Arrival and Dismissal
The morning bell rings at 7:50. Your child should arrive no earlier than 7:40. Please bring your child to the schoolyard in the morning. Please allow your child to come into the school building on their own.  This is how we learn responsibility and gain independence. On rainy days the children meet in the school hall and are then escorted to the classroom at 7:50.

Lunch begins for Kindergarten at 11:55. The majority of children do stay for lunch because of the short lunch period.

The dismissal bell Monday to Friday is 2:35.  In the event of an emergency dismissal, please listen to KYW. Each child must have an emergency plan for early dismissal. An Emergency Dismissal form will be given out to each student.
 
Dismissal Lines
All children are dismissed in one of the following lines:
 
Car Line-This is anyone riding home in a car.  All cars must line up in rows in the school yard.  A teacher will direct traffic out of the school yard when all the car line students have been dismissed from the building.
 
Walkers-If you will be picking your child up and walking home, please wait for your child on the church steps, and they will be brought out the front door of school closest to the church.
 
After School Program-If your child will be staying in Aftercare at the close of the school day, they will be brought up to the aftercare room on the 2nd floor of the school building by a teacher.
 
PLEASE follow the rules of the school and allow your child to be dismissed in
a line with his or her classmates!  This is very important.
 
Please notify school if there is a change in your child's line. Or send a message through REMIND.
 
Uniforms
Kindergarten children are to wear the school gym uniform specified in the school guidelines.
Warm weather-gym shorts with the CTK logo, light blue tee shirt with the CTK logo.
Cold weather-Navy blue sweatshirt and sweat pants with the CTK logo.  Many students wear the CTK tee shirt under their sweatshirt in case they get warm in the building.
 
Dress-up Day is a fundraiser. The children pay $1.00 to come to school dressed up. This fundraiser usually happens once a month.  It will be on the school calendar and in the homework assignments.
 
Supplies
The best student is a prepared student!
 There is a supply fee of $85 dollars that is due by October 1st.  This fee will cover all supplies that your child will need throughout the year.  This includes, pencil cases, crayons, scissors, glue, books, and folders.  
Please remember to send your child to school every day with their school bag, lunch box with dish towel, and Business Folder. PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING with your child's name including books, lunch boxes,
schoolbags, sweatshirts, and sweaters.
 
"BLUE" Folder
Your child's "BLUE" or Business Folder is the communication source between home and school. All communication from school will come home in the business folder. Anything your wish to send to school should be placed in the business folder. Please make sure you check this folder every day.
 
Notes
Please allow at least two days time to respond to your notes.
 
Absentee Notes - I am providing a sheet of Absence note cards for each
student.  Please fill out the information and put it in your child’s B folder
upon their return to school. 
 
Email-I try to check my email every day, twice a day. However, anything that I need to know immediately is best sent to school with your child in a note, especially line changes or early pick-ups.
[email protected]

Remind - This si the best form of quick ocmmunication.  I am able to get this message directly on my phone which in turn allows me to make the adjustment in the classroom with your child.
 
Medical Information - Please inform me of any important information that
would affect your child in the classroom. (hearing or vision problems,
allergies, bathroom needs)
 
Telephone Number, Address or email address changes - Please notify the school immediately.
 
School Trips
Information will be sent home well in advance regarding school trips. We usually go to the Farm in October and another trip in the spring. We will also try to go to the Aquarium!!
  
After School Program
Information will be supplied upon request. The Afterschool program runs from the first to the last full week of school, even on half days.
 
Recess and Lunch
Please make sure your child has a dishtowel to cover his or her desk. Remember to pack straws, forks, or spoons. Water is a good drink during the warm weather. No soda is permitted. Keep snacks low sugar. Fruit, cheese, crackers, pretzels, and yogurt are great-we love healthy snacks! Be sure your child is able to handle the containers you pack.
 
Ideas for snacks…
Animal Crackers, Cheez-Its, Sun Chips, Pretzels
Fruit Snacks, Applesauce Cups, Dry Cereal, Yogurt
Graham Crackers, Granola Bars, Popcorn,  Fruit Cups
Cheese and Crackers, Cereal Bars, String Cheese, Carrot Sticks
NillaWafers, Pudding, Apple Slices
 
Special Lunch - Special lunches are offered every day but Friday. Keep a look out for the order form tocome home in the "B" folder.  These lunches are ordered monthly.
 
Study Folder - Colorful Folder
Your child will have a Study Folder that needs to come to and from school with them every day.  I will attach word lists, spelling words, math facts, Religion sheets, etc. into that folder, so you always have your child’s study needs in one place.

Working Folder ~ Never Leaves School!!
Your child will have a working folder that they will use everyday.  The folder will be filled with work that is reinforcements on what we are learning in the subjects of ELA and Math each week.  They will bring home the work that they completed during the week at the end of each week.
 
Library Day - Kindergarten's library day is Thursday.  Please send your child's library book back on Wednesday morning, so Mrs. Love has time to check in the books and re-shelve them for Thursday's class.
 
Math
The children will be up for the challenge with our math series, Go Math!   We will be using a hands-on approach to math, with lots of manipulatives and group work, in addition to our daily math practice in the workbook.  There will be an assessment at the end of every chapter that will be sent home for your review.
 

Reading
The importance of reading to children cannot be over emphasized. It is also a great way to focus on the family. The importance of reading to children is significant in child development, and reading books to little ones at an early age is essential. In fact, reading children’s stories aloud is one of the most important activities we, as parents, grandparents, teachers, and care-givers, can do for our kids. The importance of reading to children plays out in a myriad of developmental, emotional, and learning issues from bonding
and security...to learning to read...to future success.
 
Simple Strategies for Creating Strong Readers
 
Without a doubt, reading with children spells success for early literacy. Putting a few simple strategies into action will make a significant difference in helping children develop into good readers and writers.
Through reading aloud, providing print materials, and promoting positive attitudes about reading and writing, you can have a powerful impact on children's literacy and learning.

* Invite a child to read with you every day.
* When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you read. This will help the child learn that reading goes from left to right and understand that the word he or she says is the word he or she sees.
* Read a child's favorite book over and over again.
* Read many stories with rhyming words and lines that repeat. Invite the child to join in on these parts. Point, word by word, as he or she reads along with you.
* Discuss new words. For example, "This big house is called a palace. Who do you think lives in a palace?"
* Stop and ask about the pictures and about what is happening in the story.
* Read from a variety of children's books, including fairy tales, song books, poems, and information books.
 
Reading well is at the heart of all learning.
 
We will be using the Houghton Mifflin Reading Series as a basis for our Reading Curriculum.  The Letter People program will assist us as we learn the sounds and rules for each letter of the alphabet.  The children will also go to Learning Centers every morning, and Play Centers every afternoon. 
 
We will have time for writing in our journals every day, once it becomes developmentally appropriate.  It has been my past experience that this time of day becomes very important to the children.  They love to have that independent time to write down their thoughts and ideas! 
 
Test Folders
All assessments and evaluations will be sent home in a folder. Please sign and return. Do
not remove any assessments from the folder.  We usually take 3 math assessments and 3 literacy assessments during the year.  The students are also given a one-on-one kindergarten assessment three times a year.  I will ask them to identify capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers from 1-20, shapes, colors, etc.
 
Special Subjects
The following is a list of the special subject your child will attend and the teacher's name.
Art - Mrs. Snyder
Computers - Mr. Kusmeider
Gym - Mrs. McDevitt
Library - Mrs. Love
 
Homework
A homework packet will be given out on Monday and is due on Friday. Beyond the packet, the most important nightly assignment is to read with your child for 15-20 minutes. A weekly letter will also be given out at the beginning of every week, that will include reminders, updates, and a summary of what we will be learning for the week.

Book Pocket
All students will have a large plastic envelope, that we will refer to as our "Book Pocket" that we will keep in our schoolbags.  As we become authors and make books in class, we will keep them in our Book Pockets.  Please take a few minutes once a week to read the books with your child.  They are based on sight words and very repetitive, so the books will become a source of confidence for your young reader!
 
Read and Review
As we learn new letters, sounds, words, books, numbers, and concepts, students will bring home completed work in their B Folders on the “keep at home” side. It is imperative that you provide your child the opportunity to discuss what is on the papers and projects and that you give them the opportunity to read their books that we make in class to you.
 
Toys
Bringing toys to school is discouraged because they distract the children from learning. If a toy is accidentally lost or broken, feelings will be hurt.  I have PLENTY of toys around my classroom to keep the students entertained if time permits!  We will also have a show and tell day 3 times a year.  Your child will have the opportunity that day to bring in toys from home.
 
I look forward to a great school year. We are now partners in the education of YOUR child.  Let's enjoy working together!  If you have any questions about the material you just read, please email me at
[email protected].  Thank You!