Kindergarten+Handbook


 * Lakeview is a SAGE school. What does that mean? **

1. SAGE is a grant that stands for Student Achievement Guaranteed in Education. This year all kindergarten, first, second and third grade classes are participating in SAGE.

2. Your child will not have more than 18 students per teacher for reading and mathematics instruction. Research shows that small class size increases achievement.


 * 3.** SAGE teachers receive additional instruction to help their students achieve.


 * 4. ** Parent Involvement Activities will be offered. You are strongly encouraged to attend these events, so that we can enter into a partnership to help your child be successful in reading and mathematics.


 * Ready to Learn **

Here are some helpful things for your child to know.
 * 1) Address and telephone number
 * 2) Tying, zipping, snapping and buttoning
 * 3) Recognizing and naming numerals from 0 to 10
 * 4) Recognizing his/her name in print
 * 5) Recognizing and naming colors: red, blue, green, yellow, brown, orange, black, purple, white, pink, and gray

Here are some things for you, as parents, to do.
 * 1) Meet your child each day outside door #9 at 3:05.
 * 2) Put your child’s name on all articles of clothing he/she brings to school.
 * 3) Keep all toys and jewelry at home.
 * 4) Most children have handwriting experiences by the time they come to school. In kindergarten, your child will learn the Zaner-Bloser Alphabet. Your child’s name will be written with only the first letter capital and the rest of the letters will be small. Please help your child practice his/her name this way.

Please feel free to come to me with any questions or concerns you may have. Together, we will make sure your child has a great year.

Sincerely, Miss Swick

** __ KINDERGARTEN INFORMATION __ **
=** __ What does a typical Kindergarten day look like? __ **=
 * Your child will bring in any notes and his/her folder each morning. We sing hello, work with our calendar, and read stories on the carpet.
 * We work on writing and projects at our tables.
 * We play outside at least 2 times a day!
 * We have morning breakfast (or a snack from home) and afternoon snack. We eat lunch in the lunchroom.
 * We have language arts, math, science, social studies, and computer times.
 * We rest and PLAY!
 * We attend special classes.

__ Language Arts __
A large part of our curriculum is naming the letters, knowing the sounds and writing down sounds. The children use journals to practice writing down their ideas, or to write about a topic. In the beginning of the year, most children “scribble” write and dictate to the teacher about what the scribble writing says. By the end of the year, it is expected that the children use some correct sounds in the words they are trying to write. We use Big Books to help the children learn how to predict, learn book parts, work on left to right and top to bottom movement, learn about punctuation and “trap” letters and words. In a few weeks we will begin Guided Reading. The children are placed in flexible reading groups to practice reading skills. **Your child may have a different kindergarten teacher for reading.** We use //Handwriting Without Tears// penmanship program. Writing on three lines can be very difficult for young children. In the beginning of the year, we are more concerned with seeing letters that are recognizable and neat. By second semester, your child should try hard to use the lines as a guide to help him/her print correctly.

__Math__
Our calendar board is our first math lesson everyday. It covers patterns, counting, before and after, number recognition, place value, sequencing and graphing.

We use a curriculum called //Investigations.// Hands-on materials such as: pattern blocks, unifix cubes, geoblocks, tiles and interlocking cubes help the children develop number sense, explore patterns, count, measure, graph, and add & subtract. //Investigations// promotes problem solving and higher level thinking. We count the days of school and have a big party on the 100th Day. In the past the children have made 100-Day chains and crowns. We do many activities about the number 100 that day. = = =__ Science and Social Studies __= We do many hands on experiments in Science. Some of our topics this year are: 5 Senses, Apples & Pumpkins, Animals, Plants and A Healthy Body. We invite guest speakers throughout the year. Some of our Social Studies topics this year are: Fire Prevention and Safety, Families and Friends and Proud to Be an American.

__Play__
Play is extremely important in kindergarten. Play helps with the following areas: large and small motor, language, problem solving, creativity, cooperation, turn taking, sharing and leadership. All Day kindergarten allows children to have 2 outside play periods and 1 forty-five minute indoor play period each day. We have a traditional housekeeping area, reading loft, art easel, games, blocks, legos, puzzles, play dough, sensory table and computers set up for indoor play and exploration.

__ Attendance __ Children need to be well rested for school. Please be sure you establish a regular bedtime for your son/daughter. It is important that your child arrive to school on time. **The entrance bell rings** **at 8:10.** Once your child is organized, he/she will either take the school’s breakfast, or start eating a healthy snack that you have packed. We will stop eating at 8:30. **Unless your child is ill,** **regular attendance for kindergarten is expected.** The curriculum is developmental in nature and experiences are built upon prior knowledge. We provide instructional and hands-on learning experiences daily for our young students to provide a solid learning continuum.

__ Monthly News __ A newsletter for each month will be sent home highlighting activities and skills on which we will be working for that month. It will also contain important dates, reminders and requests. = =

=__ Dress __= Send your child in comfortable clothes and shoes! Do not send your child in his/her very best clothes. The children go outside 2 times a day. Please dress your child for the weather. **Lakeview is not air-conditioned**. When you purchase boots, make sure they are easy to get on and off. **Every kindergartner must have a pair of __snow pants__ for winter** **weather**.

= __Special Days to Remember -Physical Education, Library, Art, Guidance and Music__ =

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Please be sure your child has gym shoes on Physical Education days. Mr. Walters is our physical education teacher. Our class will also be walking for exercise once a week for 20 minutes. =====

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Your child needs to return his/her library book on Monday. Books can be brought back early and placed in the green tub in the class room. Children will be unable to take out a new book until the old one has been returned. Mrs. Semrad is our librarian and Mrs. Ahlstrom is our library aide. =====

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Please be sure your child has brought in an old shirt or smock for art class (a smock is also needed in order to paint at our class easel). Mrs. Ramirez is our art teacher. Every spring Lakeview presents an evening art show that displays artwork created by each student. =====

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The guidance counselor addresses special topics once a month in our classroom. Our guidance counselor is Ms. Brit. Our music teacher is Mrs. Tinsen. This year Lakeview will present a Spring Concert. Our gifted and talented coordinator is Mrs. Drummer. She will be available throughout the district as needs arise. =====

__ Snacks __ We have breakfast in the morning and a quick afternoon snack break. School breakfast can be purchased in the office each trimester (including milk). If you do not purchase breakfast please send a healthy snack (fruit, vegetable, granola bar, etc.) every day for your child. In the afternoon, we have a shared snack like graham crackers. __You will need to pay for milk every trimester__. If your child is allergic to milk, or doesn’t like it, you are welcome to send juice. Each family is expected to donate a box of crackers to be shared with the class.

__ Rest Time __ There is a kindergarten rest time every afternoon. The students do not need to sleep, but they do have to have quiet, restful, relaxed bodies and should not disturb students who may fall asleep.

__ Change in your child’s dismissal routine __ You must write a note each day there will be any change in your child’s pick-up routine. Please do not send a verbal message. **I need it in writing!**

= = =__ Homework (Students and Parents, too!) __= Your child will be coming home with homework! Please help your child by going through the backpack and daily homework folder each night. Help your child select an appropriate item for Show & Tell each week. Beginning in October, your child will have little books to read, story books, or short assignments as review of class work. Please check your child’s backpack everyday. Return your child’s daily folder each day. If you have a note for me, please put it in the daily folder and we will get it in the morning when the folders are collected.

This year Lakeview School will have a weekly red folder coming home one day a week (Tuesday) with important notices from the office as well as from me. Please read all the important notes and return the necessary papers in the red folder the next day! We hope this helps keep paperwork for you at a minimum and you’ll know when to look for really important information.

__ Field Trips __
A letter and permission slip will be sent home prior to each trip. Without the permission slip, your child will not be allowed to attend. **It is important to return the permission slip with the** **money on time.** (You will be notified about walking trips, but since you signed a prior form allowing your child to go on walking trips, we don’t need your signed permission again.) We are limited in the number of chaperones that we can take on each trip. Our goal is to have someone from each child’s family accompany us once during the school year. Unfortunately younger brothers and sisters are not able to come with us on field trips. No smoking is allowed on field trips. We will send a note home asking for chaperones when we send home the permission slips. = = =__ Birthdays (Optional) __= We would like your child’s birthday to be a meaningful one. Your child is welcome to bring a treat to share and a book (wrapped in gift wrap) to open and donate to the Lakeview library (after some time in our classroom library). Please glue a small picture of your child in the front cover of the book, write your child’s name and the date of the birthday. Your child will have a special part in the Lakeview library.

__ Star of the Week __ After we get started in the school year, each child will have a chance to be the “star” of the week. As part of this celebration your child will have a chance to share their favorite toy, story, treat, and pictures of family. Your child will complete an “All About Me” poster. More information will come home before your child’s week!

__ Book Orders __ Book orders will be sent home at the beginning of each month with the newsletter. There is no obligation to order books. The book orders offer good literature at a good price and provide free books for the classroom based on the order amounts placed. If you choose to order books, PLEASE – no cash, checks should be made out to the book company **(Scholastic)** not to Lakeview Elementary or the teacher.

=__ Class Website __= You are on it!

I am here for you and your child, please let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy 2011-12 school year!