Welcome

1. Welcome Please come in and start filling out the paperwork at your child’s seat. Thanks!!!

2. Mrs. Brown My teaching philosophy: • I have very high expectations for my students. • My goal is to help foster responsible & independent learners in kindergarten. • I am very consistent with my classroom routines and procedures. • I try to be very organized and keep parents informed about what is going on at school. • I am pretty tough at first! / Firm, but fair! • I strive to treat all my students the way that I would want my own children to be treated at school. • Once they are mine, they are ALWAYS mine! • I need parent support! (We are a 3 legged stool) • If you have a problem, please don’t hesitate to talk to me about it.

3. Kindergarten Curriculum • Reading & Writing (daily 2.5 hours) • Harcourt Story Town Series • Letters, sounds, blending and reading words • Phonemic awareness & phonics progression • Color, number, & sight words • Reading strategies • Comprehension & vocabulary • Writing Workshop • Math (daily 1.5 hours) • Math Investigations Series • Hands- on / “real world” math • Calendar, daily data, story problems • Building number sense & fluency • Using pictures, manipulatives, & words to solve problems and explain thinking. • Science & Social Studies (daily 30 min.) • Lunch (daily 25 min.) • Snack (daily 5 min. while working on reading) • P.E. (daily 30 min.) • Recess (daily 15 min. weather permitting) • Art, Music, & Computer (weekly 30 min.) • Library & Guidance (twice a month 30 min) • Rest Time (daily for the 1st 9 wks only–30min.)

4. Orientation Folder • Complete and Return in Red Folder • Tell me about your child • “Wanted” volunteer information (room mother & copier) • Room mother contact sheet • E-mail information • Take Home • Letter about me • Lunch number practice page • Meet the teacher, tomorrow for children • Kindergarten reminders page • Wish List • Text Remind 101

5. FISH Binders FISHis an acronym for Family Involvement Starts Here! • The FISH Binder is a 3-ring binder that houses everything students and parents need to keep up-to-date with what is going on at school. • Please take time to go through it each night with your child. Below is a list of items in the binder. • FISH Binders will contain: Money and Important Notes Pouch • Please send all money, notes, etc, in this zipper pouch, so I can be sure to get it first thing in the morning. • Please place all money (cash, change, or checks) in a sealed envelope or Ziploc baggy. Pease include your child’s name, teacher’s name and what the money is for. Conduct Chart - Please check & initial each day. • I use a behavior clip chart system. • We have seven rules. (Listen, show respect, use personal space, raise your hand, use the right voice, walk, do your best • All children are expected to follow these rules so that all children have the opportunity to learn. • Good behavior will be rewarded with “WARM Fuzzies” which are traded for coupons to do special things/help, stickers, certificates, etc… • I believe in reinforcing good behavior!

6. Classroom Rules • Listen • Show respect • Use personal space • Raise your hand • Use the right voice • Walk • Do your best

7. “Building Warriors for Life” This year at Creek View we will be focusing on teaching specific social skills from the Boys Town model to support our school rules and procedures. These social skills will build the foundation to help students achieve success in the classroom and in the community. The key is empowering students to make better choices and decisions. The following skills will be focused on throughout the school year: • Following instructions • Accepting “no” for an answer • Accepting criticism or a consequence • Greeting others • Getting a teacher’s attention • Disagreeing appropriately • Making an apology • Asking permission • Working with others

8. Traits of a WARRIOR

9. Discipline Behavior Clip Chart System: This year in kindergarten our class will be using the behavior clip chart (see chart on left). This behavior system will focus more on rewarding positive behaviors and less on negative behaviors. This behavior model will help your child understand that he/she is responsible for her/his own learning and that making mistakes can always be overcome with the decision to make a better choice. Students will have their name on a clothespin and begin every morning at “Ready to Learn”. They will move their clips up or down throughout the day based on their choices. Rewards and consequences will be awarded at each level to encourage all students to follow classroom rules and be a good student and friend.  Should a child's clip need to move down, I will talk with him/her each time to be sure he/she understands what happened and provide suggestions on how to correct the behavior. Outstanding Choices – Happy face or sticker in FISH binder Great Job – Happy face or sticker in FISH binder Good Day – Happy face or sticker in FISH binder Ready to Learn – Happy face or sticker in FISH binder Think About It – yellow circle & verbal warning Teacher’s Choice – orange circle, conduct mark in F.I.S.H. binder, & timeout Parent Contact – red circle, conduct mark in F.I.S.H. binder, parent contact by phone or note, & time out *Children earn "Warm Fuzzies" (craft pompoms) during the day for making good choices. On Friday, these can be traded in for reward coupons to be helpers, choose fun things to do, etc. These coupons are changed out during the year, so the children will continue to be motivated to earn warm fuzzies. The more fuzzies that are earned, the more coupons the child can earn. Again, I'm trying to focus on shaping positive behavior and rewarding children for their behavior at school. **Extreme behaviors, such as physical contact, may result in immediate parent contact and/or office referral.

10. FISH Binders Continued… • FISH Binders will contain: • Homework pocket for children to place any written homeowork • Lunch number practice sheet • Alphabet page • Shapes & colors • Counting to 100 page • CD to listen to for the letters, sounds, shapes, colors, counting to 100 • Handwriting correct formation page • Reading log • Book pouch for later in the year • Yellow folder for completed work and notes from office • Other items will be added

11. FISH Binders Continued… Homework All homework will begin in September. Harcourt Homework- Each lesson is front and back review of the activities we are working on for the week in reading. We will review one homework lesson each week. The lesson your child should be working on at home will be marked with a sticky note. Each week, you and your child will be responsible for reviewing the activities from the weekly homework lesson at least 3 times. Please initial the top of the homework page each time you practice the activities. Please do not skip ahead in the homework lessons. Take Home Books- Every Friday, your child will receive 2 or 3 new “just right” books to read at home throughout the following week. Please return these books to the reading pocket of your child’s F.I.S.H Binder each day after reading them at home. Every month your child will have a goal on his or her reading log. Please have your child read daily and don’t forget to complete one line each day you read the books. Monthly Math Activities- The monthly math sheet will have a short activity for your child to do each night that will reinforce some of the math concepts that we are working on at school. Please initial and date on the chart when an activity has been completed. • FISH Binders will contain: Homework • Your child will have homework each night. • August & Beginning of September Homework – practice writing name correctly, bus or car number & lunch number, CD with letters/sounds/colors/shapes/counting to 100. • Homework Section of FISH Binder will begin later in September. • This section will contain weekly Harcourt homework lessons, books to read at home, a monthly reading log, and a monthly math activities sheet.

12. Attendance • It is important to have your child at school each day and for them to arrive on time. • I believe that success in kindergarten is strongly related to attendance. • Please try to plan vacations and appointments around school if possible. • If your child is absent from school for any reason, please send a note the day he or she returns to school. If a note (parent or doctor) is not received within 3 school days, the absence will be coded as unexcused. • Remember that the tardy bell rings at 7:45 and if a child comes in the classroom after that time he or she will be counted tardy. • Buses usually arrive at school between 7:15-7:30. • Car Rider drop off begins at 7:15.

13. Lunch • Our lunchtime is from 12:03-12:28 each day. You are welcome to eat with us any time. You can meet us at the benches by the lunchroom doors. • Your child will be issued a 5-digit lunch number. • Lunch is $2.50 per day and breakfast is $1.25 per day for students. • Lunch checks need to be labeled with your child’s 5-digit lunch number so that it will be credited to your child’s account. Please do not include any other money with lunch checks. • Lunch can also be paid online at MyLunchMoney.com. You will need to get your child’s ID Number from me before you can use this tool. It is not the same as your child’s lunch number. • You may send a simple birthday snack for the class to eat on your child’s birthday if you would like. • Please do not bring fast food items for your child to eat during lunch. (McDonald’s, Arby’s, etc…) • If anyone needs a free or reduced lunch form, please let the office know as soon as possible.

14. Daily Snack • Please send a healthy snack and water bottle only from home each day. No juice boxes or drink mix packs for snack. • Snack needs to be brought in a zip bag or paper sack with your child’s name on it. No lunch boxes for snack. • Please no candy or cokes or juice or sweets. • Snacks should be simple finger foods. (cheese crackers, animal crackers, cheeze-its, cereal bar, cheese stick, half sandwich with lunch meat or cheese)

15. Medicine • Medicine – All medication must be brought to the school office by an adult. The adult will be required to fill out a short medication form. Students are not allowed to keep medicine in their book bags. This includes cough drops. • Allergies- Please alert me of any food or seasonal allergies that your child may have. • Sickness- If your child has been sick please make sure they arefever, vomit and / or diarrhea free for 24 hrs. before they return to school. Do not give a child fever reducing medicine & send to school sick. This makes others sick & the teacher too!

16. Change of Clothes Your child will need a complete change of clothes for school. • Label ALL articles of clothing with your child’s name. • Keep clothes in a Ziploc bag inside your child’s book bag. • Make sure clothes are appropriate for the current season. • All children must wear tennis shoes to school for P.E. (Please double knot laces / No Crocs or Flip Flops) • Girls should wear shorts under skirts & dresses.

17. Transportation ***** IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE CONSISTENT ***** • I will need to know before the first day of school how your child will be going home each afternoon. • Your child will be given a transportation tag to wear on his or her book bag. • If you plan to change your child’s transportation for any reason, I must have a parent note so that I can send it to the office to be approved that morning. I cannot send a child home a different way without a note. This is for your child’s safety. • You may walk your child in to our classroom on the 1st Day of school only.

18. Field Trips • Fall: Pumpkin Patch (October 17th) • Spring: Birmingham Zoo (March 20th) We LOVE to have parent chaperones on our Field Trips! • All students ride on buses • All parents drive in cars • No younger siblings may attend • No check-outs are allowed from the field trip site • Miss Annie – (4 classroom enrichment lessons)

19. Supplies All supplies need to be brought in on Meet the Teacher Day! No Names or Labels (except scissors & rest towels & crayons) Rest Towels (small / keep in book bag / 1st 9 wks) Book Bags (good size / no wheels) Handwriting Workbook ($8.00) Each child will need a supply bag or box. Mrs. Brown’s Supplies $13.00 Supplies Include: • 1" Binder with clear front • zip pouch for the binder • pocket sleeve for binder • velcropocket • folders • 1/2" Binder with clear front • homework pack • Card stock & construction paper • The 1/2" binder will be used in class for writing workshop as part of our kindergarten curriculum. **Cash or Check made payable to CVES**

20. Donations If you would like to make a donation to our classroom you might want to consider: • Choosing a sticky note with an item listed • Purchasing a Gift Card for our classroom. (Wal-Mart, Staples, Parent-Teacher Store, I-tune card for our iPad mini/apps, etc…) • Making a monetary donation to the school. (½ classroom teacher & ½ CVES General Fund) • Lakeshore Learning .com smart board & computer games (see me for specific ones needed) • Box tops for office- 10 cents each

21. How to Contact Me: • Email me at donna.brown@alabastercityschools.org • Send a note in your child’s FISH Binder. • Call the office and leave a message 205-685-1316.

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23. Don’t Forget: • Complete red Orientation Folder paperwork. • Add $ to your child’s Lunch account, pay for • Handwriting Workbook - $8, additional Supplies - $13 • Sign Transportation sheet on the board. • Sign up for Remind 101. • Visit the Creek View PTO website and create an account. cvespto.org • Bring Supplies tomorrow to Meet the Teacher Day. Come & go event!