Welcome to Kindergarten



Welcome to Kindergarten!We want to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to Meridian Elementary School. We are looking forward to working with you throughout this year to make your child’s beginning in elementary school a success. Kindergarten is a time of excitement, wonder, exploration, and discovery. Through fun, challenging, and developmentally appropriate learning activities, your child will work hard to academically prepare for first grade. We hope this handbook will provide you with a helpful overview of our kindergarten procedures and expectations.At Meridian Elementary School, kindergarten is offered in a half day (morning) program as well as an extended day program. Both programs will completely cover the district curriculum.We look forward to the opportunity to build a learning community at Meridian Elementary School with the students, parents, and staff.Sincerely,The Kindergarten TeamHug and Kiss ZoneWe hope you are excited to begin another successful year here at Meridian. Kindergarten is such a wonderful beginning in your child’s school journey! In order to make the start of our day a happy time for everyone, we really need your help. Ultimately, our goal is to have each and every child become independent with the beginning-of-the-day routines within the first week of school. By the end of the first week of school, we hope all children will be feeling confident about being able to walk to their classrooms and complete their beginning-of-the-day tasks independently. Separation from the parent is a natural part of the kindergarten experience. In order to make this transition easier for you and your child, it is important that you begin preparing your child for this process. Parents, please respect that as kindergarten teachers we enjoy greeting each student every morning. Children appreciate being recognized by their teacher. This sets a positive tone for the day. Children also need time to learn independence with their daily tasks and routines. In order to assist in this process, it is extremely important that parents allow their children to become independent and feel successful. Parents are welcome to create a “Kiss and Hug Zone” by the kindergarten double doors. This is where you can give your child a hug and kiss goodbye. When the bell rings, the door will open and children will enter the building with their classmates and walk to their room together. If your child arrives after 7:35, please enter through the main door and check in at the office. For safety reasons, if you need to enter the building you must sign in with your driver’s license at the office and receive a visitor’s pass. Please be aware it is school policy that the playground equipment is not available for use before school.We hope these suggestions will help make the transition for you and your child a fun, positive, and successful experience. We are looking forward to watching your child learn and grow throughout the year!Curriculum OverviewSocial Studies How Can I Be a Good Citizen?How Can Events of the Past Be Sequenced and Communicated?How Do I Balance Wants and Needs?How Do People Live Around the World?Science Sorting Organisms and ObjectsPushes and PullsThe Sun’s Heat and LightLiteracy Our literacy program is comprised of the following components:Interactive Read AloudShared ReadingGuided ReadingIndependent ReadingInteractive WritingWriter’s Workshop Including Units on Narrative, Information, and Opinion GenresWord LearningHandwriting Without TearsThe reading units we cover throughout the year encompass the following:Retelling Fiction Stories Using Details Relationship Between Words, Illustrations and Stories in Fiction Text Informational TextBuilding Blocks of Fiction StoriesRoles and Relationships of Authors and Illustrators in NonfictionDescribing Connections and Identifying Reasons in Nonfiction Comparing and Contrasting Characters’ Experiences in Fiction StoriesIdentifying Similarities and Differences Between Nonfiction TextsMath Using the Everyday Mathematics curriculum and Every Day Counts Calendar Math our students are exposed to a wealth of mathematic activities including counting, numeration, measurement, geometry, patterns, data collecting, and calculator usage. CommunicationEvery day, your child will take home a green daily folder. Inside you will find important notices, daily behavior log (extended day kindergarten only), homework information, kindergarten newsletters, and other valuable information. It is very important that you review your child’s folder each day as this is a main source of communication between school and home. If you need to contact us please don’t hesitate to send a note in your child’s folder, e-mail, or leave a phone message. Using the green folder and sending emails are the best ways to communicate with your child’s teacher. Our email and classroom phone numbers are listed below:Theresa.Vogt@720-972-7927Valerie.Hinson@ 720-972-7929Melinda.Mullins@ 720-972-7931Danielle.Shaw@ 720-972-7928Kristin.A.Olson@720-972-7932IMPORTANT: If there is going to be a change in how your child is dismissed from school (i.e. parent pick-up, bus, Base), please send your child's teacher an email by the start of the school day, or send a note in your child’s green folder. We will not be able to send students home a different way than what was originally noted unless we get a note or email from a parent. Thank you for understanding this important safety request.?We value open communication and teamwork between home and school. Should a concern arise, please reflect on your concern and contact your child’s classroom teacher. Report Cards and GradingYour child will receive a report card twice in kindergarten. The first report card will be coming home at the end of the first semester. The final report card will come home the last day of school. On the report card, you can expect the following grades: 1- Limited Progress 2- Making Progress toward Standard 3- Meets Standards 4-Exceeds StandardsAdams 12 is implementing Standards Based Grading, so please look for more detailed information when you receive your child’s first report card. Updates will be coming home throughout the year to keep you posted on your child’s progress.Not all activities are formally graded, as some are for practice and reinforcement. However, we are formally observing children each day and documenting our observations as to how the children are progressing toward the standards. No group grades will be given. Your child will be graded on his/her individual effort.Writing is scored according to the district writing rubric for kindergarten. Your child’s teacher will have a writing rubric available at the fall conference. ConferencesParent teacher conferences are held in the fall and mid-winter. At the fall conference we will discuss report cards and grading, kindergarten standards, and your child’s progress on assessments. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Homework As children enter kindergarten they are eager and ready to learn. Kindergarten homework lays the foundation for good work habits in later years. Furthermore, positive homework helps establish the home/school connection and involves parents as partners in their child’s daily learning experiences. The homework activities your child will do this year are:Daily readingMath Home Links from our Everyday Math CurriculumSpecial assignments that support our units of studyPlease check your child’s Daily Green Communication Folder for specific information on homework activities each week.Snacks (Extended Day Students Only)Teachers will have a short time during the day for a “crunch and sip” snack. Children are welcome to bring fresh fruit or veggies and water. VolunteersWe enjoy having parent volunteers come to school to help our students learn. Starting in October, you will be given the opportunity to volunteer in our classrooms. We need support with clerical work, assisting groups of children, party planning and support, classroom projects, scrapbooking for memory books, and field trips. Because this is a special time to interact with your kindergarten student and his or her classmates, please make other arrangements for younger siblings during your volunteer time. All your help is greatly appreciated. Parent volunteers make a huge difference in the education of our little ones.Room ParentEach classroom will ask for one parent to serve as room parent. The room parent’s involvement may include things such as the following:Coordinate with the other classroom volunteers by sending emails, evites, and Sign-Up Genius/Shutterfly requests. Come up with craft ideas for the 2 classroom parties during the year.Work with the teacher to decide on party crafts, food, and activities. Please check with your child’s teacher if you are interested in serving as the room parent this year. This is an integral role in helping with classroom parties and other needs, so your support is greatly appreciated!Field TripsThroughout the year we will schedule 2 field trips into the community to enhance our curriculum. Permission slips will be sent home prior to each trip. The cost for both field trips will be covered by the kindergarten fee due at the beginning of the year. You will have the opportunity to serve as a chaperone for a field trip if you desire but due to space requirements, the number of chaperones is limited for each trip. If we have more volunteers than spaces, we will take out names of parents who have already chaperoned a trip and then draw names randomly. Please understand that we will make every attempt to give each parent the opportunity to go on at least one trip. Chaperones will be responsible for 4-5 students while we are away from school. Since not all parents can go on every trip, please do not purchase souvenirs, extra activities, or food for your child or any other child in your group. Everything will be provided. Thank you for your cooperation.BirthdaysPlease see the yellow birthday handout provided by your child’s teacher that outlines Meridian’s birthday procedure. On this form you will be asked to sign up for a birthday option for your child and return the form to your classroom teacher. If your child has a summer birthday, we will have a summer birthday celebration sometime during the last few weeks of school. To help alleviate hard feelings about not being included to parties, sadly we will not allow invitations or thank-you notes to be distributed at school. For a small fee, our school will be distributing a school directory. The directory facilitates opportunities for social planning by parents.Daily BehaviorAs you know, good behavior and learning go hand-in-hand. Simple class rules have been established to ensure your child experiences a positive and safe learning environment.Even at the young age of 5, children need to learn the importance of accepting responsibility for their actions. Meridian Elementary has adopted the Positive School-wide Behavior Support model for our discipline and safety program. Through this model, we philosophically believe that by teaching the behaviors we want children to use in our school, and recognizing those behaviors on a regular basis, we can extinguish undesirable behaviors and replace them with positive ones. Students are rewarded for positive behavior with “Good-for-You” slips which can be accumulated for rewards. Additionally, in your child’s green communication folder, you will be able to view your child’s daily behavior report (extended day classes only).Show and TellEach classroom has its own show and tell routine. Please look for specific information regarding show and tell from your child’s teacher. Please do not have your child bring in toys or items to share unless your child brings home a note that indicates permission to do so.Watch for other upcoming whole class show and tell opportunities in your child’s green folder.Specials Classes The children will be attending “Specials”. The Specials are: Physical Education (P.E.), Music, 21st Century Learning (Science/Technology) and Art. Look for your child’s specific Specials schedule each month in the green folder. Finally...Our kindergarten team is very excited about our new year at Meridian Elementary. Together, as a team, we can make Meridian the best school in the district! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’re looking forward to a great year! ................
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