Mrs. Coombs’ Kindergarten Class

Welcome, parents!

Welcome to Kindergarten! We will spend the next

few minutes going over some general kindergarten information…there is a lot! Look for this slide show and copies of handouts on our classroom website.

All About Me My background

I grew up in Indianapolis and spent a lot of time here in Hendricks County. I have a twin brother as well as an older sister.

I attended Brownsburg High School and graduated from Purdue University in 2008. I completed my student teaching down the hall in first grade and this is my sixth year as a kindergarten teacher.

My husband and I just celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary and live in Plainfield.

I love to travel, garden, cook, & shop as well as visiting the ocean, drinking diet coke, and eat sushi! I also love the color pink and find a lot of fun ideas on Pinterest!

Most of all, I adore children!

What to Expect By the end of kindergarten your child will

be ready for 1st grade! This includes reading, writing, number concepts, addition, and subtraction.

Your child will have TONS of fun every day in class.

We move at a pretty quick pace, so get ready!

Contact Information aecoombs@avon-schools.org (317) 544-6200 (ext. 6255)

The ABCs of Kindergarten

This list, also available in your information packets, is designed to help answer any questions you may have about kindergarten. If you have a question that is not answered in this list, please email me or check out our kindergarten handbook on my website.

The ABCs of KindergartenA If your child is absent,

please call the Cedar office at 544-6200. A note stating the reason for the absence must be brought to school as soon as possible to avoid an unexcused absence.

Arrival time is from 8:50-9:00am.

B Sorry, no birthday parties

or invitations at school. Treats are fine.

Save your Box Tops & send them in with your kiddo.

Bus changes must be documented.

Book Buddy Bag We are on a balanced

calendar!

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Communication is key! Feel free to contact me whenever you have a question, comment, or concern. You can reach me by phone, email, or note.

Check out our classroom calendar on our website.

Hands-on curriculum is one of our keys to success!

Check out our clip chart to keep track of your child’s daily

behavior. Purple rocks!

D To get your kiddo home

safely, dismissal is important. Please send a note if your child’s dismissal has changed.

  DIBELS stands for Dynamic

Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. Students will benchmark 2 times this year.

The ABCs of KindergartenE

My school email address is aecoombs@avon-schools.org. What’s yours?

Please complete and return the emergency card promptly. If your home or work phone number change, please inform the office and me.

F Your kiddo can look forward to

fieldtrips to the pumpkin patch (I hope!) & OLC.

We will end each week with “Fun Friday” as a reward for those who have not moved their clip more than 2 times in a week. This is also when we pick purple tickets for the prize box!

Fall Break is October 14th to October 25th

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We love to have parents as guests in our classroom. Feel free to email me if you would like to volunteer in the classroom or complete the volunteer form in your packet.

H Students will have

homework starting in January.

Help keep our kiddos safe! Please do not send in any food with tree nuts (lunch is fine). If your child has any food allergies, please let me know immediately.

The ABCs of KindergartenI

Independence is a goal for students because it builds self-esteem and self-confidence! Try some new things!

J Writing takes place every

day in kindergarten. One way we accomplish this is through writing stories in our journals during writer’s workshop. Encourage your child to write at home for a variety of purposes. You can check out your kiddo’s journal next month at conferences!

The ABCs of KindergartenK

Keep updated by reading the classroom newsletter every week. It is emailed every Friday and can also be found on our classroom webpage.

Our complete kindergarten handbook can be found on my website!

L Our class will visit the

library at least once a week as a part of their specials rotation. Your child will check out books when we visit the library and return it the next time they have library.  Please return books on assigned library days

The ABCs of KindergartenM

One of the goals of our math program is to make math applicable to children’s lives. It also makes math more fun!

N A weekly newsletter will

be sent home on Fridays to keep you informed about what is happening in our class. Electronic copies are also available weekly on my website

Kindergarten will take NWEA in the Winter and Spring

The ABCs of KindergartenO

Cedar has an “Open Door Policy”, meaning that you are welcome in my room any time during school hours. Feel free to email or call when you would like to visit, or just top by if you are in the neighborhood. Be prepared, I could put you to work

P School Pictures will be

held in the fall and spring. Parent/teacher

conferences are the week of September 9th. Please choose a time slot located on a sign up sheet in the hallway.

Our “Parties” are educational!

The ABCs of KindergartenQ

Questions? Please feel free to call, stop in, email, or send a note.

R Kindergarten report

cards will be sent home 4 times. We have a brand new report card this year!

Please check your child’s red folder every day.

A reading log can be filled out in your child’s book buddy bag.

S Our supply list can be found on the Cedar website. A great way to buy books at a great value is through

our Scholastic Book Orders. Ordering is available online or with an order form.

When working at home, try using the phrase “Stretch out the word” to help students think about the sounds that make up the word.

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If your child has any changes in their transportation please let me know in writing, by email, or by voice mail.

Cedar is now a “title 1” school, meaning we will have some extra funding to provide additional assistants, resources, ect. to those students

who need it.

U &V Unbelievable

Volunteers are an important key to making our classroom work. Please fill out and return the volunteer form if you would like to be put on the schedule!

The ABCs of KindergartenW

Check out our classroom website!

Tune in to the TV or the Avon website to find out about weather delays and cancelations. We follow the alternate kindergarten schedule.

We love Writer’s Workshop!

X,Y & Z Parents may eXit and

enter via the main school entry.

Your ideas…and suggestions are welcome!

Zzzzzzz - Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest.

Time Subject/Activity Brief Explanation

9:05-10:40 Language Arts and reading This large chunk of time will include morning work, calendar, phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, phonics, morphology, language arts & reading centers that align with the language arts Common Core Standards.

10:40-11:10 Writing Discovering, practicing, and implementing the Six Traits of writing.

11:15-11:45 Lunch Takes place in the cafeteria.

11:45-12:30 Social Sciences An investigative approach to learning science through science kits as well as social studies topics.

12:30-12:55 Math (whole group) Whole group math lessons using Envision Math that is built on the foundational skills of the Common Core.

1:05-1:25 Recess Outdoor recess will take place on the large playground. If inclement weather occurs, recess will take place inside. This includes any snow, ice, or wind chill below 30 degrees.

1:30-2:10 Math (Centers) A hands-on approach to practicing math skills taught during our whole group math time.

2:10-2:40 Success Groups (SST) Small group approach to teaching specific skills to students through teachers and interventionists. Students most likely change classrooms and teachers during this time.

2:55-3:40 Specials Please see specials schedule in regards to your child’s assigned special for the day. Specials are on a 4 day rotation of art, gym, library, & music.

3:45 Dismissal

Behavior System In kindergarten we use the “clip” system (located at

the front of the room) where students have the opportunity to move their clips UP for great behavior and DOWN for poor behavior. Every time a student ends the day on purple, they will fill out a purple ticket and have the chance to win a prize during Fun Friday!

Additionally, your child will come home every day with a behavior sheet indicating their

“color” for the day. We shoot for PURPLE!

Visiting our Classroom Website

To visit our classroom website, go to www.avon-schools.org

Select “Cedar Elementary” under the drop down box.

Click “staff directory” on left. Type in “Coombs” under name Click on my name and it will direct you

to our page.

Questions?