August 28, 1996



-977900-4546604622800-683260The ABC’s of Kindergarten Mrs. Bartalino Kindergarten 2012-2013Here are some of the policies and procedures that will help our classroom run smoothly this year. The Student Handbook provided by Utica Community Schools may help to clarify school and district policies.AaABSENCES:If your child is ill, please call the office and?inform?us?of?your?child’s absence and the reason for it. This is for your child’s?safety.?If?a?student?must?leave?early?for?a doctor’s?appointment, go to the office and sign him/her out and the secretary will call him/her to the office: (586) 797-4000. Never send another person to pick up your child without sending in a note or informing the secretary or me. Your child’s progress both academically and socially is influenced to a great extent by daily participation. Regular attendance without tardiness is key. ART CLASS:The children will attend a 50-minute Art class once a week with our Art teacher. Here they will learn to build their fine motor skills while expressing their artistic voice. ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL:The arrival procedure is that students line up inside the school by their classroom door. The dismissal procedure is, students riding a bus home leave the classroom first with a responsible sixth grade helper. If you pick up your child, parents are asked to wait outside for the students to come to them. More details regarding the arrival and dismissal procedure will be found in the “Safari Procedures” packet.School starts - 9:00AMSchool dismissal - 3:50PMBbBACKPACKS:5264785267335To help your child carry messages and information to and from school, you are to provide a regular sized backpack. I will provide each student with a Teacher/Parent Communication Folder. The?Teacher/Parent Communication Folders come home daily. Please check your child’s backpack daily for notes and/or homework. The communication folders are for me to send notes and information home to you and for you to sent notes to school as well. BELONGINGS:Please make sure all supplies, lunchboxes, schoolbags and outerwear are labeled with your child’s name. Our school days will be filled with activity and learning. Students are asked to keep toys, hand-held video games and other “gadgets” at home.BEHAVIOR:“Feed the Bear” is our classroom discipline system. The first time a child breaks a rule; they will be given a verbal reminder. Nothing further will happen as they reflect on whether that behavior was a good “choice.” Every child will begin the day with three cubes, located at their table. If a child chooses to break a rule after a verbal reminder, they will feed one cube to the bear. Continued misbehavior will result in losing another cube to the bear. The children will start everyday with a “clean slate.” In your child’s blue communication folder, there will be a chart. At the end of each day, your child will get stickers to fill it up. The number of stickers they will receive depends on the number of cubes they have at the end of each day. When the chart is all filled up, the student will get to select a prize from the prize box and begin a new chart.The rules, consequences for the feeding the bear a cube, and the rewards for following the rules are listed below.Rules:I will listen and follow directions.I will walk in school.I will not interrupt others while they are talking.I will keep my hands and feet to myself and my own property.I will be kind to others.I will take turns.Consequences: Excellent Behavior: 3 stickers put on their behavior chard to represent the three cubes they kept.First Offense: A verbal remind as a warning. Second Offense: Losing one cube to the bear.Third Offense: Losing two cubes to the bear.Sit in the “Thinking Chair” two minutes as they reflect on whether their behavior was a good “choice.”Fourth Offense: Losing all three cubes for the day to the bear.Miss some playtime during recess.Rewards:Children who fill their card with stickers will get to select a prize from the prize box. BIRTHDAYS:48520353810000Your child’s birthday is important! He/she may bring in a special birthday treat to celebrate their birthday. If possible, please send a note a day or two ahead of time so that I can plan for this occasion. A small “sweet treat” or a quick nutritious snack (fruit or Jell-O) seems to work best. Pizza parties should be saved for home celebrations. Should your child have a summer birthday, he/she may choose any day during the school year to celebrate their special day!BOOK ORDERS: I will be sending home monthly Scholastic Book Club Catalogs for you and your child to look over. These clubs offer wonderful books for reduced prices. It’s a great way to build you home library. If you choose to order, you can send to school your order along with a check made payable to Scholastic Books or order online through our classroom book club.BREAKFAST: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Please make sure your child eats a nutritious breakfast in the morning so their brain is fueled and ready to learn. -406400345440BUS TRANSPORTATION:If your child rides the bus please make sure your child has a BUS TAG pinned on their backpack. Please check the tag to make sure all the information is correct and make any necessary changes. The children will be expected to behave on the school bus! If there is a change in your child’s transportation schedule and you are going to pick them up from school, do not take them out of the bus line. Please inform your child’s teacher. CcCOMMUNICATION:I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is very important to your child’s success in school. I am accessible at anytime before or after school for personal phone calls. Should you need to contact me for any reason, please find my contact information below. Throughout the year, I communicate with you through notes, telephone calls, newsletters, report cards, and conferences. Our classroom newsletter, “Safari News” will be sent home each Friday. This newsletter will contain information about what we are learning, class news and other fun facts. Please keep it posted as a handy reference.Contact Information? E-mail:Tressa.Bartalino@??Phone: 586.797.4014CALENDAR TIME: Every day, we will do Calendar. During this time, students will update our calendar, forecast the weather, help us count the days of school and lead us in our ABC Chart. Calendar time is a fun way to reinforce reading, math, and communication skills. 4585335372745COMPUTERS: We are fortunate enough to have laptop computers in our classroom. We use a variety of age-appropriate programs that will reinforce math readiness and reading skills. Children will be using the program called DreamBox, which is an adaptive learning tool that provides math concepts as games to engage students in lessons. This tool assesses each child as they solve problems. These assessments prevent students from working on problems that are too easy or difficult. CAUGHT AT YOUR BEST TICKET: Whenever?your?child?is?“caught?being?good”,?he/she?may?be?rewarded?with a Caught At Your Best Ticket. Your child will write his/her name on the ticket and place it in the Treasure Chest outside of the office.??DdDISCIPLINE:Our classroom is a small community where teamwork and good relationships are expected. We will spend time learning class procedures and practicing them. Each student is expected to act within our standards of behavior. To establish good order and help the children learn self-control, they will be guided to respect themselves and their companions through specific directions, positive reinforcement, suggested new activities and responsible actions.EeEMERGENCY CARD:Please complete and return the emergency card, health condition form, emergency closing of school form and the information sheet promptly (if you did not already complete it during registration). If your home or work phone number changes inform the office and me immediately so you can be located if an emergency occurs.Ff4927600116840FIELD TRIPS: Field Trips are both fun and educational for the children. If we attend any field trips, parent drivers are not permitted. Buses will be used for transportation. Please return the permission slips as soon as possible after they are sent home. GgGYM CLASS:-645160185420The children will attend a 50-minute Gym class once a week with our Gym teacher. Here they will build basic gross motor skills as well as learn teamwork and good sportsmanship. Make sure your child wears comfy clothes AND tennis shoes on Gym day.HhHEALTH:Please let me know of special circumstances that may affect your child. These could include medication that may make him sleepy, a death in the family, etc. Also, please let me know of any allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. We sometimes cook or do food activities to go with lessons and it would be helpful to know.HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK:Monthly Homework PacketsHomework will be used to reinforce the concepts we work on in class. I will be sending a homework packet home with your child for each month. There are four assignments per week, which need to be completed in order to get credit. If the homework packet is misplaced, please visit our classroom website to print out a new copy. CountingEncourage your child to count to 100. They should also be able to identify and count out 20 objects. Put the objects into groups of 10's and practice counting by 10's. Put pennies, blocks, etc. in a row and have them start at left side and count as they touch each one.Read! Read! Read!Children benefit more from a story every day than any other help you can give. Your library has a fine children's section. Be sure to ask for books on their level with lots of pictures and have them tell you about the pictures! Art ActivitiesKindergarten children will be involved in a variety of art experiences. These activities will help them learn to follow directions and develop their fine motor skills. We would like to encourage you to provide your child at home with pencils, crayons, paper, scissors, paste, and play dough. By providing your child with a variety of materials, it will encourage them to develop their creativity while working on the skills they will need in the future.Finally,?it?is?VERY?important?that?you?go?through?your?child’s?weekly?work?WITH him/her. Any unfinished work MAY be finished at home. Be sure to point out any pieces of work that you are very proud of but to also encourage your child to do better when you know he/she is capable of it. When you set high expectations for your child, he/she will work harder and will surprise you. IiILLNESS: -7486658953500The question of when to keep your child home from school is often a difficult one, especially when decisions must be made first thing in the morning. It is important, however, to keep your child home if he/she is ill. This helps to make them more comfortable and prevents others from becoming ill. INDEPENDENT READING:Because children learn to read by reading, they need plenty of opportunities to read independently. Sufficient time and appropriate materials are needed to develop and strengthen reading skills. Having time to read at school AND at home, we can work together to provide a literature-rich environment and a life-long love of reading. INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT MODEL: ISM is one of our specials here at Browning. Each school was awarded an extra teacher and asked to create a plan to best utilize this teacher’s?time?with the students. Here at Browning, we use our ISM specialist as extra support in teaching the children writing skills. The ISM teacher comes into the classroom once a week for 30 minutes. INVENTIVE SPELLING:4966335351155Kindergarten children go through very concrete stages of writing. Once they understand that letters make sounds and when you put them together, they make words, they are ready to write. However, it is important that you understand that your child will not spell…he/she?will?STRETCH?OUT?the?sounds?that?they?hear.?? I lik to go to skul. I pla wif al vu toez and lrn a lot. I like to go to school. I play with all the toys and learn a lot. The piece written above is a written kindergarten piece using inventive spelling. Do not pressure your child into spelling words correctly. This will come in later grades. iPAD:-2914659588500This year in Kindergarten, we are fortunate enough to have six iPads in our classroom. We use a variety of age and knowledge based appropriate applications that will reinforce math readiness and reading skills. eSpark is a system that takes advantage of modern technology to personalize education through the use of interactive games, videos and other media. The system diagnosis each student’s learning level. Then eSpark along with your child’s teacher will select the best educational applications for each child to create a personal learning plan. JjJOURNALS: One?strategy?that?will?be?used?to?help?convey?the?vital?concept?that?“print conveys?meaning”?is?the?frequent?use of journal writing. In these journals or writer’s notebooks the children combine emerging writing skills with drawing skills. As the children are exposed to a variety of phonics?and?reading?experiences,?journal?entries?will?move?from?drawings?and?“inventive” spellings towards more conventional writing. KkKINDNESS: Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members of our school with kindness and respect. Bothering others, interrupting learning and bullying will not be permitted.LlLANGUAGE ARTS:Our mornings are devoted to Language Arts: reading and writing. We will follow the following schedule most mornings to promote this learning: 325183576835Independent Work Calendar Writer’s?Workshop Reading Word Study Learning Centers LUNCH: We will be eating lunch every day. If your child brings in a lunch, try to pack healthy items that he/she likes to eat and can open on his/her own. If your child is buying lunch, please place any lunch money in an envelope labeled lunch money and his/her name. Please place the envelope into the Parent/Teacher Communication Folder. If your child qualifies for free lunch or is prepaid for lunch, let him/her know that he/she is buying a hot lunch but is already paid for. That way, your child will not get anxious looking for his/her lunch money.Each morning your child will be expected to know their lunch plan for that day and the next day. For example: on Tuesday, if you send your child to school with a lunch, your child needs to be aware that they brought a lunch to school. In addition, your child also is responsible to know whether they are buying or bringing a lunch on the following day. Since students need to order “hot lunches” a day in advance, involving your child in their weekly lunch schedule will help make lunchtime at school less stressful and very enjoyable. Mm5194300179705MATH:The kindergarten mathematics curriculum provides students with mathematical experiences that help them develop number sense and a positive attitude towards math that will carry throughout their lives. We employ a hands-on, problem-solving approach. MUSIC CLASS:-7486655207000The children will attend a 50-minute Music class once a week with our Music teacher. Here they will learn to sing and dance while building their gross motor skills.NnNEWSLETTER: My weekly newsletter, will be sent home on Friday in the Parent/Teacher Communication Folder. This will keep you informed about what is happening in our class---the skills we are learning, what we did in centers, special activities, upcoming events and any homework to be completed. OoOFFICE:The office staff is the hub of any school. They intercept phone calls to the classrooms and check parents into the school before visiting classrooms. Take some time to get to know the ladies that work in the office. You will only be allowed down to the classroom if you have an appointment to be there and have signed in at the office. Please, do not make impromptu visits to the classroom.PpPARENT INVOLVEMENT:Your?child’s?learning begins at home. Read a story a day with your child. Allow your child to hold the book, turn the pages and point as you read. Discuss the story when it is over. Use words like characters, problem, solution, setting... Practice letter and sound recognition and letter-printing at home. Play letter games: license plate or sign games as you drive, letter memory or matching games... Practice numbers at home: counting, recognizing and writing. You may also practice patterns, graphing, tallying, etc. with your child. Your help really makes a difference! PARTIES:4318635537845Throughout the year we will have a variety of celebration for Holidays and other Kindergarten milestones. Everyone is encouraged to participate! Here are some things you can look forward to…HalloweenChristmasValentine’s PartyEnd of the Year Class & Family PicnicPROCEDURES:Please advise the procedure packet titled “Safari Procedures.”Qq4527550178435?00?QUESTIONS:5213350285115?00?If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me a number of different ways: 485203572390?00?553783573025?00?School Phone: (586) 797- 4014School email: Tressa.Bartalino@A note in the Parent/Teacher Communication FolderRrREADING:Our reading series is designed to prepare the kindergarten students to learn how to read. To promote reading readiness, we teach your child: 393763587630communication skills listening skills vocabulary letter sounds rhymes how to blend and segment sounds letter and word patterns (word families) how to use pictures to tell a story sight words concepts of print (how a book works) predicting book covers: title, author, illustrator, picture clues story parts: characters, setting, problems and solutions RECESS:4165600512445The children may play outside for 20-40 minutes each day (weather permitting). Keep this in mind when selecting clothing for the day. Have your child wear sneakers with socks daily! I know sandals are easier, but they do not provide the protection that your little?one’s?feet?need. During the Winter Months, be sure to send in snowsuits, boots, hats and gloves for snow play. If you do not, your child will be asked to stand against the wall with nothing to do. Do not ask for your child to stay in for recess. Please?do?not?send?your?child?with?directions?to?stay?inside?for?recess without?a?doctor’s?note. If?your?child?isn’t?well?enough?to?go?out?for?recess,?then?he/she usually is not well enough to be in school. We do not have the staff to properly monitor your child when everyone else is outside. REST TIMEDEAR (Drop Everything And Read) is our daily rest time. After Lunch Recess, the children will use the restroom and then lay down quietly as I read to them. DEAR lasts for only 15-20 minutes. -42926040005000RESTROOM: Have your child use the restroom shortly before coming to school. The children will have the opportunity to use the restroom and at times when direct instruction is not taking place. Please make sure I am aware of any medical problems that might require frequent restroom trips. ROUTINES:At this age, routines are very important. Children feel more confident and work better when they know what to expect. The daily schedule is posted in the classroom. Help your child get used to routines at home. You can establish routines for bedtime, homework, chores, shopping, getting ready for school, etc.Ss5194300298450SAFTEY: Your?child’s?safety?is?very?important.??While?I?am?devoted?to?keeping?your?child safe, there are many things you can do to help. Always keep me informed of how your child is getting home from school, who’s picking him/her up, any health concerns involving your child and most importantly, ANY PHONE NUMBER CHANGES so I can always contact you when I need to. SCIENCE:-520065254635The focus of the kindergarten science curriculum is on developing an awareness of the world in which we live. Through scientific inquiry, concepts will be presented in the life and earth sciences, including the study of animals and plants, the five senses, general health and the four seasons. Theses areas will be explored utilizing a literacy based, hands-on approach. SHARED READING:Shared reading is an interactive process used with the whole class. As the teacher reads a story; children join in on phrases or words that they know. During subsequent re-readings, children read more and more of the text, until they are able to read the story independently. Shared reading is an opportunity for the teacher to model conventions of print and the use of reading strategies. STAR OF THE WEEK – “MASTER CHEF”: Each week, we will have a “Master Chef.” The Master Chef has many activities that need to be done throughout the week. The poster and directions will come home on Friday in the “Master Chef” bag. Read the directions carefully and follow them to ensure your child’s enjoyment of his/her special week! The completed poster “Read All About Me” comes back to school on Monday! SNACK:-62865292100Students may bring “thinking foods” to snack on at school. Some examples of good snacks are raw vegetables, fruit, protein, trail mix, cheese or crackers. A designated “snack time” will be determined according to each day’s classroom schedule. SOCIAL STUDIES:The kindergarten social studies curriculum focuses on the students and how they relate to others in their families, classroom, school, and community. Activities will help the children focus their natural curiosity for the world around them. SUPPLIES: A?supply?list?was?included?in?your?child’s?Welcome?Packet.??Please?send those supplies in ASAP. TtTOYS:Bringing toys to school is discouraged because they distract the children from learning and if a toy is accidentally lost or broken, feelings will be hurt. Books are okay to bring in, but please make sure that they are clearly marked with your child’s name. TRANSPORTATION:If there is a change in routine transportation for your child, you MUST send a written note. If a written note is not received, your child will be sent home by his/her usual method of transportation. Please note that transportation changes MUST be done through the office. UuUNIQUE:Kindergarteners learn that they are special and unique. They have opportunities to describe how they are alike as well as different from others. VvVISITORS:Browning has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) are required to check in at the school office. It is important to remember that while this may seem inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is the goal and responsibility of the school to create a safe learning environment. VOLUNTEERS:4166235264160Parents are a very significant part of your child’s educational process! I encourage you to become a part of our classroom and share your time and talents. Sign up at Open House (September 20th @ 6:30PM).Ww480060075565WEBSITE:Our class has it’s very own website! You can find a lot of useful information there including; a listing of important dates, cool links, homework, and downloads! I try to keep our homework, calendars, newsletters and special notes uploaded on there. Be sure to visit it often… STUDY: Word Study is comparing and contrasting words. In kindergarten we do this with Word Sorts. These sorts start with picture sorts and evolve as the year progresses. By the end of the year, we will be sorting words by the patterns we see in them. WRITING:Our writing program builds on what each child already knows. Writing begins with drawings and proceeds to scribbles to lines and circles, random strings of letters, words and spaces and eventually sentences. -17780079375Your child will be encouraged and praised for all attempts and accomplishments in writing. Providing a risk free environment is paramount to your child’s progress in writing. If possible, please provide you child with writing tools, such as pencils, crayons, markers and paper at home. XxeXpectations:Your child is expected to know some basic readiness skills. These skills will be practiced at school; however, must be taught at home as well. These skills include: Knowing Full Name Address Telephone Number Parents’?Names Basic Colors Counting to 100 Printing First Name: starts with a capital letter and the rest in lower case (Jeffrey) When time permits, work on these skills also: Reciting the Alphabet Shape Names Identifying Letters and Sounds Days and Months Identifying Numbers to 30 Finally, help your child with basic Self-Help skill, including, but not limited to: Following directionsManipulating clothing (zippers, buttons, laces, etc.) Cleaning up after him/herself Washing up Manipulating tools (pencils, markers, crayons, scissors, glue sticks, etc.) Opening snacks and juice-boxes, pouring drinks, etc. Keeping track of belongings YyYOUNGER SIBILINGS: It?is?in?your?child’s?and?the?school’s?best?interest?to?have?our?parent volunteers available without younger children. This not only allows your full attention to be focused on the class, but also allows for some special time between you and your child. Thank you for making childcare arrangements for younger siblings. If no other arrangements can be made, contact me and we will see if we can work something out. Younger siblings are not allowed on Field Trips under any circumstance, but may be allowed to be in the classroom so long as it does not create too big of a distraction. Zz473773572390ZZZzzz’s: Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child. It will help them to be alert and ready to learn each day! As you can see, Kindergarten will be a time of transition and growth for your child. Your involvement and encouragement will help your child gain the skills and confidence necessary for success. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to contact me.I’m looking forward to an exciting year with your child!Mrs. Tressa BartalinoKindergarten TeacherBrowning Elementary ................
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