Important Information for Kindergarten Parents

1. Welcome! • Please find your child’s seat and begin by filling out the • transportation sheets (2) • transportation necklace • “tell me about your child” • volunteer survey • Project Based Learning information sheet How your child is getting home from school is the most important information we need tonight!

2. Welcome to Kindergarten! Mrs. Amazeen & Mrs. Stewart

3. The ABC’s of Kindergarten

4. Absences • If your child is going to be absent from school for any reason please email: MSE-Absentee@lcps.orgmail

5. Arrival 7:30 AM • Staff members will be available in the hallways to help your child find our classroom the first two days of school, Thursday & Friday. • Walking your child to class • Starting Monday you must go through the main office & sign in.

8. Backpacks • Please make sure your child brings a backpack each day. • Notes and other important information should be put into daily folders not backpacks. We check folders each day, but we will not go through backpacks! • Please keep a change of clothes in your child’s backpack.

9. Behavior Plan Colored Behavior Chart We start each day on green Please discuss it with your child! Behavior calendars- start in September

10. Behavior Calendars

12. Code to the Future • Moorefield Station is one of three Loudoun County Public Schools that has been selected to represent our school division in a new initiative. • Our kindergarten students will be spending their time using engaging computer programs and manipulatives in order to develop an understanding of patterns and sequences that will serve as a foundation for computer programming • Coding Coach • Dr. Williams, our superintendent, is committed to this program, as studies show that over 65% of our children’s careers will involve coding.  • Accessing Scratch at home: https://scratch.mit.edu/ • Scratch Jr. App for other devices

13. Communication • Conferences will be held at the beginning of November(4th & 5th) • Signup Genius will be used to schedule conferences • There will be a weekly newsletter sent via email • School newsletters and calendars are sent via e-mail • Daily Folders- Check & empty daily • Please make sure your email is updated!! • Did you get an email from me? • Please no drop-in conferences! • ParentVue

14. Dismissal 2:35 PM • Bus riders will be escorted to their bus by their teacher • Walkers will be escorted through the front doors • Car riders will be escorted by a teacher to the gym where they will wait for your arrival, they will be escorted to your car • Daycare students will be escorted to the gym where they will wait for their bus to arrive • We must receive a high five before each child leaves so we know who they are leaving with • If there are changes to your child’s dismissal • we MUST receive a note

15. Dismissal • Transportation forms MUST be completed tonight • Transportation information should also be provided in ParentVue • No student will be released to another adult without written permission. • Students will be sent home according to the mode of transportation as indicated on the transportation form unless a written note is received stating otherwise. Please DO NOT e-mail dismissal changes!

18. Folders • Folders will be sent home each day. Behavior calendars, classroom news, notes, etc. will be sent in the folder • Folders should be returned to school each day • Please check your child’s folder every night! • Put notes, forms and any other important information in your child’s folder • This is our quickest & easiest form of communication!

19. Happy Birthday! • The Loudoun County policy is that parents are no longer allowed to send in food treats for birthdays. Consider items such as stickers, small treats, or class donations (games, books, etc.) • If you send in goodie bags please do not put names on them & make sure there is one for every child. NO TREATS! • Please do not send invitations to school unless the whole class is invited (no names on them) • You can invite all boys and/or all girls, but you cannot single individual students out. • We will celebrate our summer birthday’s in the spring!

20. Headphones • If you would like to send in a pair of headphones for computer use it is recommended • No earbuds please • Target Dollar Spot, Five Below

21. Kindergarten Shirts • We put the K in Sharks! • We will be wearing these shirts on school spirit days (Friday’s), Field Trips & Field Day • An order form with more information will be sent home soon • Ordering online is preferred (no service fee) • https://www.lcps.org/mses • Cost $10

22. Project Based Learning • Through Project Based Learning students will be empowered to make meaningful contributions to the world by solving an authentic challenging problem. Students will exhibit persistence and passion while learning significant content and important competencies as they focus on authentic problems in our world • We will be doing one PBL per quarter • 1st Quarter: ABC’s • Letter of the week • More information will be sent home as each project nears

23. Lunch • Lunch will be in the cafeteria each day from 11:45-12:15 • Students may bring in a lunch from home or buy a school lunch • School lunch costs $3.05. It includes a main dish, two sides (fruit & veggie) and a milk • Lunch accounts: • Online: MSE website, School Menu, Payment Options • https://www.lcps.org/mses • Lunch numbers: please practice at home

24. Scholastic Book Orders • Each month we will be sending home a Scholastic book order • The first one will be sent home in a few weeks • There will be more information sent home with the first order form describing how to order online and enter our class code

25. Snack • Working Snack • Times will vary within the morning • Easy to eat

26. Star Student • Each student will have the opportunity to be our star student for the week • When your child is the Star Student a schedule describing items to bring in each day and a poster for your child to complete will be sent home

27. Technology At MSES LCPS 1:1 Initiative • Grades K-2 will continue to have a 2:1 Chromebook ratio for use at school. • Grades 3-5 will receive a personal laptop assigned to them to bring to and from school. • Parents must sign the online contract in ParentVUE for students to be assigned a device. • All students, K-5, will participate in ongoing lessons about Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship throughout the year. • LCPS' Student Tech Sitefor more information.

28. Transportation Neklace • The transportation tag on the necklace that you fill out tonight should be worn by your child to and from school for the first few weeks • The tags will then be collected in the classroom

29. Transportation Tags • Purple transportation tags: Must be on your child’s backpack throughout the year • You must present your tag to the bus driver when you pick up your child at the bus stop • If you or your child does not have the tag they may not be dismissed from the bus • Do NOT include your child’s name

30. Volunteers • We love volunteers! • Please fill out the volunteer survey and leave it on the table • When you visit the school please remember to bring identification & sign in with the office

31. Volunteers • Volunteer Coordinator- Works with the teacher to develop a schedule for all of the volunteers • Room Parent- Coordinate the Fall, Winter & End of Year parties, and help with special celebrations in the classroom

32. Water Bottles • Please send your child to school each day with a water bottle labeled with their name • Students will be able to get water throughout the day & during scheduled transitions • Please water ONLY!

33. Word Club • Word Club is an optional enrichment activity for students • Strengthens sight word recognition • More information will be given during conferences

34. Word Study • Starting early with letter sorts • Word Study will be sent out weekly to be completed by the end of the week • We will also be working on our word study in the classroom each day • Word Study completion is optional but beneficial for the students

35. Thank you for coming! We are looking forward to a fun filled and successful school year!

36. Forms • Before you leave tonight, please make sure you have filled out and handed in the following forms: • Student Information • Volunteer • Project Based Learning Information • Transportation!!