Absences: Please call the Barnard Absence line (823-4301) before the start

of the school day to notify us if your child will be outTHANK YOU! I will collect
work that they missed during his/her absence and send it home upon return.

Assessments: I will be assessing your child many times informally throughout the
year to keep parents informed of progress and to drive further instruction. Formal
assessments for math, reading, writing, letter/sound knowledge and concepts of print will
be done before progress reports and report cards.


Birthdays: If your child would like to celebrate his/her special day, they may
by bringing in a small item to share. This could be a pencil, bubbles, little erasers,
etc. In the past, parents have donated a book to the class. Inside the book you
may write a special message and write your childs name inside. When it is time to
celebrate your childs birthday, they will sit in the front of the room and open
their gift (their wrapped book) to the class. After, we will read it. We will keep
these books in a special birthday bin where children will get to look at them
throughout the year.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND IN GOODIE BAGS.


Book Clubs: Each month a Scholastic Book Order will come home with your
child. These book orders have several valuable books at an expensive price that
will benefit the reading process for your child. Please take the time to look
through these orders to purchase books for your child. Points are rewarded when
ordering. All points will be used to order educational materials for the classroom.



Conferences: Our class holds conferences twice a year. We will meet for fifteen
minutes in October and again in March. When conference time nears, you will sign up for
a time slot on a website that will be sent home to you from Barnard Elementary.

Clothing: Please dress your child appropriately for the weather. Given
Michigans climate, I understand this can be difficult at timesif in doubt, send
the jacket! All outdoor clothing needs to be LABELED with your childs name.
Also, remember that Kindergarteners can get very MESSY at timeswe love
painting!

Communication: Good communication is essential for the growth of our children. I
invite you to contact me via telephone or email when you have concerns or questions. You
can also put notes in your childs folder. I check each childs folder each morning for
notes or papers that need to be returned. My email address and phone number are
lgerbe@troy.k12.mi.us / (248)823-4302. We also have a classroom website. I will send
you the link as soon as it is up and ready for the new year! I will also have our website
link on a label that will be placed inside your childs red communication folder.

Discipline: I have developed a classroom discipline plan, which affords every
student guidance in making good decisions about his/her behavior, and thus an
opportunity to learn in a positive, nurturing classroom environment. To encourage
students to follow our classroom rules, I will recognize appropriate behavior with
verbal praise, positive notes, stickers, stamps, and other positive reinforcement.
However, if a student chooses to break a rule, the following steps will be taken.
Below is an explanation of the system we will use.

The system for our room is Bucket Fillers. You may have heard the term used
before. As a class we read the story Have you filled a bucket today? We discussed
what we can do to fill someone elses bucket (share, listen, raise your hand, be kind
to others). When we see good behavior we fill our bucket(s). Bucket dippers refer
to negative behavior (pushing, shouting, not sharing). When the whole class has
filled our bucket up to the top (with cotton balls that refer to good behavior) our
class will receive a special treat.

Students will visit our treasure box throughout the year for making positive
choices!

***PLEASE review with your child positive versus negative behavior. Positive
behavior is only as important as you make it!

Daily 4: You'll be hearing about center time all year. This is our independent work
time, when the children explore workstations. Your child will visit one station per day.
Daily 4 gives children responsibility for their work and helps them manage their time.
The stations are mandatory each day (Tuesday- Friday) and involve writing, reading, word
work, math and other main concepts in the Kindergarten curriculum. When they have
completed their mandatory centers, they will have choices/options that will be worked on
for the remainder of their working time. These choices are fun games/activities that go
along with the station they are working on that particular day.


Dismissal Time: Dismissal time for Barnard is at 4:01pm. Please inform me of any
changes in your childs dismissal routine in writing or through email. My main concern at
dismissal time is helping each child get home safely. Thank you in advance for your
cooperation!

Email: I have found that one of the easiest ways to communicate is through email. I
check my school email several times a day. You can contact me at
lgerbe@troy.k12.mi.us any time you need to communicate with me. If you have an email
address that you use frequently, please send it to me.

Emergencies: You will be contacted in the event of an emergency involving your child.
To ensure that we are able to reach you, dont forget to keep your childs emergency
cards up to date in the office.


Field Trips: At this time we are still in the process of deciding where we would like
to go. I will have to have parent chaperones that will accompany us on our field trip(s).
Volunteers must have completed a background check form before the scheduled trip.
This of course is for the safety of our children.

Folders: Your child will bring home their red folder each day. I use these folders to
send home important information and notes. Please check and empty folder daily and
return it to school the next day. *As you send in notes throughout the school year,
please be sure to label them with your childs name!


Guided Reading: I will begin working with children on reading strategies, concepts
of print and comprehension in a large group right away. In January, each child is
assessed and placed in a group of 4-5 students based on their reading needs. I meet with
each group 1-3 times a week. Guided Reading Groups are very important in helping
children learn to read. After each meeting, the children will bring home the book that we
have been working on and are encouraged to read it to family members or friends. An
activity may accompany the book. Each child is responsible for sharing the book and
activity with parents. In order to move on with the next lesson, I need each child to
return both the book and the activity following day.

Homework: Monthly calendars will be sent home with different activities to do
with your child at home. A lot of the activities we choose will be based on what we
are working on in school and what we are finding that our children need extra
practice with.

Important notes: All notes, such as book orders, permission slips, returned
school notes, and checks should be returned in your childs folder with their name.

Independence: One of the most important aspects of kindergarten is developing
independence. Children will be encouraged to do as much as they can for themselves in
the classroom. You can help with their independence by giving them responsibilities at
home and working with them on self-help skills.

Jobs in the Classroom: Each week different boys and girls will be responsible
for a job. Some of these jobs include; taking down the attendance, cleaning up classroom
library, pushing in chairs, etc. I will rotate jobs weekly so that children have the
opportunity to participate in all of them. Having jobs helps children become more
independent and have a sense of ownership in our classroom.

Keep Miss Gerbe Informed: Your children are very special and important to
me. They will come to know a lot about me and I hope to learn about their interests,
families and hobbies. Please keep me informed of special achievements or events that
occur in their lives. Also, I love coming to games or recitals that children participate in,
if my schedule allows. Feel free to pass on a game schedule and I will try to come support
your childs interests if I can.

Literacy: In kindergarten we teach literacy concepts using a balanced literacy
approach. Children are immersed in a print-rich environment where guided reading,
shared reading, working with words, read-alouds, phonemic awareness, oral language,
modeled writing, shared writing, writing workshop, and reading workshop take place daily.
Children will be exposed to and increase their abilities in listening, speaking, writing, pre-
reading and reading

Making Meaning: Making Meaning is a literacy tool that will aid in the
development of your childs reading comprehension. Each week a different book is
used to discuss and teach about reading. This is a great program that will help in
teaching your child about reading and comprehension.

Math: Math Expressions will be used for student instruction. This program
utilizes hands-on manipulative experiences to establish a firm foundation in the
area of mathematics. Concepts covered include numeration, patterning,
measurement, geometry, number operations, calendar, graphs, and estimation.
Kindergarten students will engage in activities that will help them develop in their
abilities to do the following:
- Count forward to 120/ Count backward
- Skip counting
- Write numerals from 0-30
- Number recognition
- Patterns: AB, AAB, ABB, ABC, etc.
- Tens Frame
- Addition/Subtraction problems
- Number stories
- Explore using a variety of measuring tools
- Create class graphs and discuss outcomes
- Recognize and name a variety of shapes/3D shapes
- Classify objects based on weight and size
- Utilize math talk with students throughout the day


Music/Movement: Everyday your child will take part in moving to music. We
use various music selections to get children moving and grooving while teaching
various concepts.


Notes: Anytime there is a change in your childs dismissal routine, I need to have a
note that I can show the office. If your child is riding home with someone on the bus or
being picked up by someone different, we need to be aware.

Open Lines of Communication: Please let me know if you have ANY
concerns or questions regarding your child throughout the year. I feel that it is
our job to work together as partners to help your child have a successful first
year.

Permission Slips: Please read through all permission slips carefully and return
them signed by the specified date. *If a specific Field Trip requires a fee, please be
sure to place your childs money in a labeled and sealed envelope.

Picking up Your Child Early: If for any reason your child needs to be picked up
before our dismissal time, a parent must sign them out in the office first. The office will
notify me and I will send them down to be picked up. If your child is late coming to
school, they must sign in at the office before coming down to our room. This is especially
important if your child is buying lunch! Please do not come to our classroom door to take
your child early or drop them off late.

Parties: We will have many special days and celebrations throughout the year. Some
of these include: Halloween parade, Christmas/ Holiday Celebration, Valentines Day, 100
th

Day of School, and our end of the year Family Picnic. We will have room parents in charge
of organizing activities and food for these parties. *We cannot have any younger
siblings attend these parties for safety reasons.



Quick Goodbyes Leave Dry Eyes




Report Cards: Your child will receive a kindergarten report card documenting their
progress in January and again in June. You will receive progress reports in November and
March to keep you updated on your childs growth.

Recess: Time and weather permitting children will have recess with me on the
kindergarten playground. Please send your child in weather appropriate clothing for days
that we might have recess.

Rules: We make our rules together during the first week of school. By having the
students make up the rules themselves, they feel a sense of ownership in them and will be
more likely to follow them. Here is a list of our rules.
1. Keep hands and feet to ourselves
2. Follow directions
3. We listen when someone is talking
4. Small voices inside, TALL voices on the playground
5. We are careful with classroom materials and keep our room clean
6. We use nice words


Specials Schedule:
Our boys and girls will have the opportunity to attend the following specials:
o Gym, library, music, art, Spanish and computers

Snack: We will take 10 minutes each day for the children to eat a small snack in
the MORNING AND AFTERNOON. I encourage children to pack HEALTHY
snacks and to remember that 1-2 items of food are sufficient as it is only a small
snack. Please refrain from sending items such as pudding or fruit cups that may
spill or take time to eat. It should be quick and easy. Some good snack suggestions
are: granola bars, crackers, pretzels or mini-muffins. There is a drinking fountain
available in the room for the children to use as needed. Please do not send juice
boxes for snack time.

Social Studies: Social Studies is taught through the Macmillan/McGraw Hill
series Here I am. The program uses poems, songs, storybooks, activity sheets,
projects, BIG books, and more. The children learn about themselves, their family,
their community, and their world. Also included as part of this curriculum are
thinking skills, geography skills, and citizenship skills. The units of study are as
follows:
*Starting School
*Meeting Families
*Lets Explore
*Our Country, Our World
*Hooray for Special Days

Science: The Troy School District has adopted a kit-based science program
that promotes exploration and active learning through hands-on experiences in the
area of science. The three kits at the Kindergarten level, are as follows:
*Trees: Students learn about the parts of a tree, various types of trees,
the life cycle of trees, what trees need to grow, and how trees are beneficial to
man, animals, and the environment.
*Wood: Students explore characteristics of wood, properties of wood, and
various uses for wood.
*Animals 2X2: Students study animal characteristics and behavior as they
observe and study goldfish, guppies, sow bugs, pill bugs, earthworms, red worms,
and snails.

Siblings in the Classroom: The safety of the children in our class is of utmost
importance. Many times throughout the year we will have field trips, class celebrations
and other occasions when volunteers are needed. Because we want to focus on our
kindergartners, their learning and their safety, siblings will not be able to accompany
adults volunteering.

Social Development: We have many routines in place to help promote social
learning and development. Children are taught playing fair strategies, conflict resolution
and stress reduction. We will have the star student of the week; participate in songs and
role playing as well as a friendship circle frequently. Social and emotional development is
just as important as cognitive development and we will work hard to help each child grow.

Taking Risks: One thing that I emphasize in our room is that it is OK to make
mistakes. I share with children mistakes I make and how I learn from them or find a way
to improve the next time. I want children to feel safe and supported and understand
that I am here to help, teach and guide them. I want children to know that taking risks
are encouraged and part of learning.

Teamwork: In our classroom we work as a community or team. When one child is
struggling or needs help, we reach out to give our support. During our first weeks of
school we will really focus on getting to know each other and how we can work together as
a school family.

Themes: In our classroom we focus on different themes each week. Theme teaching
helps to tie in ideas and concepts. Often the work that we do in centers is related to the
theme we are studying. For example, if we were focusing on colors, the children would
participate in color mixing in the science center, writing color words in the handwriting
center, reading books about colors in the library, writing color poems in the writing
center and much more.

Toys: Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school. Our Mighty Monkeys will
have the opportunity for sharing at special times throughout the year. Watch for special
notes about these sharing opportunities.

Treat Box: In our class, we have a Treat Box and inside are little goodies that your
child can receive for a job well done. If I catch them doing something nice or even if
they are really displaying great behavior, they will be able to choose one treat for
themselves.

Unique Children: All children are unique individuals. No child develops at the same
rate. We must ALWAYS remember that childhood is a journey and not a race. We
celebrate each childs uniqueness in our class. We learn about other cultures and what
makes each of us special. If you have a special tradition or holiday that you celebrate at
home, send me a note so we can learn more about it!

Volunteers: Parents will be invited into the classroom to help once the
Kindergarteners are feeling comfortable in their new environment and our daily
routines are set. Typically this results in parent volunteers beginning in October.
Field Trips and class parties are great ways to get involved. Later in the school
year, you may sign up to be a Mystery Reader and surprise your child by coming in
to read a book.
ROOM PARENTS/PARTY COORDINATORS---We are looking 1-2 Room Parent(s)
who will be in charge of planning our parties and also for many Volunteer Parents
to help make our class parties a success. This is a fun opportunity to get to know
some of the parents in our classroom and help out at the same time!

Writing Workshop: One way that children learn to become writers is through
our writing workshop program. This program is district wide based on program
created by Lucy Calkins. Information will be going home with ways for you to
support your child in learning how to become a writer.

World Wide Web: There are so many resources on the internet that parents can
use in supporting their childs learning at home. Look for websites on the newsletter sent
home that you will be able to utilize or reference in regards to your child. Many of these
websites have games that supplement concepts learned in kindergarten.

Experience: We will have many wonderful eXperiences this year such as, crafts,
science experiments, making class books, reading, and playing many learning games.

You: You can help to make your child feel successful this year by doing some of the
following: Reading to your child is the single most important thing you can do. It
encourages them to become good readers. Also asking them questions about their day
like, What did you learn today? What did you work hardest at? Or, What are you
getting better at? Dont let them tell you nothing. It is also very important that you
work with your child on their homework. Encourage your child to ask questions at school.
Informed children are confident children. Talk positively about school. Show enthusiasm
for learning, it is contagious!

Zipping, Tying, and Buttoning: Help your child to become more independent in
getting dressed. This will help tremendously when getting our gym shoes on or getting
ready to go outdoors!



Thank you so much for coming tonight! We are going to have a
fabulous year together!
Love,
Miss Gerbe