Tardy • Arriving late (after 8:45 AM), leaving early (prior to 3:40 PM), or missing any part of the school day results in a tardy. Transportation • Each child should have a consistent transportation plan to and from school. Please send in a note or call the main office at 852-1050 prior to 3:00 PM if you need to change your child’s transportation for that day. We cannot accept a verbal change from you or your child.

24. U - Umbrellas Umbrellas • Umbrellas, hats, and objects that do not fit in book bags may not be transported on the bus.

25. V – Visitors and Volunteers Visitors • We welcome parents as visitors to the classroom! Please notify your me ahead of time if you wish to set up a visit. Make sure you have completed a background check form and made a copy of your driver’s license (available in the main office or my website) prior to your visit. Volunteers • Volunteers help me tremendously in my classroom. Volunteering in the classroom usually starts around September or October. Again, please make sure you have completed a background check form (available in the main office or my website) and the Volunteer Form (available online) prior to your visit.

26. W - Weather Weather • Please make sure that your child dresses appropriately for the weather. Include outdoor gear such as hat and gloves for recess during the winter months.

27. Y - You Can Help Too! You Can Help Too! • If you can’t donate time to the classroom consider donating supplies! It is a great way to get involved without having to rearrange you calendar. • Helping in the classroom can even be as simple as working with your child each night. I will continuously present ideas in my Parent Newsletter that you can use to work on the current topics in class with your child at home.

28. Z – Zaner-Bloser Zaner-Bloser • Students will be taught handwriting according to the Zaner-Bloser style. Your child’s teacher will provide you with an example of this handwriting. • We will have a handwriting unit in which student’s will practice their handwriting with packets.