Ms. Bernier's Kindergarten Handbook

Ms. Bernier's Kindergarten Handbook

COMMUNICATION:

I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success.  Throughout the year I will communicate with you through notes, phone calls, weekly newsletters, grade cards and conferences.  I encourage you to contact me if you ever have any questions or concerns.  

 PARENT  HELPERS:I appreciate all the help and support that I receive in our classroom.  You may have signed up at Meet the Teacher, but you may also contact me if you would like to volunteer. You can choose to help on a regular basis at school, volunteer at home, during classroom parties, or our field trip.   If you choose to volunteer during the day, you need to fill out a background check and be cleared before you can volunteer.  Parent helpers do many things for our classroom such as cutting, stapling, copying, preparing reading center activities, working with students, and planning parties.  OFFICE  PASS:For everyone’s safety, we REQUIRE that all visitors on campus must first go to the office before coming to the classroom.  Even after school, please wait for your child outside or in the front foyer.  Please do not come to the classroom unless you have gone to the office first.  The office will ask you to sign in and give you a visitor’s sticker.  Thanks for your help in keeping our school safe.   TRANSPORTATION:If your child will be going home a different way than usual, you MUST send a written note, or call the school office.  Please do not rely on your child to tell me this information.  If no written note or phone call is received, your child will be sent home by his/her usual method of transportation.

TOYS:Bringing personal toys to school is strongly discouraged.  These toys can often cause distractions, get lost, stolen or broken.

SNACKS:We will have snack time each day.  I will provide a calendar each month with a day for your child to provide snack.  Please send enough snacks for 25 students.  Our wellness policy has a list of healthy snacks that are preferred.  Please don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money.  A big bag of animal crackers or pretzels will feed a class.  If I become aware of any allergies I will notify you in a newsletter. BIRTHDAYS:Your child may bring a special treat to pass out to his/her classmates on his/her birthday.  The treat must be prepackaged and/or store bought.  Please let me know a day or two in advance.  It is school policy that we cannot have birthday parties at school.  Students are discouraged from passing out party invitations unless there are enough for the entire class. CLOTHING:Please label all outerwear with your child’s name (coats, gloves, mittens, hats, etc.)  On P.E. days your child will need to wear tennis shoes. The nurse also asks that you leave a change of clothes in the bottom of your child’s backpack incase your child has an accident at school.  The nurse has very little room to keep extra clothes and will call you to bring clothes if your child needs to change. Note:  Some children choose to wear jewelry to school.  Often this jewelry will become lost or broken during the school day.  Please be aware that the activities at school may be hard on these items and if expensive should be left at home.  SENDING MONEY TO SCHOOL:When sending money to school with your child (book money, lunch money, etc.) always send the money in a sealed envelope with the following information:
  1. Your child’s first and last name
  2. The amount of money enclosed
  3. The purpose of the money (ex. book order)
  4. My name
 This will help me tremendously and reduces the possibility of error.  Also, if the envelope is left on the bus or dropped on the sidewalk, this information will help the money to be returned to our classroom. I have small lunch envelopes available for use.  You can choose to pay lunch weekly, monthly or quarterly.  You may send a check, cash or pay online.  Check out the Springfield Public School’s website for more information about paying online at springfieldpublicschoolsmo.org RECESS:The children will be going outside for recess every day unless it is raining or extremely cold.  Please keep this in mind when helping your child select clothing for the day.  Dress shoes or any type of “slippery” shoes (cowboy boots, slip-on shoes, some sandals, etc) may cause problems for your child on this equipment.  SPECIAL CLASS SCHEDULE 
MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
Music/PELibraryMusic/PEComputer/ CounselorArt
 Please wear tennis shoes on Monday and Thursday for PE. KINDERGARTEN ACADEMICS: Reading:Kindergarten students will develop pre-reading skills and basic reading concepts throughout the year.  We use several different programs to work on all aspects of reading.  We will be using Phonics Lessons for phonemic awareness and phonics, Making Meaning for comprehension, Text Talk for vocabulary development, and Shared Reading for all components of reading.  By the end of the year most students are beginning to read. Mathematics:Kindergarten students will practice applying mathematical concepts and mastering skills through the Everyday Math Series with fun “hands-on” lessons.  Students will learn skills that include number identification, counting, graphing, sorting, basic addition and subtraction, patterning and problem solving through games, using math manipulatives, and classroom activities. Writing:Handwriting is an important part of kindergarten.  We will spend the entire year on letter formation.  We will also spend the year on learning to write stories.  We will begin with using pictures to tell stories then continue to writing with words, sentences and by the end of the year your child will be using his/her knowledge of letter sounds to write stories! HOMEWORK:On Friday I will send home a weekly newsletter.  I will attach the math homework for the week.  The students will have until the next Friday to complete the math page.  This homework is generally a small family project that you can do with your child. Ex. Finding shapes in your house, measuring items, counting objects.  Starting second semester, I will be sending home small, easy to read books each night with your child.  These books should take no more than five minutes to read together.  Students will receive prizes for completing a certain number of books.   Homework in kindergarten helps your child gain responsibility and connects their learning at school to things they experience at home.  It is not meant to be a stressful experience.  If you have trouble with your child and homework, please contact me. BEHAVIOR PLAN:Our classroom behavior plan consists of rules that students can understand consequences when rules are broken and rewards when rules are followed.  Each student has a clothespin or “clip” on our behavior stars.  Each day the students start out on the green star.  If they break a rule they must move their clip down to the blue, orange or red star.  But if I catch them being kind or helpful they get to move their clip up to the gold star.  You may hear about times that your child was helpful and able to move their clip to the gold star.  These students may receive stickers or some other small prize at the end of the day.           Gold star               Caught being good! – Gold Star Day!Green star              No warnings - Good day!          Blue star                Warning – OK day          Orange star           Loss of 5 mins. of recess – needs improvement          Red card                Loss of 10 mins. of recess – needs improvement                             Please know that if I do not contact you with any problems, your child is behaving appropriately at school.  If a problem cannot be resolved at school, I will send a note or contact you by phone.  Not all children are the same and sometimes the above consequences do not fit the choice a student has made.  For example, if a student is hitting another child on the playground he/she may be removed from the playground immediately resulting in loss of recess.  I will make every effort to be treat students fairly and arrange consequences that will not humiliate children but will foster their personal responsibility and decision-making skills.  Some of the following consequences could occur:Behavior Consequences:

                         Loss of Recess                                              Time Out (in our room or buddy classroom)

                         Refelction(Writing/Drawing )                        Loss of Classroom Job                         Phone Call or Note Home to Parents                Sent to Principal’s Office                               Also, I believe in focusing on the positive behavior that student’s display.  Each day is a new day and a new chance to make good choices.  I will reward students for their good behavior individually and as a group.  Some of the following rewards could occur:Behavior Rewards:                              Smiles and hugs                                            Stickers                              Certificates                                                 Extra Recess                              Extra Computer Time                                    Trips to Treasure Box                              Brag Notes Home to Parents                          Class Celebrations                              Sent to the Principal’s office with a “brag note” I look forward to having a successful and enriching year with your child!  I look at you as the expert on your child and if there is every anything you need to share or discuss with me, do not hesitate to contact me!