Curriculum NightKindergarten

Mrs. Robin Hoff

• Originally from Minnesota• B.S. in Early Childhood Education from UW-

Stout and Elementary Certification from Macalester College

• Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis on Elementary Reading from GCU

• This is my 21st year teaching:11 years in kindergarten (this is 12)3 years special ed partnership preschool5 years first grade1 year media skills/2nd grade math

• Married for 17 years with 2 dogs: Piper & Finn

• Enjoy: reading, traveling, watching football • and movies, spending time with family, etc.

• Each child is different, each school year is different.

• I will work with you to do whatever it takes for each child to be successful and grow.

• We will learn a lot this year and we will have fun doing it!

• I want to give children skills and strategies that they can use beyond kindergarten.

• I believe in modeling and teaching positive academic and social behaviors.

Always:-Listen to Others-Follow Directions-Be Kind-Be Safe-Be Honest-Do Your Best!

I work to be positive and teach the students to take responsibility for their choices. Other issues may be dealt with in the office or with a formal behavior plan as needed.

• Bring backpack and folder

• Bring a water bottle with name- water ONLY, no

Gatorade, juice, milk, etc.

• Wear comfortable clothes for playing and safe shoes

for playing

End of Day Arrangement Changes?

• Send me a note, email me, or call office at

541-2400, especially if it is after 1:00.

Towel Time

• After lunch for a few weeks

• Short quiet time to cool off, get drinks, and use the

bathroom

• Your child should bring a towel labeled with your child’s

name- no stuffed things, etc.

• Towels will be sent home monthly to wash and

should be returned promptly.

• You may pay for your child’s lunch online with their student ID.

• If you send lunch money with your child, please send the money/check in a sealed envelope with the purpose for the money

• Work towards independence: opening containers, what they should eat first, etc.

• Please send a drink in lunchbox separate from their classroom water bottle

• 11:05 – 11:45 daily 20 min. for lunch/ 20 min. for recess

• Community Snack sign up has 6 unfilled weeks! You need to sign up for 1-2 weeks.

• I will send the sign-up genius link out again tomorrow.

• We eat our snack in the morning around 9:00/9:15

• All snacks must be NUT-FREE and all necessary utensils should be sent as well.

Kindergarten Curriculum includes:• Language Arts- Reading, Writing, Phonemic

Awareness• Math• Science/Social Studies/ Health• Social-Emotional Awareness• Special Areas: Art, Music, Technology, P.E &

Library

• Read, write, compare and understand numbers to 20

• Counting by 1’s & 10’s to 100

• Addition and subtraction within 10

• Composing and decomposing numbers to 20

• Measurement-length, weight, comparing objects

• Classify (sort) and count objects

• Geometry- names and attributes of two and three-dimensional shapes and

also positional words

• Problem solving with story problems

• Beginning data collection and graphing

Ready Math• Engages students of all levels in active problem

solving.

• Uses real world situations, class discussions, peer discussions, and many hands on materials.

• Parent letters include weekly concepts and optional at home activities.

• Includes a digital component that is used in the classroom and can be used at home through interactive games.

This year we will be using the Core Knowledge Language Arts program which has two strands: Skills & Listening and Learning.

Skills Strand:➢ Begins with work on fine motor skills, pencil grip, positional and

directional words.➢ Phonemic Awareness skills built in: syllables, rhyming, segmenting,

& more.➢ Letters taught as sounds first, not names with letter names added

later in the year.➢ Moves through letters quickly (3 – 4 a week) with constant

review.➢ Moves into more advanced skills: diagraphs, blends, long

vowels, and more.

Core Knowledge Listening & Learning strand:

➢ Nursery Rhymes & Fables➢ Five Senses➢ Plants➢ Farms➢ Native Americans➢ Kings & Queens➢ Seasons & Weather➢ Columbus & the Pilgrims➢ Colonial Towns and Townspeople➢ Taking Care of the Earth➢ Presidents & U.S. Symbols

• Inventive spelling

• Conventions- write multiple sentences with proper capital letter, spacing, punctuation, and meaningful content.

• Types of Writing: lists, class books, personal narratives, notes, opinion writing pieces, etc

• A lot of writing is embedded within our curriculums

• Sight words: when reader can recognize common words by sight in 3-4 seconds

• There are 40 required sight words which are red through green lists. There are more available if they pass those (blue and purple)

• Students work at their own pace, but at least 1 list per quarter

• Certificate will be sent home when child moves to next group of words

Rainbow Words

Sanford Harmony• A program designed to teach children PreK-8th

grade about cooperation, empathy, and effective communication.

• Includes morning meet ups and weekly lessons.• Our lessons include an alien named “Z” who is

learning appropriate social skills.

Social Emotional Curriculum

Built into Reading and Social/Emotional Curriculum:• Family, school and community- being a good citizen• Customs, celebrations and traditions- ideas of

present, past and future• Explorers, colonists, historical events- idea of past• Diverse cultural awareness• Maps and globes and the impact of water and

weather on people• American symbols• Needs vs. wants

• Experiments- Observations, inferences, and predictions

• Living/Non-Living

• Weather, Seasonal Patterns, Patterns of Sun/Moon

• The Five Senses

• Plants and Animals and how their parts help them to

grow and function

• Hatching Chicks

• An optional monthly homework calendar will be starting in

September. There are a variety of activities from all areas.

• Recommend doing 3-4 homework activities per week of your choice.

• Voluntary but will support the learning that has happened at school.

• Our ELA curriculum also has handwriting and sound practice

worksheets that we will send home as we come to them.

• Our Math curriculum has the parent letters with ideas for

• activities included in them.

• Nightly Reading with your child is also expected for a minimum of 10 minutes. This can be a mix of you reading to your child along with them reading to you once we start reading bags

• Reading books to them that are above their independent reading level is good exposure to higher level thinking and vocabulary.

• When reading, talk about the 5 W’s- who, what, where, when, why.

• Have them retell stories in their own words, make a decision if they liked or disliked the story. How would they change the ending?

• Tying shoes• Cutting – holding scissors correctly and turning paper with helper hand

• Pencil grip- tripod or quadripod grip• Opening snacks• Writing first name(First letter uppercase and the rest lowercase)

ALL volunteers must fill out the volunteer form, parents included• Starting in September• Assist children during stations, do copying, work with students 1:1

– Siblings are not allowed to come with– Must be parent/guardian (all others must be get a

fingerprint clearance card)• Field trip Chaperones• Discover Room Volunteer and/or Cielo Garden, PTO• Art Masterpiece• Organize classroom parties• Fill out form in packet- leave here or return in your child’s folder• Monthly calendar sent out and a sign-up genius for any

unfilled slots if necessary

• Art project presented each month (October-May)

• Volunteers also needed to help prep materials and present projects

• No art experience necessary!• Great way to be a part of the Cielo Community! • All materials provided• If interested in either part, please email

me as soon as possible!

• One day each week 6 kids will get to go visit the Discover Room

• Science Exploration

• As mentioned, you can sign up to volunteer ☺

• Your child gets a pass every time you volunteer if it is during their recess!

• Every 10 days of school until 100th day

• Mysterious visitor drop off a snack that resembles a zero

• Sign-up genius details and link are in your packet of information

• It is a SURPRISE and a mystery, so please DO NOT tell your child about it or send it in with your child! ☺

• You received your first book orders tonight! Typically I will send them home in your child’s folder.

• Ordering from scholastic is a great way to get inexpensive books for your child

• Books will come to school and will be sent home with your child (if it’s a gift, we can make other arrangements for you to pick them up)

• If you would like to order books, you will need to order online where you can use a credit or debit card.

Scholastic Book Orders

• Celebrated according to district policy.• No invitations to be passed out at school

or on the playground.• Use class and PTO directory to send

invitations.• No birthday treats to be passed out at

school.• Sing, “Happy Birthday,” Certificate,

birthday balloon with crazy straw, and a birthday sticker.

Parent Parking Lot Helpful Hints:• Please follow all staff directions and signs.

• Starting Thursday for after school pick up, we will have students stand by grade level (older siblings stand with younger siblings). Parents will be motioned to move forward, and students will walk up to their parent’s vehicle.

• Only Right turns are allowed out of the Parking Lot.

• Always use crosswalks.

• Please do not jay walk, or motion your child to walk between cars or buses.

• The Staff Parking lot is unavailable for parent parking.

• Parking is allowed around the school neighborhood. You are welcome to park and walk your child to drop off and pick up.

• Check your child’s folder nightly & EMPTY it.• Important notes from classroom and the office

will go on the left side so that it doesn’t get lost in your child’s work

• Classroom Weekly Summaries/ School Newsletter• Conferences: October & February• Report cards: January & May• Email rhoff@kyrene.org• Call: 480-541-2400

What does your school counselor do?Plan, organize, and deliver small and individual counseling

Provide & support prevention programs and strategies such as check-in/check-outs.

Work within a multidisciplinary team to complete risk assessments and determine response.

Coordinate support services to students and families to remove barriers to learning and promote positive family school relationships.

Facilitate transition for students and families between elementary, middle, and high school and for new students during the school year.

Work within a multidisciplinary team to complete risk assessments and determine response

Meet Your School Counselor!Ms. Chavez

Contact Information: Phone #: (480) 541-2424 (CIE)(480) 541-4369 (MIR) Email: Cduranchavez@kyrene.org

Schedule:M & TH: Kyrene del CieloT & F: Kyrene de la Mirada*Rotate every other Wednesday*

PTO

Most of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten…. These are the things I learned:

Share everything, Play fair, don’t hit people, put things back where you found them, clean up your own mess, don’t take things that aren’t yours, say you’re sorry when you hurt someone, wash your hands before you eat, flush, warm cookies and cold milk are good for you,

Live a balanced life-learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday some,

Take a nap every afternoon, when you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder.

» By: Robert Fulghum

All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten