There's Nothing in My Bag Today

Today I did my math and science,

I toasted bread.

I halved and quartered.

I counted, measured, used my eyes,

and ears and head.

I added and subtracted on the way,

I used a magnet, blocks, and memory tray.

I learned about a rainbow and how to weigh.

So please don't say, anything in your bag today?

You see I'm sharing as I play.

I learned to listen and

speak clearly when I talk,

to wait my turn, and when inside to walk.

To put my thoughts into a phrase,

to guide a crayon through a maze.

To find my name and write it down,

to do it with a smile and not a frown.

To put my pasting brush away,

So please don't say, what, nothing in your bag today?

I've learned about a snail and a worm,

remembering how to take my turn.

Helped a friend when he was stuck,

learned that water runs off a duck.

I looked at words from left to right,

agreed to differ, not to fight.

So please don't say, did you only play today?

Kindergarten Handbook Goals

This handbook is designed to provide you with information and procedures

for our kindergarten classrooms. Please keep this for your files and refer to

it throughout the school year.

School Day Procedures The first few days of school will be spent going over school and classroom

rules and procedures. We will also be touring the building and meeting some

of the other teachers that your child will come into contact with. The first

few weeks of Kindergarten are a time of great excitement! Becoming a

student is a big step in your child’s life. Every day they will be introduced to

new roles and routines associated with being a “student.” These new

challenges they face can be thrilling, but they can be frightening too. We

will all work together to ensure that your child has a successful kindergarten

year!

Classroom Rules

It is very important that each student learns to become a good classroom

citizen. The only way to do that is to follow the rules. Listed below are the

rules and “Code of Colors” for our classroom. Please begin working with your

child so they know what the rules are. Thank you in advance for helping us

maintain an orderly environment that encourages learning.

1. Listen to the teacher and show respect at all times.

2. Keep hands, feet, and all objects to yourself.

3. Use an inside voice at all times, especially in the hallway.

4. Always walk in the room and in the building.

5. Respect the teacher and other classmates.

Kindergarten Code of Colors In our classrooms we have a behavior chart that helps encourage positive

actions and discourage negative actions during the school day. Each child

has a clothespin with his/her name on it and begins the day on the green

color marked “Ready to Learn”. Each time a warning is given your child will

move his/her clothespin down the chart onto a different color. Your child

can also move their clothespin up the chart for positive actions during the

day. Those that move clothespins down for negative behavior can earn their

way back to a positive color, depending on the action that warranted the

warning.

BLUE: Making Great Choices

GREEN: Ready to Learn (starting point everyday)

YELLOW: Make Better Choices (warning given)

ORANGE: Lose a Privilege

RED: Parent Contact (by note or phone) and/or

Office Visit

At the end of each day your child will be responsible for coloring their

behavior report to match the color of their day. Each day your child will

start out on green. Rewards may be given at the end of a specific period of

time decided by the individual teacher. Rewards may include: stickers,

treasure box, special healthy snacks (popcorn, 100% fruit Popsicles, etc…),

verbal praise, special helper duties, etc. Please be sure to sign or initial your

child’s behavior report each day and return it to school the next day.

Kindergarten Classroom Routines

Folders Each day your child will be bringing home his/her daily folder.

This folder will be a primary source of communication

between home and school. Inside the folder will be your

child’s daily behavior report. Please sign or initial it and keep

it in the folder.

We will also send home any school newsletters, notes from

teacher, homework, daily work, etc… inside this folder. IT

IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU CHECK THE FOLDER EVERY

EVENING. Please send the folder back to school each day.

If you send a note, money, paperwork, etc… please return it

to school in your child’s folder so it will be found. We do not

check backpacks for notes and money.

Morning Routine When your child arrives at school he/she will put his/her

folder on top of their locker or in a designated basket.

If your child will be eating breakfast at school please

have them at school in plenty of time to eat.

Breakfast starts at 7:40 in the cafeteria.

If your child says that they are hungry we will let them eat

breakfast. If you DO NOT want your child eating breakfast

in the cafeteria please send a note stating “NO BREAKFAST

FOR _____”.

Afternoon Routine Your child will need to be signed up as a car rider, bus rider,

walker or after schooler. This should be determined before

school starts and that information given to the teacher at

Open House.

We know this may change from time to time. You have to

send a note or call the school to let the teacher know about

the change of afternoon transportation. Your child will not

be allowed to make the changes for themselves.

School dismisses at 3:10. Car riders will be picked up first,

buses riders will load next and last walkers and after

schoolers will be released.

Homework

The main goal of the kindergarten curriculum is to prepare the

children for first grade. Your child will not have homework

every night but will one to two times a week. They will have

decodable books to bring home to read to you, sight words to

work on, lists of grade level words to practice and beginning

sound activities. Please help encourage your child to have good

homework skills. Do homework on time and return when it is due.

Snack Day & Leader Day A snack list will be sent home each month. Everyone is expected to send

snacks for the whole class on their child’s snack day. On the back of the

snack list there will be some healthy snack ideas.

Due to state laws, snacks of low nutritional value cannot be served at school.

We will be allowed one free choice snack day each month beginning in

September. These days will be used to celebrate birthdays and holidays. We

therefore cannot serve snacks such as: Little Debbie’s, cupcakes, cookies,

chips, kool-aid, sodas, etc… Homemade snacks are not allowed.

Your child’s snack day will also be his/her leader day. This is a very

important day for your Kindergartener!! When at all possible his/her

birthday will be on their leader day. Send snacks for approximately 20

children. This number may change throughout the year so please check the

number on the snack calendar. You may send extras in case someone may

want seconds. If buying crackers or other packaged items please check the

serving size on the side of the box. Lots of times 1 box of crackers will

not feed 20 hungry children.

Name Tags Your child will get a name tag at Open House or Kindergarten Parent Night

that needs to be worn the first day of school. They will also come home on

the first day of school with a transportation tag. Please send that back to

school each day of the first week. This helps ensure that your child is lined

up in the proper line at the end of the school day.

Extra Clothes

Please send an extra change of clothes for your child in case an accident

occurs during the school day. Accidents can include bathroom incidents, wet

playground equipment, and lunchroom spills. Please send clothing appropriate

for the season we are currently in. Place the following items in a baggie and

write your child’s name on the bag: pants (seasonal), shirt, underwear and

socks. When they have been used we will need a replacement.

Monetary Fees

Throughout the school year, fees will be collected for field trips, lunches,

Scholastic book orders, school pictures, PTA fundraisers, etc. It is very

important that all money sent to school for your child is placed in an

envelope indicating the following information:

Child’s Name

Teacher’s Name

What the money is intended for

The exact amount enclosed

There are times in the school year that multiple events requiring money

are collected at one time, and to make sure that your child receives the

correct credit for these events you must use a separate envelope for

each event to avoid any confusion.

Transportation If you want to change your child’s regular transportation home – We must

have a NOTE. We have provided you with Transportation Change notices.

If you like using these and run out just let us know and we will print you some

more. Without a note your child will use his/her regular transportation

method. If you need to change methods during the school day you may send

your child’s teacher an email or call the office before 2:30. Elementary

school phone number is 501-337-9131. If you send an email make sure the

teacher responds back to you so you will know that she has seen and read

the message.

Personal Belongings

YOU MUST LABEL EVERYTHING YOUR CHILD OWNS WITH

A PERMANENT MARKER!

Please make sure that your child’s name is on his/her book bag, coat, jacket,

sweater, etc… To alleviate confusion over personal belongings, please make

sure that your child’s name is visible on all items.

Emergency Information

Every child must have a current Emergency Information form. This form

must contain a working phone number and a person that can be reached

during the school day. It is very difficult trying to reach parents during an

emergency when non-working numbers are listed as contact numbers.

Additionally, when your home, work, or cell numbers change, please send

a note so that the information can be updated.

Communication

We believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is essential for school

success. We encourage you to contact the school should you feel the need to

schedule a conference or have any questions or concerns. To make an

appointment, your child’s teacher can be reached at 501-337-9131 or you can

write a note and place it in your child’s homework folder.

.

Parent Volunteers Listed below are a few ways that you could volunteer in your child’s

classroom and school:

*Become a member of the PPO (Panther Parent Organization)

*Help organize class parties

*Watch D.O.G.S.

*Spring carnival (donations for auction and working class booth)

*Field trip chaperone

Other opportunities will present themselves throughout the school year as

well. Check with your child’s teacher and watch for more information from

the school counselor.

Grading Scale

S- Satisfactory- progress shown without error- working at grade

level (100-80%)

N- Needs improvement – skill has been introduced, but practice

and reinforcement are needed to achieve grade level status (79-65%)

U- Unsatisfactory – skill has been taught and reinforcement

applied – student should have mastered at this time – working below grade

level (below 65%)

Report cards will go home at the end of each nine

week period. Each student will be evaluated on

concepts that are taught within the given period.

Report cards must be signed by the parent and

returned to school.

Kindergarten Daily Schedule

7:40-8:00 Arrival/Breakfast/Tutoring/Centers

8:00 Lunch Count/Bathroom/Pledge

8:00-10:30 Literacy Block

Morning News

SRA Open Court Reading ( letters, stories,

activities)

Shared Reading (poems and books)

Independent work at tables

8:45-9:30 P.E. (This is different for each class, please check

separate schedule.)

10:30 – 11:00 Lunch

11:00 – 11:30 Physical Activity Time

11:30-11:55 Read Aloud

11:55-12:40 Activity Period (see separate schedule)

12:25-1:10 Library (This is different for each class please

check, separate schedule.)

12:40-1:30 Math Block

Calendar

SRA Real Math

Hands-on activities

Independent work at tables

1:30 – 2:15 Read and Relax

2:15-2:45 Science/Social Studies Block/

Centers

2:45–3:05 Snack/Pack up/ Review/ Read Aloud

3:05-3:30 take out bus riders 1st, car riders 2nd, walkers and

after school last.