Each month families will receive a newsletter and calendar to keep you informed of special events at school and in our classroom. Here you will find general information concerning our classroom policies and our day-to-day routines.
Daily Book Exchange: Did you know the single
most important factor in how well a child learns to read is how much
they have been read to? Reading with your child not only teaches the
pleasure of enjoying a great book, it introduces new vocabulary and an
awareness of how stories and other texts "work". So, of course, one of the most important things that you can do with your child and for your child is to read, read, read! To support that goal, students in my classroom bring home a book from our classroom library each day as "homework". Books from the classroom will arrive in a ziploc storage bag for protection. Please record the
title of each book read on the accompanying "Dive Into
Learning"form. Please feel free to list any book read at home!
When ten books have been listed return the form to school.
Our school participates in the reading incentive program
sponsored by Pizza Hut. Reading and recording ten books each
month (Oct. - Feb.) will qualify students for a Pizza Hut coupon
for a free individual pizza.
Specials: We are very fortunate to have a number of excellent special area teachers who will also be working with your child on a regular basis. Each week the students will attend two sessions of physical education, two sessions of music, one library session, and one computer lab session. They"ll also return to the computer lab with me for "free" time to practice the skills that they have learned in computer class. These sessions typically run for 35 minutes each. In addition, the students attend art class once a week during one school quarter, usually during the third quarter.
Snack: Each month you will receive a snack calendar. Please note the day on which you are asked to provide
snack for the whole class. Simple, inexpensive snacks are best.
Our district wellness policy recognizes the importance of getting
children off to a good start with healthy eating habits, so please
avoid sending cookies and sweets. Suggestions include graham crackers, pretzels,
goldfish crackers, or individually packaged treats. Due to the
possibility of students with food allergies, any food served at school
must be purchased and include a list of ingredients. Sadly, we're
not allowed to serve anything home-made! Each Friday, I will send
home a "snack sack" in which your child can carry his/her snack to school. This will also serve as a reminder to you.
Students may purchase milk from the cafeteria to have with our snack. And of course, they may get a drink of water at snack time
if they do not want milk. This snack time milk is not included in
the free/reduced lunch program. If your student has milk, the
cost will be subtracted from their food services account.
Birthdays: When a student celebrates his/her birthday, you are invited to send treats for the whole class. I will arrange for snack days to coincide with birthday celebrations. Cupcakes or cookies are welcomed on birthdays, but again, they must be purchased rather than home-made. Summer birthdays will be celebrated in May!
Quiet Time: Each day we have
approximately 20 minutes of quiet time and believe it or not, most of
the students look forward to it as a little downtime in a busy day! The school provides a mat for each student.
We'll put on some quiet music during this time and darken the room.
Typically, a few students get in a quick cat nap each day,
while others just rest.
Book Orders: Firefly and SeeSaw Book orders will accompany each month's newsletter. Both of these book clubs are presented by the Scholastic company and offer a wonderful selection of books geared for the Kindergarten student. There is no obligation to purchase books. If you wish to order, please send the book order form and money in an envelope to school by the due date indicated. Make
checks payable to Scholastic Book Clubs. If you are sending cash,
please send the exact amount. It generally takes about two weeks
for the books to arrive at school. I'll give out books
discreetly, so that students who haven't ordered don't feel left out.
If you'd like to secretly order books for birthday or Christmas
gifts just let me know. We can arrange for you to pick the books
up at school.
Money: On occasion it will be necessary for your child to bring money to school. Always send money in a sealed envelope with the following information written on it:
1. Your child's first and last name 2. The amount and purpose of the money (Book order, lunch money, field trip, etc.) 3. My name and room number (Mrs. Boyle - #29)
This is especially important when you send in lunch money. Your child won't be delivering it themselves and it must be labeled so that food services staff can credit it to the correct account.
Recess: The children will be going
out for recess several times each day whenever the weather
permits. Please keep this in mind when
helping your child select clothing for the day. Our weather changes
rapidly, so always keeping mittens or gloves in your child's backpack
is a great idea. Have your child practice buttoning or zipping
their coat and putting on cold weather gear independently!
District policy states that children will be outside unless the
temperature (wind chill is considered) drops below zero!
