Welcome to Kindergarten!

1. Welcome to Kindergarten! Lynn Edwards 2013-2014 Holly Springs School

2. My Education Philosophy It is my belief that a classroom should promote a positive and caring environment while balancing classroom management with rules, rewards and expectations. A positive learning environment that motivates students to strive to do their best.

3. 7:15-8:00-Unpack, morning work, attendance, NEWSCAST. 8:00-8:10-Restroom 8:10-8:40-Guided Math 8:45-9:25 SPECIALS-Mon. Tues Fri. (PE) Art-Thursday Music-Wed 9:25-9:35 Restroom 9:35-10:00-Guided Math 10:00-10:10-Snack and DROP (Drop Everything and Read)/Guided Reading 10:10-11:00-Guided Reading 11:00-11:20-Recess 11:20-11:30-Restroom 11:35-11:50-Guided Rdg 11:55-12:25-Lunch 12:25-12:35-Restroom 12:35-12:45-Rest Time 12:45-1:15-Writing 1:15-1:45-Thematic 1:45-2:00-Pack up, 2:15 Dismissal Library Monday 1:20-1:50 Stem Lab-Thursday 10:00-11:00 Computer Lab Tuesday 1:00-1:45 Our Daily Schedule

4. Classroom Procedures • Sending in Money • Always in an envelope/baggie labeled with child’s name, number, and purpose • Lunch Money-can be paid online at www.mealpayplus.com • Ice Cream Money-75 cents, separate from lunch money • Parent Teacher Communication Folder • Check daily/yellow folder • Easiest and quickest way to communicate • Daily Transportation (review w/your child) • Should not change unless of an emergency. Changes must be made in writing or by faxing a note with picture id in the front office. Do NOT email changes, as we may not check it until after school. Office will call if transportation is not marked on the folder. • * LIBRARY BOOKS-Please put in your child’s bookbag after you read it at home. We go to library every Monday.

5. READING

6. Reading Strategies Reading is a main focus in kindergarten. Each day your child will participate in a Guided Reading Group. This will give each student more individual attention. Students will work at their own pace. Students should be able to read the first list of 100 Dolch Words by the end of the year. In First grade, students are expected to know all 220 Dolch words by the end of first grade. (I will send a list home of all 220 Dolch Words if you want to practice ahead. Students will be given new words every two weeks. They will be tested on words every two weeks. The sight word test will have some of the words from the week before and the new words too. In order for students to understand what they are reading, they need to know the basic Dolch/Popcorn words. What can you do to help with these goals? Read to your child every night. Practice popcorn words every night. Make it fun learning sight words. Encourage your child to decode/sound out words as they are learning to read. Picture books are a great way to talk about what is happening to the story as your child gets ready to learn how to read.

7. READING • Guided Reading • Daily- 5 Literacy Centers in small groups • Puzzles, Tracing, Computers, Listening, Small Reading Group • Sight Words (Popcorn Words) • Differentiated Instruction • Waterford Computer Program • Genres • Fiction, Non-Fiction, Fables, Fairy Tales, Fantasy

8. More ways to improve Reading…. • Read to you child as much as possible. • One of the best ways to spend quality time with your child is to read them a bedtime story. • Make up stories together on paper and then read them. • Tape record you and your child reading together. They love to hear themselves read!!!!

9. Phonics Instruction Orton Gillingham Phonics Program Hands-on Multi-sensory approach (sand) Differentiated Letters and sounds Sight Words Blending and decoding words Build reading fluency Starfall/Abcya.com

10. Skills to be Covered • Listen below are some of the standards kindergartens will be learning this year. • A link is listed where you can view or print off the kindergarten standards. http://portal.cherokee.k12.ga.us/ps/Pages/Kindergarten.aspx • * Character, setting, plot, details in a story • * Ask questions and describe details of key ideas. • * Identify main topic, compare/contrast • *Use details & illustrations to describe main idea • For more detailed information on what to expect for your kindergartener go to the following CCSD Website. http://portal.cherokee.k12.ga.us/parentinfo/Documents/CCSD%20KINDERGARTEN%202014-15.pdf

11. Language Arts Writing Grammar

12. LANGUAGE/WRITING In Language, students will be learning about nouns and verbs. Students will learn how to capitalize the beginning of a sentence and put a period or question mark at the end. In Writing, students will write in journals with teacher modelling and independently. Students will use the following strategies during writing: * Invented spelling using phonics *Word wall and Differentiated Instruction * Letter formation and spacing

13. Writing Skills • Types of text, stories and poems • Narrative Writing • Informational and Explanatory Writing • Opinion Writing

14. Thematic StudiesScience and Social Studies • Properties of Matter * Community Helpers • Day/Night Sky * Map Skills • Gravity and Motion * National Holidays • Seasons *US Symbols • Rocks & Soil *Wants and Needs • Animals * Citizenship • Living vs. Nonliving *Goods and Services • Plants *Culture & Society

15. Math

16. MATH • Guided math and math centers • Differentiated • Ladder and Spiral Curriculum • Number recognition • Counting • Shapes (2-D and 3-D) • Addition • Subtraction • Time (calendar and clock) • Money (penny, nickel, dime, quarter)

17. HOMEWORKHomework should take a minimum of 10 minutes each night. Be sure that you help your child as needed. Please let your child do as much as they can. This reinforces the skills we are learning in the classroom. Homework will go home on Friday and should be returned by the following Thursday.

18. Kindergarten students are assessed using GKIDS (Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developmental Skills). This is completed four times a year and used as their report card. NYA=not yet assessed, NYD=not yet demonstrated, E= emerging, P=progressing, M=meets and E=exceeds standards ASSESSMENT

19. Holly Springs Stem Academy • Students will learn the terminology of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Students will go to our STEM lab one day a week. STEM lessons will be incorporated within the subject areas of reading, math, language, science, social studies and writing.

20. STEM Engineering Design Loop

21. ATTENDANCE

22. Attendance • Students should try to be at school everyday! Attendance awards will be given at the end of the year if a students has no absences or less than 5 days with no tardies or checkouts. • Students are considered tardy after 7:45. If your child is tardy, you need to park and sign him/her in at the front office. • No check-outs after 1:45 pm • Students should be on antibiotics 24 hours if they are contagious and should not come to school if they have a fever. Please send in a written excuse or a doctor’s excuse if your child is absent. .

23. Classroom Management

24. My Classroom Management • Kindergarten is a learning experience for your child. One big part of Kindergarten is learning how to behave in the classroom with other students.    My goal is to help your child learn in a productive environment. We have three simple rules that we will focus on in the classroom.   • Class Rules:1. I will be respectful and kind.2. I will listen and follow directions.3. I will keep hands, feet and objects to myself. • Behavior System • Students will be assigned a number from 1-21. The number will be on a magnet. Our behavior management chart includes the following areas that the child will move his/her magnet to each day.

25. At the beginning of the day all students begin with “Ready to Learn” Throughout the day he/she will either move their magnet up or down. The behaviors are listed as follows: WOW!, Way to go!, Ready to Learn!, Think About It!, Park it! • Your child will receive a  based on how they moved his/her magnet for the day. Your child will receive a  if their magnet is on Wow, Way to Go or Ready to Learn at the end of the day. If your child moves to “Think About It” he/she will received a  If your child moves their magnet to Park It! • will get a sad face  and I will note the behavior on his/her behavior sheet. A behavior sheet will be in your child’s daily folder. Please be sure to look over this every day.

26. Rewards for Good Behavior • Verbal praise • Earns a penny for the day. • Stickers • Compliment chart • Smiley face in agenda • Students can visit the treasure chest on Friday if they have had 4/5 days with smiley faces.

27. PAPERS GOING HOME ON FRIDAY Papers will go home on Friday in your child’s take home folder. Keep the papers at home unless they are stamped SIGN & RETURN.

28. Transportation Changes Please be sure to fill out your child’s transportation log EVERY DAY. Students will have to go to the office to call if logs are not filled out. If your child needs to have a change during the day in how they are getting home, you must call the office, you cannot email the teacher. If we cannot reach you with a transportation question, your child will be kept at school.

29. Parent Communication • E-MAIL!!! http: lynn.edwards@cherokee.k12.ga.us You can also go to my website by going to Cherokee County Schools Website, click on Holly Springs, Faculty, (Then click on my name) • Please read your newsletter every Friday and check your child’s yellow folder. • Please do not hesitate to contact me at school at 770-345-5035.

30. Thank you for coming tonight and for all of your support!!! I look forward to a great year in Kindergarten!