ABC’sS of Kindergarten



The

ABC’s of Kindergarten

AMrs. Patricia Allegrucci has been an All-Day Kindergarten teacher since the inception of the program in 1999.

Each child will be featured on our All About Me board for one week during the year. You will be notified in advance and are invited to attend a presentation session.

Attendance is extremely important in kindergarten. Many of our activities are hands-on and can not be duplicated at home or on vacation.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a fundraiser for childhood cancer, is sponsored by the kindergarten classes at the Pumpkin Festival. More information will be sent later.

BSaturday birthdays are celebrated on Fridays and Sunday birthdays are celebrated on Mondays. Summer birthdays will be celebrated as ½ birthdays (6 months before the actual birthday). Individual treats may be sent in and will be eaten at snack time. No cakes, candles, or drinks, please. I am NOT permitted to distribute personal party invitations or share phone numbers or addresses. Please do not put me in an awkward situation by asking me to do so.

Brain Gym is a technique used to exercise both sides of the brain and get the brain ready for academic activities. Children will be taught various exercises to “wake up the brain”. Movement and learning are necessary companions. Brain activities boost attention, motivation, learning, and achievement.

CCurriculum specifics are included in the packets distributed at the Orientation session.

DOur program consists of activities that follow developmentally appropriate practice. A blend of academics and play make our all-day program successful.

Dismissal can be hectic and stressful in the beginning of the year. If your child’s mode of transportation, person picking him up, or the destination changes, we MUST have it in writing. A child feels more secure when he knows exactly where he is going and with whom. At dismissal, due to our construction, it will be necessary, if your child is a walker, to meet him INSIDE THE FRONT DOORS at 3:05-3:10. You may park in the north Visitors parking lot entering via Redwood Blvd. Hold up your Pick-Up card so your child can be directed to you in a safe and timely manner. We all need to be flexible-arrangements may need to be changed.

A love of Disney characters is encouraged but optional (!

EWe will play everyday both inside and outside. Many studies document the importance of actively engaging minds and bodies. Through play, all facets of development are enhanced and children learn how to solve problems and work cooperatively with others. Play allows children to create something new, take risks, and avoid the fear of failure.

My email address is patricia.allegrucci@. I am able to answer your questions and concerns quickly and efficiently with no paper! Please check your email daily.

FYou have been supplied with a red, plastic folder marked “LEFT at home” and “bring RIGHT back”. Papers will be sorted at school and placed in the correct pocket. Empty the folder daily and check for important papers. Return the papers in the RIGHT side as soon as possible. Your child will put these papers in the “papers from home” basket when he arrives.

GGerms spread easily in a kindergarten class. Please make sure your child is fever free for 24 hours before coming to school. A sick child can not concentrate and will spread his illness to others. Hand washing is required after coughing, sneezing, or a trip to the bathroom. GradeBook Wizard is used in kindergarten only as a means of creating our report cards. Daily grades are not entered; therefore, it is unnecessary to logon for academic updates. Our class website can be accessed without logging in.

HYour child’s homework this year consists of completing a Daily Reading Book Log. The “Daily Reading Log” should be completed on Mondays through Fridays of each month. The front of the folder indicates the day your child should bring it to school to share. More details are found inside the folder.

II would like to share some important information about myself. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Lock Haven University in PA and a Master of Arts degree in Reading from Baldwin-Wallace in 2001. I worked there for six summers as an assistant professor in the Reading Practicum supervising graduate students earning their masters degrees and l taught an early childhood course to undergraduates. I am an active member of the local chapter of the International Reading Association, having held various positions including area representative, secretary, membership director, vice president, and president. My husband, Michael, and I are originally from Pennsylvania and currently reside in North Olmsted except on football weekends when we relocate to State College, PA to watch the Penn State Nittany Lions with our dog, Kiele.

JJoin the Redwood PTA! You must be a member to be a homeroom parent. Parent participation is extremely important.

KOur class uses an early writing program entitled Kid Writing. Every child writes at his own level and with an adult at his side until he is capable and confident to write on his own. Parent volunteers are a vital part of the program. Please consider signing up to help from 8:45-10:00 on Tuesdays or Thursdays or from 10:00-11:15 on Fridays!

LLunch money is a very confusing concept for kindergartners. Information about our “cash free” lunch program called Point of Sale can be found in your school packet. Money can be deposited in your account at . Children will enter an identification number (and eventually scan a fingerprint) and voila, lunch is paid for! No cash is needed! The cost of lunch is $2.25. Daily classroom snacks should be packed separately from lunches. Make sure your child knows if he is buying lunch, packing lunch, or just buying milk. Our lunchtime is 11:55-12:15. The menu is also found on the school website.

Your child will be participating in the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech (LIPS). Each sound has distinct characteristics that differentiate it from other sounds. The characteristics can be heard, seen, and felt as the sound is produced. The children associate the sound they hear with the appearance of the mouth and the physical sensation of making the sound. You’ll soon hear about “lip poppers, tongue scrapers, and quiet and noisy brothers”!

MMusic will be an integral part of our classroom. It activates many different parts of the brain. Research suggests that it positively influences spatial reasoning, creativity, mathematical skills, language, and reading skills. And, it’s FUN!

NThere will be a newsletter written almost every Friday to foster communication. It will be sent to your preferred email address. This letter tells about the weekly activities in the classroom and can be used as a springboard to conversation. It will remind you of upcoming events and deadlines.

No toys are allowed in school. Please save them for your child’s All About Me week.

Please put your child’s name on his belongings. Bookbags, lunchboxes, sneakers, and even coats and snowpants can be identical!

OOrientation provides you and your child a chance to experience together a small sample of the kindergarten day. This packet provides information about procedures. It is also available on the class website. Curriculum specifics will be presented and can be found in the handouts. Please keep these packets for reference throughout the school year.

PMy philosophy is that “process” is more important than “product”. Your child will be involved in meaningful learning every day but may not have anything in his folder to show it. This makes daily attendance extremely important. I hope to make your child comfortable in a formal classroom setting that is risk-free.

Parents are needed to make class sets of play dough on a monthly basis. Contact me if you are available and I will supply the recipe(

QQuality not quantity is the key to our kindergarten program!

RThe children and I will develop the classroom rules together. They will be stated in a positive manner. If a rule is broken, your child may be sent to our “Thoughtful Spot” (time-out). Appropriate alternate behavior will be discussed before your child is released. You will be notified if specific problems persist. Often the best way of solving them is for the child to know that the parent and teacher are working together.

Our class will have a recess from 11:20-11:55 supervised by noon supervisors and a daily classroom recess each day will be supervised by me.

SWe will have a snack time each afternoon. You will need to provide your child’s snack. Sharing is not permitted due to food allergies and parental preferences. Please do not send drinks. Water is always available.

Our special classes are Art, Music, Physical Education, and Media (Computer Lab and Book Selection). Mrs. Koelsh is our Art instructor on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We have a regular lesson one day and an enrichment lesson on famous artists on the other. Although we wear paint shirts, please do not dress your child in new or special clothing on art days. On Mondays and Wednesdays we will have Physical Education with Mrs. Stuart. Please send your child to school in appropriate clothes and sneakers. Mrs. Walker will teach Music on Mondays and Wednesdays. The children will enjoy singing songs and learning the basics of rhythm and pattern. Mrs. Janis and Mrs. Schneider will conduct computer lessons and book selection activities respectively on Fridays. The Redwood Raccoon canvas bag is donated by our PTA to kindergartners. Please use this bag to transport your child’s library book to school each Friday.

TOur time schedule is 8:45-3:15. Walkers and car riders should arrive no earlier than 8:30. At this time, parents should park in the north parking lot entering via Redwood Blvd. You may walk your child to the northwest door by the kitchen. He will be met by a safety patrol/teacher and escorted to the classroom when the bell rings at 8:35. The “tardy bell” rings at 8:45. If your child arrives after that time for any reason, you must take him to the office for an admittance slip. This slip is required to keep our attendance information accurate. Please be at school to pick up your child promptly at 3:15 at the northwest door by the kitchen.

UDo you understand everything? You may contact me with questions by email at patricia.allegrucci@ or by phone at (440) 933-5145 x4009. E-mail has proven to be the quickest and most efficient. It will take several weeks for our routine to be established and make sense. We also have several veteran families in our class this year. I'm sure they will be more than willing to clarify things!

VVolunteers are needed to assist in the classroom during Kid Writing. Please consider helping us out for one hour a week. Many booklets need to be cut and stapled for our program. If you would like to help at home with this task, please let me know. A paper cutter is handy for these projects.

WWork stations are areas the children visit in the afternoon during what they will consider “play time”. These are usually free choice. Eventually, I will be working with small groups of children for leveled reading instruction at this time also. During Kid Writing, the children will be assigned to a Literacy Center where they will work independently on language arts skills.

Workbook fees pay for a Draw and Write Journal, a Draw and Write hardcover book, a Words I Know resource book for writing, a Weekly Reader, the All About Me poster, a calculator, and the art fee.

This document is posted on the “welcome” page of my class website. You can access it through the gradebook wizard link on the Redwood page, then click “Mrs. Allegrucci” or directly from the Avon Lake teachers list or the Redwood list.

XThe exit from our classroom leads us directly out to the sidewalk. This is our primary exit for fire drills. All-day kindergarten is exciting but exhausting. Please give your child time to “wind down” when he gets home.

YYou are your child’s most important teacher! Yes! There will be a test on all this information later(

Zzzzzz’s There is no naptime in all-day kindergarten. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest at night. He will have a long, busy day!

You will be amazed at the progress your child makes this year!

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