Important Information for Kindergarten
September is a time of new beginnings and we look forward with excitement to welcoming our students to Kindergarten. It is also the beginning of a new partnership between our school and you, the parents. We hope that providing you with this newsletter will be the start of meaningful communication between us. We will also be sending calendars and newsletters home periodically to keep you abreast of the happenings in our class. For the first few weeks of school you can expect an avalanche of notices and papers to be filled out and returned to school. Please fill out all of the paperwork and send them back to school promptly. They are important!
Email is our main form of communication between school and home. Please make sure that you provide us with an up to date email address and check it regularly. This year along with email, we will be using Seesaw and our webpage. These will be very important to keep the students and us on the same page and working towards a fabulous school year. My website address is http://hmarques.weebly.com/ .
Students will have their own personal digital journal through the Seesaw app. Seesaw will be used daily to document your child’s learning. Your child will be able to complete assigned activities on Seesaw and even upload them. Students and parents do not have access to view to work of other children. Seesaw login will be provided during orientation along with all other materials needed to start our adventure.
MURSD is providing IPAD’s loaded with all the apps that our kindergartners will need. They will also have use of CLEVER which will keep all usernames and passwords needed for quick and easy login.
We will work together to ensure safety and best practices for all. We truly appreciate your dedication to your child(ren) and your efforts in helping us to make this an easy transition for all.
Need to Know
Snacks
We have a snack break every morning at 10:20 am. Be sure to pack a snack and drink daily for your child. We have approximately 10 minutes for snack so only send in what your child can eat/drink in that time frame. Be sure to include plastic silverware and a napkin with your child’s snack. We do encourage healthy eating in kindergarten and independence with opening snacks. You may want to have your child practice opening and closing their food items before school begins. When you send your child to school with a snack and lunch please separate the two so your child will know which is his/her lunch and which is his/her snack. Please try not to use a full size lunch box to hold your child's snack. If you send a snack in a brown paper bag, be sure to label the bag with your child's name. Or feel free to use a reusable, *small sized. insulated snack bag.
Attendance:
Attendance is taken every morning at 9:00 am. Attendance will be taken for both students who are in the classroom and those who are at home. On remote learning days, attendance is taken via a live zoom check in.
Backpacks
Backpacks are necessary to the development and organizational skills for your child. This backpack should be large enough to hold personal belongings as well as school items. Every night, it will be necessary for you to check your child’s backpack. This will ensure that you have received our notes about school happenings and upcoming events. You will also be able to appreciate all that good “Kindergarten” work that your child treasures and has worked hard to accomplish. Please have your child practice zipping, unzipping, and packing their belongings into a backpack.
Folders
Your child will have a green folder for Kindergarten. It is necessary that your child bring this folder to school every day. All notices, papers, and any homework will go home in this folder every day. You need to check your child’s folder daily and remove the papers in the folder. Only one paper should remain in your child’s folder at all times (It is the pre-decodable/decodable take home practice stories check off sheet.) If you have any paperwork or changes that I need to know about, please put them in your child’s folder because I will check them each day. As soon as you know about a schedule change (bus pass/walker) for your child please notify the office and myself before 9:15 am. It is important for the office to have this information in the event of my absence.
Fundations/Wonders
We use Wonders for our comprehension skills, reading strategies, and grammar. We also use a phonics based curriculum called Fundations. Fundations is a multisensory and systematic phonics, spelling and handwriting program that benefits all K-3 students. You will receive a weekly notice to help coach your child in learning.
Bridges Math
Bridges in Mathematics is a standards-based K-5 curriculum that provides a unique blend of concept development and skills practice in the context of problem solving. It incorporates Number Corner, a collection of daily skill-building activities for students.
Birthdays
We love birthdays in Kindergarten. Your child will have their birthday announced in Mrs. Garden's Morning Announcements and will be invited to choose a special birthday book to take home. If you would like, you can send in birthday pencils or some other small token for everyone in class to celebrate your child's birthday. Feel free to pack a special birthday snack for your child but, we do ask for no food items to be shared with the class.
Lunch is FREE
Please be sure to tell your child what they are doing for lunch each day before they leave for school. You can find your child’s student ID number on the blue data form. Your child will need to memorize his/her student ID number to purchase lunch/milk.
Books
After lunch, we have a period of down time for the kindergarteners. This includes time to read to self or a story read by the teacher.
Bus Name Tags
Please have your child wear his/her bus tag to school each day for the next few weeks. Please remind your child what bus he/she is to go on each day. Wearing the bus name tag will make it less fearful for your child to come to school and go home each day.
Expectations
With our help and guidance, it is expected that all students will follow the Clough School behavior expectations. Behavior expectations (S.O.A.R.) for the classroom, cafeteria, playground, bathrooms, hallways, and all specials (ex. music, art, library, physical education, and technology) are introduced by our school counselor and are reviewed, discussed, and reinforced further in the classroom. We will discuss and review S.O.A.R. frequently so that each student has an understanding of what is expected of them throughout the day. Students who display S.O.A.R. behavior expectations, will occasionally receive a paper butterfly with their name on it to be sent home. At home, parents should praise their kindergartner for positive behavior when they see a butterfly in the folder.
We understand that they are only kindergarteners and sometimes rules are broken. It is our job to provide students with understanding and guidance so that they can be successful. If a behavior is consistent and disruptive to the class I will ask for your support and ask for you to help me to reinforce the school wide behavior expectations at home.
Here at Clough we use PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports). We believe that all of our students can S.O.A.R.
S - Safe
O - On Task
A - Act KCR (Kind, Caring, and Respectful)
R - Responsible
Parent-Teacher Communication
I believe that you and I are a team with the best interest of your child at heart. If at any time you have a concern or question please do not hesitate to contact me. The best way to reach me is through email at: [email protected]. I will respond to emails as soon as I am able to do so. Parent-Teacher communication is key to the success of your child’s first year of kindergarten. I want every child to have a great year and together we can make that happen. So thank you for being a part of my team.
Other Important Things
Thank you!
Mrs. Marques
Email is our main form of communication between school and home. Please make sure that you provide us with an up to date email address and check it regularly. This year along with email, we will be using Seesaw and our webpage. These will be very important to keep the students and us on the same page and working towards a fabulous school year. My website address is http://hmarques.weebly.com/ .
Students will have their own personal digital journal through the Seesaw app. Seesaw will be used daily to document your child’s learning. Your child will be able to complete assigned activities on Seesaw and even upload them. Students and parents do not have access to view to work of other children. Seesaw login will be provided during orientation along with all other materials needed to start our adventure.
MURSD is providing IPAD’s loaded with all the apps that our kindergartners will need. They will also have use of CLEVER which will keep all usernames and passwords needed for quick and easy login.
We will work together to ensure safety and best practices for all. We truly appreciate your dedication to your child(ren) and your efforts in helping us to make this an easy transition for all.
Need to Know
Snacks
We have a snack break every morning at 10:20 am. Be sure to pack a snack and drink daily for your child. We have approximately 10 minutes for snack so only send in what your child can eat/drink in that time frame. Be sure to include plastic silverware and a napkin with your child’s snack. We do encourage healthy eating in kindergarten and independence with opening snacks. You may want to have your child practice opening and closing their food items before school begins. When you send your child to school with a snack and lunch please separate the two so your child will know which is his/her lunch and which is his/her snack. Please try not to use a full size lunch box to hold your child's snack. If you send a snack in a brown paper bag, be sure to label the bag with your child's name. Or feel free to use a reusable, *small sized. insulated snack bag.
Attendance:
Attendance is taken every morning at 9:00 am. Attendance will be taken for both students who are in the classroom and those who are at home. On remote learning days, attendance is taken via a live zoom check in.
Backpacks
Backpacks are necessary to the development and organizational skills for your child. This backpack should be large enough to hold personal belongings as well as school items. Every night, it will be necessary for you to check your child’s backpack. This will ensure that you have received our notes about school happenings and upcoming events. You will also be able to appreciate all that good “Kindergarten” work that your child treasures and has worked hard to accomplish. Please have your child practice zipping, unzipping, and packing their belongings into a backpack.
Folders
Your child will have a green folder for Kindergarten. It is necessary that your child bring this folder to school every day. All notices, papers, and any homework will go home in this folder every day. You need to check your child’s folder daily and remove the papers in the folder. Only one paper should remain in your child’s folder at all times (It is the pre-decodable/decodable take home practice stories check off sheet.) If you have any paperwork or changes that I need to know about, please put them in your child’s folder because I will check them each day. As soon as you know about a schedule change (bus pass/walker) for your child please notify the office and myself before 9:15 am. It is important for the office to have this information in the event of my absence.
Fundations/Wonders
We use Wonders for our comprehension skills, reading strategies, and grammar. We also use a phonics based curriculum called Fundations. Fundations is a multisensory and systematic phonics, spelling and handwriting program that benefits all K-3 students. You will receive a weekly notice to help coach your child in learning.
Bridges Math
Bridges in Mathematics is a standards-based K-5 curriculum that provides a unique blend of concept development and skills practice in the context of problem solving. It incorporates Number Corner, a collection of daily skill-building activities for students.
Birthdays
We love birthdays in Kindergarten. Your child will have their birthday announced in Mrs. Garden's Morning Announcements and will be invited to choose a special birthday book to take home. If you would like, you can send in birthday pencils or some other small token for everyone in class to celebrate your child's birthday. Feel free to pack a special birthday snack for your child but, we do ask for no food items to be shared with the class.
Lunch is FREE
Please be sure to tell your child what they are doing for lunch each day before they leave for school. You can find your child’s student ID number on the blue data form. Your child will need to memorize his/her student ID number to purchase lunch/milk.
Books
After lunch, we have a period of down time for the kindergarteners. This includes time to read to self or a story read by the teacher.
Bus Name Tags
Please have your child wear his/her bus tag to school each day for the next few weeks. Please remind your child what bus he/she is to go on each day. Wearing the bus name tag will make it less fearful for your child to come to school and go home each day.
Expectations
With our help and guidance, it is expected that all students will follow the Clough School behavior expectations. Behavior expectations (S.O.A.R.) for the classroom, cafeteria, playground, bathrooms, hallways, and all specials (ex. music, art, library, physical education, and technology) are introduced by our school counselor and are reviewed, discussed, and reinforced further in the classroom. We will discuss and review S.O.A.R. frequently so that each student has an understanding of what is expected of them throughout the day. Students who display S.O.A.R. behavior expectations, will occasionally receive a paper butterfly with their name on it to be sent home. At home, parents should praise their kindergartner for positive behavior when they see a butterfly in the folder.
We understand that they are only kindergarteners and sometimes rules are broken. It is our job to provide students with understanding and guidance so that they can be successful. If a behavior is consistent and disruptive to the class I will ask for your support and ask for you to help me to reinforce the school wide behavior expectations at home.
Here at Clough we use PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports). We believe that all of our students can S.O.A.R.
S - Safe
O - On Task
A - Act KCR (Kind, Caring, and Respectful)
R - Responsible
Parent-Teacher Communication
I believe that you and I are a team with the best interest of your child at heart. If at any time you have a concern or question please do not hesitate to contact me. The best way to reach me is through email at: [email protected]. I will respond to emails as soon as I am able to do so. Parent-Teacher communication is key to the success of your child’s first year of kindergarten. I want every child to have a great year and together we can make that happen. So thank you for being a part of my team.
Other Important Things
- Please label and put your child’s name on all of his/her possessions.
- Sometimes your child enjoys bringing toys to school. This can present some problems, especially if it is a “special” toy your child has received as a present. They often enjoy sharing these toys with friends and if the toy is delicate it can break. We are asking that your child keep his/her toys at home. A suggestion is placing a picture of yourself in your child’s backpack as a comfort item.
Thank you!
Mrs. Marques