Beginning of the Year Info
Parent Communication
I will be using this website, twitter and a weekly newsletter to share all of the exciting learning that is happening in Room 124. I will do my best to regularly post photos, videos, students and teacher reflections and logistical information on this site.
Make sure you follow our class on twitter @TeacherifficInK
Make sure you follow our class on twitter @TeacherifficInK
Classroom Supplies
In addition, here is a list of some things that we consistently need to help our classroom run smoothly: Arbor Heights Supply Lists
- Kleenex
- Hand Sanitizer
- Baby Wipes
Any donations of these items would be greatly appreciated as they are things that we use every day.
Pick-up/Drop-off
On the first day of school, you are welcome to walk your child to the classroom with us from the playground line-up. When we reach the door, I will ask the students to give three hugs and three kisses to their family members and come sit with me on the teaching carpet. Please do your best to say goodbye and leave. It is usually much harder for the parents than the students!
After the first day, you are welcome to drop your students off at the playground starting at 9:10 am. When the bell rings, your student will line up on our class spot and I will come get them to start the day. At the end of the day, Ms. Cook and I will take turns walking either the bus students or the pick-up students. If you are picking up your student, you are welcome to meet us out on the playground where we line up in the morning. Before taking your student, please make sure you make eye contact with Ms. Cook or me so that they know they are safe. If your child is ever to go home in a different way than indicated on the "how we go home" chart, it is really important that you send me a note in your child's green folder or an email by 2:00 pm that day to let me know. Often, kindergarteners will get mixed up!
Snack
We will be having a small morning snack daily. In order to provide snack for everyone, I am asking for donations from all families. If you are able, once a month, please bring in snack that could feed 23 students. I ask that the snacks be relatively healthy and low in sugar. This year, we do have some students with nut allergies, so please be courteous of this when selecting snack items. As snack items are brought in, I will be checking labels before snack is offered to the students. If a snack is not appropriate, please understand that I do sincerely thank you for your donation, but will be returning it to you. If you have any questions, please free to contact me or refer to the list attached for suggested snacks.Suggested snack list available soon!
Birthdays
At Arbor Heights we love birthdays. We realize that birthdays are often an important part of our students' lives. We are also a diverse community with a wide range of cultural backgrounds and nutritional needs. Therefore, we have chosen to celebrate birthdays in a meaningful and fun way without filling our kids with sugar. If you choose to celebrate your child's birthday at school, you may do so by having your child bring their favorite book to share with the class. We will sing happy birthday, read the book, and make a special book for the birthday boy/girl in lieu of treats, snacks or gifts. Teacher birthdays will be celebrated the same way.
We are also aware that parties are a special way to celebrate birthdays. Birthday invitations may given out at school ONLY if there is an invitation for each student. If this is the case, then please send the cards in a ziplock bag and I will distribute them to each student's folder.
Accidents happen! Please send an extra pair of clothes to school in a plastic bag with your child's name on it. Your student will store the bag in his or her cubby to be used if needed. If you notice them wearing their back up clothing home for any reason, please send it back in because often accidents happen more than once a year in kindergarten!
Homework
As a district, Seattle Public Schools, has decided that it is important for students of all grade-levels to continue the important work that they are doing here at school while they are at home. This "homework" is not meant to bog you or your student down, but, instead, it is meant as an opportunity for your child to share with you what they have been learning first hand.In kindergarten, "homework" looks like keeping a reading log and completing an additional monthly calendar of activities. The monthly calendar is optional, but the reading log is not. Reading logs will be sent home each Monday (or you can download a copy from the resources page) and should be returned on Fridays. It is really important that you spend at least 20 minutes a day reading with your child. This can look like your child reading to you, you reading to your child, your child reading to a stuffed animal; as long as your child is engaging in some sort of way with books, that is what is important.
In kindergarten, when students are reading, they could be doing one of three things:
1. Telling the story by looking at the pictures.
2. Reading the words to tell the story.
3. Retelling a familiar story while looking at the pictures.
If you do chose to read to your child, it can be really helpful if you ask your child questions about the story as you go along (how is a certain character feeling, make predictions about what will happen next, what would happen if the author wrote another story about this character, etc.). This kind of question will help with their comprehension (understanding) of the story.
Take Home Folders
Each child will be given a folder that they will bring to and from home daily. In the folder they will bring work that they have completed to show you, as well as field trip forms, etc. Please get in the habit of checking this folder daily. If you have anything for me, please send it back to school in the folder as I check them daily.
Book Buddy Bags
"Book bags" are an important part of our reading program. Each week, your child will bring a few books home to read. These books may be from our classroom collection, a book that he/she has practiced with me in a small group lesson, and occasionally a book that they can keep. Please have your child read these books as part of his/her homework reading log.A note about responsibility: I teach the students that these books are precious and it is their responsibility to care for them. It is their job to keep them in great condition and to bring them back every Friday. The Book Buddy bag will keep them dry and protect the pages from being ripped as they are put in their backpack. Once they have finished reading their books, please remind them to put them right back in their backpack-- that way they will always have a place.
