K Survival Guide
Email: Phone:
nlilholt@greenwoodscharter.org 215-482-6337
Drop off and Pick Up Procedures
Arrival Time is between 7:55 and 8:15. If your child is not in the classroom by 8:16, they will be marked late.
Kindergarten pick up will be promptly at 3:10. You must park off campus and walk down to get your child. Please meet us by the bike rack out front of the school for dismissal. If you are not here by 3:15, you may need to walk into the building to sign your child out.
The front office and myself must be informed by 8:30 AM of any changes in dismissal.
Attendance
Your child’s regular and PROMPT attendance at school is crucial to his/her success. Most Kindergarten learning activities are group oriented and involve interaction with classmates. If your child is absent he/she misses out on these experiences.
However, if your child is sick, please keep them home until they are feeling better. Students MUST BE fever free (without medicine in their body) for 24 HOURS before being allowed to return to school. Please refer to the student handbook regarding excused and non-excused absence procedures.
Donations
We always love and are in need of donations! Periodically throughout the year, we will ask for donations of specific items. Things we can always use are: Glass baby food jars, magazines (appropriate for children’s eyes), scrapbook paper, old greeting cards (even with the personal writing on them), Play-doh, and construction paper, brown paper lunch bags and white paper plates. You can feel free to send these items into school at
ANY TIME during the year!
Field Trips
We hope to go on several Field Trips this year! In the past, we have gone to plays, museums, the zoo, farms, and much more! GWCS does not pay for field trips. Families will be asked to provide the money for each trip. If you are unable to meet the monetary request, please let me know. More information regarding field trips will be sent home later in the year.
If you are interested in being a chaperone, you MUST have your up-to-date clearances on file with the front office. If you have any questions about acquiring these clearances, please contact the front office.
Communication Folders
The folder that you purchased will serve as a communication folder. I will be placing two labels on the inside of the folder. On the LEFT side will be “Left at Home” label and on the RIGHT side will be “Bring RIGHT back” label. Please check this folder nightly and empty any papers that are located on the “Leave at Home” side of the folder. This procedure will not only keep your child organized, but also teach them responsibility. If there are papers that need to be returned to school, please complete the assignment(s) and return them to school in the folder. The communication folder also serves as a source of contact for us. Please send any notes, forms for the office, etc. in this folder. **All money that is sent to school should be sent in a sealed and labeled envelope and placed in the folder**
When your child’s folder becomes worn/ripped, please replace the folder in a timely fashion. I will replace the labels.
Star of the Week
Each week we will be celebrating a specific student in our room. This student will be our “Star of the Week.” When it is your child’s turn to “be a star” he/she will complete a poster and send a favorite book of theirs into school to share with the class on Monday. The book will be returned by that Friday. More specific information will be sent home when it is your child’s turn to be the “Star of the Week!”
Homework
Starting in October, your child will be required to complete 10-15 minutes of HW nightly. More information about HW will be sent home by the end of September. Completing homework consistently in Kindergarten builds a good foundation for future grades when homework becomes more challenging. I appreciate your support!
Behavioral System
In our room we use a behavioral system to monitor both negative and positive behavior. As a class community, we will discuss expectations of appropriate behavior. If you child goes above and beyond what is expected, a certificate (which your child will be extremely proud to share with you) will be sent home. However, if your child needs redirecting, I will give them multiple verbal warnings. If the negative behavior continues after the warnings are given, your child will be directed to the “chill seat.” The “chill seat” is designed for your child to take a few minutes to calm themselves down before returning to the group. If your child makes a trip to the “chill seat”, a note will go home informing you of their behavior. If after your child has spent time in the “chill seat” and the negative behavior continues, extra privileges will be taken away. In more extreme behavior situations, a conduct referral may be issued. A conduct referral is a written document that will be sent home to be signed and returned to school the next day. Conduct referrals stay in your child’s permanent file for the remainder of their time at Green Woods. Please refer to the Student Handbook for behavior policies and procedures.
Birthday Celebrations
In keeping with living a healthy lifestyle, instead of sending in sweet treats, GWCS prefers alternate celebrations for birthdays. In Kindergarten we LOVE to read! On your child’s birthday I am inviting a guest reader to come to our room to share a few books of the child’s favorite books with the class (usually 1-2 books depending on the length). Birthday Guest Readers can be a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, older cousin, etc. Birthday guest readers DO NOT need to have their clearances to come in and read to the class. Your child will truly enjoy having someone share their favorite books with their classmates! As your child’s birthday approaches, please contact me via email or note as to when you would like to come in for your child’s birthday. If your child has a birthday in the summer, you can pick a date during the school year to celebrate their day! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Snack Time
We will have snack time each and every day. Please send your child to school with a HEALTHY snack daily. In order to cut down on the confusion as to what is your child's snack and what is to be eaten at lunch, please send the snack in a separate container/baggie in the students’ school bag. Please DO NOT put your child's snack in their lunch box. Please show your child where their snack will be daily, so they know where to look for it. As always, please send your child with a healthy snack daily that is NUT FREE. We have students in our class that are allergic to nuts! Please be courteous and comply to this rule, as allergic reactions can be life threatening.
Lunch
We do NOT have a hot lunch program at Green Woods, so students should bring a HEALTHY lunch to school each day. We also do not have a microwave to heat up food. As always we try to reduce our waste here at Green Woods, so please pack lunches in containers that are recyclable and reusable! Lunches CAN include nuts.
Book Clubs
I will be sending home information about Scholastic Book Club orders. You will be able to order books for your child online, from catalogs I send home. More information on ordering procedures will be sent home prior to the first order. You can also access Book Clubs by visiting my website!
Share Day
Your child will be given an opportunity once a week to bring in a share item to school. Share items should not be toys (unless they are educational). The share items will correspond with the letters/blends/word families we will be learning each week. For example, if we are learning about the letter “Ff” you may want to send your child in with a play frog, fork, feather, etc. Your child will bring the share item in a NON-SEE THROUGH BAG and give their classmates clues to what is in their bag. Their classmates will then try to guess what your child brought to share from the clues they were given. Share is optional but highly encouraged. Please refer to the attached sheet at the end of the packet to see the Share Day Schedule.
MATH
The kindergarten math program that we use is entitled Everyday Mathematics and it uses a “hands-on” concrete approach to teaching math concepts. The program utilizes many manipulative materials and real-life topics to develop mathematical concepts in a way that kindergarten students can understand. Due to the fact that most of the Math program is hands on, rarely will math worksheets come home.
How Topics are Presented
Math concepts are usually presented in two ways. Many times the idea/concept is presented to the class in a whole group format, with a whole group game or activity. Then it is reinforced with other activities to be completed in small groups. The class is divided into groups, while the teacher moves from group to group to provide support and supervision as needed.
Topics that We Explore
The topics that we explore are listed below and as they are taught during the year, details about them can be found in the news letter that will be sent home before each unit.
Sorting and Classifying
Estimation and Mental Math
Organizing Data (charts and graphs)
Problem Solving
Money
Time
Numbers
Operations
Geometry
Measurement
Patterning
Language Arts
The goal of the kindergarten language arts program is to develop communicators, readers, writers, thinkers and life-long learners. In order to meet this goal I use an integrated, thematic approach. This means that I do not subscribe to any one way of teaching language arts, but instead use many different ways of teaching in order to reach all the different types of children I teach. To learn more about the ways I teach reading and writing, please read below.
Phonics/Reading
In Kindergarten, the students will learn to read using the “Wilson Fundations” program. This program teaches students phonics and phonemic awareness using gross motor skills and sound to letter correlation. We will be working in both whole and small group to reinforce and teach skills. Some skills we will be covering will include: letter recognition, letter sounds, and decoding words.
Along with the “Wilson’s Fundations” program, students will be exposed to other reading strategies that I use to teach reading. Below is a brief description of the strategies and why I use them.
Read-aloud
Read-aloud books are standard size books that are read by the teacher for the children’s enjoyment. They usually are written on a higher reading level and most cannot be read independently by kindergarteners. However kindergarteners can gain knowledge about story structure and characters just by hearing and enjoying the story. Read-aloud books play a large part in instilling a love of literature in children.
Standard Size Books
Standard size books are used in several ways in the classroom. The teacher can read these books to the children or they can look through them independently. Some kindergarteners will be able to read these books, some will hunt through them looking for familiar words and some will make up words to go along with the pictures. Any of these independent activities are encouraged because all are reinforcing reading skills.
Big books/Shared Reading
Big books are large size versions of authentic pieces of literature. The large print enables the children to see the words as the teacher reads them. The teacher is able to point to the words as she reads them, modeling left to right progression and one to one correspondence.
Guided Reading
One activity I do daily (starting in January) is the teacher directed Guided Reading. During Guided Reading, the children work with the teacher to preview, explore and read leveled text. The children are working with text that is at their ability level and learn reading strategies during this time.
Writing
Below is a list of some of the strategies I use to teach writing and a brief description of why I use them.
Writer’s Workshop
The Writer’s Workshop program we use is Lucy Calkin’s. In the beginning of Kindergarten, the goal is to move pre-emergent/ emergent readers into the writing process by allowing them to form a drawing. The teachers will then record the student's words in dictation on the drawing and encourage the students to move from drawing to writing by guiding the student in the use of phonetics to sound out words. By the end of kindergarten I strive for student independence of fluency in their writing.
Writer's Workshop will take place four days a week in our classroom. The main components of the Writer's Workshop include a Mini-lesson, Status of the class, Writing & Conferencing, and Sharing & Author's Chair.
Free Choice Writing
Free choice writing occurs at the reading and writing learning center (and often at other centers as well). This is when children have the opportunity to write whatever they want for whatever purpose they want. Some children make cards or signs, while others love “publishing” a book. Some even make menus or design plans for a building! This is when children explore writing without having to do it instructionally.
Science Journals
After some science activities, students will be asked to record their observations in their science journals. This will allow the students to reflect on their experiences, as well as reinforcing the main ideas discussed in science that day.
Science
For three periods a week we will be having Science. Ms. Kristina Skladaitis, GWCS environmental teacher, will be teaching our students Science! We will be exploring numerous topics including:
-The Five Senses
-Weather
-Forest
-STEM
-Agriculture
- Insects
-Water Habitats
Social Studies
In Kindergarten we learn about the Social Sciences on a daily basis with our interactions with one another. In my classroom I will be teaching your child “peaceful problem solving” strategies, called “I Messages.” I will also be reiterating the importance of manners and respect. We will be touching on different holidays throughout the year, as well as learning about the country we live in and our families!
Center Time
During centers your child will be exposed to what is considered “Free Play Centers.” Children learn through play and during Free Play Centers children have the chance to develop their social and emotional skills. Free Play Centers will take place each day in the afternoon. Each child has a chance to choose one center and spend about 30 minutes engaged in free play. The children use colored sticks to choose from the following centers: blocks, math, science, art, reading, writing, I Pads, listening, dramatic play, and other play centers (i.e cars, puzzles, etc.) At the end of the day, the sticks used for that day’s centers are put away until each child has visited all centers. This rotational system gives children a chance to explore all materials available at each center and spend “play” time with different friends.
Center Time is certainly a very valuable time in our classroom. To some adults, it may look like children are “just playing”. But in the eyes of teachers we know that these children are engaging in life long skills such as turn-taking, listening, speaking, writing, reading, counting, and problem solving. They are also engaging in critical thinking experiences as well as developing fine and gross motor skills. It is wonderful to watch children at play!
Kindergarten Schedule
Please refer to the last pages of this packet or my website for our daily schedule. Our school runs on a 6 day schedule. If school is canceled, the day we return will stay the number “day” that we missed. For example, if school is canceled on a Day 2, the next returning day will be Day 2! The front office will send you a calendar informing you of the 6 day schedule and any changes that may occur.
Students will attend specials daily. Please dress your child appropriately for recess, Science, and Gym. On days that students have gym, they are allowed to wear gray gym shorts or pants. Students MUST wear sneakers on Gym days! Please see the student handbook for more information regarding appropriate attire.