2014-2015 Fall Open House

Mrs. Taylor

Welcome to Kindergarten!

• Please be sure to sign in on the sign-in sheet.

• Don’t forget to sign up for a conference time on October 13th.

• Check out the Volunteer table if interested.

PTO Meeting

• PTO meeting will be held in the cafeteria tonight at 7:05

• Membership - $10 per family

Class Subjects• Your child will participate in the following:

– Reading – Writing– Math– Science– Social studies– Music – PE – Computer Lab – Fridays– Library – Wednesdays

Reading• We cover many skills in

kindergarten that will help your child learn to read by the end of the school year.

• To help your child, you can – read to them everyday, – practice letters and sounds

everyday, and – practice sight words as they are sent

home throughout the year.

• The key is practice, practice, practice.

Letter Expert• I will be sending home a letter

expert packet and your child will become the “Letter Expert” for a specific letter.

• In this packet your child will be responsible for learning the sound that letter makes, how to write that letter correctly, reading a book with that specific letter, finding an object that starts with that letter and then sharing his/her findings with classmates.

Writing• Students will be expected to

write using the block style of print.

• Our curriculum is called Handwriting Without Tears.

• Students will also be expected to write using the proper case (upper/lower). This can be practiced by starting with their name.

• Writing in Kindergarten is…– Drawing a picture– Labeling a picture– Writing letters to match the sounds

we hear– Writing a sentence– Writing a story

Math• We will cover many concepts in math this year

including graphing, counting, numbers, sorting, addition, and subtraction.

• To help your child you can: – practice counting, forwards and backwards– skip counting by 10’s– sorting everyday objects – writing numbers – putting things in order

Portfolios

• We will be using a portfolio for each child to track progress in reading, writing and math.

• Students will be able to see their progress as they learn more and will be able to set goals for themselves.

Social Studies• School Community• Rules and

Procedures• Families• All About Me• Community Helpers• Flags and Pledges

• Friendship • Texas• Holidays • Historical Figures• Maps and Towns

ScienceMost of our topics are experienced through

hands-on activities and labs. • Magnets• Simple Machines• How things move• Seasons• 5 Senses• Weather• Animals• Matter

• Natural resources• Plants • Life cycles• Recycling• Sound• Light• Heat• Water

Classroom Community• Our classroom is a community. In our

community, we have rules to help us get along with each other.

• Our class rules are:– Use our materials the right way.– Say kind words to others.– Use your hands the right way.– Share and work together.

Behavior Management• Clip Chart System

– Each student has a clothes pin.– Start each day on “Ready to Fly”– Move up for good behavior, down for not so good

behavior– The folder will show what color your child ended the

day on.

• Benefits– Focuses more on the positive– Students can move their clips up and down throughout the day.

Behavior Management• Trace’s Treats

– Students can earn Trace’s Treats from any adult in the school for modeling good character.

– Students can earn a big Trace’s Treat to put in a treasure chest for a drawing.

– Students can earn extra rewards like a good note home from the teacher.

Conduct• Your child will receive a grade in a general conduct

which will be determined by how well your child can conduct their behavior in the classroom.

• There is also a grade given in the following areas: Following Directions, Uses Time Effectively, Participation in class, and Homework.

• The grading scale is as follows:E=Excellent S=Satisfactory N=Needs Improvement U=Unsatisfactory

Homework• Your child will receive an orange homework folder

every Monday.• Please complete the packet and return it in the folder

on Friday morning.• Homework is to be done every night, not in one sitting,

otherwise it does not effectively reinforce the skills taught in class each day.

• Work is not accepted early.• The homework grade is

affected by turning it in late.

Tardiness• If your student isn’t in the classroom by the time

the second bell rings (8:20), please have them check in at the front office before coming to class.

• If your student is tardy four times, the school will contact you, usually by sending home a letter.

• On the 5th tardy your student’s conduct grade will be dropped one letter.

Transportation Changes• Send a note to school in the morning with your

child clipped inside folder.• In case of emergency transportation change

call the front office at 832-484-7900 and they will send a note down.

• Do not call or e-mail me since I usually cannot check messages until after school.

Website• Be sure to check my website

and Metzler’s website.• I post valuable information,

pictures, and kid-friendly websites.

• Your child’s picture cannot be included if the photo box is marked on privacy sheet from the student handbook.

Snack• You may send a snack with your child to eat during our

center time in the afternoon.– You are not required to send one, and most children will outgrow

the need for one later in the year.

• If you do send one with your child, I would encourage you to pack a small, low-sugar snack for your child.

• It is very important for your child to eat breakfast everyday.

• Please do not send snack with any kind of nuts.

Attire• Please be sure to include a change of clothes in

your child’s backpack.• Please don’t forget to wear tennis shoes on P.E.

days.– Due to the nature of play at recess in Kindergarten

flip-flops are not safe (even on Music days). Please send your child to school in sturdy shoes.

Scholastic Book Orders• We will each send home book orders every month.

– This is one of the best ways to get children excited about reading.

– The books are usually lower than prices at local bookstores, plus they help me earn points to buy books for the classroom.

• You can pay by check or cash, or you can order online with a credit card. – When sending cash, please be sure to send exact change. – Checks should be made out to “Scholastic Book Orders”.

Birthdays• Order cupcakes, cookies, or ice cream through

Klein Food Service– Contact the nurse for more information

• Class lists cannot be distributed-contact the teacher for current head count

• For invitations– All boys– All girls– All students

Parent Volunteers• Must fill out criminal background check prior to

volunteering

• You can assist with classroom needs by donating items from the class website.

Let’s Have a Great Year!