Kathleen H. Wilbur Elementary School Kindergarten Green Room 1 Mrs.

Williams Classroom Handbook

Full-Day Kindergarten Schedule 8:35-9:00 9:00-10:30 Check-In Developmental Centers Morning Meeting English Language Arts

10:30-10:45 Recess 11:00-11:30 Lunch 11:30-12:20 Math 12:20-1:05 1:05-1:35 1:35-2:15 2:15-2:45 2:45-3:10 Specials Math Intervention Science/Social Studies Reading Intervention Handwriting without Tears (M,W,F) Als Pals Social Development Program (T,Th) Dismissal

3:10-3:20

Kindergarten News
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
School opens at 8:35 A.M. Bus riders will come directly to class. Children who eat breakfast will come to class immediately after eating. Please be sure that your child has his/her id number when going to breakfast. If you plan to drive your child to school, please drop your child off in the front of the school and allow your child to walk to class and put his/her belongings away. Those children who arrive after 9 A.M. need to be signed in at the office. Dismissal is at 3:20 P.M. Walkers and car riders will report to the Multi-purpose room. I will walk each bus riding student to their assigned bus.

School Attendance
Your childs regular and prompt attendance is critical for success in kindergarten. Most learning experiences are based on prior knowledge or involve interaction with others. It is almost impossible to make up work at home. Please be sure that your child has at least 8 hours of restful sleep at night and arrives on time every day, except in cases of illness or emergency. If your child is absent, please remember to send a note explaining the reason for the absence. All notes are required to be sent to the office where they will determine if an absence is excused or unexcused.

Transportation arrangements
If there is a change in your childs normal dismissal routine please send us a note so that we can make sure he/she gets to the right place. Without a note, the child will report to the regularly scheduled area for dismissal. We cannot take the childs word as permission to change the routine. This is very important in kindergarten. All persons picking up children are required to show valid state identification. This includes the childs parents or guardians. Please have i.d. ready upon dismissal.

School Supplies
You will not be responsible for sending any supplies to school with your child. However, you will require a few items at home for use with homework. These items include: crayons, pencils, scissors, and a glue stick.

Change of Clothes
Please provide a seasonal change of clothing (in a large Ziploc bag) to school for your child to keep in his/her locker in case of a bathroom accident. These items will stay at school. Make sure all clothing is clearly labeled with your childs name.

Breakfast and Lunch

All kindergarten students have the option of eating breakfast at school. We will eat lunch in the Green/Yellow cafeteria. If your child will be eating a lunch from home, please be sure to send it to school with your child. Lunch boxes will be stored in our classroom until lunch. The students do not have access to refrigerators or microwaves. If your child will eat a school lunch, please send a check (made out to Colonial School District) or cash each day. Please put all money into an envelope clearly marked with your childs name and homeroom number (orange 1). It will go into your childs lunch account which you are available to check online. Each child will have an account number to access their lunch account. All kindergarteners will wear a necklace with this number daily for the entire school year.

Behavior
Each child will be expected to act in a manner that will ensure safety and consideration for the feelings of others. A District Code of Conduct was sent home for parents to read and explain to students. Each parent will sign a form stating they received this code of conduct. A copy of Wilburs Behavior Policy will also be sent home. In the classroom, students will be given one non-verbal warning, then one verbal warning, and then will be removed from the activity to go to the Thinking Chair. The child will think about what they can do to change their behavior. When they are ready, they will rejoin the activity. A copy of our classroom rules is attached in this packet. Please review it with your child and keep it posted at home.

Healthy Child Policy

Any child with a temperature greater than 99.5 must remain at home until they are fever free for at least 24 hours, without Tylenol or any other fever reducing medication. If your child has a runny nose or cough, or is feeling lethargic, and you feel that they cannot fully participate in all activities, including outdoor or movement activities,

please allow your child the time to rest at home until they are feeling better. Mary had a little lamb, she also had the flu. And when she left her kindergarten the others had it too. So anytime your child is sick, please keep her home with you. Then the children in our school will be happier and healthier too!

Medications
If your child requires medication throughout the school day, you must bring the medication to the school nurse. Children should not carry medication to and from school unless otherwise arranged with the nurse. All medication must be clearly marked with the childs name and dosage amount. This includes cough drops and cough medication.

Volunteers
If you are interested in being a homeroom parent, helping out during class parties, going on field trips or working with the children in class please let us know. You will have to fill out a form and check in at the office upon each visit.

Birthdays
We feel that each childs birthday is special! It is a policy of the district that no food are brought into the school for celebrations. This is to protect children with allergies. Non-edible treats are a great way to reinforce a birthday or good behavior. They might include: pencils, fun erasers, small notepads, etc. No sheet cakes, party favors, or presents please.

Grades and Conferences

Each child will receive a report card on a Marking Period schedule. There are four Marking Periods in the year. Parents will be notified of interim progress in the middle of the marking period. Once report cards are distributed, we will set up a conference with each family to go over the report card, and the kindergarten assessment procedure.

Homework
Homework will not begin until the students have established a routine at school. The homework will focus on English Language Arts. I understand that many families are busy with siblings, extra-curriculum activities, and work schedules. Your child will have all week to complete their homework. Your child will bring home a kindergarten level book home each week for your child to practice reading. Please discuss the pictures in the book as well as letters/words we have learned. Also, have your child practice pointing to each word as you read to him/her. Make it regular practice to read to your child every night and write down the title of the book. Feel free to read your own books from home or books from the public library.

Communication
You can contact me at any time during the school day by calling the school at 302-832-6330 extension 1001. I will be available to talk with you or return your call before and after instruction times or during my planning period. You may also email me at bwilliams@colonial.k12.de.us. I will send home a monthly newsletter to keep you updated on the lessons. Please make a point to check your childs backpack each night for school notes and important information and empty the backpack each night. If you see a form, please fill it out promptly and return it to school with your child. Thank you!

Appropriate Dress for Kindergarteners

Please dress your child appropriately for kindergarten in clothing in which they can play. This could include sweats, t-shirts and jeans, and play sneakers. Dresses and nice clothing are not well suited for kindergarten as we play with play dough, paint, and water/sand each day. We also go to the playground everyday when weather permits. There is not enough time in the day to change clothing or shoes for outdoor activities. Some of the children may have a difficult time opening belts or difficult fasteners in time to use the bathroom, and may have an accident. Please encourage your child to wear pants they are independent with. Limit the use of belts or pants with ties.

Bathroom and Water Fountain in the Classroom

We have one bathroom and one water fountain in our classroom. The children may use the bathroom when requested by raising a quiet hand. Also, please encourage your child to go to the bathroom when they feel the urge too. Some children get busy in an activity and have an

accident. The bathroom is closed during group times but the children will have ample time to go prior to group time beginning. The water fountain in the classroom is only open after recess and during center times. If your child is to use a separate water bottle for health reasons, please provide a written note to the teacher. You must supply this water bottle.

Backpacks
Please make sure your child brings his/her backpack to school each day. We will send home very important papers in the backpack. Also, your child will be eager to share activities that they completed in the classroom. Please check and empty the backpack each night.

Curriculum
Story Town Literacy Kit In this kit the children will receive Language Arts Instruction in independent, small groups, and large groups. We will work on Phonemic Awareness, Shared and Independent Reading, Shared and Independent Writing, Letter Identification and Sounds, High Frequency Words, Build Robust Vocabulary, and Comprehension. We will have time each day for Literacy Centers where the children will work in areas that focus on Letters and Sounds; Listening and Speaking; Reading; and Writing; and Making Words. We will also have a Teacher Read Aloud where I will read a classic story to the children and Self Selected Reading where the children will choose a book independently to read. Handwriting without Tears In this program the children will learn the proper way to form letters. We will begin this unit with a song to teach us where to start letters. We will continue with tracing, then forming letters. This will increase independence as the children learn to write words. We will also do Journal Writing as the year goes along. Als Pals Social Development Program In this program the children will learn appropriate ways to handle their emotions and conflict resolution. Al, a puppet, will sing and read to the children. We will have a special place in our classroom, called Als Place, where children can go to cool down or talk out issues. Investigating Investigation

This math program is very hands-on. In the first units, the children will develop number sense, one-to-one counting, and ways to compare and contrast. Each day we will have time for Math Exploration where the children can manipulate math toys for the objectives above and many more. Listen for your child to talk about the attendance stick, the counting jar, and button sort. By the end of the year we will be classifying information into groups, comparing quantities, and add and subtract amounts up to 12. Harcourt Social Studies Program In this unit, All About Me, the children will learn about their school environment, home environment, and the community. They will learn about rules and why they are important. They will also learn about jobs and roles that people play. It is a six unit curriculum that will teach the children all about themselves and the world in which they live. Science Kits We will complete three science kits this year. They are: Trees, Wood and Paper, and Five Senses. Each kit contains hands-on materials to teach the subject. For example, in the wood kit the children will manipulate five different kinds of wood, experiment with sandpaper, and learn how to make paper.